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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

Big risk. If the guy in hospital wakes up, he’ll know that they weren’t late – if anything, we left a little early – they weren’t that slow and Andy and I spent a good forty-five minutes faffing around before I alerted rescue. Quite possibly longer. Forty-five minutes to an hour when the pisteurs and snowcats could have been out searching for these two missing men. Before the weather worsened. Vital minutes which could have made all the difference. Life-or-death minutes, literally. I swallow hard.

The officer puts his pen down and leans back in his chair. ‘OK. Obviously, we will need to see the paperwork and we will be checking the phone records when they arrive.’

‘That’s fine. Of course. I’m happy to help in any way I can.’

Thank Christ for the disclaimer.

19

January 2020, La Madière, France

Ria

I am feeling so refreshed and relaxed after another hot tub session that I let Hugo have sex with me before dinner without even trying to come up with an excuse to get out of it.

‘I hope this is the one,’ he sighs as he rolls off me.

‘The one what?’

‘The one where it works. You know, the one where you get pregnant.’

He props himself up on his elbow and gestures towards the window. ‘Look at that – snow falling outside, here in this beautiful room, what an amazing place it would be to conceive a child! What a lovely story to be able to tell her. We could call her Snowy.’

‘Ewww. No child wants to hear about their conception. And Snowy?’ I laugh. ‘That’s a kitten’s name.’

He traces his finger down my stomach. ‘OK. Not Snowy. A name that means snow. Or winter or something. What about calling her Winter? You get kids called Summer. Is Winter a good name for a girl?’ He reaches over me for my iPad and starts browsing. I feel a lurch of alarm.

‘I thought you said you didn’t touch my iPad?’ I ask.

‘I didn’t the other day,’ he says distractedly, ‘I’m just looking for wintery names now, and mine is downstairs. Here – Neve – that’s nice. Noelle – hmm, not sure. Alaska. Christmas. Crystal. Maybe not.’

I snatch my iPad back, pretending I am looking at the names but really I don’t want him holding it. ‘Maybe we could call her Elsa, like in Frozen,’ I suggest, trying to shut this conversation down. ‘Anyway, how do you know it would be a girl?’

He snuggles his face into my shoulder. ‘I don’t. I just hope it would be so that she would be like you.’

I stroke his hair and at that moment, I almost feel sorry for him.

20

January 2020, La Madière, France

Hugo