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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

‘Why are you going through my things?’ I ask, going on the defensive. ‘I bet it was you looking at my iPad the other day too, wasn’t it!’ I add, suddenly feeling sober and trying to deflect attention from myself. I bet it was him. Someone has been checking my emails, I’m sure of it.

‘I wasn’t going through your things!’ he shouts. I put my finger to my lips, wobbling slightly and suppressing a desperate desire to giggle.

‘Ssssh. They’ll hear us. You wouldn’t want to upset Simon, would you?’ I stage whisper.

He takes a deep breath. ‘I thought you wanted to get pregnant,’ he says in a low, measured voice. ‘We talked about it. So why are you taking the pill behind my back?’

I take a deep breath. ‘We did talk about it. But it’s what you want. Not what I want. I’m not ready.’

I flop down onto the bed. I am too drunk for this conversation. I close my eyes, but the room is still spinning. Hugo grabs my hands and hauls me up to a sitting position. I open my eyes again.

‘Oh no you don’t,’ he says. ‘We’re going to talk about this, now. I don’t care how drunk you are. If you’re not ready to have children, why didn’t you say so?’

‘Because I didn’t want to let you down,’ I lie. ‘Because you obviously want children so badly. I didn’t want to say no. I thought it would be easier to pretend that I wanted children too.’ It’s a half-truth. I did think it would be easier. But also I can’t afford for him to leave me – to decide I’m not the person for him after all. There is too much at stake. That was the bigger part in my decision. But I can’t tell him that.

His face softens. ‘Oh, Ria. That’s so silly. Of course we can wait. We have time. Not much, but some. You should have said. It’s you I want. I want what makes you happy.’

I force a smile. ‘And I want what makes you happy. But I don’t want a baby. Not yet.’

He strokes my face, but he’s guarded. There’s something he’s not saying. ‘OK, my darling. We’ll leave it a year or two. But neither of us is getting any younger. Now I’m going to get you some water and I think you should go to bed.’