Kathy frowned as she led David along the walkway in the stables to where Bracken was stabled next to Bramble, her own horse. In no time at all they had the horses saddled and Kathy mounted hers and trotted from the stables with David close behind.

‘Sorry for Ben’s rude behaviour back there,’ she apologised. ‘I’m afraid he’s grown to be rather antisocial. He doesn’t get out much, you see!’

David grinned and waved her apologies aside airily. ‘Don’t worry about that. I came to see you, not him.’ And then he gently dug his heels into the horse’s side and he was off like the wind, leaving Kathy to follow with a slight frown on her face.

Three hours later, after they had brushed the horses down and settled them back in the stables, they arrived back in the kitchen, bright-eyed and exhilarated from their ride.

‘David, you must stay for lunch,’ Sunday coaxed. ‘Cissie has made one of her delicious steak and kidney pies. Unless you have to be somewhere else, of course?’

‘I’d love to stay,’ he answered quickly. ‘It isn’t often I get a day off so I may as well make the most of it.’

Lunch, which they ate around the kitchen table, was a light-hearted affair. Everyone was in a good mood, apart from Ben who remained silent.

‘That was as good as my mother makes,’ David told Cissie when he had eaten second helpings. ‘I’m so full I don’t even feel like moving.’

‘Then don’t,’ Sunday said quickly. ‘Stay and keep Kathy company. Or why don’t you both go out somewhere?’

‘Mum!’ Kathy blushed. ‘I’m sure David has better things to do than try to keep me entertained.’

‘Actually, I don’t,’ he piped up. ‘In fact, I was going to ask if you fancied going to the cinema. They usually show a film on Saturday afternoon although I’ve no idea what it will be.’

At this point Ben rose from the table and left the room with a face like thunder, while Kathy silently cursed Sunday. She was so blatantly matchmaking that the poor girl was almost squirming with embarrassment.

‘Well I was, er … planning to—’

‘What?’ Sunday butted in. ‘Whatever you had planned surely you can do it another time? David here is far from home. The poor chap needs a bit of company.’

‘In that case I’d best get changed,’ Kathy muttered, feeling as if she really didn’t have much choice as she picked a bit of straw out of her dark, tousled hair. The brisk ride had made her cheeks glow and David thought she looked beautiful.

All the way up the stairs, Kathy fumed. Goodness knows what’s got into Mum, she thought to herself. It’s almost as if she’s trying to marry me off and it’s quite embarrassing. I shall certainly be having words with her!