He spreads his hands. ‘Nothing is in my mind,’ he lies.

I wait for him to tell me what he wants next.

‘And the girl,’ he says. ‘Our young Katherine. The king has taken a liking to her, hasn’t he?’

‘Very much so,’ I agree. ‘And she is as clever with him as a woman twice her age. She is very skilled. She appears completely sweet and very innocent, and yet she displays herself like a Smithfield whore.’

‘Charming indeed. Does she have ambitions?’

‘No, only greed.’

‘She has no thought that the king has married his wives’ maids in waiting before now?’

‘She is a fool,’ I say shortly. ‘She is a skilled flirt because that is her great delight, but she can plan no more than a lapdog.’

‘Why not?’ He is momentarily diverted.

‘She has no thought of the future, she cannot imagine beyond the next masque. She will do tricks for sweets, but she does not dream that she might learn to hunt and pull down the greatest prize.’

‘Interesting.’ He bares his yellow teeth in a smile. ‘You are always interesting, Jane Boleyn. And so: to the king and queen. I escort him to her room every other night. Do you know if he has yet managed to do the act?’

‘We are all certain that he has not,’ I say. I lower my voice though I know I am safe in these rooms. ‘I think he is unmanned.’

‘Why d’you think that?’

I shrug. ‘It was the case in the last months with Anne. We all know that.’

He gives a short laugh. ‘We know it now.’

It was George, my George, who told the world that the king was impotent when he was on trial for his life. Typical of George, with nothing left to lose, to say the unsayable, the one thing he should have kept secret. He was daring to the very steps of the scaffold.

‘Does he show her that he is discontented? Does she know that she does not please him?’

‘He is courteous enough, but cold. It’s as if he doesn’t even think of her with pleasure. As if he cannot get pleasure from anything.’

‘D’you think he could do it with anyone else?’

‘He is old,’ I start; but the quick glare from the old duke reminds me that he is no stripling himself. ‘That should not prevent him, of course. But he is sick with the pain of his leg and I think that this is worse recently. Certainly, it smells worse and he limps very heavily.’

‘So I see.’

‘And he is costive.’

He makes a face. ‘As we all know.’ The latest movement of the king’s bowels is of constant concern to the court, for their own interest as much as his; when he is bound his temper is much worse.

‘And she does nothing to arouse him.’

‘She discourages him?’

‘Not exactly, but my guess is that she does nothing to help him.’