Just as surprised at Niola being a London lover as a sun worshipper, she always strikes me as a quintessential country girl (even if she hates riding) and we never see enough of her in London to understand precisely the allure of the big smoke for her. I'm also intrigued that Nick has a carefree attitude to money like Mrs M. Is this backed up anywhere else? Isn't Nicola a sensible girl - or is it just she's so unmaterialistic she doesn't see the need to hoard like Lawrie.

The falconry stuff bored me as a child and bores me as an adult, it's such an incredibly niche sport - very fitting for Patrick obviously, but not one that can engage this reader, as is made very clear it's a 24-7 job looking after hawks that no one without hordes of servants could possibly contemplate.

I love Nick horror at the news Karen was a bad head girl - yet another Kingscote chimera shattered, and the foundations laid in wondering if she'll made a good wife, mebbe this was when Forest had the idea of The Ready Made Family.