Kathy hastily did as she was told. She knew how unpredictable mares could be when they were giving birth and she didn’t want to get kicked. Ben meanwhile had hurried around to the back of the animal and after lifting her tail he smiled with satisfaction.

‘That’s a good girl,’ he crooned as a gush of water flooded out of her. ‘Nearly there now.’

It never failed to touch Kathy when she saw how tender he could be with the horses, and she made a silent vow that, somehow, she would make him love her as much as he did the animals.

Twenty minutes later, after a lot of help from Tom, Midnight gave birth to a coal-black foal.

‘It’s a little filly,’ Tom said triumphantly as he lifted a handful of straw and began to wipe her before stepping aside so the mother could wash her. ‘I was hoping for a colt but she’s a little beauty all the same. She’ll be worth a small fortune in a few years’ time.’

He watched as the filly struggled drunkenly to her feet and wobbled towards her mother. Satisfied that all was well now, Ben dried his hands and left the mother and baby to bond, joining Kathy on the other side of the stall.

‘She’s just beautiful,’ Kathy whispered as she looked at the foal, transfixed.

Ben nodded in agreement and they stood side by side admiring the new arrival for a moment.

‘Right, I may as well turn in now that’s done,’ Ben suddenly said, and he turned and left without another word.

Watching him, Kathy had to blink away the tears and compose herself before she dared go back into the house. It was as if the night before had never happened, but she wasn’t ready to give up on him yet – not by a long shot!

‘Off out with young Steven again, are you, darling?’ Sunday asked Livvy innocently a few evenings later. ‘That’s the second night this week you’ve seen him, isn’t it?’ Steven was the son of one the partners at the law firm in town where Livvy worked and much in demand with young ladies from what little bit of gossip she had heard. Perhaps he would be the one to steal her heart?

Livvy giggled as she eyed her mother in the dressing table mirror. ‘Oh, Mum, you’re such a matchmaker. I could almost think you can’t wait to get rid of me!’

‘Of course I don’t want to get rid of you,’ Sunday denied. ‘But I would like to see you happily settled before anything happens to me. I’m not getting any younger after all!’

‘I’m far too young to think of settling down with anyone just yet. And that’s quite enough of that silly sort of talk,’ Livvy responded heatedly.