‘Why not go and play with Maud, Harri?’ I suggested. ‘It will distract you.’

The boy still found it hard to tear his gaze from the view. Harri Tudor was now a gangly lad of ten with a neat mop of thick brown hair, keen blue eyes and a ready smile and he was about to meet the mother he had not seen since he was a toddler and could not remember at all. ‘Do you think she will recognize me, Mistress Jane?’ he asked, for what must have been the tenth time that week. ‘I have no idea what she looks like.’

I smiled at him fondly. ‘You hardly resemble the baby you were when she was obliged to leave you, Harri, but you know each other’s minds from all the letters you have exchanged. You know that she is a great lady who loves and cares for you and is proud of all your achievements. And when she sees what a handsome and well-mannered boy you have become she will be even prouder. Is that not so, Maud?’

The girl still stood with her hands on her hips, frowning. A little older than him, Maud was a lively, practical young lady who was good for sharing games and jokes but these worries of Harri’s, with which I could sympathize, were merely irritating to her.

‘Everyone likes you, Harri, so I suppose your mother will as well,’ she said, taking his hand. ‘Come on, the pins are set up and I am going to beat you this time.’

As they set off to begin their game young Davy Owen suddenly sprang from behind a wall hanging and leaped onto Harri’s back. ‘Ha ha! Made you jump!’ he crowed, clinging tightly to the bigger boy’s neck.

Harri wrested his hand from Maud’s and shook him off with an amiable grin. ‘Get away, Davy! You are too heavy.’

The other boy pouted. ‘It was a good ambush though, was it not?’

Harri tweaked his ear. ‘Yes, Davy, it was well planned; I give you that. Now let me get on with my game.’

‘Stop being a nuisance, Davy, and go and bother someone else. Harri is playing with me.’ Maud’s brow creased and she flounced the skirt of her green kirtle to express her annoyance before bending to pick up two wooden balls and handing one to Harri.

Harri took it and turned to catch the attention of Cicely Herbert, sitting beside me. She was supposed to be getting on with her embroidery but it was lying idle in her lap and she was watching the others enviously. He called across to her, ‘Cis, why do we not play doubles? You could partner Walter and Maud and I will take you on.’