I said to Margaret, ‘I will go to Anjou to see the queen but I do not hold out much hope. Marguerite is living off her father who squandered his wealth trying to make himself King of Sicily. Her gowns are patched and her courtiers get only bed and board. And I am sorry to say that my cousin, Louis of France, is completely unreliable. He makes grandiose promises of aid but when it comes to the pay-out you find his purse strings are suddenly tied.’

Margaret’s brow knitted. ‘I thought he had granted you a pension.’

I laughed bitterly. ‘He gives me a hundred livres a year but I spend all of that traipsing around Europe on his missions.’ I ran my hands eloquently over my battered brigandine. ‘As you see I am hardly dressed in silk and satin.’

She shrugged. ‘Well I have money but not enough to fund a rebellion. However, if Warwick joins our party I am sure Louis will open his coffers. Let us work on that.’

‘Very well, I am prepared to do anything to get my brother out of the Tower. Is there any chance you might be allowed to visit him?’

It was Margaret’s turn to laugh bitterly. ‘Absolutely none! But my doctor has a colleague who tends him and he tells me King Henry is well treated. He lives in his own royal apartments and spends most of his time on his knees in the oratory. I think if he were to be restored to his throne it would only be as a puppet king.’

‘An anointed puppet of true royal blood is better than an upstart usurper,’ I retorted. ‘And at least he has a son and heir.’

‘Yes, what of the prince, who I believe his mother insists on calling Édouard? I imagine she must regret having chosen that Yorkist name now.’

‘Perhaps, but Marguerite is not one to admit it. He is nearly fourteen and greatly impressed King Louis when they met. I would say that her son is the only reason Marguerite gets any money at all from the French exchequer. Louis called him a “promising prince”.’

‘That is something I suppose.’

I guessed Margaret’s half-hearted response was due to a maternal bias towards her own son.

She added slyly, ‘Since Yorkist Edward has been on the throne, rumour about Édouard’s conception has been less active but that does not mean to say it has gone away. What is your opinion, Jasper – is he truly your brother’s son?’

I answered her emphatically. ‘If you saw the prince you would have no doubt who his sire was.’