The children stood shoulder to shoulder with over one hundred other passengers as they rode the cable car to the top of the mountain. They were accompanied by their ski instructor, a young woman called Michaela. She worked for the oldest ski school in Zermatt, which was affectionately known as ‘the Reds’ due to their bright red jackets. Michaela had taught Alice-Miranda a couple of times before and the child was thrilled that they were going to have her all to themselves for the whole week.

‘You were right about this place, Alice-Miranda,’ Millie gushed. ‘It’s incredible.’

Michaela looked over and grinned. ‘Glad you are enjoying it, Millie.’

Earlier in the day Millie and Lucas had revelled in their first snowboarding lessons but had decided to switch back to skis after lunch so the whole group could be together.

‘I’m so happy you could come out with us,’ Alice-Miranda said, peering around Millie at Nina.

The girl was wearing a white ski suit with pink trim. Underneath her pink hat, her long brown plaits fell down almost to her waist. ‘Me too,’ she said, nodding. ‘I haven’t been up on the mountain much lately.’

When Alice-Miranda had returned to the hotel that morning, she had relayed Nina’s sad news to her friends. They had all felt terribly sorry for the girl, prompting Sloane to try to keep her usual litany of whinges about her own mother to a minimum.

‘This will be our last run of the day,’ Michaela announced as the cable car pulled into the station.

Jacinta pouted. ‘Already?’

‘Don’t worry, we will do it all again tomorrow,’ the woman assured her. ‘Besides, it will take us a while to get back to the village.’

This was the group’s first ride to the very top of the Klein Matterhorn, having spent most of the day on some of the lower slopes closer to where Millie and Lucas were learning to snowboard.

‘Whoa!’ Sloane gasped as she caught sight of the view. She had been sandwiched between several adults on the way up and only just realised that the village had been reduced to a speck down below. ‘Is it safe up here?’ she asked, her stomach lurching.

‘You’ll be fine.’ Michaela gave the girl a smile and a wink. ‘Just follow me.’

The children walked out onto the snow, slapping their skis on the ground and clicking into their bindings. Goggles were adjusted and straps tightened in anticipation of the marathon run to the bottom.

When everyone was ready, Michaela waved her pole in the air and pushed off. She traversed a steep dip and swung up onto a flatter section of snow on the other side. ‘Come on, kids!’ she called.

Alice-Miranda took off after her, with Nina close behind. But just as Millie pushed herself forward, a skier dressed in head-to-toe black flew over the top of the rise and missed hitting her by mere millimetres.

‘Watch out, you lunatic!’ the child yelled, waving her pole at the man. She was about to go again when a stream of identically dressed skiers hurtled towards her.

Lucas lunged forward and grabbed Millie’s arm, hauling her out of harm’s way. Sloane’s knees were trembling and Sep shook his fist at the interlopers. Down below, Michaela was signalling for the children to join them.

Millie craned her neck to see if anyone else was about to zoom over the top. When she was convinced the coast was clear, she pushed off. Lucas, Sep, Jacinta and Sloane followed her, their skis pointing straight ahead to gather as much speed as possible and avoid any other maniacs.

‘Are you guys okay?’ Michaela asked as Millie turned sharply to stop.

Millie nodded. ‘Who were they?’ she asked.

‘They call themselves the Black Diamonds,’ Michaela said disapprovingly. ‘They’re a new ski school, but I only ever see them racing each other over the mountain with their little backpacks on. I don’t know how they expect to stay in business without any students.’

‘I wouldn’t want them teaching me,’ Sloane said. ‘Did you see how out of control some of them were?’

‘Oh, I know them,’ Nina piped up. ‘They’re always hanging around with the driver from the hotel.’

‘Rotten Marius?’ Millie said.

Alice-Miranda giggled. ‘Millie means Marius Roten.’

Nina nodded. ‘That’s him. I’ve seen them at the stables. They make lots of noise.’

‘No wonder Hazel and Harry seemed a bit uptight,’ Millie said.

But Alice-Miranda wasn’t listening. Something – or someone – had caught her eye. ‘Caprice! Is that you?’ she called out.

Jacinta’s jaw just about hit the ground. ‘What?’

Alice-Miranda pointed to a skier below them. A girl was sitting in the snow, her arms and legs flailing.

Millie groaned. ‘She’s not supposed to be here.’

‘Do you know that person?’ Michaela asked.

‘I think it’s a girl from our school,’ Alice-Miranda replied, tilting her head to the side. It almost looked as if she was punching the snow.

‘You mean a monster,’ Sloane said.

‘Let’s see if she needs some help,’ Michaela suggested.

‘I’ll help her,’ Millie grumbled, ‘right over the edge.’

Sloane snorted.

Michaela took off down the mountain with her students snaking along behind her. They pulled up, with Millie sending a spray of snow all over the girl.

‘Hey! What did you do that for?’ Caprice grouched, then looked up and realised who she was yelling at. ‘You!’ she exclaimed, glaring at Millie. Caprice stood up and dusted the snow from her pale pink pants. ‘Go away!’

‘What’s the matter?’ Alice-Miranda asked, clearly concerned. ‘Where’s your group?’

Caprice staked her poles hard into the ground. ‘I don’t care,’ she huffed. ‘Somewhere in Italy.’

‘Where are you staying?’ Michaela asked gently. ‘You can ski down with us and I’ll make sure that you get home.’

‘Our chalet isn’t in stupid Switzerland,’ the girl said tersely. ‘It’s in Cervinia.’

‘Oh.’ Michaela looked up at the cable cars, then glanced at her watch. ‘That’s going to be a bit of a problem.’

‘Why?’ Millie asked, her voice wavering.

‘The cable car has closed for the day,’ said Michaela, ‘and that is unfortunately the only way high enough to go over to Italy.’

Caprice kicked at the snow. ‘Great. I’ll just stay up here for the night then.’

‘What are you having a tantrum about, anyway?’ Jacinta said. She was fast losing patience with the girl. She had been, in fact, ever since Caprice had arrived at school.

‘It’s none of your business,’ Caprice spat.

‘Well, if you’re happy to stay here, then we should go. We don’t want to get stuck on the mountain too,’ Jacinta replied, keeping her cool.

Lucas and Sep grimaced at one another, and Nina watched on quietly, wondering what catastrophe had befallen the girl to make her so upset.

‘I’m afraid I can’t do that,’ Michaela said. ‘Come with us and I’ll telephone your parents once we’re in the village to let them know where you are. They must be very worried.’

‘Serves Mummy right for being so mean,’ Caprice fumed.

‘Sorry, Caprice, but you won’t be seeing your parents tonight. It’s a full day’s drive from Cervinia,’ Michaela explained.

‘What?’ Millie looked as if she’d been slapped with a wet fish.

‘It’s all right,’ Alice-Miranda said to Caprice. ‘You can bunk with me and Millie tonight. I’m sure your parents will be happy to meet you at the top of the mountain tomorrow.’

‘I’m not going back tomorrow,’ the girl replied, crossing her arms defiantly.

‘I don’t think you’ll have a choice,’ Millie said through gritted teeth.

Caprice sniffed, her nose pointed in the air. ‘Just watch me.’

Worried about the fading light, Michaela turned on the speed for their homeward journey. But she had an ulterior motive too. A good, long run would take the wind out of Caprice’s sails so that by the time they reached the bottom the child might be able to conduct a civil conversation.

Michaela stopped at the top of the final descent into the village and waited for the children to catch up. ‘Is everyone okay?’ she called.

‘That was awesome!’ Sep enthused. The boy could hardly believe how much he’d improved in just a few days on the slopes.

‘What about you, Caprice? Are you feeling better?’ Michaela asked, but the girl just shrugged in response. Her plan seemed to be working and, at the very least, she was glad the child was no longer hurling herself about like a three-year-old. ‘Well, we’ve only got this last part to go and then we’re going to have to skate back to the middle of the village,’ she said.

‘I’m bored,’ Caprice whined. ‘Why don’t we have a race?’

Lucas grinned. ‘I’m up for it.’

‘Me too,’ Nina said with a shrug.

‘How does everyone else feel?’ Michaela glanced at the children, who nodded and smiled. Only Sloane looked unsure. ‘It’s settled then. I’ll ski ahead so you can follow my path – no going off-piste,’ the young woman said.

‘What’s the prize?’ Caprice asked.

Millie and Lucas groaned.

‘You don’t always have to win something, you know,’ Sloane said.

‘Yeah,’ Lucas chimed in, ‘why don’t we just have some fun for once?’

‘It’s not a proper race if you don’t win a prize,’ Caprice griped.

‘Okay, I’ll buy the winner a chocolate,’ Michaela relented, eager to call it a day.

‘Only if it’s Fanger’s,’ Millie agreed. ‘I love that stuff.’

Michaela smiled. ‘Deal.’

Lucas drew a starting line in the snow with his stock. ‘Someone has to say “go” or else it won’t be fair,’ he pointed out.

‘I will,’ Sloane volunteerd. ‘I’m not going to win, so I don’t mind being the starter.’

‘Right, I will see you all at the bottom.’ Michaela gave them a wave before speeding off down the mountain.

The children arranged themselves on the makeshift line, with Sloane at one end and Caprice at the other. Sloane took off her scarf and waved it in the air. ‘Ready … set … go!’

Caprice leaned across and shoved Alice-Miranda so hard that the girl fell into Nina, who fell into Millie. The whole row tumbled, with only Sep and Sloane managing to avoid the chaos and stay upright.

‘Oh no, did all the little Humpties fall down?’ Caprice laughed as she zoomed away.

Sep and Sloane took off after her, both determined to not let her win.

‘You’re asking for it, Caprice,’ Millie grumbled, pushing herself to her feet. She helped Nina up and seconds later the girls were charging down the slope with Alice-Miranda in hot pursuit.

‘Go, Nina!’ Lucas yelled as the girl flew off a jump that propelled her almost level with Caprice.

Caprice glanced over her shoulder and shrieked. ‘Where did you come from?’

‘You’re not so clever now, Miss Smartypants.’ Nina’s hips swung from side to side as she powered down the snowy terrain.

‘Don’t let her win!’ Sloane shouted as Nina overtook Caprice.

Millie and Alice-Miranda were gaining fast. They could see Michaela at the bottom, waving her stock in the air. Suddenly, Caprice let out a scream. Everyone turned to see her hit a jump and fly into the air. She flipped backwards and miraculously landed on her feet.

Nina crossed the line first with Millie close behind.

‘It’s all your fault!’ Caprice wailed as the rest of the children zoomed past her. ‘You forced me over that jump.’

‘Nobody made you do anything,’ Millie yelled at the girl. ‘It’s called karma.’

‘Whatever,’ Caprice said, shoving Millie on the shoulder. ‘It was a stupid race, anyway.’

‘Stop it!’ Michaela ordered. ‘You were lucky that Alice-Miranda saw you, Caprice. You would have frozen up there overnight, and your parents must be worried sick – although, if I were them, I’d be glad for a night off.’

Caprice’s mouth opened, then closed again.

‘Now, stop your nastiness, or I’ll hand you over to the ski patrol and they can look after you until the morning,’ Michaela said.

‘She’s fantastic,’ Millie whispered to the others. ‘Do you think she’d be open to teaching at our school?’

Nina grinned. ‘I’m sure Caprice is not the first spoilt brat Michaela has had to deal with up there.’