He had placed little counters in a crowd at London, and more in the painted blue sea. A set of counters of a different colour was in the north of the country, Scots, I thought, and another little group like Lord Robert’s chess pawns in the east of the country. I made a deep bow to Lord Robert and to his father.

‘It has to be done at speed,’ the duke remarked, scowling. ‘If it is done at once, before anyone has a chance to protest, then we can deal with the north, with the Spanish, and with those of her tenants who stay loyal, in our own time.’

‘And she?’ Lord Robert asked quietly.

‘She can do nothing,’ the duke said. ‘And if she tries to run, your little spy will warn us.’ He looked up at me on those words. ‘Hannah Green, I am sending you to wait upon the Lady Mary. You are to be her fool until I summon you back to court. My son assures me that you can keep your counsel. Is he right?’

The skin on the back of my neck went cold. ‘I can keep a secret,’ I said unhelpfully. ‘But I don’t like to.’

‘And you will not go into a trance and speak of foretellings and smoke and crystals and betray everything?’

‘You hired me for my trances and foretellings,’ I reminded him. ‘I can’t order the Sight.’

‘Does she do it often?’ he demanded of his son.

Lord Robert shook his head. ‘Rarely, and never out of turn. Her fear is greater than her gift. She is witty enough to turn anything. Besides, who would listen to a fool?’

The duke gave his quick bark of a laugh. ‘Another fool,’ he suggested.

Robert smiled. ‘Hannah will keep our secrets,’ he said gently. ‘She is mine, heart and soul.’

The duke nodded. ‘Well, then. Tell her the rest.’

I shook my head, wanting to block my ears; but Lord Robert came around the table and took my hand. He stood close to me and when I looked up from my study of the floor I met his dark gaze. ‘Mistress Boy, I need you to go to the Lady Mary and write to me and tell me what she thinks, and where she goes, and who she meets.’

I blinked. ‘Spy on her?’

He hesitated. ‘Befriend her.’

‘Spy on her. Exactly,’ his father said brusquely.

‘Will you do this for me?’ Lord Robert asked. ‘It would be a very great service to me. It is the service I ask of your love.’

‘Will I be in danger?’ I asked. In my head I could hear the knock of the Inquisition on the heavy wooden door and the trample of their feet over our threshold.

‘No,’ he promised me. ‘I have guaranteed your safety while you are mine. You will be my fool, under my protection. No-one can hurt you if you are a Dudley.’

‘What must I do?’

‘Watch the Lady Mary and report to me.’