BooksBarbecue
Back The Chalet
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for The Chalet
  3. Dedication
  4. PART ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. PART TWO
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. PART THREE
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Epilogue
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. Keep Reading …
  73. Prologue
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

I put my hand gently on her ankle and she opens her eyes.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,’ I say.

She sits up. ‘That’s OK. Listen,’ she puts her hand on top of mine. ‘I’m sorry. I should have told you about the pill. Talked to you. But I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me …’ Her eyes fill with tears. I touch her face. I’ve rarely seen her cry before.

‘Sshh, darling,’ I soothe, all my anger evaporating from me. ‘It’s OK. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready. And if you’re never ready, that’s OK too. You’re all I need.’ This isn’t quite true. I do want children. But if it’s a choice between no Ria and no children, I’ll take the latter. Also what I just said is the kind of thing I’ve seen people say in films to make someone stop crying, and I want Ria to stop crying.

But it doesn’t work – she starts sobbing. ‘I’m not good enough for you, Hugo,’ she wails. ‘I’m so sorry. I’ll try to be a better person. I’ll drink less. I’ll stop taking the pill. I will, honestly. I’ll stop taking it now if you like! I’ll chuck them in the bin! Or out the window! No, not out the window, animals might eat them and go sterile … do animals live in the snow?’ She leans in to kiss me and reaches down to undo my trousers. ‘Let’s have sex now! Let’s make a baby! Don’t leave me, Hugo!’

Normally I would never say no to Ria if she wants sex – which, let’s face it, is hardly ever these days – but I’ve never seen her like this before and she’s scaring me. I gently put my hand over hers and push it away.

‘Ria. Don’t be silly. Of course I’m not going to leave you. But you seem a bit … manic. Why don’t you have a sleep and we’ll talk again later?’

She flops back on the bed, seemingly calmer now. ‘OK. Let’s do that.’ She turns her head towards me. ‘Tell me what’s happening downstairs. Is there any more news about the body they found?’

Ah. Perhaps this is why she’s behaving so strangely. Perhaps she’s more sensitive than I give her credit for.

‘They think it’s a man who died a long time ago. His brother’s coming out to identify the body, apparently.’

She nods, her eyes filling with tears again. ‘Right. What a horrible thing to have to do.’

I take her hand. ‘Horrible. But perhaps he will be able to take comfort after all these years in having some kind of closure.’