Christmas in the Snow (53 page)

‘They’ve been here with us all along!’ Isobel half laughed, half shrieked. ‘And poor Granny never even knew, I bet. If the clock made Mum cry, she wouldn’t have put
it up. She probably just boxed it away and forgot all about it.’ Allegra blinked down at the papers in disbelief. It was the proof they had needed. It wouldn’t get the farm back –
that was long gone now. The world had changed and Zermatt with it, but Lars would lose everything and Timo could finally know some peace. Valentina’s death had changed her family’s
identity, trajectory and destiny, but she had been loved then and she was loved now. Families endure, and theirs hadn’t ended with that sheared slab of snow.

‘I guess this puts quite a bit of pressure on my present now, then, huh?’ Sam said in her ear.

He opened the envelope, pulling out a large copper-brown horse chestnut leaf. He twirled it by the stalk between his fingers. ‘Oh. Ummm . . .’ He grinned.

‘It’s a day of luck,’ Allegra laughed, falling into him and resting her cheek against his shoulder. She thought she could just stay there forever. ‘Iz is big on that.
It’s not her fault; it’s a genetic thing. She gets it from our grandfather.’ She looked down at the leaf. ‘It’s a real shame I only got those deeds,’ she sighed.
‘We could have been lucky together.’

He chuckled, his fingers tilting her face up to his, so that she was looking into his eyes. ‘Oh, baby,’ he grinned. ‘We already are.’

I decided to set this book in Zermatt following a happy family ski trip there last year. The mighty Matterhorn really is something to behold and rightly attracts visitors from
around the world. As I began to research the area in greater detail, I discovered the tragedy of the January 1951 storms and became fascinated by how much the town had changed within two
generations, developing from a rustic farming community to one of the ritziest resorts in the chic international ski scene. Much of what you’ve just read is true and accurate – the
world-class slope-side restaurants such as Zum See, Findlerhof and Chez Vrony (to name a few) are worth the ski pass alone, and the Broken Bar is the regulars’ favourite nightspot. But I
have, of course, made full use of my artistic licence, and although the SLF and avalanche zoning maps are real, Zermatt is not and never has been – to my knowledge – classified as a red
zone. I’m paid to make things up and so I do. With abandon.

I owe a huge debt of thanks to my great friends the Becks – Johny, Carina, Coco, Codi and Dita – who practically live there through the winter months and have given me the
insider’s guide to that beautiful town. I adore the lot of you.

To my editor, Caroline Hogg, your steer on this book has been invaluable. Thank you so much for your patience and calm as I struggled, suitably enough, with a ski injury that knocked me off
schedule – although I hope you’ll agree it at least brought a commanding authenticity to Isobel’s corresponding scenes!

To my agent, Amanda Preston, thank you for reading between the lines of my ‘trying to be brave’ tweets and taking charge on this book. You’re always several steps ahead of me
in this crazy, mad, fun business and I know how very lucky I am to have you in my corner.

Finally, to my family, you’re not the reason I write; you’re the reason I breathe. I couldn’t love you more.

About the Author

Karen Swan was previously a fashion editor and lives in East Sussex with her husband and three children.

Visit Karen’s website at www.karenswan.com or you can find Karen Swan’s author page on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KarenSwan1

Also by Karen Swan

Players

Prima Donna

Christmas at Tiffany’s

The Perfect Present

Christmas at Claridge’s

The Summer Without You

First published 2014 by Pan Books

This electronic edition published 2014 by Pan Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
Pan Macmillan, 20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Basingstoke and Oxford
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com

ISBN 978-1-4472-5106-4

Copyright © Karen Swan, 2014

Cover images: Trees & mountain range ©
SuperStock/Corbis, Mountain peak & Village
© Emilie Chaix/Photononstop/Corbis, Female
figure © Ayal Ardon / Trevillion Images

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