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Anne put up her hands. “Nay, this is not for me to decide. This is your life, your future. I have not met Lord Russell, so I cannot give you my opinion.”

“You would tell me to confess the truth, that I am his betrothed.”

Anne shrugged.

“Well, I cannot, not until I can trust him. That would be putting too much power into his hands. I’m alone with him constantly—he could abuse that like he did yesterday.”

“His kiss was an abuse?” she asked hesitantly.

“I don’t want to remember it.”

“But…you enjoyed it.”

Elizabeth groaned. “Aye, I enjoyed it, but that matters not! He could compromise me, and then my choices would be lost.”

“But if he’s your betrothed⁠—”

“If. King Edward thought he was uniting two powerful families—it sounds as if John’s family has fallen in the world. Perhaps that nullifies the contract.”

“You would go against your father’s wishes? Was not your mother dear friends with Lord Russell’s mother? And wouldn’t that leave you vulnerable to Lord Bannaster, or whomever the king chooses?”

“Oh, Anne, my head is spinning! I don’t know what I’m going to do about the betrothal. I only know that right now, I need to find out if I can trust this man. He might be our only chance to put things right. Or he might be the worst thing to happen to me. I have to find out.”

“All right, I understand, and I even agree. But you cannot withhold the truth from him for too long. It would be as unfair as what he did to you.”

“But he will have deserved it, whereas I didn’t.”

“Oh, Elizabeth, I hope you can make all of this work. It seems like a dangerous undertaking.”

“Mayhap. But I have to know the truth. Maybe I can eventually persuade him to show me the ring.”

“What will you tell him that I—you—said about his revelation?”

“That I don’t know whether I can trust him. That I’m confused, and worried about my people. And all of that is the truth.”

“Why don’t you ask him what ideas he has for your rescue?”

Elizabeth took a deep breath. She had to remember what was important here, and not concentrate on how everything affected her. “You’re right. I shall listen to his thoughts, but I don’t think I can yet trust him to carry them out. I don’t know what he’s been doing in Europe, why he has so little money of his own⁠—”

“Youngest son?” Anne helpfully supplied.

“Besides that. I guess…I’ll just have to keep spending time with him. When we are better acquainted, perhaps I’ll reveal myself.”

“Perhaps?”

When Elizabeth glared at her, Anne smiled. “I’m sorry. I do not mean to tease you. This is a serious dilemma and I don’t envy you your decisions.”

“Are you still all right up here?” Elizabeth asked with concern.

“I am, although I hope we’re rescued in weeks rather than months.” Anne stood up. “Break me off a piece of bread, and I’ll tell you all about the book I’m reading. Oh, and I’ll need more mending. In fact, I have some thoughts on your latest embroidery design.”

“Can we not just eat?”

* * *

John ate his morning meal very slowly, waiting for Anne. Lady Elizabeth’s reaction to the truth of his identity might well mean success or failure. He could be judged on William’s flaws—or on his own, and those were numerous as well.

Anne finally appeared from the kitchens, and John stood up awkwardly, cursing his splint. Several people around him snickered when they looked between him and the maidservant. Surely it was because they were finally realizing that their newest bailiff was courting their mistress’s maid.