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know Master Dee to be under some kind of suspicion and now you are here, asking if I have met with him privately. For a maid to be alone with any man would be a sin, but for the Queen’s unmarried sister to meet privately with a man now accused of some conspiracy would be not only sinful but also treasonous.’ Her voice became icy. ‘I am nofool, sir. I can see a trap when it is set so clearly before me.’
    Miguel de Pero’s mouth tightened with fury. He stared at her for a long while without speaking, his nostrils flared and his eyes as fierce as if another word would see the Lady Elizabeth dragged away to the stake. I guessed he had not often met with such defiance, especially from a young woman in fear for her life.
    Eventually he stood and walked about the room for a few moments, his head bowed in thought, hands clasped behind his back. When he returned, he managed a strained smile as he sat down before the princess again.
    ‘Forgive me, my lady, I did not mean to imply that you are in the habit of meeting men privately. It is just that some papers have come to light with your name on them, in connection with this astrologer, and your sister is keen to learn what you know of this matter. Dee is indeed accused of treason, by way of calculating the Queen’s horoscope, a charge he does not deny but claims to have done in order to benefit the Queen.’
    I recalled our secret meeting with John Dee at the Bull Inn in Woodstock. I myself had seen and read the Queen’s horoscope that night. My cheeks grew suddenly hot and I felt my palms dampen. Could they see the guilt in my face?
    Elizabeth sounded perplexed. ‘I do not understand. Is it now a crime to cast a horoscope?’
    ‘When it could be used to discover secret information about Her Majesty’s health or to time an assault against herthrone, yes.’ The Spaniard gave her a dry smile. ‘But you stray from the point. How did your name come to be on certain private papers belonging to the Queen’s astrologer?’
    ‘I do not know, señor, nor am I able to hazard a guess. Perhaps Master Dee intended to draw up my horoscope and read my secrets too, but I can assure you that I gave him no such instruction, nor asked any other person to do so on my behalf. Sir, let me make myself plain. These questions insult me and I do not wish to answer them any further.’ Elizabeth drew herself up in her seat, cold and straight-backed as though on a throne herself. With that instinctive and princely air of command, I could see why her sister continued to regard her as a threat. ‘Until you have some proof that I am more than just a name on a piece of paper to Master Dee, I bid you leave me and my ladies in peace.’
    The Inquisitor stood up and glanced back at his men. Some message seemed to pass between then, then he bowed and began to pull on his gloves. It seemed indeed that he was leaving, but from de Pero’s sneer I knew his questions were far from over.
    ‘I fear it is not possible to take your word alone on this matter, my lady. We will return tomorrow with more questions, and perhaps overnight you could set your mind to thinking when you may have had any private contact with Master Dee or sent him any letter. Meanwhile, we shall take your ladies-in-waiting away with us and question them in a room set apart for the purpose.’
    My heart juddered as I realized that he was looking directly at me, his cruel gaze on my face, enjoying his moment of power.
A room set apart for the purpose
. By that, he must mean a torture chamber where answers could be extracted without fear of interruption.
    Seated just behind her mistress in the window alcove, Blanche Parry was looking horrified too.
    ‘I’m not going anywhere with those odd-looking Spaniards,’ she began loudly, but Elizabeth silenced her with a click of her fingers and Blanche lapsed into a kind of indignant muttering.
    Elizabeth’s face was white with fear, but I could tell that she was angry too. More angry than I