âI didnât say anything.â
âYes, you did.â Millie nudged the boy.
Lucas blushed and pressed his finger to his lips.
Millie nodded. âDonât worry, your secretâs safe with me, sappy pants.â
Alice-Miranda was still wiping the snow out of her goggles when a ski instructor in his instantly recognisable red parka whizzed past. âSnowplough, snowplough,â he called to the two children following him.
âHey, thatâs Sep!â Lucas said, sitting up.
âAnd Sloane. Look how well theyâre doing.â Alice-Miranda picked up her poles. âCome on, letâs join them.â
The threesome traversed the slope back and forth until Sloane and Sep stopped beside their instructor. Alice-Miranda sped towards them.
âHi there,â she said with a wave.
âOh, hi,â Sloane said. Her grin couldnât have been any wider.
âDid you see us?â Sep said, beaming. âWe rode the chairlift up and neither of us has crashed at all.â
Hugh had a quick word with their instructor, whose name was Gunter. An older man, his tanned face was lined from years of winter sun.
âThese two are very impressive,â he said, nodding at the Sykes children. âIf they continue with their lessons, IÂ think they might even be able to conquer one of the black trails before they leave.â
Sepâs eyes widened. âDid you guys hear that?â he gasped. âA black run at St Moritz â awesome!â
âAlice-Miranda, werenât you keen to have some lessons too?â Hugh asked.
The girl nodded. âCould we all go together? IÂ donât think weâre that much better than Sloane and Sep and then we can help each other.â
Gunter nodded. âI donât mind and these two wonât hold you back. IÂ think Sloane is a lot better and braver than she gives herself credit for, and Sep is already a star.â
Sloane and Sep were positively glowing.
âWhy donât you all have a run now so Gunter can let us know if that would work?â Hugh suggested.
âCome on, kids. Show me what youâre made of,â Gunter called, whizzing off down the mountain. He stopped to watch the children as they followed in his tracks. He then led them to a series of little jumps.
âYou can do it, Sloane,â Millie called to the girl, who was the last to come down the course.
âHere goes nothing,â Sloane yelled as she let rip. She hit the jump and leaned forward the way Gunter had taught them. For a few seconds Sloane felt as if she were flying.
âWow, sheâs awesome,â Lucas said.
The kids held their breath as Sloane sailed through the air. She nailed the landing but soon began to wobble. She was balancing on her left ski, then on her right, unable to get them both on the ground at the same time.
âLook out!â she cried, before collecting the back of Millieâs skis and sending the line of children toppling like dominoes. Gunter managed to leap out of the way just in time. The children were all in fits of giggles and completely covered in snow.
âIs everyone all right?â Gunter called, skating over to them.
âGood one, Sloane,â Sep said, giving his sister a push.
âI didnât mean it. Iâm sorry,â she said, dusting herself off and getting back up onto her feet.
âThat was nothing,â Gunter reassured her. âAre you hurt?â
Sloane shook her head.
âAre you scared?â he asked.
Sloane shook her head again.
âDo you want to show that jump what youâre made of?â
Sloane nodded.
âOkay, kids, letâs ski down and do it all over again.â Gunter pointed his stock towards the chairlift.
The children took off after him, shrieking as they raced each other to the bottom of the slope.
Delphine Doerflinger sat in the lounge sipping her tea. From her vantage point in a high wingback chair, she could
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