The ringing of the phone pierced a very strange dream in which she and Kimberley were throwing golf clubs like spears at Fran and Bernie Pugh in some sort of Mad Max desolated landscape. She opened her eyes momentarily, registered that it was only just light, and hunched contentedly beneath the duvet again.

‘’S for you.’ Suzy kicked the door open with a riding boot. ‘’S Drew.’

‘God.’ Maddy sat up blinking, running her fingers through her hair. ‘What time is it?’

‘Half five.’ Suzy was munching a bacon sandwich. ‘I’m just going to work – and you don’t have to do your hair, Mad.’

She stumbled from the bed, pulling down the nightshirt that Suzy had given her last Christmas. It had a lascivious-looking rabbit on the front and the words ‘Midnight Swinger’ in purple along the hem. She picked up the discarded receiver.

‘Drew? What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’ His voice made her toes curl. ‘I just wanted to say goodbye.’

Her heart stopped beating. She felt sick.

‘Maddy? Are you still there? I’m leaving for Jersey in about an hour. I wanted you to know.’

She shook her head. This was even more awful than the spear-throwing nightmare.

‘There was a message on my answering machine last night,’ Drew continued, oblivious to her pain. ‘I’ve got to go back straight away.’

‘You can’t –’

‘I must. It’s brilliant. Maddy, what’s wrong?’

‘Nothing. Are you selling Peapods?’

‘What?’ He was laughing. ‘Maddy, I’m going back to meet with one of my owners for a few days. I didn’t want you to think that I was avoiding you. I know how that feels.’

She missed the irony, clinging only to the ‘few days’. You – you’re coming back?’

‘Of course I’m coming back. Probably the day after tomorrow if all goes well. Kit Pedersen has got a horse he wants to run at Epsom. He wants me to bring it back. It’s not going to be entered for The Derby of course, probably the Woodcote Stakes, but it’ll be my first runner of the season and at Epsom.’

‘Oh, Drew, that really is wonderful.’

‘I’ll be back for Kimberley’s barbecue if I possibly can. If not, we’ll have to fix another date.’

‘And – and will Caroline come back with you?’

There was a silence. Then she heard him sigh. ‘I honestly don’t know. I wouldn’t have thought so. She didn’t think she’d get back over here until the middle of June at the earliest. Maddy, I have to go. I’ve got to drive to Southampton. I’ll ring tonight.’

‘Drew …’ She swallowed. ‘Take care of yourself.’

‘You too.’

She replaced the receiver. She missed him already.