BooksBarbecue
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

A spokesman for Powder Puff holidays said: ‘Obviously we are all deeply worried about the missing men and hoping they will turn up safe and sound. In the meantime, we are supporting the rest of their party as well as we are able.’

15

January 2020, La Madière, France

Ria

Millie appears with a freshly-made cake and a tray of steaming mugs of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows in a dish at almost exactly the same time as Hugo and Simon stomp up the stairs from the boot room.

‘Good afternoon!’ Millie says as she places the tray carefully down on the granite table. ‘How was your day?’

‘Cold, windy, fucking amazing,’ says Simon, tearing off his too-tight Porsche ski jacket and flinging it down on a chair.

‘Hugo?’ I ask, slightly naughtily. I know he isn’t a particularly confident skier and is unlikely to have enjoyed the day at all, not that he’d ever be likely to admit that even to me. But there’s no way he’d have even considered going out in conditions like today’s if he wasn’t so desperate to suck up to Simon.

‘Yeah, it was good,’ he says tightly, also taking off his jacket (Black Crows – chosen by me) and handing it to Millie. I notice it is soaking wet – he’s probably had a few falls. ‘Looking forward to tomorrow,’ Hugo adds. ‘We’ve booked the same guide to take us out. He was great.’

I let my face fall. ‘Oh, what a shame. I thought I’d ski with you tomorrow, Hugo, but I’ve arranged to meet Matt at ten in the Schuss – he said he’d show me around the resort. Is that OK?’

Hugo’s face hardens – he won’t want me skiing with Matt alone after accusing me of flirting with him the other night, which, to be fair, I was – but I also know he won’t say anything in front of Simon. ‘Yes, of course,’ Hugo says lightly. ‘Perhaps we can all meet up for lunch?’

‘What a good idea!’ I trill. ‘That would be lovely.’

I turn back to my iPad, quite certain that a lift will close, I’ll get lost or something else will make me miss my lunch date. ‘Cass could come with us too if she’d like,’ I add, making a mental note to make sure that, one way or another, she won’t want to. Judging by the ski lesson I joined her for briefly, she doesn’t enjoy skiing much, so I don’t think it will be difficult. I might book her a nice spa day as a ‘treat’ to make sure.