‘Well, I aren’t sure about that.’ Now it was Danny’s turn to be doubtful.

‘Oh, go on,’ she pleaded with her most winning smile. ‘I’ll be ever so careful and do just what you say. Squire wouldn’t mind,’ she added coyly echoing Danny’s own words.

‘Well . . .’

Minutes later she was sitting behind the wheel as Danny was telling her which foot to put on which pedal. ‘Press on the clutch-pedal – the left one.’ Danny put the gear lever into first gear. ‘Now, let it off slowly and at the same time press on the accelerator.’ The engine spluttered and the car hopped forward.

‘Slowly, I said,’ Danny bellowed in her ear.

Kate grinned at him. ‘Sorry.’

‘Try again . . .’

They moved forward along the lane in a series of jumps and engine stalls, with Kate laughing and Danny shouting at her. At last she seemed to get the hang of it and they were crawling along in first gear, but at least smoothly. ‘Now try second gear – press the clutch . . . into neutral . . . rev the accelerator . . . press the clutch again . . .’ and he pushed the gear lever into second gear.

The speed was increasing as they approached a gentle bend in the road, the sand-dunes on the left-hand side and on the right a grass verge and then a dyke.

Kate careered across the road towards the verge.

‘Turn your wheel. Brake!’ Danny shouted.

‘Which is the brake?’ Kate shouted back, unconsciously pressing down harder on the accelerator. The front wheels bounced on to the grass and the car headed towards the dyke. Danny grabbed the wheel and wrenched it round, but too late. The nearside wheels were on the slope of the dyke bank and the car slid, in slow motion, into the dyke, tipping over on to its side against the opposite bank.

As the car settled itself there was a ghastly silence until Danny, thrown against her and pinning her against the door of the car, said, ‘Now look what you’ve done. I’ll get the sack for this.’

Kate was shaking but not too shocked to reply with asperity, ‘Oh, wonderful! Not a word of “Are you all right, Kate?” or “Have you hurt yourself?”’

Danny levered himself off her and started to clamber up out of the car. He glanced back down at her. ‘Well – have you?’

There was a slight pause before Kate answered morosely, ‘No.’

Danny pushed at the door, now opening at a tilting angle, and heaved himself out. Then he thrust his head and shoulders back inside and held out his hand to her. ‘Come on, I’ll give you a pull.’

They stood side by side on the bank looking down disconsolately at the car nestling forlornly on its side in the dyke bottom.

‘D’ya think our horses could pull it out?’ Kate suggested.

‘They might.’ Danny didn’t sound too hopeful.

‘I’ll bike home and get me dad to come back.’