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who misses nothing and gives nothing away. He shook hands with a firm grip, but hardly smiled, and I felt sure he would bide his time before making his judgement about me.
    ‘Sir Peter joins us with good credentials, Richard, for he has, like you, volunteered to leave his country out of conscience. The difference is that you, Richard, have escaped what you considered to be a potential threat against your well-being, whereas Sir Peter was pursued and lucky to escape with his life.’
    Cheke continued his speech, clearly trying to build bonds of trust and friendship between us. He described Carew’s fluency in French and Italian and his love of mathematics and architecture. Like me, he planned to move on to Venice, but he distrusted Peter Vannes, the English Ambassador, and warned me against him.
    ‘But my companion, Edward Courtenay, is today arranging a meeting with the ambassador,’ I blurted out.
    It was Walsingham who replied. ‘Exactly, that is what we expected. We knew that Vannes was planning to introduce himself to the earl and to invite him to a ceremony in Venice next month. All I would say is beware, for Courtenay is perceived by Queen Mary and her husband’ (I noticed he would not say King Philip) ‘as a loose cannon and safer got rid of. Do not fall into the trap of believing that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”, for your companion is a self-regarding fool and your association with him puts you at risk.’
    I shivered. Perhaps my time in Venice was not going to be the pleasurable sojourn I had dreamed of, after all.
    Cheke came back into the conversation. ‘Walsingham is right. Trust him with your life. I have known Francis since he came up to King’s College, Cambridge, nine years ago when he was sixteen. I was Provost at that time and even then I recognized his potential. He will not sing his own praises to you, not because of modesty, but because, more than any man I know, he is careful. Francis will tell you: “Never take a risk you don’t have to take”, and he is right. Trust him and learn from him, for he may turn out to be your greatest friend.’
    It was a strong commendation and I looked across at its subject. He remained impassive.
    ‘Now, gentlemen, it is time I gave you my reasons for commending Richard Stocker to you both.’ Cheke once again took control of the meeting. He signalled us to comfortable chairs and then continued. ‘Richard comes to me with two recommendations and they are strong ones. The first is that of the late King Edward, who watched Richard while in the service of the Duke of Suffolk, and later had cause to witness his deep honesty and to reward it handsomely.
    ‘His second referee has also been taken from us, for the recommendation comes from no other than Lady Jane Grey Richard studied under Lady Jane, and if you debate rhetoric with him, I believe you may recognize her style. You will both know that one could not spend three years in the company of Lady Jane without being influenced by her. I commend him to you. I would trust Richard’s intentions, his competence, his honesty and, if it comes to it, his bravery. He is a young man, but he has had a long life, and an eventful one.’
    I could only conclude from the generosity of John Cheke’s words that both the King and Lady Jane had at some stage spoken to him about me. I was not sure I could live up to the accolades, but knowing from whom they had been drawn made me twice as determined to do so.
    Walsingham now rose and regained control of the meeting. ‘Gentlemen. As we know, we live in hard times, and although each of us has fled the country in his own manner, we have all done so for, essentially, the same reason. In truth, with Philip of Spain all powerful, and taking control of more and more territory every day through his father Emperor Charles V, we have little prospect of arranging an uprising against either him or Queen Mary. But the marriage is failing. Philip has left England, and will not, I