Isaac and Lily watched as many euros’ worth of diesel poured into the fuel tank, and laughed at the boys dashing backwards and forwards on a fifty-metre stretch of grass, a joyful Doggo bucketing along beside them wearing a huge doggy grin, admirably suited to the pastime of running for the hell of it.

Soon they were underway again, Neil and Franciszka having done a tea and coffee run. As they neared Strasbourg the buildings became more colourful and Germanic. They passed east of the city but close enough to see the spire of the amazing cathedral lording it above all the other buildings.

The next hour saw them enter a long area of flat farmland, notable only for the fact that ridges edged the flatland on either side – ridges with snow on top, picking up the morning light. ‘Wowwwww,’ sighed Emily. ‘Snow’s so beautiful and shimmery, like icing on cakes.’

‘And my weather app says it’s snowing in Schützenberg!’ Charlotte burst out. ‘Can’t wait to see real, proper, thick snow.’

They paused at Haut-Koenigsberg for lunch. They’d made such steady progress south and east through France that Lily relaxed. Emily had asked the lady behind the counter for one of the freshly baked Muffin Mars and pouted when she discovered a Muffin Nutella in her bag instead, but Warwick, who’d done well in his French GCSE, returned to the counter and gallantly got the error rectified.

When Emily gave him a glowing look of thanks Charlotte meanly chimed in, ‘Hey, Warwick, what’s your girlfriend like? Not a childish blonde airhead with no boobs?’

Warwick looked confused. ‘She’s dark and, um, good thanks. Same age as me.’ Emily looked mortified, evidently all too aware of Charlotte’s unkind subtext even if it had whooshed over Warwick’s head.

Lily, prickled, made sure she walked back to the minibus with Charlotte, trying to keep warm with her coat pulled sketchily around her because it hadn’t seemed worth wriggling in and out of her sling to thread her arm through her sleeve. ‘Did you know it was my sister who did this to me?’

Charlotte’s eyes widened. ‘But it was an accident, wasn’t it?’

‘Well …’ Lily mused. ‘Technically. But she got in a roaring temper and slammed the counter hatch on my hand. Everyone saw it. It’s not like you can hide that kind of thing.’ And then, when Charlotte looked uncertain, added meaningfully, ‘People do notice when one sister is unkind to another.’

Charlotte suddenly seemed to find the ground fascinating. Lily gave her a quick one-armed hug and climbed into the minibus, content that her final comment had been taken on board.

It was half an hour later when, as if Lily’s conversation with Charlotte had invoked her, Zinnia called Lily’s phone. Lily decided to take the call. She’d had time to calm down and was less shocked and rocky than on Sunday.