He thought for a moment. ‘Not very readily; but you could go over with the ship that is going to fetch my soldiers home. I’ll write you a note.’

He snapped his fingers to a stable boy and sent him running for a clerk with pen and paper. When the lad came he dictated three lines to give me a free pass on the boat for myself and my son.

I curtseyed low to him in genuine gratitude. ‘Thank you, my lord,’ I said. ‘I do thank you very deeply.’

He smiled his heart-turning smile. ‘My pleasure, dearest little fool. But the ship sails within a week. Will you be able to leave the queen?’

‘She’s sinking fast,’ I said slowly. ‘That’s why I was in such a hurry to leave at once. She was holding on for Elizabeth’s answer.’

‘Well, thank you for that information, which you denied me earlier,’ he said.

I bit my lip as I realised that to tell him, was to tell Elizabeth, and those planning her campaign, when she should be ready to call out her army to claim her throne.

‘No harm done,’ he said. ‘Half of her doctors are paid by us to let us know how she is.’

John Dee drew closer. ‘And could you see into the princess’ heart?’ he asked gently. ‘Could you tell if she was sincere in her oath for keeping the true faith? Do you believe she will be a Catholic queen?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said simply. ‘I shall pray for guidance on the way home.’

Robert would have said something but John Dee put a hand on his arm. ‘Hannah will say the right thing to the queen,’ he said. ‘She knows that it is not one queen or another that matters, it is not one name of God or another, what matters most is to bring peace to this country so that a man or woman in danger of cruelty or persecution can come here and be certain of a fair hearing.’ He paused, and I thought of my father and I, coming to this England and hoping for a safe haven.

‘What matters is that a man or woman can believe what they wish, and worship how they wish, to a God whom they name as they wish. What matters is that we make a strong country here which can be a force for good in the world, where men and women can question and learn freely. This country’s destiny is to be a place where men and women can know that they are free.’

He stopped. Lord Robert was smiling down at me.

‘I know what she will do,’ Lord Robert said sweetly. ‘Because she is my tender-hearted Mistress Boy still. She will say whatever she has to say to comfort the queen in her final hours, God bless her, the poor lady. No queen ever came to the throne with higher hopes and died in such sadness.’

I leaned down and scooped Daniel up into my arms. The grooms brought my horse from the stables and Jane Dormer came from the house and got into the litter without a word to either man.