Still petite, her face had lost its girlhood plainness and might now even be considered pretty, he noted, and her body had filled out nicely in womanly places. Now if her nature had not changed, Richard decided he would be very fortunate to claim Anne as his wife. Clearly, the blush on her cheeks and the adoration in her eyes gave Richard confidence that this was no grieving widow. He took her hands in his and kissed her boldly on the mouth. Much to his surprise, he felt his desire stir.

“I have missed you, cousin,” he said, leading her to a place next to Isabel on the cushioned settle. “I trust George is seeing to your needs?”

Was that a flicker of unease that Richard observed on her face? But she answered cheerily enough: “His grace, the king, was kind enough to place me in Isabel’s care. George has more important things to concern himself with than my well-being, I’ll be bound. And Isabel and I are happy to be together again.”

Isabel patted her sister’s knee. “We are, we are,” she said.

“So, what is the purpose of your visit, Brother?” George interrupted the banter. “You could have had news of Anne from me in council meetings any day last week.”

Pleased that Anne had clearly kept their correspondence a secret from her guardians, he asked that he might have a private word with George. Once behind the closed door of George’s cabinet, a magnificently paneled room overlooking the gardens reaching down to the river, he chose flattery to open his suit with his vain brother. “Marriage agrees with you, George. You and Isabel seem very happy. I envy you.”

George was surprised by the warm comment, and he motioned Richard to take a seat as he himself sat down. He lifted the elegant pitcher to pour a glass of wine for his brother, when Richard came to the point.

“I have come to negotiate with you for Anne’s hand.”

George’s aim wavered and he splashed some claret on the rich Turkey rug covering the table.

“Christ’s nails!” he swore, slamming down the jug and shoving a pile of blank vellum out of the red rivulet’s path. “Look what you have made me do.”

Richard tensed, but chose to tread carefully; he needed to win George over. “I did nothing of the sort, George. Why does my proposal upset you? You have found happiness with Isabel; why would you resent my finding mine with Anne. She is free, and I already know her mind about this.”

“How?” George snarled, rising from his seat and using a beautifully embroidered kerchief to mop up the spill. “How do you know what Anne wants? I have hardly allowed her to leave the house since she came under my charge. She is my dependent, by Edward’s order. I shall not consent, and there is an end to it.”