‘And now, last but not least – you must be Joan.’ I put my finger under the small child’s plump chin and raised her head. Her gaze met mine briefly before dropping to her tightly clasped hands. ‘You have lovely long eyelashes, like your mother’s.’

A pretty, braid-trimmed coif obscured her hair and she was appealingly plump in a bright blue kirtle laced at the front. ‘I am named for my mother,’ she confirmed in a little, low voice. ‘My name is Sian.’

I glanced back at Jane who was eagerly greeting Evan. ‘Ah yes. How lucky I am to have two of you.’

Jane broke away from her brother and came to take my arm. She made a face and fingered the studded leather of my brigandine. ‘Let Evan relieve you of this before you join us at table.’

Evan unfastened the buckles and Davy watched intently before taking the heavy garment from him. ‘I will hang it up, sir,’ he said eagerly.

From the oriel window I checked the harbour scene and enquired if there had been any sign of the castle garrison being increased.

‘There are no more men there than usual,’ Jane replied. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘If Edward knew we had taken ship he would have strengthened defences at the channel ports,’ I replied. ‘It means he has moved all his available troops north.’

She looked worried. ‘Will he not turn around when he knows you are here?’

I smiled. ‘Yes, of course but by now he will have found that he has enemies both behind and in front. He cannot fight them both at once.’

‘So what will happen?’

‘Warwick thinks Edward will turn and confront him, probably somewhere like Nottingham. But I think he will run.’

She looked horrified. ‘Run – where? Not this way?’

‘No, without Herbert there is nothing for Edward here in Wales. Even Gloucester has left to join him. He will flee the country – to Flanders is my wager. He made a good move when he married his sister to the Duke of Burgundy.’

I allowed Jane to lead me to a trestle. What she called ‘a welcome feast in your honour’ was set there and I took my place at the board with her beside me. In the shelter of the cloth her hand strayed to my knee. ‘Davy is going to serve us,’ she said sedately, beckoning the boy. ‘He wants to train for knighthood.’ The fingers of her other hand continued to pursue their own agenda. If her aim was to reassure me that her ardour had not dimmed it was certainly succeeding. ‘How long can you stay?’ she asked softly.

‘Well I am certainly here for one night at least,’ I replied, avoiding her gaze in order to keep my face straight. ‘I need to get to know these children, do I not, Elin?’