The train wound its way into Zermatt. It emptied slowly as women juggled costumes they were not used to and instruments were carefully manipulated around sharp corners. Tommy retrieved their luggage. They walked outside the station to find his mother waiting. "Tommy! Barbara! How wonderful to see you both."

"Mother," he replied evenly with no great enthusiasm but at least without the bitterness that had blighted their relationship for so long.

"Good afternoon Lady Asherton," Barbara said politely.

"Dorothy or Daze," she replied, "I simply refuse to answer to Lady Asherton." She did not add that it was awkward to think of herself again that way since Helen's death. She was waiting patiently to pass the title to Tommy's next wife and again be the dowager. "Not Dot though, it makes me sound too insignificant."

Barbara laughed but Tommy simply glared at her. Daze sensed the tension and sighed. One day her son might truly forgive her. He would come to understand that love is not as clear cut as he might like to think. She had still loved his father but she had needed something more that he could no longer give. It may have been selfish and it had cost her the love and respect of her son but even now, knowing that, she would probably take up with Trenarrow again.

Dorothy knew it was possible to love two men at once, in different ways, for different reasons. She just wished Tommy could see his hypocrisy. It had been clear to everyone, including Helen, that Tommy needed Barbara. He loved her in some unfathomable way that Dorothy had hoped would not create tension in his marriage. She knew her son would never have acknowledged it and most certainly never broken his vows, at least not in a physical sense, but it was obvious to everyone but them how they balanced and steadied each other. She had watched with some sadness on his engagement weekend how he and Helen had drifted apart since he had met Barbara. Helen could not meet his emotional needs in the way Barbara seemed to effortlessly do. Dorothy had no idea why such a mismatch of backgrounds and experiences worked but it did. At the time she knew he and Helen were marrying to try to keep something they once shared alive but it had returned Tommy to her and she had believed they would make it work. She needed her son back And had been prepared to trade off his happiness for it. Pursuing Barbara she had feared would only drag him further away.

She had often wondered if she should have stepped in; if she should have made him understand. When she had spoken with Helen by the boat she had sensed resignation and isolation in his bride-to-be. She was clearly not in love with Tommy in the way he needed her to be. Helen had known it, she had known it, but neither could contemplate the alternative. Helen was of his class. Their match was acceptable and their children would have a secure future. But it was never going to satisfy either of them; not fully. Helen needed all of Tommy yet Tommy had needed Barbara, he just did not understand why and could not let her go.

In recent months Tommy had spoken about Barbara so often that his mother had begun to hope that their love had finally broadened into something physical; something tangible that they could understand. She had tested him this weekend by pounding him with suggestions for escorts. She had wanted him to tell her the truth. She was quite prepared to be flexible about the bedroom arrangements but had assigned separate rooms in case they preferred discretion. Seeing them together now, both wound as tightly as a Swiss watch spring, she knew they would need separate rooms. They had certainly not admitted how they felt to each other and she feared Tommy may not have admitted it to himself. She sighed and hoped that the scenery and wedding might fire the right neural pathways.

The house came with an electric golf buggy which Tommy skillfully drove under his mother's vague directions. Barbara had expected a small house like the fascinating chocolate-brown chalets that filled the town. As they got further away from the main street the houses had become more modern and architecturally adventurous but this one defied belief. As Tommy had predicted it was full of sparkling glass and steel to support windows that seemed to literally reach out to the view. The entrance level was built of stacked river stones that gave the building a solidity that the floating glass did not. It was spectacular and Barbara was impressed. "Wow, it's, it's..."

"Beautiful," Tommy said to finish her sentence. He and Barbara laughed heartily as Daze looked on, understanding it must be a private joke. When they laughed together she could see that they shared an understanding that many couples never achieve. They made a good couple. Class and breeding mattered little if you were happy and Daze wanted her son to be happy. She decided instantly on a new mission this weekend - to give nature a nudge.

The four levels of the house spilled down the hill and looked down across the remnants of streaky green meadows to the Matterhorn. The snowy peaks and puffy clouds that stood out from the deep blue sky were reflected in the massive glass wall of the second level. The Matterhorn was imposing and dominated the landscape but the tan hued wood that gave the chalet form seemed to rise up to challenge it with its sharp triangular windows and wrap-around balconies. Barbara had never seen anything like it and she felt small standing watching the house and the mountain duel for attention.

"I think this setting is perfect for the wedding," Tommy declared.

"Personally I think the whole thing is a disaster. This house is so modern and the town is full of drunken musicians and Swiss hippies," she retorted.

"Swiss hippies?" Tommy rolled his eyes and Barbara clamped her lips together in an effort not to smile.

"It will be exciting...Daze," Barbara said tentatively hoping not to offend her host.

"I don't know why they couldn't be married in a church somewhere instead of on a mountain. Judith probably has a goat lined up to be bridesmaid!" She turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs leaving Tommy and Barbara standing at the entrance. Barbara started to chuckle and Tommy snickered. The more they tried to be quiet the louder they laughed. Tommy liked to watch her eyes as she laughed. He pondered if they would shine like that when he made love to her.

His mother's voice calling them prevented his mind wondering further. He retrieved the bags and balanced them on his hips and followed his mother inside. Barbara helped and whispered, "your mother hates it but I think something like this would be wonderful on that hill above Howenstowe where you could watch the moods of the sea and the cliffs."

The moods of the sea! Tommy frowned at Barbara's unusually poetic language. He had more contemporary taste than his mother but he was dubious about the imposition of such a structure on the green hills of his ancestral lands. One step inside the open planned living area changed his mind. Oak beams supported a timber-lined roof that instantly evoked memories of cold nights and warm fires. On the Matterhorn side of the room the timbers of the roof stopped abruptly where glass had been used to show the full height of the mountain. Heavy pine pillars framed the sweeping view through enormous windows. At its centre were three pieces of glass that butted together into a pyramidic structure that floated out from the house. The mountains, speckled with wildflowers, sloped down on all sides to draw his eyes onto the heart of the town where the centuries old black larch barns that had been converted into houses stood as a proud echo of the past dotted amongst the lighter spruce and glass of the tourist zone. In any season it would be a fascinating and ever changing view. Barbara had been right, this would complement Cornwall's moods to perfection.

Barbara was also staring at the house and the view. An enormous cream leather lounge that would easily seat fifteen people was arranged in a u-shape and dominated the room. Large, brightly coloured, shaggy rugs broke up the mass of the timber floor. Behind the steel and leather chairs the dining area's large glass table was supported by a single central column that had a large pit in the centre. She wandered over to inspect it just as Judith and William came into the room.

Tommy introduced William to Barbara then everyone exchanged pleasantries and talked about the trip over, the wedding plans and the scenery.

"Did Peter change his mind?" Tommy asked his sister.

"No, not with the baby due so soon. It's a long way from the States if anything goes wrong with Edwena. He's happy Tommy. You really should try to visit him," his mother said trying not to sound as if she was lecturing him.

"Well I'm pleased he is making a go of it."

Barbara was trying not to listen to family intimacies and wandered over to the table that fascinated her. "It's a fire," Judith said noticing Barbar's interest. She pressed a switch on the wall and a roaring flame shot from the table then settled into a warming, flickering glow. "There's a bigger version on the main balcony. It's quite romantic."

Barbara glanced at Tommy then felt her face begin to colour so she stepped away and gazed out the window. He had been watching her and their eyes had met when Judith had spoken of romance. He had smiled softly and Barbara thought she would melt on the spot. His eyes were always her undoing.

"We definitely need a new word," Tommy said as he came up and stood just behind her. He was tempted to put his arm around her shoulder in a brief hug but with his family watching he knew it would embarrass her.

"Hmm. Glorious, magnificent, wonderous. They all work but don't capture it." Barbara could sense his body close to her back and she wanted to just lean into it. His eyes had shown just the barest glimmer of interest but she feared it was the scenery and the wedding talk that was affecting her reason. Tommy was her friend. He was not going to be her lover.

They stood together silently while Daze fussed around Judith then came over and directed them to their rooms. Barbara was on the top level away from the other bedrooms, something that Daze apologised for but which suited Barbara admirably. She found the room and entered with no expectations. She gazed around at the room unsure where to look first.

As they left the room Judith and her mother exchanged knowing looks. "You didn't put them on the same floor?" Judith asked impishly.

"No, I think the room Barbara is in might be more effective shall we say."

"Mother, you're incorrigible."

"I don't understand," William said innocently, "why separate rooms?"

"Barbara is Tommy's work partner not his lover," Judith answered.

"Oh! Really? Are you sure? I saw the look they exchanged when you mentioned the fire." The women looked at each other. It was not their imagination.

"Everybody can see it but the," Daze said cheerfully, "we need to change that."

Tommy's room was a level below where Barbara was to sleep, in a section that jutted out from the main building. Thick sheepskin rugs were scattered across the floor of the room. The large bed was against a stacked stone floating wall which separated sleeping and bathing areas. The bed faced a large but modest window with a pleasing vista beyond. There was a large television in the corner but Tommy preferred the windows on the side wall that angled parallel with the steep roofline and framed the caps of Klein Matterhorn. He could not help but wonder what Barbara's room was like. He wanted to lie here tonight imagining her there so he dropped his bag, not bothering to unpack, and hurried up the stairs.

The soft knock at the door was almost missed by Barbara who was still staring at her room in disbelief. She opened it and let Tommy in. His amazed face echoed hers. "I think this is wonderful," he said gazing up at the mountain through the peaked, steel framed glass panels that formed her ceiling. His imagination ran wild. One wall was just glass and overlooked the valley. In front of it was a large, double, gleaming white bathtub and an open fire pit. The huge bed was in the centre of the room on a raised timber dais that was illuminated from beneath with a soft yellow glow. It was dressed with crisp white sheets and a large brown fur rug that gave the room added sensuality. A tingle ran across his ribs. All Tommy could think about was making love to Barbara here under a starry sky; in the bath, on the bed, on the rug, on the floor. He could almost see her sitting in the tub with the fire's glow highlighting the copper in her hair. In her hand she was holding a flute of champagne beckoning him to join her. He could almost feel the silkiness of her naked shoulders which were a tantalizing hint of what lay below the top of the bath. He would kiss her neck and her throat then slowly kiss every inch of her.

"Earth to Your Lorship!"

"Sorry I was carried away by the view."

"I know. I can't stop staring at it all. I think my bath tonight will be very pleasant." Barbara would enjoy it a lot more if Tommy could join her but knowing he would be in the house added a wickedness to her own fantasy.

They were alone at last and Tommy knew that if he wanted to he could test her feelings for him. He could ask her, which would be simplest but probably mortifyingly embarrassing for both of them, or he could take her in his arms and kiss her. Tenderly or lustfully? He felt love and desire but how could he balance it? In this mood lust would definitely triumph and yet he wanted their first kiss to be nothing but love. As he silently debated Barbara moved to the window. Tommy followed her and knowing he was not going to act he put his arm around her shoulder. It was an old, familiar gesture that reminded them both of their friendship.

Barbara sighed contentedly. She lent into Tommy as much as she dared. "I'm glad you invited me Your Lordship."

"I'm glad you came."

"William seems nice and Judith seems happy."

"Yes she does. She deserves to find love again." Tommy dropped his arm away thinking it had been there too long. "Come on. We should have something to eat."