In the event, it proved easy. The market closed at eight. They collected their things from the BCF stall and found their way back to the car park. Isaac drove them up the hill, first to the Little Apartments, where most alighted. Eddie took his guitar but the rest of the equipment was left in the bus ready for the trip to the trade show tomorrow. Back at Los and Tanja’s home, Isaac parked the minibus and they followed the path, considerately already cleared, to the annexe.

‘Anyone mind if I flop down and watch DVDs? There’s season 7 of The Walking Dead here,’ Franciszka said as soon as she got inside, throwing off her coat, pulling the box set out from under the TV and grabbing the remote all in one movement.

Wondering whether she’d noticed the sparks between him and Lily and was helpfully keeping out of their way, Isaac said, ‘That’s fine, we’ll take Doggo for a walk and maybe get a drink.’ He had to raise his voice over Doggo’s excited basso profundo bark as he flew about like a spotted rocket, bouncing off Isaac’s stomach and whizzing around Lily. Upon seeing Isaac grab the lead he performed a last pirouette before standing stock still to have his harness fitted.

Lily’s eyes shone as she laughed. ‘What a head case you are, Doggo.’

They stepped back outside into the cold and dark, following the path back to the street and turning right down Toblerstrasse. Making sure he was on Lily’s right side, Isaac took her hand though it wasn’t satisfactory through two pairs of gloves. After an initial caper at the joy of being in the snow again, Doggo settled down to sniffing everything in his path.

‘I like the Switzerland Lily, always smiling,’ Isaac said, grinning down at her as they walked.

Her brows quirked. ‘Don’t I smile in England?’

‘Of course, but here it seems to be almost constant, as if you’re just having an amazing time.’ They passed beneath street lights and turned left down the hill into the town. Lights glittered like fireflies on every balcony, making the snow-coated roofs glow in the darkness. The headlights of vehicles glided up and down the hill and passing people were all garbed in the uniform of boots, coats, hats, scarves and gloves.

‘I am having an amazing time,’ she admitted. ‘It seems hard to believe it’s actually happening.’

‘I suppose it’s the “getting away from it all” thing as well.’ He clicked to Doggo to wait at the road before they crossed and continued downhill, the snow crunching at the edges of the path.

Her smile dimmed. ‘Getting away from the trouble in Family Number One, do you mean? That doesn’t stop me worrying about them.’ She sighed. ‘And I’m only pressing my nose against the glass of Family Number Two to watch them living their lives.’