I rubbed my thigh ruefully. ‘When you come to think about it you might find that you already have, sweetheart,’ I said, glancing back at Harri. ‘There is a boy back there who would not show the promise he does if it were not for you.’

Jane looked at me in surprise before giving a little nod. ‘You may be right,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘Thank you.’

‘For what?’ It was my turn to be surprised.

‘For making me an independent woman. I realize that I never would have been if you had not refused to marry me.’

It was my turn to be thoughtful.

The next day I left Jane and Sian exploring the sights of Windsor together and went with Harri to the king’s apartments in St George’s Hall. We found King Henry in a sorry state of melancholy, huddled over a Prie Dieu in his private chapel, passing the beads of his rosary frantically through his fingers and murmuring indecipherable prayers.

‘His grace is fretting about the queen and the prince, my lord,’ Sir Richard Tunstall whispered as we stood at the chapel door. ‘Today he received a letter from Rouen, telling him that they would soon travel by barge to the mouth of the Seine, where the ships and the army King Louis promised them are preparing to sail to England. The king is terrified of the sea, ever since they were all nearly shipwrecked on their first flight to Scotland.’

‘So will the queen be here for Christmas?’ I asked.

The Chamberlain shrugged. ‘It is in God’s hands. I do not think his grace can decide whether to pray for them to sail as soon as possible or to wait until the threat of winter storms has passed.’

‘It is so long since they were together.’ I made the sign of the cross. ‘May the Virgin of the Sea grant the queen and the prince safe passage and bring the king cheer at Christ’s Nativity.’

Henry must have heard our voices, for at the end of his rosary he heaved himself to his feet, genuflected to the altar and backed away. When he saw me his face broke into a smile. ‘Jasper! It is you. You are very well come.’

I snatched off my hat, bent my knee and kissed his ring. ‘God’s greetings, your grace, I hope I find you well?’ Behind me Harri dropped to his knees but Henry did not notice him.

He took my hand to make me rise. I thought his skin looked less transparent than at the coronation. ‘I am well enough thank you, Jasper, well enough. Sir Richard, what can we do to make Lord Pembroke welcome? I know, some hippocras perhaps.’ Henry suddenly became quite animated. ‘Do you remember when we drank too much of it at Christmas? So many years ago, so many years …’