‘You must have seen some amazing places in your time,’ Evie says congenially as they navigate the path. Even under the snow she can see that the place is manicured to perfection. She wishes she’d brought her sunglasses, though. This much snow is blinding.

‘I suppose,’ he says, and then holding out a hand. ‘For the cameras?’ he asks. She slips an ungloved hand into his. His skin will keep her warm. She puts her other hand into her pocket.

‘Daphne said something about your mom being unwell – is everything okay?’ she asks, relishing the breadth of him, how safe it feels to be guided by his sure footing.

‘Relapse,’ he says, gruffly, looking out over the fields with a squint. ‘It happens,’ he adds.

Evie nods. ‘I’m sorry, Duke,’ she says. ‘I know it’s not easy for anyone.’

‘No,’ he says, and he almost looks at her then, before seemingly changing his mind. ‘My aunt went over and helped her. We got her into a good clinic where she can get some help for the next thirty days, so she’s safe. I’ll go over in January and see how she’s doing.’

‘That’s good,’ Evie says, softly. She tries to catch his eye again, tries to find the Duke she knows, that common ground. The Duke who couldn’t wait to meet her, and paid a kid to go get them hot chocolate when he thought she was interested in somebody else, and was kind to her when she was upset about her own mother.

‘I don’t know if you heard,’ she presses, wondering if a different conversational tack might help. ‘But a couple more of my books got optioned because of the press from all this, so … thanks for getting me out here in the first place. I don’t think I’ve ever formally said that.’

‘You haven’t,’ Duke says. ‘But I’m glad I was of use to you.’

Evie doesn’t get what he means. ‘I mean thanks for more than just the book sales, you know. Thanks for … everything. All of this. You knew what I needed when I didn’t. I’m grateful. I … care about you,’ Evie says.

‘I’m sure you do,’ Duke counters, and it’s colder than the weather, the way he says it.

Evie hears the click click click, then, the sound she’s become so accustomed to. Sure enough, Clive is on the path behind them, stood off to one side so as not to get in their way and keep everything as natural-looking as possible. Duke hears it too, looks back, looks at Evie, and then pulls her in close so that they’re stood facing each other. As he pushes her hair from her face like he might kiss her, he says: ‘This has been useful for everybody. Let’s call a spade a spade.’