‘Bloody hell, that was a close one! Your father’s just stabling his horse and carriage while the rest of your family has a look around Settle. I was so close I heard him instruct the stable lad as he drew into the yard,’ Ethan panted.

‘Come on, we’ve no time to waste – the train will be pulling into the station, if it’s not already there. I can see steam rising. The engine will be filling up with water, before going down the line.’ Rosie grabbed Ethan’s hand and ran the two hundred yards to the station, then gasped as they saw the train waiting on the far platform. ‘We need tickets!’ They pushed past people dressed in their Sunday best, and opened the crimson-coloured doors of the ticket office to purchase their tickets.

‘Two tickets for Appleby, please.’ Rosie caught her breath as she looked across at the ticket officer, with his LMS hat upon his head.

‘Return, first-, second- or third-class?’ the bespectacled man asked.

‘Return and second-class, please.’ Rosie wished that he’d hurry up.

‘Two-and-six, please, next train is at two.’ He waited as Rosie counted out her money, before passing the tickets under his grilled window.

‘We’re not waiting for the two o’clock train – we aim to catch this one.’ Ethan pulled on Rosie’s arm as they both turned on their heels and dashed out through the crowds, who were wishing family and loved ones farewell from the safety of the platform. They flew up and over the metal bridge traversing the railway line, both of them gasping for breath as they reached the other platform, breathing in the smoke and fumes of the waiting train.

‘All aboard!’ The stationmaster started closing the carriage doors as the engine built up steam, ready to leave the platform.

Ethan pushed Rosie into the second-class carriage, with its door still ajar. They were just in time, as the door slammed shut behind them and the stationmaster blew his whistle for the train to depart. Both collapsed giggling into their seats, while the other passengers shook their heads in disbelief at such bad behaviour from the young.

‘We made it! We are on our way to Appleby.’ Ethan’s eyes were filled with anticipation as they looked out of the open window as the train pulled away from the station.

‘Yes, we’ve done it.’ Rosie smiled and then sighed, looking at the solitary penny she had left in her posy bag, as they left Settle and the station behind. ‘I should have said third-class, then I would have had more money to spend at the fair. But we were in such a rush.’