Jeremy had just mounted his own horse when a shout made them all stop in their tracks. Nory looked over to see Guy rounding the corner of the stables. He was stumbling, clearly drunk.

“Oh, good, I thought I might have missed you,” he slurred. “Where’s my horse?”

“You said you were going to give the ride a miss, remember?” said Jeremy, patting his horse.

“I changed my mind.”

He zigzagged across the courtyard and came up beside Nory. Her horse snorted and stepped back.

“Guy, you’re drunk,” said Nory, leaning forward to stroke her horse to reassure her.

“How very astute of you, Ms. Noel.” He grinned.

“I can’t let you ride,” said Isaac, holding the reins firm on Nory’s horse, who seemed to want to retreat all the way back into her stall.

“Not sure it’s down to you, mate.” He managed to make the word mate sound anything but friendly.

The stable hand, Jimmy, came over and stood beside Isaac. “I’m afraid I can’t let you ride, sir, not while you’re under the influence of alcohol.”

Guy leered at him. “I was riding horses when you were still in nappies.”

“That may be so, sir, but I can’t let you take one of the horses in my charge if you’ve been drinking.”

“Just go back to the house, Guy,” said Nory. She could feel her mare tensing beneath her, swinging her head from side to side in clear agitation.

“Don’t tell me what to do” came the petulant reply.

“You can’t ride in this state. How about I come back to the house with you? We’ll get some coffee . . .”

“Oh, fuck off, Nory! Don’t patronize me.”

She saw Isaac bristle.

“Please don’t speak to her like that,” Isaac said, his voice even but for a slight tremor of anger.

“You can fuck off too!” said Guy, stumbling forward. Nory’s horse snorted, tossing her head and sidestepping to get away from Guy.

“Guy, you’re upsetting the horse,” said Nory. Isaac held the reins tighter, but she could feel the mare’s agitation. She wanted to get off before the horse threw her. Guy was trying to fasten the strap on his riding helmet but gave up and left the strap hanging.

Jeremy dismounted and came over, arms outstretched toward Guy placatingly, as though trying to calm a barking dog. “Come on, mate, let’s take a walk.”

“I don’t want to walk, Jez, I want to ride. You know me, I can ride a horse backward and blindfolded.”

“That may be, but you can’t take a horse out in this state. For a start, no horse will have you, and I’m not sure the castle’s insurance stretches to piss-artist riders.” He smiled disarmingly. But today Jeremy’s friendly demeanor didn’t soothe; if anything it had the opposite effect.