"Thanks for looking after things here," Mathea says to Niall, while his plump pony puts her head down to lip at the scrubby grass. Niall looks troubled. "Are you sure you have to go?" "I really do." "I -" "I'll take good care of Poppy," she reassures him as she clambers up to the driving seat of the little cart. Poppy plods away down the road. Niall looks after them and sighs. "You take care of yourself," he says, but she is too far away to hear.