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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

I’m about to say something in reply – I’m not sure what – when Millie comes back in, placing a massive stack of pancakes in front of me, along with a white jug of syrup. I touch it – it’s warm.

‘These look amazing, Millie, thank you.’

She smiles. ‘It’s my pleasure, Ria. Is there anything else I can get for you? Coffee? Tea? Some fresh orange juice?’

‘I’d love some peppermint tea, please,’ I say neutrally. Hugo tuts – he knows it’s what I drink when I’m hungover. I ignore him and turn to Matt. ‘Hugo said the lifts are closed today?’

He pulls a face. ‘Yes, I’m afraid so. And I don’t know if you heard the news?’

Hugo looks up. ‘What news?’

‘About the body. They found a body.’

PART TWO

22

December 1998, La Madière, France

Louisa

I’ve never been skiing before. It’s not something you generally get to do when you grow up on a council estate, is it? But since I started at Oxford last year, I’ve got used to keeping quiet about that kind of thing. My vowels have rounded out, I say lunch instead of dinner, dinner instead of tea and try to remember not to say toilet. I didn’t do it deliberately, it just happened. Mum teases me about it when I go home, says things like she’ll have to get the best china out, but really, I know she doesn’t mind. She brought me up single-handed and she’s so proud of me. I’m pretty much the first person she knows who’s gone to university. And I’m one of those people who always tries to fit in. To pretend they’re like everyone else. Always have been.

So the skiing holiday wasn’t my idea, obviously, and it wasn’t even my boyfriend Will’s. It was Will’s brother Adam’s idea.

‘So what do you think?’ Will asks. ‘Will you come?’ We are lying in bed in his room, naked. I sit up and pull a T-shirt over my head.

‘With you and Adam? I’m not sure. I don’t want to get in the way of your brotherly bonding.’

Will puts his hand up my T-shirt and squeezes my left breast. ‘You won’t be. Adam’s OK, as brothers go, but I like him better when his company is diluted by having other people around. I think we might kill each other if we were on our own together for an entire week. And he’s bringing his girlfriend anyway, so having you there would make up the numbers.’ He pushes my T-shirt up, moves his head in towards my chest and sucks my nipple for a second before sitting upright and looking me in the eyes. He touches my cheek. ‘Please, Louisa. I’d love it if you came.’