‘She came between us,’ I gasp.

‘His hounds came between you. His horses. He loved the horses in his stable, he loved his hawks in his mews more than he loved you. And you would have killed every one of them, horse, hound and hawk, from sheer jealousy. You are an evil woman, Jane, and I have used you as I would use a piece of filth. But now I am finished with that foolish girl Katherine and I am finished with you. You can advise her to save herself as best she can. You can bear witness for her, you can bear witness against her. I don’t care for either of you.’

I feel the wall behind me and I push myself forwards to glare into his face. ‘You will not treat me so,’ I say. ‘I am no piece of filth, I am your ally. If you turn against me you will regret it. I know all the secrets. Enough to send her to the gallows, enough to send you there too. I will destroy her, and you with her.’ I am panting now, flushed with rage. ‘I will bring her to the scaffold and every Howard with her. Even if I die myself this time!’

He laughs again but now he is quiet, his anger spent. ‘She is a lost cause,’ he says. ‘The king has finished with her. I have finished with her. I can save myself and I will. You will go down with the slut. You cannot get off twice.’

‘I shall tell the archbishop about Culpepper,’ I threaten. ‘I shall tell him that you meant them to be lovers. That you told me to throw them together.’

‘You can say what you like,’ he replies easily. ‘You will have no proof. There is only one person who was seen carrying messages and letting him into her rooms. That would be you. Everything you say to incriminate me will point to your guilt. You will die for it, and God knows, I don’t care one way or another.’

I scream then, I scream and fall to my knees and clasp him around the legs. ‘Don’t say that, I have served you, I have served you for years, I have been your most faithful servant and I have had next to no reward. Get me out of here and she can die and Culpepper can die but I shall be safe with you.’

Slowly the duke leans down and detaches my hands as if I were some kind of sticky weed that has tangled unpleasantly around his legs. ‘No, no,’ he says, as if he has lost all interest in the conversation. ‘No. She cannot be saved and I wouldn’t lift a finger to save you. The world will be a better place when you are dead, Jane Boleyn. You will not be missed.’

‘I am yours.’ I look up at him, but I dare not grab him again, and so he walks away from me, to tap on the door to the outside world, where the sentries, who used to stand on the outside to keep everyone out, are now keeping us locked in. ‘I am yours,’ I shout. ‘Heart and soul. I love you.’