He was an unusual man and I felt in that moment that I would be loyal to him for the rest of my life.
I was left alone for a few seconds and then the door opened and Richard came in.
"Anne!" he cried and came towards me, his arms outstretched. He held me tightly against him for a few seconds. Then he drew back and looked at me.
"You've changed," he said.
"It has been a terrible time, Richard."
"I have thought of you often."
"And I of you ... so much."
He had changed too. He had not grown very much and still there was an air of delicacy about him. He must be nineteen now, for he used to say in the old days that he was four years older than I. But he was a man now ... no longer a boy.
We just stood looking at each other.
I said at length: "The king has been so good."
"He is the most wonderful man on earth."
"I understand how you feel about him. He says I am going to Isabel."
"For a while." he said.
"Then we shall see. Is that what you want?"
"I should like it very much. And my mother ...?"
"She will be in sanctuary for a while where it is safe for her. My brother George thinks you should go to your sister and, of course, Isabel will be delighted that you do."
"Richard, what of Queen Margaret?"
Richard's face hardened.
"I do not know," he said.
"It is not decided."
"Poor woman. She mourns the death of her son so deeply."
Traitors." said Richard.
"All of them. And her son ... you mourn him too? You were betrothed to him."
I shivered and he put his arm round me.
"I did not like that overmuch." he said.
"I hated it, Richard. It is wrong of me, but I cannot help but be glad that I escaped."
"The whole of England should rejoice that you have escaped," he said.
"This will be the end. There will be no more Lancastrian risings. They are well and truly beaten, God willing, for ever." "Do you believe that to be so, Richard?"
"My brother with myself and our faithful friends are going to make sure that it is so. Anne, there is so much to talk of. But this seems hardly the time. When you are with your sister, you will be in my brother's household. I shall see you often. There is so much to catch up. So much time has been wasted."
I nodded.
"This has happened so suddenly. Only a few hours ago I was riding to Coventry wondering if my destination was the Tower."
"You were never blamed, Anne. I am sorry about your father. Edward is sorry, too. He tried to save his life. He offered him a pardon ... before Barnet... but the earl would not take it. He had to go on to the end. How did it happen? He had always been our friend. How could he have turned traitor as he did? I looked up to him so much. Next to Edward I admired him more than any man I knew. He was so brave ... so clever; he knew so much ... and then suddenly... it ends."
"It was a great tragedy," I said.
He took my hands and smiled at me.
"We have to forget it, Anne. We have to start afresh."
He looked at me rather shyly and then, drawing me to him, kissed my lips.
I was still bewildered. The contrast had been too sudden. A warm contentment was beginning to creep over me. It was like the old days at Middleham. Richard was back in my life.
There was much to look forward to. We talked for a short while in a leisurely way, recalling the old days.
Coventry will always have a special place in my thoughts, for I had entered that city feeling all was lost and there I found hope for the future.
I did not know what was happening to Queen Margaret. I did not see her so was unable to tell her of my good fortune. Poor Margaret! How different her fate was from mine. She would be the king's prisoner, his deadly enemy. In spite of his generous leniency, I could not believe there would be a very happy fate in store for her.
Isabel was waiting for me at Warwick Court in London. I ran to her and we were in each other's arms, clinging together.
"Isabel!" I cried emotionally.
"Is it really you? My sister, I can't believe this is true."
"It is. It is," she cried.
"And Anne ... how thin you are! I must look after you, I see."
"So much has happened. There is so much to tell."
She put her arm through mine and, looking over her shoulder at the attendants in the background, went on: "I will take the Lady Anne to her chamber."
I had wondered fleetingly why I should be going to Warwick Court which had been one of my father's residences. It was the custom for property of traitors to be confiscated. But of course Isabel was not a traitor, being the wife of Clarence who had repented in time.
The room to which I was taken was one which I had occupied on others visits to Warwick Court on those rare occasions when the family had been in London.
She shut the door and we were alone. She stood looking at me and I noticed how she had changed. I suppose she had never been the same since she had lost her baby. Memories came back to me of that terrible night at sea when I had watched that little body being consigned to the waves. How tragic everything was!
"I have thought so much about you." said Isabel.
"To be with that terrible woman."
"You mean Queen Margaret? She was formidable. But I grew to be quite fond of her, in a way."
She smiled and shook her head at me.
"You were always too easily beguiled. And betrothed to that young man! Her son! I have heard such stories about him."
"I never knew him. I only feared that I might have to."
"Well, that is over now and you are back with me. George is going to be your guardian. He will look after you."
"George!"
"Of course. It must be George. Isn't he my husband, and you are my sister. It's natural."
"Perhaps our mother?"
Her face clouded.
"What of our mother? I worry about her. What will become of her? Our father is branded traitor and she, his wife, they will say shared his guilt."
"What else could she have done but what she did?"
That, sister, is not considered. She was with him. She helped him. She was against Edward and therefore I fear for her."
"The king is not unkind. He was good to me." "George spoke for you ... begged that you should be brought here."
"I thought it was Richard who spoke for me."
She smiled.
"Oh, perhaps Richard, too. But the king has put you in our charge, which is the natural thing to do."
"Yes, I suppose so. But how I do wish we could hear from our mother."
"George will let no harm come to her. He knows that would hurt me. We can trust George."
I felt an uneasy qualm. I had never felt that I could trust George. I could not forget that it was only a little while ago when he was with my father. He had thought he could drive his brother from the throne and take it himself. And when my father's prospects were in doubt, George immediately made peace with Edward. Was that a man whom one could trust?
But he was Isabel's husband and she cared for him. She should, of course, know him better than any.
She was looking at me with concern.
"You are so thin." she repeated.
"And you look pale. I am going to look after you. I shall keep you quiet for a while, make you rest and go early to bed. My poor little sister, you are too young to be at the centre of drama as you have been of late."
"I am so happy to be with you, Isabel. If only our mother could be here I should be content."
"Who knows? She may be joining us. George will see what can be done. Now you will rest. Are you hungry? Come and lie down. I insist. I will sit with you and we will talk ... and talk."