His words proved true. Trundling through a whitening landscape the minibus coped without missing a beat and the singing began again, this time their favourite: ‘Let it Snow’. Lily joined in. It was good to open up her throat with a jolly winter song and wash away any lingering bad feelings from talking to Zinnia. The white flakes danced and tumbled around them, magically creating fluffy blankets on fields and roofs.

When they approached border control Isaac followed wheel tracks that were black and wet in the thickening white powder into the tall-vehicle lane under a big curved canopy. Blue signs and cones directed them past manned booths but nobody stopped them and, along with all the other vehicles crossing, they accelerated away.

‘Is that it?’ called Alfie from the back. ‘Are we in Switzerland?’

‘That’s it,’ Lily confirmed on a surge of excitement. ‘Schützenberg here we come!’ Everybody cheered, even Carola, who had been so down, and Isaac, who was busy picking up the main road again, following signs for Zürich.

Though she’d taken more painkillers with lunch, Lily no longer felt drowsy. This was what she’d been planning, working and rehearsing towards for months. She was going to see this wonderful country for the first time, see her designs translated into physical stands, sing, have fun.

Meet Garrick.

Her heart leapt into her mouth with the familiar mixture of apprehension and curiosity. She’d not only meet her other half-brother soon but his family, her sister-in-law and niece and nephew too. She’d waited so long for this that it was almost hard to believe it was finally happening. She’d seen pictures of Garrick, who looked a lot like a slightly younger version of Tubb. She knew that in contrast to Tubb putting down strong roots in Middledip, Garrick had spent much of his working life in marketing and PR in the States where Tubb had visited him for holidays.

And, of course, Garrick had no idea who Lily really was …

The landscape began to ripple into higher and snowier hills, the road passing through them in a series of tube-like tunnels with bright lights down the centre. In the urban areas Carola gazed at the landscape with an expression of surprise. ‘There’s such a lot of graffiti!’

‘Aw, don’t pick fault,’ pleaded Lily, reaching around to pat Carola’s arm with her good hand. ‘We’re going to have a wonderful time.’

Carola turned to regard her with a fixed smile. ‘Of course we are. Fabulous.’

The noise from the teenagers grew and grew as they gazed yearningly at the snow, a good three inches thick where it lay undisturbed now. Lily glanced at Isaac’s profile. ‘Maybe we ought to stop at a service station and let them have a play in the snow? They’ve been cooped up for a long time.’

Isaac nodded. ‘Fine by me. I’m just the chauffeur, ma’am.’