Caprice sat down on the foldaway bed and frowned. ‘This bed is horrible,’ she complained.

‘Feel free to go and sleep in another room,’ Millie said. ‘There are plenty of spares.’

Caprice poked out her tongue and stayed put. The girl would never admit it, but she hated the idea of being on her own in unfamiliar surroundings.

‘You can have my bed if you want,’ Alice-Miranda offered, drawing the curtains.

‘No, she can’t,’ Millie said, outraged by such a proposal. ‘She shouldn’t even be here.’

Caprice glared at the girl.

Millie ignored her and hopped under the covers. ‘You still haven’t told us why you were so mad with your mother.’

‘Who said I was mad with my mother?’ Caprice snapped.

‘Well, you didn’t want to talk to her on the phone and something must have caused your massive tantrum up there,’ Millie said.

‘You won’t care, so why should I tell you?’ Caprice muttered, throwing her full weight back onto the bed.

Alice-Miranda propped herself up on her pillows. ‘Be fair, Caprice. Millie is one of the most caring people I know.’

‘Weren’t you supposed to be at home helping your mother film Sweet Things?’ Millie said, referring to Venetia Baldini’s cooking show.

‘The filming went faster than Mummy thought, so Daddy decided we’d go skiing for a week,’ Caprice said. ‘Not that I have to explain myself to either of you.’

Millie folded her hands behind her head and gazed up at the beautifully carved ceiling. ‘So, you get to come to Italy and Switzerland on a surprise skiing holiday and you’re still in a foul mood?’ she asked, incredulous. ‘I guess there’s no pleasing some people.

Caprice balled her fists in frustration. ‘Stop talking!’ she ordered.

‘You can’t tell me what to do in my own room,’ Millie retorted.

‘Please don’t argue,’ Alice-Miranda said, trying to keep the peace. ‘Caprice, are your brothers here too?’

The girl rolled over to face the wall. ‘Yes, and I hate them all.’

‘What on earth did they do?’ Millie asked. She was beginning to wonder if there was anyone in the world the girl actually liked.

‘They said the director thought I was hopeless,’ Caprice said, her voice reduced to a whisper.

‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ Alice-Miranda reassured her.

Millie grinned. ‘Is it?’

Alice-Miranda looked over and mouthed for Millie to stop her teasing.

‘Apparently it is,’ Caprice sniffed.

‘But you’re the best actress I’ve ever seen,’ Millie said, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing.

‘That’s just the point,’ Caprice insisted, her voice wavering. ‘The director said I was overplaying my role. They’ve cut me from the entire episode and Mummy will have to go back early to reshoot some sections.’

‘Is that why you had a fight with her?’ Alice-Miranda asked.

‘She told me we had to go home tomorrow and I said that I didn’t want to. Daddy and the boys are staying, so why should I have to go?’ Caprice whimpered, pulling the duvet up over her head.

‘I’m sure your parents will only do what they think is best,’ Alice-Miranda said.

Millie yawned. ‘I’m exhausted. Goodnight.’

‘Goodnight,’ Alice-Miranda replied, switching off the light.

‘I’m not talking anymore,’ Caprice said, her voice muffled by the covers.

‘You just did,’ Millie said.

Caprice huffed loudly. ‘Well, I won’t do it again.’

Millie and Alice-Miranda giggled softly, and not five minutes later all three girls were fast asleep.