Nick
suddenly slowed even more, and flashing lights caught her attention
as he pulled the car to a complete halt, and allowed his window to
slide down.
Sadie shivered at the blast of freezing air invaded the car,
but the friendly face of the policeman calmed her sudden
nerves.
“ Afternoon, folks – where are you heading?”
“ Good afternoon, officer; we are trying to get up to London as
a matter of fact... is there a problem?”
“ Well, yes, there is a bit of a problem, I am afraid that the
road is blocked just past the next junction.”
Nick's lips tightened, but he kept his tone even. “Well we
have been travelling for almost three hours now, too far to
consider turning around and heading for home again – I think... so
what would you suggest, officer?”
“ I agree; this weather is set to get worse once darkness comes.
If you turn off at this next junction, rather than going straight
past it, there is an industrial park about a mile or so in. It's
got at least two travel inns – which I know of, and a couple of
cafes as well.” He grinned suddenly, as he looked past Nick to
Sadie. “But if I were you, I wouldn't hang about, with your Mrs,
like; because they will be filling up fast with other stranded
travellers!”
Nick also glanced at Sadie, who blushed but did not correct
the officer. He did not bother to correct him either.
“ Very well, officer; thank you for the tip.”
“ No problem, just you drive careful now,” he stepped back so
that Nick could wind up the window again, and set the car back in
motion.
“ I will call Mr Redding, once we've settled somewhere – and
postpone our meeting for another time,” Nick murmured as they
crawled along the road.
The wind was starting to really howl, as they left the
motorway, and visibility was almost down to zero as the snow
thickened into a blizzard.
Thankfully the industrial park was very easy to find, and the
travel inn looked warm and welcoming.
*
There were a lot of cars already in the car park, and Sadie
fretted that they might not even get a room.
“ I am sure that they won't see us out on the street,” Nick
tried to reassure her, as she voiced her concerns.
They took their luggage in with them as well, since the
weather was just getting worse all the time.
The lady at the reception desk, was all smiles and concern as
she picked up a phone, and asked for hot drinks to be brought out
whilst she sorted out some accommodation for them.
“ Two rooms, if you can manage that?” Nick asked as he pulled
his credit card out of his wallet.
The receptionist looked at him in surprise. “Oh I am sorry,
sir; but I am under instructions to only give out one room to each
party, I thought that you and the lady were...” she trailed off and
looked distinctly uncomfortable for a moment.
Nick glanced at Sadie who was also looking uncomfortable, but
he also saw a little sparkle of what he guessed to be excitement in
her eyes, as their eyes met and locked for a moment.
It left a sense of anticipation deep within him, even as he
wondered whether that look was more about wishful thinking on his
part, than actual fact.
“ We will manage with just the one room, then – if you can make
it a twin bed room?”
The receptionist practically gushed at him. “Yes, of course
that is no problem...” she hesitated as she took his credit card
from him. “And would you like to be booked into the restaurant for
tonight as well, sir?”
“ Yes, please; we have been travelling for quite a while, and I
for one am getting hungry.” He glanced again at Sadie, who nodded
in agreement.
“ Would seven o’clock suit you both?”
Nick glanced at his watch, it was only three thirty, and seven
o’clock seemed a long way off.
“ Could you make it a little earlier?”
“ I am sorry sir, but the restaurant does not open until seven,”
she paused again and her eyes slid past them for a moment, and then
fixed back onto Nick. “The room will need a little while
suddenly slowed even more, and flashing lights caught her attention
as he pulled the car to a complete halt, and allowed his window to
slide down.
Sadie shivered at the blast of freezing air invaded the car,
but the friendly face of the policeman calmed her sudden
nerves.
“ Afternoon, folks – where are you heading?”
“ Good afternoon, officer; we are trying to get up to London as
a matter of fact... is there a problem?”
“ Well, yes, there is a bit of a problem, I am afraid that the
road is blocked just past the next junction.”
Nick's lips tightened, but he kept his tone even. “Well we
have been travelling for almost three hours now, too far to
consider turning around and heading for home again – I think... so
what would you suggest, officer?”
“ I agree; this weather is set to get worse once darkness comes.
If you turn off at this next junction, rather than going straight
past it, there is an industrial park about a mile or so in. It's
got at least two travel inns – which I know of, and a couple of
cafes as well.” He grinned suddenly, as he looked past Nick to
Sadie. “But if I were you, I wouldn't hang about, with your Mrs,
like; because they will be filling up fast with other stranded
travellers!”
Nick also glanced at Sadie, who blushed but did not correct
the officer. He did not bother to correct him either.
“ Very well, officer; thank you for the tip.”
“ No problem, just you drive careful now,” he stepped back so
that Nick could wind up the window again, and set the car back in
motion.
“ I will call Mr Redding, once we've settled somewhere – and
postpone our meeting for another time,” Nick murmured as they
crawled along the road.
The wind was starting to really howl, as they left the
motorway, and visibility was almost down to zero as the snow
thickened into a blizzard.
Thankfully the industrial park was very easy to find, and the
travel inn looked warm and welcoming.
*
There were a lot of cars already in the car park, and Sadie
fretted that they might not even get a room.
“ I am sure that they won't see us out on the street,” Nick
tried to reassure her, as she voiced her concerns.
They took their luggage in with them as well, since the
weather was just getting worse all the time.
The lady at the reception desk, was all smiles and concern as
she picked up a phone, and asked for hot drinks to be brought out
whilst she sorted out some accommodation for them.
“ Two rooms, if you can manage that?” Nick asked as he pulled
his credit card out of his wallet.
The receptionist looked at him in surprise. “Oh I am sorry,
sir; but I am under instructions to only give out one room to each
party, I thought that you and the lady were...” she trailed off and
looked distinctly uncomfortable for a moment.
Nick glanced at Sadie who was also looking uncomfortable, but
he also saw a little sparkle of what he guessed to be excitement in
her eyes, as their eyes met and locked for a moment.
It left a sense of anticipation deep within him, even as he
wondered whether that look was more about wishful thinking on his
part, than actual fact.
“ We will manage with just the one room, then – if you can make
it a twin bed room?”
The receptionist practically gushed at him. “Yes, of course
that is no problem...” she hesitated as she took his credit card
from him. “And would you like to be booked into the restaurant for
tonight as well, sir?”
“ Yes, please; we have been travelling for quite a while, and I
for one am getting hungry.” He glanced again at Sadie, who nodded
in agreement.
“ Would seven o’clock suit you both?”
Nick glanced at his watch, it was only three thirty, and seven
o’clock seemed a long way off.
“ Could you make it a little earlier?”
“ I am sorry sir, but the restaurant does not open until seven,”
she paused again and her eyes slid past them for a moment, and then
fixed back onto Nick. “The room will need a little while
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