As I head up the stairs to find Ria, I hear Millie ask Simon: ‘So shall I tell Cameron the man’s brother can stay here? I’ll need to let him know as soon as possible – it’s only fair. It’s going to be almost impossible for him to find something else at short notice with the resort chock-a-block the way it is.’

‘It’s fine,’ Simon says. ‘We’re more than happy to help. Ria’ll get over it.’

I’m a bit annoyed about Simon speaking for all of us like that but, then again, I can hardly say anything to him. It would help if I understood why Ria is being so strange about it all.

I open our bedroom door, expecting to find Ria lying on the bed, but she bursts past me, jacket and boots on.

‘Darling? Where are you going?’

‘I can’t stay here another second!’ she shrieks, eyes wild. I’ve never seen her like this before. ‘I’m going out!’

‘Ria, no! Stay here. We can sort this out, I’ll talk to the others. You’ve seen what the weather’s like! You can’t go out in this snow! It’s not safe.’

She pushes past me. ‘I’m going. Please, Hugo, let me go. I’ll be fine.’

‘Let me come with you at least?’ I call after her, running into our room, kicking off my slippers and wondering where my salopettes are.

‘No!’ she shouts up at me. ‘I need some time to myself.’ She bolts down the stairs and I feel a gust of cold air as she wrenches the heavy chalet door open and I hear it bang closed behind her.

I go downstairs and find Cass sitting alone on the huge sofa.

The sofa gives a whoompf as I sit down next to her and say, ‘Mind if I join you?’ It’s quiet in the chalet now so I guess Inigo has finally gone to sleep.

Cass smiles gratefully. She pulls her jumper down over her hands, though the fire is roaring and it isn’t even remotely cold in here. ‘Of course I don’t mind,’ she says, ‘but please don’t feel you have to keep me company.’

Sitting close to her I see again how young she is and feel sorry for her. Why is she with an oaf like Simon?

‘How have you found the week?’ I ask. ‘This isn’t your first time skiing, is it?’

She pulls a face. ‘No, it’s not. I did a season as a chalet girl a few years back, but my employer kept us very busy and I didn’t get to ski much at all. So while I have skied, I’m no expert and didn’t fancy skiing too much in this weather.’ She pauses. ‘It’s all been a bit weird here, hasn’t it?’

I nod. ‘Yeah. There’s certainly been a lot going on.’