A hesitation, then his voice softened. ‘Lily, tell me if I’m out of order, but how about you do that? Janice has been talking to Carola and we know your mums and your sister aren’t around this Christmas. When we last saw each other it ended badly but we’d like to make it up to you.’

‘Erm,’ she said again, rocked at the idea of doing something so crazy at no notice. ‘But I’m supposed to make the desserts for the pub lunch on Christmas Day. And I’d never get flights or get my car booked on Eurotunnel or a ferry. Would I? I’ve never tried to travel at Christmas,’ she finished doubtfully.

‘Surely someone else can do the desserts?’ Garrick sounded impatient and all-business. ‘If I’m able to get you booked? My assistant’s a whizz at that kind of thing.’

‘Oh … well …’ Lily thought about it. What she’d be missing was Christmas morning in the pub kitchen with Isaac – so near and yet so far once again – and lunch with whichever villagers had booked. Then she’d spend the rest of Christmas alone apart from working at the pub on the evening of Boxing Day. ‘Yes,’ she said recklessly. ‘If you can do it, then do it.’ With a feeling of unreality, she gave him her passport details.

In twenty minutes he called back to tell her she was booked on the 18.50 out of Birmingham airport tomorrow, Christmas Eve, and that he or Tubb would meet her at the airport. ‘We’ll have the key to Los’s annexe but Harry and Janice say why not stay with them? They can easily put Dugal and Keir into one bedroom and you can have the other. They’d love you to share their Christmas and Los will have his own plans.’

‘Really? If they’re sure it won’t be too much trouble,’ Lily said, feeling pleased to be wanted as a houseguest. Tubb was family.

‘We Brits will stick to exchanging our gifts on Christmas Day rather than join the Swiss doing it on the evening of Heiligabend, which is Christmas Eve. On Boxing Day – St Stephen’s Day here – Los and Tanja have invited us all for fondue. Then you’ll have your meeting with Los and other key staff on the 27th, Friday. If that goes well, the day in the office and meeting with HR will come on Monday the 30th. Then we can book you on a return flight whenever you want but you’re welcome to stay longer. You might want to go hunting for somewhere to live,’ he added tantalisingly.