“If anybody asks, I got in a few swings before I went down.”

“Don’t worry, Rocky, your secret’s safe with me.”

One of the stable hands proffered a wodge of paper towels, which Jeremy took gratefully.

“I feel like such a tit,” he grumbled as the blood turned the green paper towels brown.

“Well, I’m hugely grateful that this will be the residual memory of the morning rather than my ungainly climbing onto a horse.” Nory smiled.

“I don’t think Isaac minded,” Jeremy whispered.

Satisfied that Jeremy was shaken and stirred but not broken, Nory stood and rounded on Guy, who had been hovering and swaying nearby, muttering incoherently. She was so angry with him, she felt as though her heart was pounding outside her chest.

“What are you doing?” she shouted.

“Oh, don’t start, Nor, I’m not in the mood. Soz, Jezzer,” he garbled.

“You started it by rocking up drunk!”

“Don’t try to reason with him, Nory,” said Jeremy with his head between his knees.

“You punched your friend in the face, don’t you even feel a little bit remorseful, you selfish pig? You could have really hurt Jez.”

But Guy wasn’t listening. His eyes were fixed on Isaac, who had just emerged from the stables.

“Here he is!” Guy called, his arms outstretched as he stumbled crablike from left to right. “The man of the hour!”

Isaac ignored Guy, walking straight past him and taking Nory gently by the arm to move her a little way across the yard, out of Guy’s reach.

“Wos up with you?” Guy jeered. “Strong silent type?”

“Are you okay?” Isaac asked Nory, helping her to unfasten her helmet and taking it from her. With his other hand, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled up at him reassuringly, while Guy swaggered nearby in her peripheral vision.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Annoyed and a bit shaky but fine.”

“Oy!” came Guy’s voice. “Gardener!”

“Ignore him,” Nory urged Isaac.

“I intend to,” Isaac replied. “But we do need to get him out of here.” He looked back at the stables; the remaining horses were braying and banging against their doors.

“I’m talking to you!” Guy shouted.

“Guy, for fuck’s sake, go back to the castle and sleep it off!” came Jeremy’s muffled voice from between his knees.

“Do you need a doctor?” Isaac asked, kneeling beside Jeremy.

“No, I’ll be okay. My arse has gone numb with the cold, though.”

Isaac looked at Nory. “If I handle the lager lout, do you think you can help Jeremy back to the castle? I’ll get one of the stable hands to go with you.”

“Yes, of course,” said Nory. “I’m worried about you, though. I’ve never seen Guy like this. I don’t know what he’s capable of.”