The driver nods, signalling he understands the request. ‘The smaller roads,’ he says. ‘Even if I could get to them, in this weather? It’s no good. It’s very dangerous. This is a big car, and the snow …’

They both turn to look out of the window the driver is gesturing out of. It’s windy – really windy. Inches of snow have fallen even in the time they’ve been stationary, and it’s now being picked up by the gale to make a blizzard.

‘The radio,’ the driver presses. ‘They say not to move.’

Duke argues, listing all the reasons why it’s impossible, why he’s a special case whom the weather should not affect, offering more money, a little extra if the driver can just sort it all out, and Evie can see that the more he talks the less impressed the driver is becoming. The more he speaks the less impressed Evie is becoming, to be honest.

‘Duke,’ she says finally, when he pauses for breath. ‘Nobody can control a snowstorm. It literally needs to just blow over. Look!’ She points out of the window. ‘People are leaving their cars in the road.’ She gives a little clap in between each word for emphasis. ‘Two hundred pounds can’t stop that.’

Duke flares his nostrils, his breathing heavy. He’s upset. Like really upset. Evie doesn’t want to suggest that it’s disproportionately so, but the shoe fits. She lets the reality of their situation sink in for him. He watches a family in the next lane get their two kids out of the back, each parent carrying one as they all tuck their heads down.

‘There’s a service station just up ahead,’ the driver says. ‘We have to go.’

Duke looks to Evie for confirmation, and she nods as he zips up his coat.

17

Duke

It occurs to him that if the blizzard is so bad that they have to abandon their car, surely filming will have been halted too. Small mercies, then – any further delays won’t be his fault. Thank God.

Duke wishes he’d worn better shoes, since the snow takes seconds to seep into his trainers and turn his feet to ice. Evie thought to grab spare socks, jumpers and her toothbrush from her suitcase and stuff them into a bag to bring with her, but Duke is stranded with nothing. He wonders if petrol stations sell socks.

They walk for maybe ten minutes, passing the accident where nobody seems to have been seriously hurt, but two cars block the road in its entirety. The ambulance is snowed in now, as is the police car, and so it doesn’t take huge imagination to figure out that the tow truck was too late to make it through the snow.