A Winter Affair (16 page)

As they neared the end of the run back into the village, he noticed that Eloise became nervous and kept shooting glances at the other skiers. When they reached the muddle of skiers taking off their skis at the bottom of the run, she offered him a lift in the jeep, but even as she asked him she was walking away as if she were in a hurry.

He followed her. ‘No, thanks Eloise, I've got things to do down here and I'll hang about with the minibus for the others, or Theo can take them in the other jeep. He should be down soon. But are you all right… you seem troubled.' He put his hand on her arm.

‘I'm fine,' she said, trying to smile. ‘Just a bit tired, I haven't skied much these last years and that's quite a run.'

‘It is… and your shoulder's holding up, I hope.' She was hiding something he was sure of it, some secret sorrow, but he wouldn't probe, he sensed she wanted to keep it close to herself.

‘Yes… Pascal did a wonderful job. Thank you for sending me to him.'

‘I'm glad it's better.' He wanted to say more but he felt she'd put a barrier up between them, to protect her secrets. ‘I must just check my mobile, see if any of the guests want to be given a life back,' he said. ‘Would you like a drink before you go? You've got time, haven't you? It's not yet four.'

There was something about her stance that touched him. He'd probably been too hard on her, especially now with these particular guests, who expected so much for their money, and whom he, egged on by Aurelia, felt were so important for Jacaranda's future.

‘Thanks, Lawrence, but I think I'll get back.' She kept glancing nervously about her, studying the other skiers who were coming down the last few yards, spilling out down to the car park. She gave him a quick smile before making hurriedly for the jeep.

He wondered what… or possibly who was troubling her, but he soon forgot it as he went to the office of the firm that dealt with some of the chalet lettings to catch up with the bookings that had come in and any queries. Theo texted him to say they were all on the way down and was he still there to take some of them back in the minivan. He texted back that he was and went to have a drink in his favourite bar while he waited for them.

It was a good meeting place and he enjoyed dropping in there when he could. He saw a few people he knew and joined them for a drink. Aurelia and a couple of men passed by. When she saw Lawrence, she stopped, told the men she'd catch up with them and came to join him.

‘You'll never guess,' she started, with the air of someone bursting to pass on some gossip.

‘But you're going to tell me,' he said wearily, wondering what bombshell she was going to drop on him now. It was usually about some law or plan the Swiss were rumoured to be implementing over tax on chalets or land belonging to foreigners, or a new right of way or something that would surely put Jacaranda in jeopardy unless he looked sharp and took precautions to avoid it. Her remarks concerning Jacaranda were beginning to annoy him. It was almost as if she got some pleasure from taunting him with some real or imagined drama that could affect his chalet business.

She ignored his tone of voice, ‘I saw your little cook on the slopes and, guess what, her ex-husband was there. He used to stay at Jacaranda with her and he was very interested when I told him how you let it out and how if – like I'm always telling you,' she smiled proudly, ‘you'd enlarge it, fill up the garden with little flats, you'd make a fortune.'

He'd heard Aurelia's plans all before and he didn't like them, but Eloise's
ex-husband
.
What was he doing here? He didn't know her ex's name or what he did for a living. Was he a property developer, and might he hope to worm his way into Jacaranda? He knew he'd stayed there in the past, so he could drop in any time. Did Eloise know he was here and that's why she kept looking about, wary of seeing him? And what was Aurelia to do with it all?

‘She never said he was out here,' he said weakly, remembering her red-rimmed eyes, her furtive looks at the other skiers and her wish to get quickly back to the chalet this afternoon.

‘I don't think she knew; he certainly didn't. He was quite shocked to see her, but he's interested to see Jacaranda again, though she told him not to come, but you know…' she shrugged as if Eloise's request did not matter, and anyway this man was a free agent, able to go where he pleased.

He felt a slow burn of anger grow in him but he banked it down. ‘How do
you
know him, Aurelia?'

‘Oh, I don't, not really. He's staying near the old church in one of the chalets Frankie – you know Frankie Butler – owns. We all met up for lunch and I saw Eloise talking to him, I must say I was quite surprised he was her ex-husband.' She had a mocking smile on her face that annoyed him further. He'd got too involved with her and he was tired of Aurelia always belittling people she felt were somehow inferior to her. ‘They've been married for ages and they've got twins who are on their gap year, so she's now home alone.' She said the last two words with derision.

He knew about Eloise's situation but now he felt ashamed, he'd been so focused on getting a chef to keep his house party happy he hadn't asked Eloise anything more about herself, though also he did not want to pry, perhaps open wounds that were halfway healed. But Christmas was coming the day after tomorrow and she must be missing her children and perhaps she'd want to see this ex-husband to be able to talk to him about them, remember happier days. But maybe she didn't, maybe it was all too painful for her. Either way, though, he should have made an effort to think of her feelings and try and help her through what would be, in more ways than one, a difficult day for her.

To his relief his mobile rang, announcing that the chalet guests were down.

‘I must go.' He got up, glad to be taking his leave of Aurelia, but she stopped him.

‘I thought I'd give a little party, Steven said I could have one in his bar and I'll invite you all. I'm sure you'd be very interested to meet Harvey, he's worked in the travel businesses – upmarket holidays – for some time and he's got some wonderful ideas to put Jacaranda on the map.'

Lawrence didn't answer her as he hurried off to find his guests. He did not want to meet Harvey and hear any ideas he might have concerning Jacaranda. He also had a feeling that going to such a party, especially to meet him, was somehow betraying Eloise.

‘What's happened, Eloise, you look upset?' Saskia called, as Eloise was about to get into the jeep. She was carrying her skis, having just come down from the slopes herself; she quickened her pace to catch up with Eloise.

Eloise looked round, ‘Oh… Saskia, nothing, just tired after skiing down Tortin.' She wanted to get in the jeep and scurry away from the increasing crowd of skiers, fearful that Harvey, and worse still, Aurelia would appear.

‘Well come back with me to our chalet, have a drink. Quinn has gone to Geneva for the opening of a new restaurant, and I'm home alone.' Coming closer and picking up on Eloise's reluctance, she added, ‘It's not far, just across the road and down, takes seven minutes at a brisk walk. Please, or do you have to go back to cook a banquet?' she teased.

‘No… but…' Eloise longed to escape back to Jacaranda, and yet it was tempting to go with Saskia and confide in her. She felt so alone with her distress at having seen Harvey, spoken to him – he shouldn't be here, especially as she had just been getting used to the idea of spending her first Christmas alone as a single woman. Just knowing he was here made her feel lonelier and more bereft without her family as it once was. Almost worse was him knowing Aurelia. She supposed she knew everyone out here, but her scorn at not believing that Harvey had married her dug deepest, bringing back her feelings of inadequacy which she'd struggled with over Harvey's infidelities and then their divorce.

Saskia came close to her and took her arm. ‘Come on then or, if you'd rather, we can drive there.' Without waiting for her answer, Saskia dumped her skis into the back of the jeep and clambered in.

Eloise started it up and backed out, forcing herself to concentrate on not hitting anything instead of keeping an eye out for Harvey and Aurelia in case they were threading their way through the car park.

‘Quinn and I had lunch up at the top then he came down early to go to Geneva and I stayed on to ski. We've got his son and his girlfriend coming tomorrow for Christmas. I think I've got most of the stuff in. What about
your
guests… are they as demanding as Lawrence feared they'd be?' Saskia asked, eagerly watching her reaction.

Eloise felt even more crushed. Was Lawrence going round stressing about her ability to cook for his guests?

She said, ‘They're all right, spend most of the time glued to their laptops.' She paused as she joined the road and then, at Saskia's instruction, turned down the next road towards Saskia's chalet. Not knowing where her chalet was she went slowly in case she overshot it.

‘There, that one, park next to the Mercedes.' She stayed silent while Eloise carefully parked and turned off the engine. ‘There's something you're not telling me.' Saskia turned to face her.

Eloise sighed, ‘It's just I saw Harvey.'

‘What, here? Did you know he was out here?'

‘No. I saw him a few days ago, where we were just now, and then I heard his voice when I was waiting to see Pascal, he'd dropped some woman there, but he didn't come in.'

‘Oh, love,' I'm sorry,' Saskia said. ‘What a bummer.'

‘I thought he'd be gone by now, go back for Christmas, but at lunchtime I saw him in the gondola. It was crowded, but he saw me and called out, and there I was, stuck high in the sky with him, but what was worse, when we arrived at the top Aurelia was there and she knows him too.'

‘Oh, God, well she would, wouldn't she?'

‘She looked… well she seemed amazed that someone like him would have married me.' Her mouth wobbled and she dashed the tears away.

Saskia leant over and hugged her. ‘Don't take any notice of what that bitch says. She can't bear anyone else having a boyfriend or a husband – even when Malcolm was around she flirted with other men. She's even tried to snatch poor Quinn, only he's so vague he didn't notice.' She laughed, then added seriously, ‘But you don't think they are together, do you?'

‘I don't know. The first time I saw him he was with a woman in a shocking pink ski suit, and it was her he dropped off as Pascal's, but I didn't see her face. He's not alone that's for sure, he left me for some bosomy sexpot – it could have been the pink woman, I don't know.' She did wonder if there was anything intimate between Harvey and Aurelia, but then she had always wondered who among their female friends and acquaintances he was involved with, and now they were divorced it should no longer be her concern.

‘I'm so sorry, Eloise. Let's go in and drown your sorrows.' Saskia opened the jeep door. ‘So I suppose he's here for Christmas?'

‘He didn't say and I didn't ask. He's with friends somewhere by the old church.' She got out of the jeep and followed Saskia down a snowy path to a small chalet overlooking the valley. Saskia unlocked the door and they went inside.

‘I suppose you'll be stuck in Jacaranda cooking for your guests, but Quinn likes to give a party on Boxing Day, drinks around six, everyone's invited, but not Harvey of course, nor Aurelia, though she often just appears. I expect Lawrence and Theo will come and whichever of your guests want to.' Saskia led the way to the main room with its stunning view right down the valley. ‘I hope you'll be able to make it.'

‘Sounds great but I don't know what's happening that day, or any day really.' Eloise sank down into a large comfortable chair, watching the smoky dusk creeping up the valley and the lights from the chalets below glowing through it.

‘Lawrence knows about it, so we'll see.' Saskia poured her a glass of wine and sat down on the sofa near her and lifted her own glass in a toast, ‘To you, and may you find love again with a better man than Harvey.'

Eloise took a sip, she felt better now, having shared the load of her misery with Saskia. ‘So where are your children?' she asked, wanting to steer the conversation away from herself.

‘They are with Toby and his parents,' Saskia said. ‘They come out here for New Year. It works quite well: Quinn's family one year, mine the next.'

‘How many children does Quinn have?'

‘Two sons, one lives in the States. He's a grandfather of two adorable girls,' she giggled, ‘and I'm a step-granny, can you believe it?'

‘I suppose once one's children reach puberty any one of us could be a grandparent,' Eloise said, hoping her two would wait awhile before having babies. She wanted them to have a bit of a life first before they embarked on marriage and parenthood, though today everything was different and they might not marry and have children at all.

‘Well I hope mine won't just yet, get into their careers first,' Saskia said, echoing Eloise's thoughts. ‘Toby had another baby with his new wife.' A shaft of pain crossed her face. ‘I shouldn't mind, she wanted a child of her own after all, and I was the one who left him first, but I
do
mind, I'm dead jealous, though I know I've no right to be, and it's not that I want another baby. Silly isn't it?'

‘I would be jealous too.' Eloise was bitten by the same anxiety, though she didn't think Harvey wanted any more children as he'd always said twins, one of each, was perfect. But then one of his woman friends, this bright pink-clothed ski bunny might want one before her fertility clock ran out.

‘So have you got all your Christmas stuff in?' Saskia asked. ‘Do the guests eat normal food or are they those strange leaves and grains people, always on some health kick?'