‘Then let’s not highlight it by continually apologising,’ he suggested gently. ‘We’re both managers. Let’s deal with what we have, pragmatically and with as much good humour as we can.’

She managed a wavering smile. ‘You’re a wonderful man. See you in the morning.’ And, as silently as she’d arrived, she glided from the room.

Isaac spent the next couple of hours searching the internet for information on breast cancer and breast reconstruction. Holy shit. And people went through this all the time.

Chapter Nineteen

The fun seemed to have drained from the Swiss trip. After taking Doggo on a morning walk through the fresh, crisp fall of snow covering the grass of the local park Lily met Carola at Max’s to reorganise things in the light of Isaac’s absence. At least concentrating on the logistics stopped her thinking about Isaac and wondering what was happening back at Hayley’s place.

Max offered to drive the equipment to the advent brunch this morning and on to the Christmas market so Lily could put off driving the minibus until she absolutely had to. Lily thanked him and said, ‘Lucky this is our last day of singing. We can all relax on Sunday, apart from packing to leave on Monday.’ She’d slept badly last night but she would have had a chance to get back on an even keel by then.

Tubb rubbed his hand over his thinning hair. ‘Driving back to the UK is going to be a terrific burden for you. Maybe I ought to do it. I can fly back here.’

‘I can’t let you do that,’ she protested, thinking about his dodgy heart. ‘My hand’s much better now. I’ll rest it as much as I can today and Sunday. The rate it’s been healing, I’ll be good to drive back, especially as so much of the first day is motorway where there will be hardly any gear changes. I’ll be fine just to steer.’

‘Let’s see how you are on Monday morning. We can sort out insurance for me then, if necessary,’ he prevaricated, still looking dubious.

Lily wondered how the insurance company would react to a driver in his current state of health but suppressed the urge to mention it. She had no intention of letting Tubb drive.

Normally, she would have loved the advent musical brunch in a pretty shuttered hotel in town. Children played before an impressive Christmas tree festooned with silver ornaments, families listening and applauding, and the Middletones were introduced by the bearded master of ceremonies as ‘visitors to our small town and friends of our British friend, Max Gasly, who have kindly brought their little choir to Switzerland’.

They sang. The audience joined in with ‘Silent Night’. They chatted with the friendly local people and ate the gorgeous four-course meal.