“What was that, fella?” Guy had gone the kind of deaf that only a drunk man with his blood up can. His focus was solely on Isaac. “Don’t push you? Is that what you said?”

He shoved Isaac hard with both hands. Isaac stumbled and lost his grip on the reins; the horse instantly began to rear back. Jeremy tried to grab Guy from behind, but Guy’s adrenaline was pumping, and he swung round hard and fast. A crack sounded as his fist connected with Jeremy’s jaw. Jeremy went down. Guy was temporarily shocked into inaction. Isaac had recovered his balance, while Jimmy rushed to the other side of the horse and grappled Nory quickly down off the horse’s back before the frightened mare could throw her.

Nory’s knees were shaking. Guy had always been belligerent when drunk, but she’d never known him to be violent. And Isaac was an unknown quantity.

As the groom helped Isaac get the mare back into her stall and calm her down, Nory rushed to help a dazed Jeremy. Guy was muttering halfhearted “sorrys” at Jeremy.

“Jez, are you all right?” Nory asked, crouching beside him and lifting his face with her hand to inspect him. His lip was split and bleeding freely. Nory rooted around in her pockets and found a clean tissue, which she pressed to his mouth. Katie was going to flip when she saw this.

“Yep,” he said, taking over the tissue compression and rubbing his jaw with his free hand. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in a brawl.” He tried to smile, then winced. “I think I was probably about nine years old.” He attempted a laugh, and blood splattered out onto Nory’s coat sleeve. “Sorry, Nory, I’ll pay to get it cleaned.” His face had drained of color.

“Don’t be silly,” said Nory soothingly. “It’ll wipe off. How do you feel?” She didn’t like the sheen of sweat breaking out over his forehead.

“Fine,” he said, grinning red. “I need to get cleaned up before Katie arrives.” He went to get up and then slumped back to the ground. “Actually, I’m a bit dizzy, I might just stay down for a while.”

“That’s probably best. Did you hit your head when you fell? Might you be concussed?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Jeremy gingerly reached his hand to the back of his head. “No, I’m fairly sure I didn’t. I think my blood sugar dropped at the shock of being in my first real fistfight.”

“It doesn’t really count as a fight if only one person throws a punch,” said Nory, wrapping her arms around him and kissing the top of his head. He was bleeding on her jacket, but she didn’t care. She was determined to send it to the best dry cleaner in London and send the bill to Guy.