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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

‘Do you remember Cameron was keen to offer a room to the brother of the man found in the snow? Well, unfortunately the only chalet we have empty at the moment has suffered a broken window in the storm and there’s some water damage. Cameron wanted me to ask you if we could offer him one of the spare rooms here. I know it’s quite an ask, but the poor man has already had a terrible journey; at the moment he’s stuck in a community hall that’s been turned into an emergency refuge for stranded travellers. What with his having come all this way to identify the body of his dead brother, Cameron doesn’t want him arriving with nowhere to stay and …’

‘’S fine,’ Simon proclaims, taking another large slug of his red wine. ‘Poor bastard. Least we can do. Plenty of room for him.’

‘No!’ Ria shouts. Everyone turns to look at her. ‘I mean, sorry, but I’m not comfortable with it,’ she adds in more measured tones. I see tears spring to her eyes.

‘Why ever not?’ Simon barks, looking her up and down with disdain. ‘The chalet’s plenty big enough. We’ll barely notice he’s here. And it’s only for a day or two anyway, isn’t it? Ria, c’mon, show some charity.’ He takes another large gulp of his wine. ‘Least we can do for the poor sod, surely.’

‘Darling?’ I prompt. ‘That’s OK, isn’t it?’ I think she is being weirdly unreasonable and I don’t want Simon to think we’re the kind of couple who wouldn’t help someone in need. Not that he’s what I’d call caring, based on what I’ve seen, but you never know.

Ria turns on her heel, her face red and blotchy, and runs upstairs. I can’t tell if she’s angry or upset, but neither can I understand why she’s behaving this way. I’m embarrassed that she’s acting like this in front of Simon and I feel I should make an excuse for her.

‘I’ll talk to her,’ I say. ‘I’m sure it’s fine. Probably her time of the month or something,’ I add and then, noticing Cass’s expression, remember that you’re not supposed to say stuff like that, especially in front of women. ‘I mean, I think she’s feeling a bit overwrought about being cooped up in here like this. She keeps saying she wants to go home.’ Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut – it feels like I’m only making things worse.