After a few fruitless minutes searching the overgrown front garden for another one, or any other place where a key could be hidden, we walked around to the back to find that this side of the building didn’t even have a door.

‘I’ll call the rental company back.’ Henry hung up a few seconds later. ‘The office is closed until the twenty-eighth. Not to worry though, because in case of emergency we can contact the owner via the number in the information folder conveniently located inside the property.’

‘We could try next door?’ I nodded towards the other building, where an enticing yellowy glow now beckoned us over from a downstairs window.

Henry wasn’t happy. ‘We can’t go knocking on some random person’s door on Christmas Eve.’

I gave him a sideways look. ‘Surely that’s the best day to do it? It’s the season of goodwill.’

‘Alternatively, those windows look flimsy enough to jimmy open.’

‘Not happening.’ I started walking over to the other house. ‘Not unless we need to, anyway. We’re paying enough for this dump without adding on the cost of a broken window.’

It took three drawn-out knocks on the door before it finally opened. I would have gone for the breaking and entering option after knock two failed to get a response, except that would mean losing face in front of Henry.

‘’Yes?’ A deep-set eye peered out at me through a tiny crack in the door.

‘Hi!’ I gave a little wave. ‘We’ve rented out the cottage next door but there’s no key in the safe as promised. I don’t suppose you have a spare one? Or the number of the owner?’

‘Yes.’ The face nodded.

‘Um… which one?’

‘Both. I took the key to clean the house.’ The door opened an inch wider, revealing part of a wrinkled cheek and a hooked nose. ‘No renters this week, so I did not put the key back.’

‘Right, that makes sense.’ I kept smiling. ‘We have an email from Dream Cottages to say that we’ve made a last-minute booking. Here.’ I opened up my phone to show her the screen.

‘The cottage has not been cleaned.’

‘That’s okay, we’re stranded because of the weather so just need somewhere dry and warm.’

‘You will wait here while I clean.’

‘No, honestly, it’s Christmas Eve, you really don’t have to do that…’

The door flung wide open to reveal what at first appeared to be one of the roundest women I’d ever seen. It was only when she stiffly stepped back to let us past that I realised most of the roundness was in fact several layers of thick clothing.

‘You wait here,’ she barked, fiercely enough that I was inside before I could think about where this might end. ‘You, tall man. Come inside.’