‘Sit down and relax,’ she said. ‘You look dead on your feet.’

He leaned back in an armchair, closing his eyes, desperately tired in a way that had nothing to do with work. Mercifully he felt the strain begin to drain away, leaving him as close to being relaxed as he ever came.

‘How did it go after I left the hospital?’ Corinne asked. ‘Did the children recognise you?’

‘No,’ he said slowly. ‘At least, they didn’t show it if they did.’

‘Mitzi would have shown it,’ Corinne said at once. ‘She’s got no subtlety, that little one. Her riding instructor says she has no nerves, but lots of nerve.’

‘Riding instructor?’ Alex queried. ‘She’s learning to ride too?’

Corinne shook her head. ‘Just her. Bobby gave it up.’

‘Don’t tell me he was afraid?’ Alex said sharply.

‘No, not afraid. Bored. It just didn’t interest him, and there are other things he wants to do. But Mitzi is crazy about horses, so she does it instead.’

He was silent, swallowing his disappointment. Corinne eyed him sympathetically.

‘Come out of the nineteenth century,’ she chided.

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘In those days you could have told Bobby what he had to be interested in, but not now. He doesn’t have to ride a horse just because you wanted to and couldn’t.’

Alex’s father had mucked out stables for a racehorse trainer. Alex had grown up surrounded by beautiful animals, none of which he had been allowed to touch.

‘And it has to be your son who carries on your dream, doesn’t it?’ Corinne pursued. ‘Somehow a daughter isn’t the same. Pure nineteenth century.’

‘That’s nonsense,’ he growled.

‘No, it isn’t. It’s the way your mind works. But you ought to go and see Mitzi ride, see how good she is.’

‘All right, I will.’

‘You’d be proud of Mitzi. She’s a real natural. In fact, I think you ought to learn yourself.’