After a long, steamy bath Barbara stood at the window defiantly naked. If anyone in the valley had binoculars sufficiently strong to identify her silhouette in front of the diffuse glow of the fire, good luck to them. Being transported from London and her humdrum existence in her small untidy flat to here made her feel special and detached from reality. For once she was Her Ladyship and for a few minutes was free to stand before the mountain and enjoy the raw power and sensuality of hiding nothing.

The warm brush of his lips on her cheek had awoken long suppressed emotional and physical desires. The weight of longing grew heavier and heavier and she placed her hands low where it burned. He had been about to kiss her on the bridge. He had waited behind the door. It excited her. She longed to feel his hard body pressed against hers. She ran her hands over her scar then up to cup her breasts. Age and gravity were just beginning to show and she regretted that Tommy, if at all, would not see her in her unblemished prime.

Her thoughts threatened to drive her mad. She sighed and dressed quickly in her decidedly unsexy pyjamas, now aware that she was being somewhat foolish. She grabbed her chocolates and spontaneously kissed the bag. It was a vague way of connecting to Tommy. Disgusted with her sentimentality she hopped into bed and flicked on the television. Nothing broadcast in English appealed so she turned it off and munched loudly on her chocolates. She was tired, perhaps too tired, and yet despite the smoothness of the sheets and the softness of the bed, she could not sleep.

Barbara found a white fluffy bathrobe in the wardrobe and wrapped it protectively around her. She crept courteously down to the living area and out onto the balcony. She leant on the balcony rail and to distract her from thoughts of Tommy tried to identify where she had been from just the lights and shadows.

"Couldn't sleep?" a deep voice asked.

Barbara jumped at the sound. "You scared me," she said spinning around to face him.

"Sorry." he said as he stepped from the shadows. "I didn't like being sent back to my room like a naughty schoolboy so I came out here."

Barbara laughed. "Why the separate rooms William?"

"We have to be seen to do the right thing dear," he said in a very good imitation of Dorothy. "She means well but it's not as if either of us are virgins. It's always about the family's good name not being sullied and yet between them they have all done a pretty fair job of trying to destroy it."

Barbara nodded in agreement. "How do you find the family?"

"Dysfunctional and old-fashioned but I wouldn't have it any other way."

She was surprised by his candour but it was refreshing. She had never been able to talk to anyone about the politics and issues of the Asherton dynasty. "Where did you meet?"

"In an airline lounge of all places. I went to get a beer and when I got back she had thrown out the paper that I left to mark my spot and was sitting in my chair."

"That sounds like a Lynley," Barbara said.

"When I challenged her Judith came over to see what was happening. I think she knows that her mother can seem prickly to people. I saw her and forgot all about the seat and my flight. It was only when they kept paging 'the last passenger Mr Darby' that I stopped staring. She captivated me straight away. I gave her my number and we met up again soon after. One thing led to another and by morning we were lovers."

"Oh." Barbara was shocked. Darby was a very frank man.

William laughed. "Tommy had the same reaction when I told him." At the mention of Tommy Barbara unconsciously looked around. "He's a bit protective of his big sister but he knows I'll look after her."

Barbara smiled at him. "They're close I think."

"Yes. She never believed he was guilty all those years ago."

"Of what?" she asked curiously.

"Killing her first husband. He was arrested for his murder it but his friend Simon cleared him."

Barbara gasped. "I never knew."

"You two don't talk much about things do you?" William knew Judith was very self-contained too. It had taken her a while to tell him her deepest fears and secrets. It seemed every Lynley was the same.

"No but I don't expect to."

"Why not?"

Barbara was irritated that he kept challenging her. "It's not my place."

"Are you sure? He'd be more relaxed and much happier if he had someone to confide in."

The statement hurt Barbara. She wanted to be there for Tommy. If he wanted to he could tell her anything. That he had chosen not to meant that he was not comfortable. She knew he held back and it stung. She wanted him to tell her everything but he was not able to and that, in a nutshell, was why they could never have a real relationship. She tried to rationalise it for William as she sniffed back the tear that was welling. "We're colleagues, friends of sorts but nothing more."

"Why not?"

"Stop asking me that," she snapped.

"You can't answer because there's no logical reason. You two are setting world records for sexual tension and neither of you are brave enough to do anything about it."

She was so mortified she could not speak. "I..I, I...I don't think I do."

"You both do," William said bluntly.

"I don't fit in the family. I'm not their stock," she said in a separate attempt to justify their present relationship.

"If you love him as much as I think that won't matter to him and it shouldn't matter to you. I'm not well bred either by the pedigree charts. I grew up in Yorkshire and ran away to the Navy at sixteen to avoid my drunken father, so not quite in the Lynley league but I can give Judith the love and respect and passion that she needs. Tommy's the same I suspect. He needs whatever it is you give him but the two of you are missing out on the best bit and that will only bring you closer if you just get over yourselves and follow your hearts. I'm not saying jump into bed with him tonight but at least be open to it being part of your future. Don't shut him out Barbara. You need each other and you both deserve to be happy."

"That's what he said about Judith."

"He was right. She is and you can be too. Good night," Darby said as he opened the door to go in, "think about what I said. Give him a sign to let him know you love him and let him take it from there. You won't regret it."

Barbara was shaking. William had obviously seen through her and she was concerned it was as obvious to others. Her first instinct was to run and hide but it was hardly practical especially when the first person she thought of running to was Tommy. She went back to bed and lay worrying until just before dawn when at last sleep came.

Tommy had slept unusually well. She had called him Tommy through the door. It was not much really but to him it was everything. When Barbara ventured downstairs for breakfast a little after nine Tommy and William had taken on the roles of short order cooks and were happily frying up eggs, bacon and sausages on demand. He saw her and smiled; a broad and engaging smile that lit up the room.

She smiled back shyly and sat down quickly before her legs gave way under her. Her instinct was to go up to him, whisper his name and pull him into a long and satisfying kiss. She needed to sit. William looked over and winked then nodded reassuringly but it only made her feel worse. Daze began to talk about the weather and her day with Judith. She was invited to spend it with them doing, as his mother put it, all the girly pre-wedding things. Barbara was sure her horror must be visible to everyone.

Tommy saved her. "Barbara and I have plans for today Mother. Besides you and Judith need some bonding time."

Dorothy smiled genuinely, glad that her idea had worked. She knew Barbara would have no interest and that Tommy would rescue her. If they did not have plans before they would now make some. "Of course Tommy. Will you be home for dinner? Eight tonight I think."

Tommy nodded and took Barbara's order. "Full English please Your Lordship," she said grinning at him mischievously.

An hour later they were in the front carriage of the boxy red train up to Gornergrat. To Barbara's surprise Tommy was lathering on a thick coating of sunscreen which left him with a pale white sheen. He insisted she put it on too. The train slowly climbed through the forest giving Barbara glimpses of the village between the dense pines. She handed him back his tube of cream but he leant over and ran his hand down her face. She shivered. "You...you had a streak," he said awkwardly.

They watched in silence as the train ascended. Forest gave way to open meadows. Mountains surrounded them and from here the many distinct peaks were clearly identifiable. Barbara was struck by the sweep if the glacier with its craggy surface not detracting from its fluidity. "It's..."

"Beautiful?" he asked.

"No, today's word is magnificent," she replied cheekily.

The sun and breeze on the grass made it seem alive. Golds and greens fluttered and danced down the valley. The sky was much bluer than Barbara had ever seen at home and everything was sharp and clear. "It's like it's on your television," she said.

"My television?"

Yes, ultra high definition, not something us peasants can afford."

Only Barbara could turn a wonderfully sunny day in a spectacularly beautiful part of the world into class warfare! "I refuse to bite," Tommy said sternly, "this is not about my money."

Barbara had not meant it that way but rather as a joke. She was genuinely contrite that she had offended him but there was an easy way to make it up to him. "I'm sorry Tommy."

"Accepted but..." He stopped mid-sentence and stared at her. He was tempted to kiss her right there and then but it was not private nor romantic. "Look there is the Matterhorn in all her glory."

As the track became steeper the cogs cut in and the train jerked slightly as it pulled itself up the hill. The meadows gave way to grey, stony terrain where the winter snow usually sat. Barbara remained transfixed by the view until the train finally pulled in to the cute little crenelated station built from heavy glacial rock that reminded Barbara of a troll's house. They stepped out behind the building onto a broad even area that looked out over the valley. It was the traditional Matterhorn view and it took her breath away.

Tommy never tired of such a view but seeing it again for the first time through her eyes showed him things he had never noticed. "Magnificent?"

"Magnificent," she agreed.

Barbara was intrigued by the way the mountains formed the spikes and plates of a crouching stegosaurus and how the glacier looked like a white scarf wrapped around its shoulders. Tommy smiled at the image as Barbara carefully pointed out each peak and dip in her vision. "Remind me not to take you cloud-watching," he joked, "you see far more interesting things than me."

They strolled down towards the wall where there was a large platform. A tripod was set up and Barbara looked at Tommy questioningly. "They bring out a St. Bernard and you can have your photo taken with him with the Matterhorn in the distance. Very touristy."

Barbara did not take the hint from his tone and as if on cue the photographer brought out two huge dogs. Tommy took one look at her face and knew his fate. He grimaced slightly handing over the money but the pure delight on her face was infectious. As they reviewed the photos on the screen Tommy saw instantly the one he would choose. He was kneeling up cuddling a dog which was looking very seriously at the camera and Barbara was sitting with her arms wrapped gleefully around the neck of the bigger dog. She looked small beside the animal but the camera had been mesmerised by her eyes. The thing that struck him though was the way she was looking adoringly at him across the dogs. His heart melted and his loins stirred.

He looked around for a quieter spot but a hoard of Chinese tourists had just disembarked from the train and were rushing for a vantage point along the wall. He ground his teeth together in frustration. "Let's get some lunch."

The restaurant was full so Tommy bought sandwiches and they sat outside in the sun. "I'm glad you made me wear sunscreen or I'd look like a lobster tomorrow."

"We can't have that for the wedding photos."

"Oh I won't be in them. That's for family," she said dismissively.

"Exactly why you will be in them."

Barbara blushed and smiled. She knew better than to argue and she was touched by his sentiment. This morning had been easy and natural and she had almost forgotten how much she desired him. She thought back to last night; their conversation, his whispered goodnight and her moment of freedom standing at the window. She had fallen even more deeply in love with him but had no real idea how to show him.

They finished lunch and wandered around to the terrace behind the observatory dome where the alpenhorners were starting to gather. Barbara was pleased to see that scattered amongst the brightly coloured, embroidered shirts and pork pie hats were a number of women with their shiny black shoes and white stockings underneath chequered skirts and full, white lacy aprons. Most of the women wore white blouses with puffy sleeves with Swiss-red scarves knotted discreetly over their breasts. Barbara admired the way the black velvet vests accentuated their figures by being laced tighter at the waist and allowing more movement above. She looked hard to find Matthias and his friends. Look for the red shirts they had said. Most the men were wearing black trousers but there were groups with different coloured shirts. Royal blue and red predominated which was not going to help her.

It would be wrong to say Tommy had not noticed the women but he was far more interested in the horns which evoked images of a giant's smoking pipe. Gradually the number was building as players found their spots in one of three lines that curved around the clearing. In the centre was an enormous horn, easily three times the length of the others. The players were warming them up in a weird cacophony that reminded Tommy of the whales that passed the Cornish coast.

A low solitary note from the large horn pierced the air and the restless crowd, which had grown considerably in the last few minutes, grew quiet. The horns began to play and the sound echoed out into the surrounding hills. It was reflective music with an almost a military feel. Barbara was surprised that the horns could play such a variety of notes. The sombre, formal sounds harked back to the large organ in the church where her parents had taken her each Christmas.

The horns played constantly for over half an hour. Each tune was evocative and elegant and even the light-hearted tunes had a majesty befitting the mountains. Tommy put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her gently to him. William's advice echoed in her ear. Barbara wanted to reach out in some way but felt impotent not knowing how to show him she loved him. She just stood beside him until, at the end of the music, he dropped his arm.

On the flat section near the centre, boards had been set up to create a dance floor. Accordion music start to drift up from a band on the other side of clearing and sixteen couples started to walk onto the stage. The men were all in brown suits with black collars and brown hats with a grey hatband. Their white shirts were set of with gaily coloured, thin ties. The combination offended Tommy's sense of style. "My father used to say 'never trust a man in a brown suit'," he told Barbara who looked at him and frowned.

"Why not?"

"I never found out," he replied.

The women were all in long blue dresses with red aprons trimmed with the same pattern as the men's ties. Around their necks they wore red and white checked scarves. "Did he say anything about flattened pork pie hats?" she asked referring to the hats the women wore.

Tommy smiled but his answer was cut short but the full band. A lilting, happy but repetitive tune began and the couples took their positions. They formed two rows of couples each holding hands above their shoulders. They all moved forward in unison then backwards and started to turn towards each other. Shuffle, shuffle, hop! Shuffle, shuffle, hop! Spin, hands on hips, kick up the heels and shuffle into two circles. Skip to the left, left again now back to the right, spin and hop. Shuffle, shuffle, hop! Clap, spin, heel kick, hop. The men and women were smiling happily and the crowd clapped out the beat; one, two, three, one, two, three. The dancers moved rhythmically into a line of men in front of the women then they parted and the women shuffle, shuffle, hopped their way in front of the men. The lines merged and magically parted into two circles moving in opposite directions.

"It reminds me of those docos you see where schools of fish all move together and swirl around."

Tommy had to lean close to her to hear. He smiled at the analogy. "I'm not sure folk dancers see themselves as fish." The dancers now seemed to be running on the spot and kicking up their heels. Kick, run, stop, turn, stamp the foot, turn and all merge together before splitting into their single sex lines again. "Although I can see what you mean."

"Don't be so logical. Enjoy the moment Tommy." She had used his name deliberately but she was surprised to see his face redden.

"The Swiss invented the chicken dance," he said as a way of proving he had a sense if fun, "originally it was the duck dance from when they herded ducks and geese in the..."

Barbara silenced him with a kiss.