‘Now!’ he said. ‘I’ll guarantee to win a race against that racehorse of yours on this going!’

I looked down at the path under the horses’ hooves. It was deep sand, dusty on top and thick. Very heavy going. A horse would have to have strong legs and sound wind to gallop far and fast on that.

‘A wager?’ I asked.

Will laughed. ‘Aye,’ he said. ‘I bet you a side-saddle (for I’ve found it already but it’ll have to be repaired for you) against,’ he paused – ‘now, what do I want?’

His eyes twinkled at me. I found I was smiling back.

‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I don’t know what you want.’

His eyes were suddenly a little darker. ‘If you were an ordinary girl,’ he said, suddenly serious. ‘I’d ride a race against you for a kiss. That’s what I want from you!’

There was a silence between us for a moment which was no longer playful, and I was not smiling.

I was about to say: ‘But I am not an ordinary girl…’ when Will interrupted me before I could speak.

‘But since you’re not an ordinary girl,’ he said. ‘I don’t want a kiss from you at all. I’ll ask instead that you let me read you a pamphlet on corporations and corporation farming.’

I choked on a laugh. Will was a rogue and a cheat – I suddenly thought how Dandy would have loved him and the familiar pain thudded into my belly.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asked quickly as he saw my face fall. ‘What’s the matter, Sarah? It’s only a jest.’

‘It’s not that,’ I said. I struggled to find my show smile which can go on my face and hide everything, meaning nothing. ‘It’s nothing. A little pain in my belly.’

His face was very gentle. He went to put a hand out to me but then he checked himself as he remembered that I did not like to be touched.

‘Well enough to ride?’ he asked.

‘Oh aye,’ I said, reining Sea in. ‘It’ll pass. And the bet’s on!’

He said, ‘One two three and away!’ and I gave Sea his head.

The race track was a wide white sand firebreak which wound for miles across the Common. I was in the lead as we broke out of the trees but the horses were neck and neck as we forged up towards a steady slope.

Sea was panting, he hated heavy going, but the cob had a steady rolling stride which ate up the ground. As the hill got steeper the cob went ahead by a nose, and then by a little more.