‘Hmm. I’m not sure,’ Cameron says. ‘It’s rather short notice. Do we even have anything spare?’

‘It is short notice, but I imagine there’ll be something,’ Matt says. ‘I think Chalet Alpaca is free, but I’m heading back to the office in a minute, so I’ll double-check then. And it’s always good to keep on the right side of the tourist office, wouldn’t you say?’

Cameron sighs. ‘Yes, I guess so. OK then. We’ll do the right thing and help the poor fucker.’

‘So shall I suggest Chalet Alpaca, or is there somewhere else you think would be better? Though, like I say, I’d need to check what’s free,’ Matt says.

‘No, no, any of them will be fine, all my places are fantastic,’ Cameron says, pompously. ‘Whatever we’ve got that’s ready to go, offer him that. But make sure the press people let everyone know that I’m putting myself out for him. Otherwise there’s no point, OK?’

‘Yup, will do,’ Matt says, writing something down on his clipboard.

I wonder if Matt is simply writing ‘wanker’. I hope he is. That’s what I’d be doing.

Cameron looks out of the window. ‘That’s assuming the dead man’s brother is able to get through to the resort, of course. It’s still looking pretty bad out there. They might have to close the road.’

The whole day is dreadful.

I’m relieved to learn that pretty much all the lifts are closed, otherwise Simon would no doubt be trying to drag me out into the snow. Not that sitting around all day in the chalet is exactly fun, given the atmosphere. Ria is staying in her room and I don’t want to disturb her too much, the mood she’s in. Simon is sitting in the lounge, glumly staring out of the window and complaining about missing a day’s skiing. The baby is wailing intermittently, probably picking up on the gloomy atmosphere of the place. Millie checks we have everything we need before going out in an enormous coat to get the only other free chalet ready for the brother’s arrival.

I’m not sure how I feel about Cameron’s offer – is it clever PR? Is there any altruism in the gesture at all? Or is he simply, as I suspect and as it seemed from his conversation with Matt, a callous bastard, bending a tragic situation to his own advantage?

When I go upstairs later, Ria is either asleep or pretending to be. She’s been in our room almost all day. I sit on the edge of the bed and look at her. She’s so beautiful. With her eyes closed, breathing softly, she looks childlike. Would our daughter look like her? Then I feel a stab of anger, remembering what I found out. There’ll be no daughter while she’s taking the pill, will there?