‘Why do her servants not take care of all this?’

‘Because she interrupts them, and orders one thing and then another. We have had her chest of gowns packed and corded and ready for the wagon twice already. Her wardrobe mistress cannot be blamed, it is Katherine who pulls everything out for a pair of gloves that she cannot do without.’

‘It is impossible that the queen’s rooms should be so disorderly,’ he exclaims, and I see that for once he is genuinely disturbed. ‘These are the queen’s rooms,’ he repeats. ‘They should be gracious. She should have dignity. Queen Katherine of Aragon would never—’

‘She was born and bred a queen, but these are a girl’s rooms,’ I say. ‘And a spoiled, wilful girl at that. She doesn’t behave like a queen, she behaves like a girl. And if she wants to turn the place upside down for a ribbon, she will do so, and no-one can tell her to behave.’

‘You should command her.’

I raise my eyebrows. ‘Your Grace, she is the queen. You made this child Queen of England. Between her upbringing in your houses and the king’s indulgence she has been taught no sense whatsoever. I shall wait until she goes to dinner and then I shall have everything set to rights, and tomorrow all this will be forgotten and she will go on progress and everything she needs will be packed, and anything she has left behind she will buy new.’

The duke shrugs and turns from the room. ‘Anyway, it’s you I wanted to see,’ he says. ‘Come out into the hall. I cannot stand this women’s noise.’

He takes my hand and leads me out of the room. The sentry stands to one side of the door and we move away so he cannot listen.

‘She is discreet with Culpepper at least,’ he says bluntly. ‘No-one has any idea. How many times has he bedded her?’

‘Half a dozen,’ I say. ‘And I am glad that there is no talk of her in the court. But here in her rooms at least two of her women know that she loves him. She looks for him, her face lights up when she sees him. She has gone missing at least once in the last week. But the king comes to her rooms at night and in the day there is someone always with her. Nobody could prove anything against them.’

‘You will have to find a way for them when they are on progress,’ he says. ‘Travelling from one house to another, there must be opportunities. It is no good for us if they can meet only seldom. We need a son from this girl, she has to be serviced until she is in pup.’

I raise my eyebrows at his vulgarity but I nod in agreement. ‘I will help her,’ I say. ‘She can plan no better than a kitten.’

‘Let her plan like a bitch in heat,’ he says. ‘As long as he beds her.’