Still silence. Charlie reached over and changed gear as they turned one of the many sharp corners on the road, and Holly scooted her knees defiantly out of the way.

‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’ she tried again, softening her tone.

This, finally, seemed to get through to him. ‘Holly, I’ve got a job to do! I can’t get into an ideological debate every time someone says something I don’t agree with. I’ve got to generate enough goodwill to make these very wealthy people part with their cash to support the party. That way, I get to make the changes I want to make. Changes that are good for the whole community, not just a few. What don’t you understand about that?’ Charlie raked a hand impatiently through his hair and swerved to narrowly avoid a cat that had strayed out onto the country lane, obviously mid-hunt.

‘I’m not stupid, Charlie, I get that you’ve got to smile and pretend to agree for the sake of the party line, but do you have to be quite so nice to those money-grabbing tossers who’d happily see your new home town cut in half by having the M5 slapped straight through the middle of it?’ Holly, aware she was raising her voice, tried to curb herself. Frustration, and irritation that she could still fancy Charlie quite so much in the midst of a row was making her rash. Not to mention a few glasses of cheap Prosecco. Had she been in a better mood, she’d have made a joke about the affluent party members not being able to run to some decent fizz for their fundraising gig.

‘Well, if you know that, then why the hell did you have to rile up one of the biggest party donors this side of Wells? If Tom hadn’t stepped in and smoothed the waters, he’d have pulled the plug on it.’

‘There’s more to life than money, Charlie, or have you forgotten that?’

‘Not when you’re trying to actually change what matters.’ Charlie was pulling up outside Holly’s home, now, and the phrase hung in the air between them. ‘You can pick up all the plastic bottles and bags you can carry, but, ultimately, I rely on people like Miles Fairbrother to help me to fund the real changes, and you mouthing off to him about his business is the absolute last thing I need.’

Holly, stung, shook her head. ‘Well, I guess that’s told me, then. I mean, what’s the point of doing anything if it achieves nothing?’

Charlie, sensing he might have gone too far, tried to grab her hand. ‘Look, I’m sorry. Of course what you do matters. I’m just frustrated. Can I come in? We can talk about this.’

She couldn’t see his eyes in the darkness of the car.