‘Your Majesty!’ he exclaimed. ‘I wish we had known of your coming.’

Charles smiled up at him. ‘It does not m … matter, Sir John,’ he said. ‘Open the gates and let us in.’

‘I cannot, Your Majesty,’ Sir John said apologetically. ‘You are too many for my little town to house.’

‘We don’t m … mind,’ the king said. ‘Open the gates, I would see my son.’

‘There are too many of you, it is too large and too warlike a party for me to let in at this late hour,’ Sir John said.

‘We are not warlike!’ Charles exclaimed. ‘Just a small party of pleasure-seekers.’

‘You are armed,’ the governor pointed out.

‘Only my usual g … guards,’ the king said. He was still smiling but John could see the whiteness around his mouth and his hand trembling slightly on the reins. His horse shifted uneasily. The royal guards stared, stony-faced, at the sentries on the towers of Hull.

‘Please, Your Majesty,’ Sir John Hotham pleaded. ‘Enter as a friend if you must enter. Bring in just a few of your men if you come peacefully.’

‘This is my t … town!’ the king shouted. ‘Do you … do you … do you deny your king the right to enter his own town?’

Sir John closed his eyes. Even from the road before the gate the king’s party could see his grimace. John felt a deep sense of sympathy for the man, torn between loyalties just like himself, just like every man in the kingdom.

‘I do not deny Your Majesty the right to enter into your town,’ the governor said carefully. ‘But I do deny these men the right to enter.’ His gesture took in the thirty guards. ‘Bring in a dozen to guard Your Majesty and you shall dine with the prince in the great chamber this night! I shall be proud to welcome you.’

One of the courtiers edged his horse up to the king. ‘Where is the prince’s party?’ he said. ‘They should have thrown open the gates to us by now.’

Charles shot him an angry look. ‘Where indeed?’ He turned back to the governor of Hull. ‘Where is m … my son? Where is Prince James?’

‘He is at his dinner,’ the governor said.

‘Send for him!’

‘Your Majesty, I cannot. I have been told he is not to be disturbed.’

Charles spurred his horse abruptly forward. ‘Have d … d … done with this!’ he shouted up at the governor. ‘Open the gates! That is an order from your k … king!’

The man looked down. His white face had gone paler still. ‘I may not open the gates to thirty armed men,’ he said steadily. ‘I have my orders. As my king you are always welcome. But I do not open the gates of my town to any army.’