Delphine Doerflinger sat in the lounge sipping her tea. From her vantage point in a high wingback chair, she could see everyone coming and going while she herself could not be easily seen.

‘There you are, my petal,’ Otto said, looking over the top of her chair.

Delphine glanced up and found herself nose to nose with Gertie. ‘Get that creature out of my face,’ she hissed.

Gertie growled and Otto clutched her closer to him. ‘Be nice to your mama,’ he cooed.

‘I am not that beast’s mama,’ Delphine huffed.

Otto walked around the settee to join his wife. ‘You should have told me you were having afternoon tea,’ he said. ‘I will join you.’

‘I’d rather you didn’t,’ Delphine said.

Otto looked wounded. ‘Why? Do I embarrass you so much that you won’t be seen with me these days?’

Delphine sighed, her face softening. ‘Don’t be stupid,’ she said. ‘I am working.’

‘Oh, is it … what we spoke of yesterday?’ he asked, grinning.

Gertie growled again.

‘Otto, take her upstairs. She should not be down here upsetting the guests,’ Delphine sniffed.

‘She doesn’t upset anyone. Do you, my little princess?’ The man pursed his lips and made a kissing noise as the dog’s tongue shot out towards him.

Delphine cringed. ‘Honestly, you will catch something from that mutt one of these days. Now, why don’t you go for a walk? Then tonight we will celebrate.’

Otto’s face lit up. ‘Will it be ours so soon?’

‘I am hoping so, but I cannot afford any distractions. Hurry up, Otto,’ she instructed under her breath.

‘You are such a good wife. I will do as you wish. Come along, Gertie, we must get changed.’ He held the dog and scurried away just as Delphine spotted her target.

She stood up and walked towards him, pretending to make notes in an open folder. He had his coat collar drawn up around his neck and wore a stylish fedora, which cast a shadow across his face.

Delphine spun around, almost bumping into him. ‘Baron, is that you?’ she said, feigning surprise. ‘I nearly didn’t recognise you with that hat on.’

He flinched and tightened his grip on the briefcase. ‘Frau Doerflinger, how lovely to see you.’

‘I hadn’t realised that you were staying with us,’ the woman said, smiling sweetly.

‘Oh no, I am just here for a meeting,’ he replied as beads of perspiration formed on his brow.

‘Do you have time for tea?’ she asked, gesturing to the lounge.

The man gulped and shook his head. ‘No, sadly not. I must be going.’

‘What a pity,’ Delphine said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two men enter the room. One of them was nudging five feet and dressed in a flamboyant navy pinstriped suit. His slick grey hair looked as oily as he did. The other, who was bald, wore a plain black suit and towered over his associate. ‘Well, I mustn’t keep you,’ she said with a note of finality.

‘Auf Wiedersehen, Frau Doerflinger.’ The Baron took a deep breath and walked away.

With the slightest signal from Delphine, the two men nodded and followed him.

Sloane grinned as she clicked out of her bindings and picked up her skis. ‘That was awesome.’

‘You were amazing,’ Alice-Miranda said.

‘I think I amazed myself,’ Sloane said with a laugh.

‘Especially when you stacked into us,’ Millie teased.

‘At least it only happened once,’ the girl said as the rest of the group reached the bottom of the Chantarella funicular.

‘Well done, kids,’ Hugh called as he and Hamish brought up the rear. ‘Who’s ready for a swim?’

The children’s hands shot up in the air as they jumped up and down yelling ‘me’.

Hamish chuckled. ‘Let’s get moving then.’

Everyone carried their skis down to the roadway, where the shuttle bus was waiting for them. It was a short drive through the village, past the town square and to the hotel. Several doormen helped to unpack the gear and, despite the men’s offer, Hugh, Hamish and the children insisted on carrying everything to the lockers themselves.

The group quickly changed out of their ski boots and charged back upstairs. Aside from the well-stocked ski shop two floors below street level, the hotel also boasted its very own subterranean shopping mall.

‘Look at those clothes,’ Millie gushed, admiring the sparkling dresses in the window of the first boutique. ‘That cloth looks as if it’s made from spun silver.’

Hugh spotted the figure on the price tag and let out a low whistle. ‘Whoa, for that many francs, you would want it to be.’

Millie’s eyes bulged when she saw it too. ‘No! That can’t say what I think it does,’ she gasped.

Hugh nodded. ‘I’m afraid it does.’

‘Who wears a dress that costs more than a car?’ Sloane said incredulously.

‘Even if I had that much money, I’d never spend it on a dress,’ Millie said. ‘What if you sat on chewing gum or something?’

‘Because that happens all the time,’ Sloane said with a grin.

Millie rolled her eyes. ‘You know what I mean.’

The group continued down the mall, past shops selling fine art and jewels.

‘Now, that’s more like it,’ Sloane said. She stopped to ogle the diamonds and other precious stones in the window.

‘When would you ever wear those?’ Millie said. She eyed a pair of diamond-and-ruby earrings the size of small chandeliers.

‘Well, if I became a famous actor like Lawrence Ridley, I’d wear them to all those red-carpet events. Imagine how jealous my mother would be! She’d beg me to come along and I’d just say, “No, I’m taking Sep.”’

‘Really?’ Her brother looked at her in surprise.

‘No, not really, but you were the first person that came into my head,’ Sloane replied.

Everyone laughed as the group made their way up another flight of stairs and emerged into the hotel foyer, where they bumped into Otto Fanger and Gertie.

‘Hello there.’ The hotelier smiled at them. ‘Did you have a good time on the slopes?’

The children nodded.

‘Yes, thank you, Herr Fanger,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘It was lovely. The snow was delicious.’

Herr Fanger’s eyes widened in alarm. ‘You didn’t eat it, did you?’

Alice-Miranda shook her head and grinned. ‘No, of course not.’

‘Thank goodness for that,’ the man said. ‘There are far too many dogs in St Moritz. Sometimes the snow is yellow, if you catch my drift.’

The children nodded and giggled.

‘Where are you off to now?’ Otto asked.

‘We’re going for a swim,’ Millie said.

‘A swim,’ Otto sighed. ‘I was just about to take Princess Gertie for a walk, but perhaps we will swim instead.’

Jacinta cupped her hand and whispered in Sloane’s ear. ‘I don’t think I want to see Herr Fanger in his swimming trunks.’

Sloane nodded in agreement, green at the thought of it too.

‘Well, come along, Gertie,’ the rotund man cooed into the creature’s ear. ‘Papa will get your swimming trunks.’

None of the children attempted to pat the dog this time, having seen her reaction the day before. They waved goodbye and piled into the lift.