By midsummer the English army, marshalled, half-trained and wholly wild for a fight, moved out of Calais, led by King Philip himself. They launched an attack on St Quentin, and in August stormed the town and won it from the French. It was a resounding victory against a hated enemy. The citizens of Calais, ambitious to reclaim the whole of the lost English lands in France, went mad with joy at this first sign, and every returning soldier was laden with flowers and had a horn of wine pressed into his willing hand and was blessed as the saviour of his nation.

I saw Daniel at church on Sunday when the priest preached the victory of God’s chosen people over the treacherous French, and then, to my amazement, he prayed for the safe delivery of the queen of a son and heir to the throne. For me, it was better news even than the taking of St Quentin, and for the first time in long months I felt my heart lift. When I thought of her carrying a child in her womb again I felt my down-turned face lift up and smile. I knew how glad she must be, how this must bring her back to the joy she had felt in early marriage, how she must think now that God had forgiven the English and she might become a gentle queen and a good mother.

When Daniel came up to me as we all left church he saw the happiness on my face and smiled. ‘You did not know of the queen’s condition?’

‘How could I know?’ I said. ‘I see nobody. I hear only the most general of gossip.’

‘There is news of your old lord too,’ he said levelly. ‘Have you heard?’

‘Robert Dudley?’ I could feel myself sway against the shock of his name. ‘What news?’

Daniel put a hand under my elbow to steady me. ‘Good news,’ he said quietly though I could see it brought little joy for him. ‘Good news, Hannah, be calm.’

‘Is he released?’

‘He and half a dozen other men accused of treason were released some time ago and fought with the king.’ The twist of Daniel’s mouth indicated that he thought Lord Robert would serve his own cause first. ‘Your lord raised his own company of horse a month ago . . .’

‘He came through the town? And I didn’t know?’

‘He fought at St Quentin and was mentioned in dispatches for bravery,’ Daniel said shortly.

I felt myself glow with pleasure. ‘Oh! How wonderful!’

‘Yes,’ Daniel said without enthusiasm. ‘You won’t try to find him, Hannah? The countryside is unsafe.’

‘He’ll go home through Calais, won’t he? When the French sue for peace?’

‘I should think so.’

‘I will try to see him then. Perhaps he’ll help me return to England.’

Daniel went pale, his face even graver than before. ‘You cannot risk going back while the rules against heresy are so strong,’ he said quietly. ‘They would be bound to examine you.’