I nodded. ‘She is quite determined neither to leave nor marry.’

‘King Philip will keep her at court now, and make her his friend, I should think.’

‘Why?’

‘One baby, as yet unborn, is not enough to secure the throne,’ he pointed out. ‘And next in line is Elizabeth. If the queen were to die in childbirth he would be in a most dangerous position: trapped in England and the new queen and all her people his enemies.’

I nodded.

‘And if he were to disinherit Elizabeth then the next heir would be Mary, married to the Prince of France. D’you not think that our Spanish King Philip would rather see the devil incarnate on the English throne than the King of France’s son?’

‘Oh,’ I said.

‘Exactly,’ he said with quiet satisfaction. ‘You can remind Elizabeth that she is in a stronger position now that Philip is on the queen’s council. There’s not many of them that can think straight there; but he certainly can. Is Gardiner still trying to persuade the queen to declare Elizabeth a bastard and disinherit her?’

I shook my head. ‘I don’t know.’

Robert Dudley smiled. ‘I warrant he is. Actually, I know he is.’

‘You’re very well informed for a friendless prisoner without news or visitors,’ I observed tartly.

He smiled his dark seductive smile. ‘No friends as dear to me as you, sweetheart.’

I tried not to smile back but I could feel my face warming at his attention.

‘You have grown into a young woman indeed,’ he said. ‘Time you were out of your pageboy clothes, my bird. Time you were wed.’

I flushed quickly at the thought of Daniel and what he would make of Lord Robert calling me ‘sweetheart’ and ‘my bird’.

‘And how is the swain?’ Lord Robert asked, dropping into the chair at his desk and putting his boots up on the scattered papers. ‘Pressing his suit? Passionate? Urgent?’

‘Busy in Padua,’ I said with quiet pride. ‘Studying medicine at the university.’

‘And when does he come home to claim his virgin bride?’

‘When I am released from Elizabeth’s service,’ I said. ‘Then I will join him in France.’

He nodded, thoughtful. ‘You know that you are a desirable woman now, Mistress Boy? I would not have known you for the little half-lad that you were.’

I could feel my cheeks burning scarlet but I did not drop my eyes like some pretty servant, overwhelmed by the master’s smile. I kept my head up and I felt his look flicker over me like a lick.

‘I would never have taken you while you were a child,’ he said. ‘It’s a sin not to my taste.’

I nodded, waiting for what was coming next.

‘And not while you were scrying for my tutor,’ he said. ‘I would not have robbed either of you of your gift.’

I stayed silent.

‘But when you are a woman grown and another man’s wife you can come to me, if you desire me,’ he said. His voice was low, warm, infinitely tempting. ‘I would like to love you, Hannah. I would like to hold you in my arms and feel your heart beat fast, as I think it is doing now.’ He paused. ‘Am I right? Heart thudding, throat dry, knees weak, desire rising?’