She laughs, clearly at him, but not unpleasantly so. "It seems your appetite is always formidable on days my husband happens to be off on a long ride. A remarkable coincidence, I wonder if the full moon is involved." She comes to lean on the fence, near enough to pluck the daisy out of his hand if he doesn't fight her.

"Maybe you shouldn't take such a long walk out here, if it exhausts you," she adds, idly.