Her hands were folded tightly in her lap and she fixed me with an accusing stare I soon learned the cause of it. ‘My brother tells me that you have been Jasper Tudor’s mistress and that your little girls are his bastards.’ I saw her lip curl in distaste and felt anger surge, only with difficulty stopping myself from crying out in defence of my children. She pursued her complaint. ‘You have taken advantage of my generosity and, under false pretences, brought the children of my husband’s enemy into my household. You have utterly abused my kindness by lying to me over an extended period.’

I could contain my indignation no longer. ‘I do not believe you can accuse me of taking advantage, my lady, when I have given you eight years of faithful and unpaid service and cared for your children as if they were my own.’

‘Silence, jade!’ The lady’s calm demeanour had vanished entirely. ‘I have not brought you here to plead your cause. I wish you to take your children and leave my employ and that includes removing young Davy Owen, whose true parentage I hardly dare to guess at. Take the three of them and go from this place. I do not wish to see your face again.’

‘But what about Harri?’ I cried. ‘He will be left alone among his father’s enemies.’

‘Harri is still my husband’s ward and will remain here. I will write to inform his mother where he is and that he is safe with us. Collect your things together and take only what you can carry. I do not care where you go but wherever it is you will have to walk and I urge you to consider your sins along the way.’

I was flabbergasted, suddenly seeing a side of her I had not known existed. ‘But – but my children! You brought us here – miles from anyone we know. I have no money. You cannot in all Christian decency throw us out into unknown territory without transport, money or protection!’ There was no question of avoiding her gaze now; my eyes were drilling into hers and she met them without flinching.

‘Do not speak to me of decency! You came to us in the guise of a decent widow, who had been entrusted with the care of a wealthy nobleman’s heir. Now I discover you are neither decent nor widowed. Worse than that, you are the leman of my husband’s enemy and have probably been his spy all the time you have been under my roof. If you were a man you would be under arrest and clapped in irons. Think yourself lucky I do not bring charges against you. The servant who showed you here has orders to stay with you while you gather your belongings and your children and ensure that you leave my brother’s castle. Now go.’