‘I wish my Seth was courting,’ Mrs Jenks said, shaking her head and staring into the distance. ‘He’s got half the girls in the village in love with him and not one of them’s good enough for ’im. I dunno what he’s waiting for. A goddess or summat!’

Once Ray had returned and reported that the tandem was, fortunately, undamaged, Vi gave them a tour of the farm.

‘I collect the eggs, milk the goats, herd the cows and muck out the pigs,’ she told them, proudly.

‘And what about school?’ Maggie asked.

‘Oh yes, there’s a school in the village. Me and Joanie ride there on Hercules.’ She rode to school on a horse! Maggie couldn’t have imagined a better place for Vi. It was clear she was in heaven.

* * *

It was dusk as they reached the last mile of the journey home and the setting sun was a glorious golden orb in the west.

‘Shall we stop and watch it for a minute?’ Ray suggested, slowing down the tandem. He hoped Maggie wasn’t going to laugh at him for being slushy. ‘Not for long, though. We must get back before dark or there’s no telling where we’ll end up.’

They dismounted and watched the flaming sun.

‘Cor, it’s like egg yolk spilling over the sky,’ Maggie said. ‘Are those eggs still in one piece, by the way?’

Mrs Jenks had insisted on giving them a couple of eggs. Ray had wrapped them in his handkerchief and tucked them into his coat pocket. If they survived the journey, he’d give them to Cook for Rudi. He tapped the pocket gently now. ‘Yes, they’re all right.’

‘What are you thinking about?’ Maggie asked, suddenly.

‘I was thinking about that budgie back at the farm,’ Ray said, truthfully. ‘Charlie. I wish I’d seen its gas mask.’

Maggie laughed and prodded him. ‘You daft thing. And there was me thinking you were going to come out with something poetic, looking at that red and gold sky.’

‘Did you?’

‘Yes, something like, “it’s the perfect end to the perfect day”. That’s what I was thinking, anyway.’

Ray’s heart was hammering. If this was a film, this would be the moment when the hero would say something romantic to the girl he was in love with. It was the perfect setting: the sun was a fire in the sky, the trees and hills were black silhouettes and they were completely alone. He swallowed. His mind was blank; he couldn’t do it.

‘Maggie …’ he started.

‘Yes?’

‘I expect you’re happy that you’ve seen your sister, then?’

‘Oh yes. Thanks for pushing me into it.’

‘You were the one who did the pushing,’ he said, unable to resist the joke. He didn’t need any thanks; he’d enjoyed every minute.