I laughed. ‘If I do mix with such paragons, few of them have time for a penniless exile …’

Reaching up she planted her lips on mine. Our kiss was brief but intense and bore no resemblance to the one Margaret had so mystifyingly planted on me. When she broke away she said breathlessly: ‘Hurry up then, Jasper Tudor, and win the throne back for your brother so that we can love each other to sleep again. Of such simple pleasures is the world made wonderful.’

I nodded emphatically. ‘I will,’ I said. ‘I swear I will.’

34

Jane

Raglan Castle

‘SLOWER MASTER HENRY! DO not let your mount dictate the pace. Lean back, rein him in!’

The roar from the Master at Arms was so loud that it hurt my eardrums but Harri, galloping towards the quintain with the visor of his helmet pulled down, probably hardly heard him. He was wielding a half-size lance but it was clear that he was having difficulty controlling the long white-painted pole and at the last minute his horse swerved, the lance tipped upwards and the point missed the board of the quintain. There were disappointed groans from some of the spectators but whoops of joy from others, who were not supporting his team.

Harri pulled up the pony his mother had sent him after her visit to Raglan. The Welsh gelding was called Cirrus after the wispy white clouds seen high in the sky on a sunny day and Harri loved him. Even though he had swerved offline and caused his rider to miss the target he still received a pat on the neck as Harri brought him to a halt beside Walter’s bay cob. An attendant took the unwieldy lance off the boy.

‘Sorry, Walter,’ Harri said quietly so that I barely caught the words. ‘I lost control of the lance.’

Walter blew out his cheeks and made a rude noise. ‘No, you lost control of the horse, Harri, which is why you should not pat him like that. He should know that you are displeased with him.’

There was still no love lost between Walter and Harri. The older Herbert girls had both gone off to their marriages with wealthy barons, but Maud was still waiting and hoping that the king would approve her marriage to the future Earl of Richmond. I had heard her boasting once to my girls that she would be Harri’s countess one day but so far there had been no betrothal and, knowing Lady Margaret’s opposition to the match, I wondered if there ever would be. Harri himself kept very quiet on the subject, ensuring that no one discovered his opinion on the matter, least of all Maud.