‘I need to make something very clear though,’ she says. ‘We can’t credit you. We can work something out – a first-look pass for future roles, a development deal or something. Daphne, I know you’re interested in producing too, so maybe there’s something we can do there. But for the good of the movie – the press, all of that – this needs to be you scratching our backs for now, and later we’ll scratch yours.’

Daphne nods. ‘But you’d know what we did, wouldn’t you?’ she clarifies.

‘And I wouldn’t forget it in a hurry,’ Marnie replies. ‘I can assure you.’

‘Duke?’ Daphne asks.

Duke nods, slightly.

‘Is that a yes?’ Marnie asks.

Duke nods again, clearer this time. Daphne gasps.

‘Yes,’ Duke says. ‘But we’re not doing a thing until we’ve got what you’ve just said in writing. Daphne gets a credited directorial debut, somehow, and I get a first-look pass or development deal.’

‘I’ll get legal on it now,’ Marnie says. ‘Hold that thought …’

She leaves, and for a moment Daphne and Duke simply stare at each other. Eventually Duke says, ‘Crikey.’

And then they burst out laughing.

27

Duke

Duke and Daphne don’t pause for breath until breakfast, working through the night. They’ve got some catching up to do, and so, despite the fact Duke is desperate to be alone with Evie again, now is not the time.

‘I’ve never felt this alive in my life,’ Daphne says, leaning back from Duke’s MacBook Pro. ‘My blood is pumping faster, I swear. I’m like, energised by being energised. Does that make sense?’

Duke laughs, because he knows exactly what she means. They’ve been looking over the rough edits that have already been done to the internal scenes, figuring out what’s left to shoot and how to do it, agreeing on some rules and boundaries for working together. There’s three more locations left – Pfaffenwinkel, Schwangau, and Füssen, all happening in very quick succession – and so they need to be razor-sharp and clear as day with their intentions and scheduling.

‘I’m not worried,’ Duke says. ‘I think we’re going to be totally fine. Like, this is going to be fun. It’s an amazing opportunity.’

‘I’ll say,’ Daphne hoots, crossing and uncrossing her legs. She lifts up an arm and smells her pit. ‘Urgh,’ she says. ‘Okay. I’m going to go shower. Meet in my trailer in an hour?’

‘Done and done,’ Duke says. ‘And, Daphne? Well done.’