I could see that she was really riled. “Why don’t you come back to the castle for some tea?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I’m sure I’m getting a migraine after that encounter. I really do need to lie down or I’ll look like an old hag by dinner.” She returned to our party to announce her departure, but it seemed that everyone was restless by this time and wanted to go back to the castle. Maybe the strength of the wind and the blowing dust had become too much for them. The mechanics working on the boat were busy covering it in a tarpaulin, and Gussie came down the dock to us.

“They can’t do any more today with this gale blowing,” he said. “They might end up with dirt in the engine.”

I didn’t like to tell him that this wasn’t a gale, just a normal afternoon breeze for our part of Scotland, where the strong westerlies from the Hebrides are funneled through a gap in the Grampians. I wondered why they had picked our particular loch for their speed trials. It wasn’t calm at the best of times.

“I tell you what,” my mother said, looking around at her adoring fan club, which by now included Hugo. “Why don’t we all come up to Castle Rannoch to join you for dinner tonight? I’m sure there will be plenty of food. There always is and I know it would cheer up Binky to see old friends. Maybe we can have him carried down to dinner.”

Everyone seemed to think this was a good idea. I was just trying to picture Fig’s face when she found that at least half a dozen more people would be descending on us. I dragged Mother aside. “Why on earth did you suggest this? You know what Fig’s like. She’ll have hysterics.”

Mummy smiled. “Precisely. That will teach her to be rude to me,” she said.

“When?”

“Earlier today. When I arrived at the castle I met her coming down the stairs and she asked me in extremely uncivil tones what I wanted. I reminded her I used to be Binky’s mother and do you know what she said? ‘Yes, but not for long, was it?’ What a spiteful tongue that woman has. She deserves an unexpected dinner party.”

“It’s all right for you,” I said. “You’re not the one who has to break the news to her.”

She chuckled. “Think of poor Binky. He desperately needs cheering up.”

“I don’t know if the sight of more people eating his food will do the trick,” I had begun to say, when the sound of an engine made us turn around.