His gaze shifted to the group by the gate and he lifted his hand to greet them. ‘Looks to me that you’ve judged it perfectly,’ he observed. They drifted a little closer as they talked, near enough that Rea wouldn’t feel abandoned by Laurel but not too close that another person arriving uninvited might tip her into panic or flight.

She was beginning to look paler now and smile less. Feeling as if she was making her strategy up as she went along, but possessed of a feeling that it would be best to leave now, while progress had been made, rather than waiting for Rea’s anxieties to mount, Laurel slid an arm around her sister. ‘If you want time for a bite to eat before you’re due back at your desk, maybe we should—’

‘Yes,’ Rea said, instantly. But she smiled and managed brief goodbyes to Gabe, Bertie and Grady.

No one tried to detain her with a last question or comment and Laurel got a lump in her throat as she realised that the good men had realised it was time for Rea to go. Gabe just called, ‘You’re welcome to come any time. Snobby doesn’t talk to Daybreak so she enjoys visitors.’

Rea smiled as she turned away. Laurel tried to keep their pace measured, strolling home rather than running for safety, but Rea was quiet now and less engaged with Laurel’s gentle flow of chatter. She half-fell back into the dear familiarity of The Nookery, relief evident, but at least she didn’t fling off her coat and declare she was never going out again.

Instead, she acquiesced to Laurel’s suggestion of vegetable soup for lunch and they ate together in the cosy kitchen, dunking bread spread with butter without finesse and drinking big mugs of tea. Eventually, it was Rea who alluded to their outing. ‘Poor Daybreak, having no home to go back to.’ Obviously that had stuck with her.

Laurel took another spoonful of soup. ‘She’s a well-mannered pony.’ She giggled. ‘Shame on Snobby for not talking to her. He’s like a cantankerous old man who’s forgotten how to socialise.’ They ate in silence for a minute, Laurel wondering how far she dare try and progress Rea’s outings.

‘What do you think about having a ride on Daybreak before she goes to her new owner?’ she asked at last. ‘I’m involved with painting this Christmas scene on Saturday—’ her heart gave a little skip at the thought of that taking place at Mistletoe Cottage ‘—but I was hoping to manage some exercise for Daybreak on Sunday. We could go together and school her in the paddock.’