“Sartorial be damned, it's the safety element." He fastened his chin strap tightly.

"Quite right," I said, ramming my faded Patey on my head which would admittedly fly off in a catastrophic fall but was Mum's and looked great. "And incidentally, there are some body protectors in the tack room if you're interested?"

"Also a fluorescent yellow bib someone gave Iris when they saw her riding at dusk?" Babs joined in, her mouth twitching as she swung herself easily into her saddle from a mounting block, still in her canvas shoes, six inches of skinny brown leg showing. "I peeled the word ‘Horse’ off the end, so it reads, ‘Pass Slowly. Young and Fresh.’ I'll get it for you, if you like?"

"Yeah, yeah," Tommy grinned good-naturedly, aware he was being teased. "Laugh now, but don't come running to me when you hit the deck and those two-bit bonnets fly off and the world's gone fuzzy."

“Darling, the world goes fuzzy at midday in my house. I might not notice the difference."

“Midday?" Iris raised her eyebrows as she rode up beside us on an extremely fresh, excited-looking young mare, who was snorting deliriously at this unexpected party. "When have you ever made it to midday? I rode past your cottage yesterday morning at eleven and saw you sharing a cider in the garden with the postman."

"Ah yes, but I'm the last house on Jean-Claude's round, you see, and he's thirsty by then. And after all he's French. I saw him panting up my track in his shorts and called out—‘Un petit verre, Jean-Claude?’ To which he gasped back, ‘Oui, mais pourquoi un, et pourquoi petit?’” Babs threw back her head and gave her throaty chuckle. "We had a very jolly time."

Iris raised her eyebrows. "Practicing your French and keeping my brother on his toes. What a surprise." She swept past her friend and took the lead out of the yard under the arch. "Over towards Farrow's farm via the headland?" she called back over her shoulder to all of us. "Or down on the beach?"

“The beach," Babs said firmly. “Remember we wanted to show Flora something?"

"You did," Iris said tartly. "Up to your old tricks, as usual. But actually, the water will be good for Tommy's old boy. Soothing for his legs. And Flora, yours will appreciate it too.”

As we headed off in a group down the track towards the bay, it occurred to me that Babs was up to something. She really did have too much time on her hands.