‘How?’ Noah asked. ‘There won’t be any flights, and you can’t hire a car.’

‘Why not? There must be companies that will let me pick up in Truro and drop off in Edinburgh.’

‘Hannah, have you seen what’s happening outside?’ He flung an arm towards the window. It looked like a particularly dramatic scene from Poldark, all tumbling clouds and frothing water. ‘Driving short journeys will be hard enough. Regardless of the environmental concerns, you can’t just pick up a car and drive all the way to Edinburgh, solo, even if this corner of the country is bearing the brunt of the storm.’

‘I just need to get out of Cornwall, then it will be plain sailing.’

Noah shook his head. ‘It’s not safe.’

‘And yet you’re going to drive back to Mousehole along the coast road.’

‘Not right now, I’m not. I’m staying here. But, even if I was, my car is equipped to deal with this sort of weather, and I’ve been driving on Cornish roads since I was seventeen. It’s completely different. You can’t drive back to Edinburgh, there are no trains or flights. You need to stay here until the storm’s blown itself out.’ He was glaring at her, his tone not to be argued with.

Hannah swallowed. ‘I’ll phone Gerald and see what he says, then I’ll talk to Daniel.’

‘Let me know the outcome,’ Noah said. ‘I’ll be here.’

Hannah walked to the door, then turned to look at him. He was staring out of the window, his hands on his hips, a portrait of frustration. She wondered what he’d been talking to Beth about. She closed the latch quietly behind her and returned to her room.

‘Hannah,’ Gerald crowed, ‘phoning again so soon? I hope nothing’s wrong.’

She explained the situation, wondering whether he would have the same concerns as Noah, or if his priority would be getting her back to the office.

‘You must stay until it’s safe, and less than a two-day return trip,’ was his firm assessment. ‘You can work on the budget with Noah, rather than having to do it remotely.’

‘It’s not going to be a problem me not being in the office?’

‘The sensible thing would be to work from Cornwall for the time being, so that’s what you must do.’

Hannah kicked her shoes off and sat cross-legged on the bed. ‘Next Friday is supposed to be my last day at work before Christmas – I’ve booked the week after that as leave.’

‘And if you’re not back here by the end of next week, I’ll drop your Christmas gift round to your flat,’ Gerald said calmly. ‘It’s only a bottle of something I get for all my colleagues, but I don’t want you missing out. There’s no need for you to fret.’

‘I really appreciate this, Gerald.’

‘As long as Crystal Waters isn’t about to fall into the sea too, then I’d much rather you stayed put – tell Daniel to put your extra nights on our account. And you’re in safe hands with Noah.’