Delphine Doerflinger pinched the tips of her gloves, easing them off before she swiped her key card against the panel. She pushed open the door and began to take off her coat when she noticed an unmistakable scent – one that had no business being inside her home. She quickly turned to leave, pulling her coat back on.

‘Going somewhere, Frau Doerflinger?’ the intruder said.

Delphine stopped in her tracks and swallowed hard. ‘How did you get in here?’ she asked.

‘That is none of your concern,’ the man said coolly. ‘You are home early.’

Delphine spotted a suitcase in the hall. She looked at it and back at the intruder. ‘I have a headache,’ she replied.

‘You certainly do.’ The man raised his eyebrow at her. ‘Now, what’s this I hear about the Baron deciding not to borrow our money?’

‘He is a smart man. He must have read the fine print,’ Delphine said, her temperature rising.

‘Then you must find another way to honour your agreements,’ the man said.

The sound of heels striking the timber floor bounced around the walls, followed soon after by the voice of a young woman.

‘For such an ugly hag she has many beautiful things,’ she trilled. The young woman reached the hallway, twirling the silk Hermès scarf around her neck, and saw the man was no longer alone. ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were here,’ she said, fingering the diamond teardrops dangling from her lobes.

‘Take them off at once,’ Delphine demanded. Otto had given her those earrings for their tenth wedding anniversary and the sight of them on that gold-digger made her stomach churn.

‘Or what?’ The young woman smiled. ‘I’m sure you would agree that they look much better on me.’

‘Otto will be back any minute now. You cannot be here,’ Delphine said, hating the pleading note in her voice.

‘You clearly don’t know your husband as well as I do,’ the man scoffed. ‘Herr Fanger loves nothing more than to be the centre of attention. He will not leave the racetrack when everyone in St Moritz is falling all over themselves to congratulate him. But perhaps there is one thing he loves even more than an adoring crowd … Is it his wife?’ The man looked at the young woman, who shook her head.

‘No, no, no,’ she giggled, fluttering her fingers.

‘Is it his hotel?’ the man asked, sweeping his arm around the room.

Sancia pouted. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said in a singsong voice.

‘Oh, I know!’ The man grinned. ‘It’s that stupid little dog.’

The brunette reached into her pocket and pulled out Gertie’s diamond hairclips, which she displayed on her palm for Delphine to see. ‘Can I keep these, Vincenzo?’

‘Of course you can,’ he sneered. ‘Princess Gertie may not be needing them if someone refuses to cooperate.’

Delphine’s heart thumped in her chest. ‘What did you do?’ she rasped.

‘Poor little Gertie. I think she has run away,’ the man said.

‘Please don’t hurt her,’ Delphine begged.

‘What do you care?’ the man replied. ‘You despise that mutt.’

‘But … Otto loves her,’ Delphine said. She despised herself for getting into this mess.

The man glared at her. ‘I thought you hated him too.’

Delphine’s mouth grew dry. Otto was an annoyance, a buffoon, but he was a good man with the kindest heart and he didn’t deserve to lose everything because of her stupidity.

The young woman walked into the lounge and plonked down on the largest of the sofas. ‘Vincenzo, can we go now? I am so bored,’ she whined loudly. ‘And you promised me chocolate.’

‘We will leave soon enough,’ Vincenzo replied. He gestured to the suitcase. ‘We don’t want to keep Frau Doerflinger from her train.’

Delphine baulked. ‘What are you talking about? I have a hotel to run!’

‘You have a hotel to buy,’ Vincenzo said. ‘I suggest you get to the other side of the mountains right away and close that deal, or you know what will happen.’

‘I can’t just leave. What will I tell Otto?’ Delphine protested.

Vincenzo shrugged. ‘You take regular trips to the chocolate factory. Isn’t that what you always tell him?’

Delphine inhaled sharply. It was, but she had never told Vincenzo that. ‘I have to write Otto a note.’

Sancia tripped out to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. ‘I can’t believe you don’t have any chocolate in this house,’ she called.

‘It is peculiar given the amount of chocolate downstairs,’ Vincenzo agreed. He turned to follow Delphine to her study.

‘You don’t need to accompany me,’ she snapped.

Vincenzo tilted his head to one side and smiled. ‘On the contrary, Frau. It would not do me well to leave you to your own devices.’