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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

We sit on a low sofa, facing each other and holding those enormous gin and tonics with peppercorns and rosemary they serve there. I don’t consider myself the most interesting of people, but Ria is easy to talk to and laughs at my feeble jokes. She keeps touching my arm to make her point and, after a few more drinks, her leg is pressed up against my leg. Despite my lack of confidence when it comes to these things, a couple of hours later when I ask her if she’d like to come home with me and she says yes, I’m not really that surprised.

9

January 2020, La Madière, France

Ria

In the time it takes me to go upstairs and get changed into some dry clothes, Cass arrives back. I hear a small commotion while I’m getting dressed and by the time I go downstairs she’s sitting on one of the enormous sofas with Inigo fidgeting in her lap while Sarah hovers nearby. Cass’s eyes are shiny and she’s pulled her oversized cardigan down over her hands again in that nervous way she always does. If I didn’t know better, I’d probably assume Cass was the nanny and Sarah the spoilt young wife. Cass somehow looks out of place and uncomfortable in these luxurious surroundings, making even her high-end designer clothes look cheap and ill-fitting. Sarah, however, seems completely unfazed by it all. Perhaps she has nannied for rich families before.

‘Ria!’ Cass calls as I come in, unnaturally bright. ‘I’m so sorry you went out looking for me unnecessarily. I woke up early, went out for a walk and forgot to take my phone – it didn’t occur to me that anyone would be worried.’ She looks vague and spacey and I wonder if she’s on antidepressants. Didn’t Hugo say something about postnatal depression earlier?

‘Because why would it?’ Simon says, snippily. His ‘devoted and worried husband’ mode of earlier appears to have disappeared. ‘We’ve wasted Matt’s entire morning, making him call the hospitals and the police, and Hugo and Ria have been all over the resort looking for you. In fact, Hugo is still out there in the cold for all I know – I can’t get hold of him to let him know you’re back.’

‘It’s not a problem for me. Don’t worry at all,’ Matt says. ‘That’s what I’m here for.’ He glances at his watch. ‘That said, I’m a bit behind now with a few other things, so since Cass is safely back perhaps you wouldn’t mind if I …’