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why would he ask his wife?’
    He drummed his fingers on the table irritably.
    â€˜Francis, I’m not certain that he will. Perhaps I’m totally wrong, but I think that Richard relies very heavily on Anne.’
    â€˜Why do you say that?’
    Ratcliffe drummed his fingers on the table in frustration.
    â€˜As I said, perhaps I’m wholly incorrect. But you can make your own mind up when I tell you my story. But first of all, what did you make of Anne?’
    I thought back to our meeting. Anne Neville had been sitting in a high-backed chair, but as we approached she had passed her embroidery to one of her ladies and had risen to greet us. Pleasantries were exchanged, and Nan and her cousin spoke of childhood memories. Then it was my turn, and it was not until I actually came face-to-face with her that I realised just how like her father she was. It was not just that she shared his love of expensive apparel and gleaming jewelled rings nor was it simply in their same pale blue eyes and warm smiles. I spotted these similarities of course, but when Anne Neville used the same mannerisms as her father Warwick, I felt time move backwards. He’d had a number of course, but you could always tell when he was trying to assess the truth of what someone was telling him. He used to cock his head slightly to one side and tap his forefinger slowly. I saw his daughter do the same when, at her request, I told her my story of the battle where her father had died. For obvious reasons I sought to improve it, but even as I did so, with her head slightly cocked, her long finger began to tap the side of her chair.
    The tapping stopped shortly after I had finished speaking.
    â€˜I do not believe that poor father’s death was quite as heroic as you claimed it to be,’ she said softly. ‘But thank you for what you did.’
    I reported this to Ratcliffe. I added that I thought Anne Neville was very shrewd and my wife’s comment that her cousin had always been extremely clever.
    Ratcliffe narrowed his eyes and began his account.

    When he first started in Richard of Gloucester’s service, Ratcliffe was determined to make a success of his role. It was a unique career opportunity for a man such as himself. To make himself as useful as possible to Gloucester, Ratcliffe decided to study the man and to identify areas of potential weakness. Once he discovered these he reasoned that he could look to excel in places where Gloucester was weak and thus make himself indispensible.
    As time went by, Ratcliffe’s analyses became more comprehensive, but his conclusion was not a happy one. In his view, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was not a natural leader of men. Instead of inspiring trust, he seemed cold and secretive in his manner.
    â€˜But that is nonsense,’ I interrupted Ratcliffe. ‘I can distinctly remember my first meeting with Richard. He was none of those things.’
    Ratcliffe nodded sagely.
    â€˜He had been transformed by the time you arrived back here, but just listen to this.’
    In the face of such a chilly personality, it was unsurprising that few of Warwick’s former supporters rushed to serve Gloucester, Ratcliffe continued. The contrast between their former charismatic leader and his unattractive successor was too great. Accordingly it proved increasingly difficult for Ratcliffe to fulfil his role in converting the dead earl’s supporters. At this juncture Anne Neville had intervened directly. She had visited a number of the major families whose loyalty had been to her father and had used her own influence to win them over to her husband. Anne’s efforts swiftly bore fruit and, as they did, Ratcliffe began to notice a subtle change come over Gloucester. Whereas previously he had been awkward, even abrupt, with people, he now seemed more at ease as – with Anne at his side – he welcomed Warwick’s former supporters fulsomely.
    At first Ratcliffe assumed that