I’m working, remember. This is not a holiday but my livelihood. My presence here is as an accredited journaliste. If my work is to gain credit, it must be done. I have to think laterally. I have to think ahead. I am a woman in a man’s world and must work twice as hard for half the recognition.

She nipped outside the salle de pressé to hug her sisters farewell and treat herself to a snatched moment’s intimacy with Ben.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said whilst embracing Pip. ‘Are you pissed, Pip?’

‘Amaretto,’ Pip hiccupped apologetically.

‘At least you’ll sleep well,’ said Cat.

‘Gianni pooped his pants,’ said Pip, on the verge of tears.

‘Rumour has it he’ll abandon,’ said Fen.

‘Rumour confirmed,’ said Cat.

‘Poor Gianni,’ said the McCabe sisters.

‘He’ll be fine,’ the doctor soothed.

‘Couldn’t you stay?’ Cat said, suddenly sad.

‘Some of us have conventional jobs in the real world,’ Fen said, drawing her sister close and whispering, ‘Take care, Cat, take care.’

‘I will,’ Cat said firmly, ‘I’m fine.’ She glanced at Ben and smiled at Fen. ‘I’m more than fine.’

Yet Fen regarded her with an expression that would haunt Cat during the evening.

Was it concern? Fear? Doubt? Does she not believe that I’m fine? Does she think I’m not?

Fen was ultimately pleased that Cat chose to stay and work conscientiously and she was relieved that Pip was drowsy from drink and fell asleep in the back of the Megapac car. She had Ben to herself for 70 kilometres, which was what she’d wanted and yet suddenly she could think of nothing to say.

‘Back to the real world,’ said Ben, providing Fen with a perfect opening.

‘Exactly,’ Fen said. She looked out of the window and felt enormously tired; she thought of the cyclists and another mountain Stage to come.

‘Ben,’ she said, glancing at herself in the wing mirror.

‘Fen,’ he said, detecting the portent in her voice and glancing in the rear-view mirror to assess how deeply asleep Pip was.

‘You said it,’ said Fen.

‘Said what?’ said Ben.

‘About the real world,’ Fen said, ‘being far from the Tour de France, Planet Tour – the bubble.’

‘For you,’ said Ben, ‘but for me, it is my world and,’ he said, taking his eyes from the road to regard her because he’d just grasped her point, ‘it welcomes your sister in to its fold.’

‘If she can get a job,’ Fen countered.

‘She’s bloody talented,’ Ben retaliated.

‘She’s not having much luck,’ Fen remarked. She could feel Ben observing her but she cast her gaze away. ‘I find nothing in you to dislike or disapprove,’ she said tartly, ‘but I don’t want my sister to be hurt.’

They drove on in silence.

‘I wouldn’t want to hurt your sister,’ said Ben.

They drove on in silence.

‘Someone did,’ said Fen.

‘I gather,’ said Ben.

Fen shook her head at the pain of remembering the intensity of her sister’s pain. ‘I’ll never let that happen to her again.’