BooksBarbecue
Back The Chalet
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

He shoves the chicken in his mouth and chews exaggeratedly, pulling a face. ‘Ugh,’ he says after he finally swallows his mouthful, ‘I think maybe we should go out for dinner tomorrow, the food here is hideous. Anyway, about tomorrow. Who’s skiing with who? Or with whom? Can never get that right.’

‘Well, I’m going to ski with Louisa,’ Will says, ‘as I didn’t get to today.’ He turns to face me. ‘Assuming you want to ski tomorrow, that is? Show me what you can do? I’m sorry about today. I was so looking forward to skiing with you, but sorting out my broken ski ate up the entire afternoon.’

Right now I can’t imagine wanting to do anything except curl up in bed and pull the covers over my head, but I can’t do that without telling Will why, or perhaps him offering to stay in bed with me, which I simply can’t face. More than anything, I don’t want to risk being left alone with Adam again. Right now, all I want is to not be me.

Adam pulls a face. ‘Think the weather’s meant to be pretty rank tomorrow. Sure you want to ski, Louisa?’

Not really, I think, but as I open my mouth to speak, Will says: ‘We’ll take a view tomorrow. How about we all do our own thing in the morning, meet up at lunchtime and see what everyone wants to do from there?’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ Adam says. ‘I’m going to be starving by then – this dinner is almost inedible.’

After forcing down some dessert, I say that I’m tired and would like to go to bed.

Will says he will come with me and I feel a stab of alarm – I want some time on my own. But I guess he thinks all my cries of ‘No, no, you stay’ are insincere and he follows me up the stairs to our room.

I lie down on the bed and he lies down next to me, putting his head on my chest and his arm across my waist.

I concentrate on not flinching. I don’t want to be touched. But I can’t tell him why. I’ve realized that.

‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ he asks, without moving. ‘You seem very quiet this evening.’ He pauses. ‘You don’t have to ski tomorrow morning if you don’t want to.’ He lifts his head and looks up at me. ‘Is that what it is? Or are you annoyed that I didn’t make it back for lunch? It wasn’t my fault, honestly. I really wanted to ski with you this afternoon.’

I force a smile. ‘No. Don’t be silly. It’s nothing you’ve done. I’m tired, that’s all. But of course we can ski tomorrow. I want to show you how much I’ve come on.’