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Back The Chalet Save as PDF
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

‘God, this is so BORING,’ Ria whines, yet again. We’ve already played Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, poker and blackjack today. The snow has knocked out the internet and satellite TV. We had sex at least, so that’s something, but Ria is now pacing about like a caged animal.

‘I’ve had enough of being here,’ she snaps. ‘When do you think we can leave? I really want to go home.’

‘Darling, you know what Millie said. The roads are closed today. Even if they weren’t, there have been loads of flight cancellations and so it’s very unlikely we’d be able to get ourselves onto a plane. The weather’s due to get better in a couple of days, so we should be able to get our flight as planned and until then—’

‘A couple of days!’ Ria shrieks. ‘There must be something you can do, Hugo.’

I pull a face. ‘Um, no. I’m flattered that you think I’m so powerful, but I can’t compete with the worst snowstorm they’ve seen in twenty-odd years.’

I try to take her hand. ‘There are worse places to be stuck, my love,’ I say. ‘It’s very comfortable here, everyone is safe and warm, and we have Millie cooking us some great food.’

‘And the wine’s good,’ Simon adds, lifting his glass in a ‘cheers’ motion. It’s only about four o’clock and he’s already a good way through a bottle.

Ria pulls away from me and leans her head against the huge window. I can hear Inigo crying upstairs again. ‘It’s so claustrophobic though,’ Ria complains. ‘I just want to go home.’

39

BEFORE

When I woke up, Mama was gone. Again. I went to school because I had had enough of dealing with her stuff and now that I was old enough to look after myself I didn’t feel I needed to call Anna straight away every time. Mama would probably be back by the time I got home and there would have been a whole lot of fuss and disruption for nothing – as usual.

But later that day when I was in maths there was a message that I was to go and see the head teacher.

Instantly I felt sick. Oh God. What had Mama done now? Had she been sectioned again? The worst time was when they found her in Tesco in her nightie pulling stuff off the shelves and some of the kids from school saw her and knew who she was. I hoped it was nothing like that.

I wasn’t surprised to see Anna in the head teacher’s office as she always came along when this kind of thing happened but the two police officers – a man and a woman – took me by surprise. I guessed their presence must mean that she’d been arrested.

‘Ah, there you are. Thank you for coming. Would you sit down, please?’