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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’ll leave it here for you,’ Millie says as she puts the tray down on the desk, discreetly averting her eyes from the bed. ‘Breakfast will be ready for you at eight, but there’s no rush if you’d rather have a lie-in.’

I catch a whiff of Hugo’s morning breath as he stretches and yawns while the door clicks quietly shut behind Millie. ‘No chance of that,’ he says. ‘Not if Simon has anything to do with it. Come on,’ he throws back the covers exuberantly, ‘up you get!’

I sit up blearily. ‘Did Simon say something about a ski lesson? Do I honestly have to do that?’

‘It would help me massively if you did,’ Hugo shouts from the bathroom. ‘I’d like you to spend some time with Cass so you can find out what Simon’s plans are.’

‘Plans?’

He pushes the door open and pulls his toothbrush out of his mouth, rolling his eyes. ‘For the business! Is he planning to buy in? What might it take to impress him? What can I do to persuade him? That sort of thing.’ He wraps a big white towel around his waist and starts shaving. ‘It’s no big deal, is it? Cass has skied before, but she’s lost her confidence since the baby was born, according to Simon. It’s not like you’re only going to be on the nursery slopes or anything. Simon just thought she’d be happier with an instructor. I think it’s rather sweet. Thoughtful of him.’

I sigh and throw back the duvet. ‘Fine. But if it’s too boring, I’m going to make my excuses and leave.’

I pad into the shower and switch it on, enjoying the powerful torrent of slightly too hot water from the huge rainhead on my skin. Much as I’d prefer not to be here, I have to admit the luxurious surroundings are pretty fantastic.

Once Hugo has finished shaving, he drops his towel and takes it upon himself to join me in the shower. It is absolutely the last thing I can be bothered with right now, but I can’t think of an excuse to get him out.

3

December 1998, La Madière, France

Where are they? I go to call out to them but then remember I don’t know their names. Andy will probably know. ‘You all right there?’ I yell. Silence. The wind is picking up and the visibility is worse than ever. ‘Guys? You there?’

Andy finally hones into view further down the slope as I slowly traverse my way down.