‘You’re so brave.’ Lily was struggling not to laugh. Matt was good ateverything. But not this.
‘Bugger off,’ Matt said.
Lily laughed more and relaxed her grip on her reins too much, and nearly lost her balance as her horse did a bit of a feisty side-step.
‘Need any help there, Lily?’ Matt asked, very sweetly.
‘Bugger off yourself.’ She gathered her reins and kicked her horse into a little trot.
‘Lily, wait,’ Norm wailed.
She laughed and slowed her horse.
The three of them ambled along on their horses in near-peace, with only minimal grousing from Matt and Norm, for the next ten or fifteen minutes, and then caught up with the others, who’d been waiting for them.
‘This is the treat part,’ Carole called, as they drew closer.
‘None of this is a treat,’ grumbled Matt from just behind Lily. ‘I thought we were going to be spending the day on the beach.Thatwould have been a treat.’
‘Honestly.’ Lily turned to look at him. ‘You’vetotallybeen almost enjoying it for the last few minutes.’
‘Maybe.’ Matt grimace-smiled at her. ‘In a warped kind of way.’
‘Valley of the butterflies,’ Carole announced.
‘Oh, wow.’ Matt sat up straight and looked properly in front of him, and then wobbled a lot. ‘I hadn’t realised that that’s where we were now. Too busy fearing for my life. But I remember coming here as a child – on car and foot, not horseback – and feeling like it was some magical other-worldly place. Beautiful, and amazing when you spot the butterflies.’
‘All sorts of butterflies or one particular kind?’ Lily asked.
‘Mainly one, I think?’ Matt raised his eyebrows in Carole’s direction, without wobbling now that he was stationary.
‘Yes. Jersey tiger moths,’ Carole told them. ‘They congregate in huge groups in shady areas but they’re quite hard to see because they’re well camouflaged against the leaves. Your challenge is to get some great photos of them. Or actuallyanyphotos of them at all.’
‘Not a problem.’ Felix pulled his phone out of his pocket. ‘At the ready. Lily knows how good at photography I am. No blurry pictures here, honest. Photo genius. In fact, I think we should have a competition to get the best photo. Lily can judge.’
‘Fabulous idea,’ Carole said. ‘Prize for the winner.’
‘How are we going to take photos, though?’ Matt said. ‘Given that we can’t use our hands because we’re busy riding.’
‘You’re going to have to be super brave and take a hand off a rein for a second.’ Lily lifted her right hand. ‘Like this.Daring.’
‘Your horse isn’t moving at the moment,’ Matt said. ‘It’s very different.’
‘I’m with Matt,’ Norm said. ‘I’m not risking my life for a photo.’
‘Oh myGod,’ Carole said. ‘See what I have to put up with?’
‘Are you joking?’ Norm was not laughing. ‘See whatIhave to put up with.’
‘Eek,’ Lily said. ‘I think you’re both wonderful.’
‘So do I,’ Felix, Alfredo and Matt said as one.
‘Humph.’ Carole turned round and she and her horse flounced off.
Norm muttered something that sounded suspiciously likeGood riddance.
They hadn’t been in the valley of the butterflies for long before everyone was seeming a lot happier. It was properly gorgeous, almost like a park.
