It was over. The crowd began to disperse, some to browse the wares on the BCF stall and chat to Sarah or Melina. Garrick, Eleanor, Tubb and Janice smiled and said their hellos. ‘I hope you don’t mind us just dropping by for such a short time,’ Isaac heard Garrick say, a knitted hat low on his forehead. ‘We’re on our way out for a meal.’

Isaac saw a shadow pass over Lily’s face as she watched her brothers leave to spend the evening together. Warwick and Eddie stowed their instruments and the PA in the back of the stall and the Middletones divested themselves of their black overshirts.

Kirstin took Lily aside. ‘You are invited to the village’s advent brunch on Saturday, I think? Would you think about singing there too? It would just be a couple of carols. It’s not a commercial opportunity for us but Los is keen on community events.’

‘I’m sure we would,’ Lily agreed. ‘It’ll be an experience.’

The others were evidently focused on more immediate experiences. Warwick gazed lustfully at the nearby bratwurst stall. ‘I’m freakin’ starving. I’m going to get me one of those awesome big sausages.’ Eddie, Alfie, Emily and Charlotte fell in with the awesome big sausage idea and Franciszka and Neil drifted off in another direction. Isaac hung on, beginning to feel the bite of snow in the air despite his heavily insulated outdoors clothes and, finally, Lily and Carola ended their conversation with Kirstin and joined him.

Lily’s face was wreathed in smiles and even Carola seemed to have put her misery about Owen aside to beam right along with her. ‘That went well,’ Carola said.

Lily put her good arm around the older woman’s shoulders. ‘Well? It went brilliantly! We were the dog’s bollocks!’ She turned to Isaac. ‘Did we sound OK?’

‘Fantastic.’ He didn’t have to augment reality at all. ‘Everyone loved it, tapping toes and nodding their heads. One elderly couple even smooched.’

They spent the next hour sampling the delights of the market, buying thick, delicious-looking chocolate, admiring glass ornaments and wooden carvings, consuming bratwurst and beer at wooden tables and benches where they found the teenagers already eating. Waffles smothered in black cherries followed. ‘That was gorgeous,’ Carola said, smacking her lips. ‘But I’d love a cup of tea.’

Although they laughed at her Englishness Isaac fetched three cups from a kiosk that was smothered in gold tinsel, silver baubles and white fir cones. The snow had slowed to the occasional flake but the air was so cold it squeezed their lungs.

Sorting out his Swiss francs ready to pay, Isaac looked back at where Lily was leaning over the table talking earnestly to Carola and thought what a great time he was having with the Middletones in Switzerland.

But man how he was itching to get Lily on her own.