‘Tell the captain we will take the ship to Abermaw. It will be just me and my squire and two horses. His grace of Exeter will not be joining us. I will send another ship to pick him up but he will have to pay the captain himself.’

Dafydd nodded. ‘As you wish, my lord, but I would be grateful if you leave written instructions for his grace; if I tell him there could be another incident and I would not guarantee his survival.’

Later, before allowing myself to sleep, I wrote three letters.

To the Duke of Exeter from Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke

I have taken the damaged ship to Abermaw for repairs. From there I will send a ship and a captain of my acquaintance to convey you to the destination of your choice. I hold it your responsibility to pay the captain for his services, which should afford you no difficulty once you have recovered that which you left behind on landing at Mostyn. If you should shirk this payment I will learn of it and ensure that justice is done at a time of my choosing.

I did not give this letter the distinction of a signature but merely used my Pembroke seal. Then I wrote two private letters, which I hoped the resourceful constable might find some way of conveying to the first recipient.

To my lady Margaret, Countess of Richmond, from Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, brotherly greetings.

I write this on the eve of taking ship to a destination I will not disclose for the security of us both. I beg you not to think that I am abandoning England and the Lancastrian cause, which I swear on the Virgin’s robe I will never do as long as there is breath in my body. We still have many allies both in this kingdom and in our neighbouring realms and it is my intention to seek aid from them all. It would be helpful if we could establish some form of courier service to carry our continued correspondence, men who are known to us both and unremarkable to the present regime. Perhaps you could give some thought to this matter, as will I.

I cannot tell you how deeply I regret that the custody of my nephew, your beloved son Henry, has been forcibly removed from me and awarded to my sworn enemy, William Herbert. I hope you are at least a little reassured that he is still in the immediate care of Jane Hywel, who I dare to hope will continue sending you regular reports regarding his upbringing and progress. I give heartfelt thanks to Almighty God that the violence that brings so much sorrow and loss has so far not been inflicted on the heirs and children of the warring factions and pray that this situation continues.

I am and will always remain, your loyal friend and devoted brother-in-law,

Jasper Tudor

Written at Harlech Castle this seventeenth day of October 1461