For a moment, the part of Richard that disliked George gloated over his brother’s lack of common sense. Why anger Ned like this? But then thought of Ned’s displeasure was drowned in a flood of self-pity. Isabel is in love with George! How stupid I have been thinking she could possibly love me, he thought miserably, concluding Isabel would now never be his. A sigh escaped from him.

“Richard?” Anne leaned toward him and touched his shoulder gently, making Richard jump. He had forgotten Anne was there. Anne, however, had recognized the signs of agitation in her idol, and pulling his silver ring on and off his little finger was one of them. “I hope you are not angry with me. I only thought you should know.”

Richard patted her hand. “You did right to tell me, little one. It explains much.” He was suddenly struck how brave the girl was: she had in essence betrayed her father’s confidence to him. And not just any father—Warwick was, after the king, the most powerful man in the kingdom. Richard bent over to kiss her on the cheek and was rewarded with a blush. Although only eleven years old, Anne had demonstrated more courage than he had owned at that age, he admitted. This was no mealy-mouthed girl, he could see, and he vowed to be kinder to her.

“Thank you. I will not forget this confidence.”

“Promise me you will not tell Izzy?”

“I swear. Now, we should go before someone wonders where you are.” As Richard moved to leave his perch, a painful twinge in his back made him wince, and he wondered, yet again, what part of all his exercising was causing him this discomfort.

June and July passed leisurely enough, and the great distance between the dales and London meant very little news from the south filtered northward.

All that changed when it was learned the earl was returning to Yorkshire at the end of July, and he wanted his household to remove to Sheriff Hutton castle, ten miles north of York. Countess Anne was puzzled; they always spent summers at Middleham. Packing and moving a household of hundreds would be even more irksome in the heat, she had told her girls.

“I don’t much care for Sheriff Hutton,” Isabel announced in response to this news. She put down her needlework and picked up her little dog. “It’s always so windy there.”

“Well I like it,” Anne countered. “It’s much smaller and cozier than Middleham, and so close to York. Besides, the wind will cool us.”

Isabel ignored her. “What do you think, Richard?” She tilted her head and smiled at him.