Marnie felt as though she were a zombie, unable to protest or resist as they went over to join Isobel, who had scooped up the Colonel and Morwenna. After the walk-through, Giles, in his element issuing instructions, joined Amy and Valerie on the stage. After some tuning up, there was a rousing chord from the fiddlers, Christopher gave Marnie’s hand a reassuring squeeze, then the music started and they were off.

It was immediately obvious that Christopher was a sensational dancer. As everyone started to move to the irresistible rhythm Marnie felt as if a spell had been cast on her by both the man and the music – not the terrifying spell of Kenneth the pig-man and the carnival dancers of her childhood, which had so darkly affected her, haunting her dreams and paralysing her confidence, but a spell that released inhibitions and set her feet flying and her spirits free. When the dance finished Christopher was stunned by the transformation in her face. She looked a different person.

‘Thank you,’ she murmured wonderingly. ‘Oh, thank you so much. You don’t know what you’ve just done for me. I wouldn’t have missed that for the world and if you hadn’t stopped me I’d have run away – but I adored it. It’s the best fun I’ve had for ages.’

Louisa, looking from one to the other, guessed, with a pang that was infinitely more painful than she expected, that she was witnessing a defining moment between Marnie and Christopher. She turned back to Marnie and said brightly: ‘There, you see – that was terrific. You picked it up brilliantly. As for you, Christopher – you really are full of surprises! To dance reels like that you must have been brought up to it!’

‘I was indeed,’ he said, ‘and it comes back like riding a bicycle. My mother’s Scottish and years of staying with my grandparents on Mull saw to it that we all learned as children – and later on when we were growing up we went to endless reel parties and Highland Balls.’ He grinned at her. ‘And you’re not so bad yourself, Louisa!’ Then he turned to Marnie. ‘As for you,’ he said, ‘you’re just a natural – do you know that? You dance beautifully.’ She blushed with pleasure.