Giselle von Zwicky kissed Alice-Miranda’s cheeks and gave the child a hug. ‘Thank you for raising your concerns about Valerie,’ she whispered before drawing back. When Cecelia had said goodnight to the children, Alice-Miranda had quietly told her what Nina had said about seeing Delphine Doerflinger at Valerie’s apartment and her own suspicions about the timing of the woman’s employment. ‘Your mother and I telephoned some of our past guests last night. Everything Valerie had written down about their reasons for not staying this year turned out to be true, but I will ask her when she comes in this morning about her aunt.’ Giselle shrugged. ‘She is a very private person, so who knows? Families can be complicated.’

Alice-Miranda smiled up at the woman. She wanted to believe it but she still had her doubts, and that niggling feeling simply refused to go away. ‘Will you and Uncle Florian come and visit us when you’ve sold the hotel?’ she asked.

The Baroness nodded. ‘We would love to, my darling.’

‘Nina!’ Sebastien Ebersold called from the other side of the street.

‘Papa!’ the child called back as the man hurried across the snow-covered roadway to join them.

‘You look tired, Herr Ebersold,’ Alice-Miranda remarked.

‘I worked around the clock,’ he said. ‘We had problems with the funicular, but fingers crossed all will be well today.’

Nina glanced over at their house. ‘I hope Opa is okay. I had a sleepover with Alice-Miranda.’

Sebastien’s brow furrowed. ‘Your grandfather has been on his own all night?’

Nina nodded. ‘But Frau Gisler made soup and he was having that for his supper. He is so much better, Papa. Yesterday he worked in the museum all day.’

Sebastien’s face softened. ‘That is good news indeed, but we should get home and make sure that he is all right.’

Nina and Alice-Miranda hugged tightly. ‘It has been so good to see you,’ Nina said, grinning.

Alice-Miranda smiled and squeezed her friend’s hand. ‘I’ll write to you when I get back to school.’

Marius packed the last of the bags into the trailer and climbed into the driver’s seat. ‘We must get going,’ he said tersely.

The group of family and friends finished their goodbyes and piled inside. With a flick of the reins, the carriage moved off. Alice-Miranda leaned out of the window, waving to the Baron and Baroness until they turned the corner. Seeing them standing there in front of that beautiful building, she simply couldn’t imagine them anywhere else.

While the rest of the group boarded the train, Alice-Miranda and her mother dashed off to the nearby convenience store to buy some snacks for the journey.

‘I’m glad that I was wrong about Valerie,’ Alice-Miranda said, as the pair walked down the platform with their shopping bags, ‘but I still don’t understand why she would deny the fact that Delphine Doerflinger is her aunt.’

Cecelia sighed. ‘People have their reasons and it’s not for us to interfere.’

Just as they were about to step onto the train, someone called out Alice-Miranda’s name. They both turned to see Nina running towards them. Alice-Miranda frowned, wondering what she had forgotten.

Nina reached the pair, puffing. Her face was red and she could barely get the words out.

‘What’s the matter?’ Alice-Miranda asked, putting down the grocery bags and clasping her friend’s hands.

‘Opa,’ the girl sputtered, struggling to catch her breath. ‘Opa is missing.’

Alice-Miranda’s stomach twisted. ‘Perhaps he’s gone for a walk,’ she suggested, trying to comfort her friend.

Tears welled in Nina’s eyes. ‘It’s my fault. I should have stayed with him last night,’ she sobbed.

‘It’s not your fault, Nina,’ Alice-Miranda said, shaking her head.

Cecelia hurried onto the train to deposit the bags and speak with Hugh, who emerged onto the platform just a minute later.

‘Nina, has your father called the authorities?’ Hugh asked gently.

The girl nodded, sniffling.

‘So the ski patrol and the police will be out looking for him,’ the man said.

Nina nodded again just as the whistle for the train blew.

‘Mummy, what can we do?’ Alice-Miranda asked. She felt completely helpless leaving her friend at a moment like this.

‘You must go,’ Nina said, her voice wobbling. ‘I shouldn’t have worried you. I just hoped that maybe he was somewhere in the village and then I saw you on the platform.’

‘Of course you should have told us,’ Alice-Miranda said.

‘I’ll telephone the Baron,’ Hugh said. ‘I’ll ask if he can help to organise the search.’

Nina wiped away her tears. ‘I thought Opa was getting better.’

Alice-Miranda’s eyes widened. ‘Could he be downstairs?’ she asked.

Her friend shook her head. ‘The door was locked when I checked and Opa has the only key.’

‘All aboard!’ the train conductor called, then blew his whistle again.

‘You’ll find him,’ Alice-Miranda said. The girls embraced one last time. ‘I’ll call you when we arrive in St Moritz.’

Cecelia bent down and gave Nina a hug. ‘Be brave, darling.’

Nina nodded and stepped back. As the last few passengers clambered on board, she turned and fled down the platform. Nobody saw the man racing for the engine at the end of the train. He leapt onto the step and hurled himself through the door as the train pulled out of the station.