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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

Everyone leaps up from their seats, grabbing at napkins and frantically dabbing at clothes as I fuss about the table, apologizing profusely. Cameron struggles to contain himself, clearly not wanting to swear at me in front of clients but at the same time, no doubt desperately wanting to yell at me. If it weren’t for the guests, he’d probably fire me on the spot.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I mumble as I rush into the kitchen to fetch paper towels and join the clients in the general dabbing and mopping up. ‘I simply can’t apologize enough. I think my foot must have caught on the edge of the rug, but that’s no excuse at all.’

I take a surreptitious glimpse at the dishes of risotto on the table – I’ve managed to splash most of them with wine, but not quite all. ‘I’m afraid I’ve entirely ruined the meal – I can’t possibly allow you to eat anything from the table in case there are shards of glass – as you can see they’ve gone absolutely everywhere and they’ll be impossible to see.’

Thank GOD for the granite table which sent tiny, sharp pieces of the decanter far and wide.

‘And I can only apologize for Millie’s clumsiness,’ Cameron adds, still barely able to contain his anger. ‘Obviously any dry-cleaning will be at our expense, and if anything is ruined beyond repair, we will cover the cost of replacement.’ No doubt he means my meagre wages will cover the costs but, whatever, I don’t care right now.

People need to pay for what they did to my dad, but that doesn’t extend to killing someone innocent in the process, especially not someone as wet and pathetic as Cass.

‘But more immediately, Millie,’ Cameron continues pompously, ‘our guests have had their dinner ruined. It’s too late now to find them a table in a decent restaurant even if they wanted to go out in this atrocious weather, so do you have anything else you can rustle up quickly as a replacement meal once you’ve cleared up this mess?’

‘I could do a cheese fondue,’ I suggest. ‘With salad. That won’t take too long. If you’d all like to retire to the sofas while I clean up and get organized, I can bring you a new bottle of wine. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.’

‘Don’t give it another thought,’ Adam says, touching me lightly on the shoulder as he passes.

It’s all I can do to repress a shudder.

53

January 2020, La Madière, France

Adam