‘God save the king!’ someone shouted, and then others took it up: ‘God save the king!’

The king smiled as he heard the shout and went quietly with his armed escort through the door to the warren of corridors of Westminster. The crowd started to file out into the cold January day. John and Alexander paused outside, a few flakes of snow drifted from the roofs and from the grey sky.

‘I’ll go home,’ John decided. ‘There will be nothing until Monday now.’

‘I shall come again on Monday,’ Alexander agreed. ‘If I had not seen it I wouldn’t have believed it.’

John shook his head. ‘I still don’t,’ he said.

Hester and Johnnie fell on John the moment he was through the front door. ‘What’s the news?’

‘Nothing yet,’ he said. ‘They opened the hearing but the king will not recognise the court and they did nothing more than read the charge to him.’

‘Will not recognise the court?’ Hester asked. ‘What can he be hoping to do?’

John tossed his cloak on to the chest at the foot of the stairs. ‘God knows. I am frozen through, this is bitter weather to be doing such bitter business.’

‘I’ll get some hot ale,’ Hester said. ‘Come to the kitchen with me, I must have the news.’

John followed his wife, Johnnie dogging his footsteps.

‘How did he look?’ Johnnie asked quietly, as John sat himself on the bench before the scrubbed table and Hester produced mulled ale and hot soup, and a trencher of bread and cheese.

‘He looked well,’ John said consideringly. ‘He had dressed for the part. He was in black but the George was ablaze on his shoulder. He carried his cane – and he tapped at the prosecutor with it –’

‘He struck him?’ Hester asked.

‘Not a hard blow; but it was an awkward moment,’ John confessed.

Johnnie’s eyes were huge in his pale face. ‘Did no-one shout for him?’

‘A woman cried from the gallery, and there were a few that shouted “God Save the king”, but the soldiers drowned them out with shouting for justice,’ John said.

‘I wish I could go,’ Johnnie said fervently. ‘I would shout for him.’

‘That’s why you won’t go,’ John said firmly. ‘And I keep my head down and my thoughts to myself. They were seeking witnesses to the raising of the royal standard.’

‘Did anyone recognise you?’ Hester demanded.

John shook his head. ‘I am as quiet as a well-fed mouse,’ he said. ‘I have no wish to be summoned as a witness to either cause. I have no wish but to see the end of this.’

‘He’s the king!’ Johnnie burst out passionately.