‘Did you know?’ Beamish asked, agog.

‘Not a clue,’ I answered, open mouthed.

By the time she had finished her first circuit, Dolly was up to speed and attracting a fair few admiring glances. Elegant and graceful she cut a path through the wobbly-legged and I banished all prior concerns that she might fall and break a hip. I was now far more worried about my own bones than hers.

‘Come on,’ said Beamish, reaching for my hand and pulling me to my feet in one swift movement, ‘we can’t put it off for ever.’

His fingers touching mine set off the same tingle as the first time we had held hands and under any other circumstances I would have let go of him straightaway, but I was so scared of falling that I kept a tight grip, trying not to admit to myself how much safer I felt with his large hand clasping my smaller one.

We made it on to the ice and, when he eventually prised me away, I clung to the side, too unsteady to worry about how much of an idiot I looked. I braved a quick glance around and found I wasn’t the only one hugging the barrier.

‘Here you are at last,’ said Dolly, coming to a steady and controlled stop next to me.

‘You’re a dark horse, aren’t you?’ I said.

‘You’re amazing, Dolly,’ Beamish added, tentatively testing out his balancing skills and grinning when he didn’t end up on his backside.

Dolly gave a little curtsy.

‘My father taught me.’ She told us. ‘He was a champion skater. He used to compete when the Fens froze over.’

‘I didn’t even know that was a thing,’ I said.

‘Oh yes,’ she said, turning to glide away again. ‘It was a regular thing once. That was when we had proper winter weather, mind you.’

‘Well I never,’ said Beamish, still wearing his grin, ‘lives and learns.’

‘It must be in her genes,’ I said, looking enviously after her, ‘whereas I seem to have a fear of losing my fingers instilled in mine. I think I’ll just stay here and watch.’

‘Oh no you don’t,’ said Beamish, as he tried to release my fingers from the side, ‘come on. We’ll go together. I’ll look after you and your lovely digits.’

I screwed my courage to the sticking place and let him, well, pull me around the rink, would probably be the best description of how we moved. Dolly whizzed by at least twice for our every one circuit, but I hardly registered her, because I was too busy focusing on my feet and, when I was on my bottom, everyone else’s blades.

‘Try and relax a bit,’ Beamish advised, as he moved behind me and placed his hands lightly on my waist so he could push me along.