One day I chanced to meet Lord Bothwell in the courtyard of the palace. I had not seen him for some time, so I was naturally curious where he had been for so long.

“I have been away,” he said. “The problems in the Borders have continued, so I have been busy at my castle at Hermitage. Tell me, how is the Queen faring with Darnley?”

I was reluctant to discuss the royal marriage with him, as I did not feel that I should be disclosing the Queen’s private business with anyone else. “The Queen and her husband are doing well,” I told him. “They have just returned from Glasgow, where they were guests of the Lord Provost. It was a very successful visit.”

“I do not believe that,” he said. “You can tell me the truth and it will go no...

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