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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

And depending on the time of year, I’d find all sorts of different varieties you’d have to pay a fortune for in the supermarkets: ceps, morels, and the like. I became adept at identifying the good and the bad, and my various foster mothers and later, flatmates were always delighted with my haul.

You have to be careful, naturally. Poisonous mushrooms don’t always look poisonous – they’re not red with white spots or anything. Actually – those ones are poisonous, but rarely deadly. They’re not nearly as poisonous as something like the Amanita bisporigera, otherwise known as the destroying angel, or its friend Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the death cap. Those two can easily be mistaken for edible mushrooms, even by someone like Cameron’s artisanal mushroom grower, I would imagine. Yes, it’s important to be very, very, careful, and even experts can make mistakes. I brought quite a range with me, when I came out here; I wasn’t 100 per cent sure how far I wanted to go. But now that I have met these two awful men who ruined mine and Mama’s lives, I know what I need to do.

Once the risotto is all bubbled down and the liquid is absorbed, I plate it up. I add a sprinkle of parmesan shavings to each of the plates, and my own special mushrooms to two of them.

Then I take them through.

51

January 2020, La Madière, France

Hugo

‘And while some of the chalet companies offering lower- and mid-range accommodation are struggling lately on account of the economic climate, because our clients are all high net worth individuals we’re finding that during most weeks of the season there is more demand for our chalets than we can cope with, which is why next year we’re looking to take on at least one new property in …’

I tune out. I can’t listen to any more of Cameron’s monologue, so I abruptly push back my chair and say, ‘I’m sorry, Cameron, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m going to go and check on Ria – see if she wants anything.’

‘Let me know if you’d like me to take her up anything else?’ Millie says, placing the plates carefully on the table. As usual, she serves the ladies first – tonight just Cass – then Adam, I guess because he is the newest arrival and the guest of honour, due to his situation. She then disappears back into the kitchen and returns with two more plates, which she puts in front of Simon, Cameron, and myself.

‘Not a problem, Hewg,’ Cameron says (no one calls me that) also pushing back his chair, ‘I’m going to duck outside to make a call.’