But nothing could soothe or stop the horse. There was the path ahead by which she and Sholto had travelled on the way out. Was her horse heading home? Or towards the woods beyond? Effie knew there was no way she could stay on in the trees.

The horse’s hooves drummed on the road as they left the grass and . . .

The wind dropped. As suddenly as it had come, it stopped streaming her hair and she felt a forward momentum that seemed certain to propel her over the reins.

‘Whoa!’

The word wasn’t coming from her, a man was standing right in front of their path, his arms wide and waving in huge arcs so that he appeared to fill the track. ‘Whoa!’ Felton said again, his voice big but also low. There was comfort, not panic, in the timbre and as Norma went to pass by, he lunged for the rein. ‘Steady, girl, steady,’ he said, his arms strong but voice soft, immediately patting her flank and reassuring her that she could rest here.

The sudden stillness felt like a slap. Effie was dizzy, almost faint. She had been breathing in terrified shallow sips and the lack of oxygen, combined with adrenaline, was overwhelming her. She slumped, completely drained, barely registering the clatter of hooves behind them, of her own feet being removed from the stirrups.

‘Jump down, Effie.’

Felton had his arms raised up to catch her. She half-slid, half-fell off Norma’s back but as she landed, her knees wouldn’t lock and she almost dropped to the ground. His arms closed around her in time, holding her up. ‘Don’t worry, you’re safe now,’ he said into her hair, his cheek against her head.

‘Effie! My God! My God!’ Sholto jumped down from his horse, as flushed as she was pale.

‘What were you thinking?’ Felton burst out angrily. Effie could feel his arms shaking with rage around her. His body felt as taut as a drum. She tried to push herself free but he didn’t even notice her. ‘Letting her on a horse like that? She could’a been killed! You had no right putting her in that position!’

Sholto stopped in his tracks, stunned by the outburst. For several moments no one could speak, all of them breathless and their bodies taut as drums.

‘It wasn’t his fau—’ she said, feebly trying to release herself from his grip.

‘He had no right!’ Felton looked back at his employer. ‘You had no right and you know it!’

Effie pushed herself out of Felton’s embrace; she wasn’t sure he even remembered he was holding her. All his attention was upon Sholto as he squared up to his employer. ‘Huw, I’m fine,’ she protested.

She saw both men react to her calling him Huw, before they heard the sound of approaching horse’s hooves, almost dancing on the gravel.

‘I say, brava!’ Sibyl’s shrill voice pierced the air.