Her face turns serious and we both glance over to where Ellie’s still huddled with a group of children.

‘Though perhaps I should worry more about the fact that she’s utterly transfixed by those knights in shining armour,’ she adds with a rueful smile.

‘Don’t burst her bubble yet,’ I say and we both start laughing. Because sometimes, when you can’t solve things, that’s all you can do.

Courage

From a distance they look such a part of the countryside setting, it’s like gazing upon a Constable painting. The old man with his flat cap, sitting outside the village pub with his pint, while next to him his old dog lies on the cobbles, basking in the late-afternoon sunshine. Heading up the high street, on my way to collect Harry from Valentine’s, I look at the pair silhouetted against the golden backdrop of the Dales. It’s only as I draw closer that I realize this picture of contentment is Valentine and Harry.

I feel a beat of surprise. Since moving here, this is the first time I’ve seen Valentine out in the village. When he isn’t visiting Gisele, he seems to confine himself to his house.

‘Fancy seeing you here!’

Valentine looks up when he sees me, as if caught doing something he shouldn’t, while Harry lifts his head and gives a few lazy thumps of his tail.

‘It was too nice a day to stop in. I thought I’d take Harry out for a breath of fresh air while you were at the castle.’ He looks over my shoulder. ‘Where are your friends?’

‘They’ve gone back to the house so Ellie can have a nap. She’s only seven – she gets tired.’ I sit down across from Harry on the wooden bench.

‘Don’t we all. I thought I’d sit here and rest my legs for a bit.’

‘I didn’t know you liked a pint.’ I smile and gesture to his half-empty glass. ‘I thought tea was more your thing.’

‘First one I’ve had in years.’ Wrapping his fingers around it, he takes a swig. ‘No fun drinking on your own. But it’s different with Harry.’

He smiles then, and we both look at Harry dozing next to us. I feel pleased that Valentine found the courage to get out of the house and come to the pub.

‘How do, Valentine.’

We both look up to see a broad-shouldered man with an impressive handlebar moustache. I recognize him as the pub landlord, from my disastrous date with Ajay.

‘Nice day for it.’ He begins cleaning up glasses around us. The good weather has brought a rush of day trippers and the village has been busy. ‘Not seen you for a long time.’

I feel Valentine stiffen, and he nods and mumbles something.

‘We’ve missed you at quiz night.’

‘You have a quiz?’ My ears prick up. If it’s one thing I love, it’s a pub quiz. Some of the teachers at the comprehensive formed a team and we used to take part in a weekly quiz at the local pub near the school. We had so much fun. Though once I made the mistake of taking David along and he was so competitive that he demanded a recount when an opposing team won. ‘When is it?’