A Winter Affair

by Minna Howard

  Twenty-Eight

  Eloise arrived at Quinn’s chalet after tea. Saskia telephoned her to beg her to come early to their party so they could gossip before the other guests arrived.

  ‘Most of the work’s done. Quinn doesn’t like too much to eat as he says it spoils the enjoyment of the wine,’ she said, ‘but I’ve done a few bits and there’s bread and cheese if anyone’s hungry.’

  Eloise followed Saskia into the main room. There was a small tree in the corner decorated with shiny crimson baubles and gold stars and a swathe of evergreen and gold-painted fir cones and red berries draped over the mantelpiece. The furniture was pulled back to make a space in the centre of the room. The curtains were left open and the view down the valley was a picture of sparkling lights glowing through the darkness.

  Quinn was ‘resting’ and his family who’d come for Christmas were visiting friends nearby but would be back for the party, so for the moment all was quiet. Saskia poured Eloise a glass of wine and the two of them sat gossiping.

  ‘So,’ Eloise finished, having told Saskia the whole saga of the avalanche, ‘Gaby and Jerry seemed to have disappeared, but they are safe together. She sent me a couple of texts, not saying where she is, just that they are “nearby”. They are going to stay out here for another week. I imagine that Jerry’s furious with Debra for sending Gaby home and he persuaded her to stay on out here with him, and as her mother and brothers are with her mother’s boyfriend I suspect she was easily persuaded.’

  ‘Much more fun to ski than go back to winter in the UK, but frightening about the avalanche though,’ Saskia shivered. ‘You never know what will happen if there’s been a huge snowfall, but they are very good here, they usually close runs if they think they are dangerous, or even close the whole place and stop running the lifts. Good thing you were not caught up in it and could call for help.’ She gulped at her wine. ‘I always keep to the main piste if it’s been snowing and I’m on my own.’

  ‘Fortunately this wasn’t as bad as it might have been. Theo warned us, said it would be better if we skied one at a time and to wait a little as two snowboarders had just gone, but Jerry laughed and crashed off. Theo was caught in the edge of it and tumbled about and, luckily, because Jerry was wearing a transmitter he was dug out in time.’ Eloise went on, ‘But just the word avalanche has sparked panic in Debra, and Lawrence is terrified they’ll sue him or at least contact their lawyers so he’ll have to bring in his, as if he is responsible for the avalanche.’

  Saskia sighed. ‘I doubt you can sue against the weather, but I suppose if someone knowingly goes out when it’s dangerous, or goes on a run that’s been closed or disregards warning signs, you could make a case,’ Saskia said, her words chilling Eloise.

  Those warning flags, if Debra found out about them, she would not hesitate in laying the blame firmly at Theo’s door.

  ‘It wasn’t closed or anything, was it?’ Saskia asked.

  ‘No… there were other people there.’ She would not mention the flags.

  ‘The richer they are, the harder they push in such cases. Quinn, who’s sometimes had to step in if someone sues a restaurant, thinks that some mega-rich people have a sort of complex that poorer people are trying to get at their money and take it as a personal slight if someone has crashed into their car, or given them food poisoning. Poor Lawrence, he’s trying so hard to make Jacaranda pay for itself and he seems to be having nothing but bad luck this season, his chef running off and…’

  ‘Having to employ me,’ Eloise said.

  ‘No! That was his luck that you were free at such short notice,’ Saskia said.

  ‘Harvey’s still here,’ Eloise said to change the subject and to offload her concerns. ‘Aurelia brought him to Jacaranda to give Lawrence advice on how to transform the chalet, no doubt to accommodate her Tempting Delights,’ she finished darkly.

  ‘So he didn’t go home for Christmas?’ Saskia sounded surprised.

  ‘No, I thought… hoped he might. He must be splashing out to stay here so long, but it seems Aurelia’s got her claws into him.’

  ‘You mean they’re together?’ Saskia was shocked.

  ‘I hope not, I don’t think so. I told you I saw him with a woman in pink, but I haven’t seen him with her since, but then he probably wouldn’t have brought her to Jacaranda, knowing I was there. Despite his faults he never flaunted his other women in front of me and I wonder if he would have come at all if Aurelia hadn’t brought him.’ Much though he’d hurt her, Eloise wanted to be fair to him.

  ‘I suppose once Harvey told her what his job was, finding venues for holidays, she latched on to him with her ideas for Jacaranda, no doubt hoping his expertise would help sway Lawrence to her ideas,’ Saskia said.

  ‘Fortunately he was far more concerned with placating Debra over Jerry and Gaby’s midnight flit, than to listen to plans to upgrade Jacaranda,’ Eloise said.

  ‘Aurelia’s coming tonight, do you think Harvey will come with her?’ There was a gleam of excitement in Saskia’s eyes that Eloise tried to ignore. She’d become used to it; Harvey, despite now being quite paunchy, still had the gift – or perhaps the curse – of inducing excitement in women.

  ‘Oh, I hope not.’ Eloise hadn’t thought of this, she’d seen more than enough of Harvey and she decided now that if he came here tonight, she’d leave, but she didn’t say this to Saskia.

  Before Saskia could question her further, Quinn appeared dressed in a bottle-green velvet jacket and a navy silk cravat.

  ‘Ah, the chef,’ he said smiling, lumbering over and kissing Eloise. ‘How is it going at Jacaranda? Heard you have quite difficult guests this week.’

  ‘Yes.’ Eloise glanced at Saskia, wondering what she’d told him, but the doorbell interrupted Eloise and Saskia ran to answer it.

  Quinn turned, ready to welcome people, and Eloise, suddenly overcome with dread, looked round for a way of escape if Harvey and Aurelia should come in, but the only way out was through the front door.

  To her relief it was a couple, Otis and Patsy, who, Eloise saw, were of the same vintage as Quinn, and they remembered Desmond. They told her they missed him and of course dear Maddy, but they’d do their best to get him to come back to Verbier soon. They lived here full-time now, having lived in other parts of the world and decided that Verbier and the mountains was where they wanted to be.

  Others soon arrived and then Lawrence, Theo and the party from Jacaranda, but there was no sign of Aurelia or, luckily, Harvey.

  Eloise had told Lawrence about her text from Gaby and that they were safe together somewhere. She had left it to him to tell Debra, which she assumed he had done.

  Theo, now standing beside her, keeping a wary eye on Debra, as if afraid she’d insist on interrogating him about the avalanche or Jerry’s whereabouts or both, said quietly, ‘I’ve heard from Jerry. He wants to meet up tomorrow to ski, but he said I mustn’t tell Debra and Ken in case they turn up and force Gaby to go home.’

  ‘They can’t force her,’ Eloise replied, also keeping her eyes on Debra who was talking to Otis and Patsy. ‘Has Lawrence told Debra about the messages I received from Gaby?’

  ‘Yes and Debra was furious, called Gaby all sorts of names, which didn’t please Ken, who I think rather fancies her himself, the old lecher. He said Jerry was old enough to choose whom he wanted to be with. Anyway I hope I can slope off and you too and we can all meet up tomorrow.’ Theo emptied his glass so Saskia could refill it as she made the rounds.

  ‘That would be fun,’ Eloise said, ‘I think it’s meant to be sunny tomorrow.’ She did not add that there were only a few days left for her to ski before she went home and how she’d miss it.

  She knew no one here but Saskia, Quinn and the Jacaranda people, but she found everyone very friendly. The guests at this party were fascinated to hear that she was the latest chef at Jacaranda, the locals having heard of Denise flying off with a pudgy millionaire. ‘Love is indeed blind if it comes with a fortune,’ one said with
a laugh.

  Eloise began to enjoy herself. Quinn’s son and his girlfriend appeared and were as warm and friendly as he was. The wine was delicious and the cheese perfect, a large brie with a layer of truffles through the middle, laid out with loaves of fresh baguette, the wine changed to complement the cheese, and there were tiny tangerines and chocolates to finish.

  She was filled with the warmth of being among convivial people, everyone shared the love of the mountains, and even those who no longer skied still went up to walk or did cross-country skiing. They told her of the summer when the mountains were green and scattered with wild flowers. She had never been here then, and when she was asked if she was staying indefinitely at Jacaranda, she wished that she were. She felt she belonged here, instead of going home to a new house – the week after next – was it really as soon as that? A house, which would seem lonely without the twins giving it life.

  It was painful to accept that her days out here were numbered, though she didn’t say that to anyone who asked. She didn’t want to provoke talk and perhaps questions to Lawrence.

  Lawrence and Pascal were among the group she was talking to, discussing the summer sports here, when she became aware that people had become distracted and were turning towards the door. And there was Aurelia in her polar bear outfit, her eyes skimming the room to see who was here.

  The joy ran out of Eloise like sand in a timer and she searched frantically for Harvey among the chattering crowd, but she couldn’t see him.

  Lawrence, watching her, said quietly, ‘Are you afraid she’s brought your ex?’

  ‘Yes, but I can’t stop him from being here.’ She tried to smile as if it were no consequence that her ex-husband was gallivanting about the place where she felt happy, with at least one other woman, forgetting the life and love they had once shared together.

  Lawrence moved a step closer to her. ‘She’s come alone. She always makes a late entrance, and if she brings someone she leads them in like a trophy.’ Lawrence smiled and touched her arm, ‘Forget her, Eloise, and just enjoy yourself.’

  But before she could answer, Aurelia spotted them and came towards them like a ship in full sail. ‘Lawrence,’ she breathed, kissing him on his cheek, her hand on his shoulder as if she was claiming possession of him. ‘Just who I wanted to see, I’ve so much to tell you.’ Ignoring Eloise and Pascal, she slipped her arm through Lawrence’s and made to lead him away.

  But Lawrence stood his ground. ‘Good to see you, Aurelia, we were just talking about the summer season here, what do you think of it?’

  She looked round at the rest of the group haughtily. ‘You’re missing a trick there, Lawrence. If you took some of my ideas on board for Jacaranda, it would be thriving summer and winter. You could make money, real money, and save Jacaranda from ruin.’

  ‘I have plenty of ideas of my own, thank you, Aurelia,’ he said, walking away.

  Twenty-Nine

  Eloise and Theo met up with Gaby and Jerry at the Cabane du Mont Fort for lunch, an Alpine hut made of grey stone perched high on the mountain. It was too cold at this time of year to sit on the terrace so they stayed cosy inside, eating raclette and drinking wine.

  Eloise was thrilled to be able to take time off to ski, it was cold but sunny and the conditions were good. She was also pleased to see Gaby, feeling as responsible for her as she would for her own children, and to check she was all right.

  They’d chosen to meet here because Ken and Travis – if they did ski today – would not come this far, preferring to stay on the lower, more accessible slopes. They were not concerned about Pippa and Radley finding them if they should stop off here as they could trust them not to sneak on their whereabouts.

  ‘I don’t know exactly what they are planning to do about our adventure on Christmas Day, but I think they might try and make trouble,’ Theo said, his young face taut with despair.

  Eloise was afraid that Debra and Ken might make much of Jerry being led into possible danger, having never been to Verbier before and therefore reliant on Theo to keep him safe. If they did take some sort of action, Eloise would stand up for him. Theo had warned them to wait awhile after the snowboarders had gone down, but Jerry had not listened and shot off. Any adverse action would generate bad publicity for Jacaranda and, whatever the outcome, any legal dealings would cost Lawrence a fortune.

  This morning Travis had asked to speak to Lawrence, and the two of them had been cosseted in his office for some time. Eloise, putting on her boots in the hall, had seen Ken prowling round the living room while Debra sat at the desk, mesmerized with her laptop. Lawrence, perhaps suspecting that Debra would make a thing of it, had told Theo and Eloise they could ski until after lunch and if Ken and Travis wanted to go out he could drop them down later at Medran. Eloise guessed he wanted them both out of the way while he heard what Debra and Ken planned to do. Neither she nor Theo had mentioned they were meeting up with Jerry and Gaby.

  ‘They can’t make a case if I don’t agree to it,’ Jerry said now. ‘It is just one of the hazards of skiing. As far as I know, we didn’t cross any barriers, and other people were skiing there. We’re alive, uninjured.’ He lifted his arms as if to prove it.

  Gaby, who was still subdued, stayed silent, but the glance she gave Eloise said it all. It wasn’t going to be as easy as that. These people worked their guts out to make money and took advantage of every chance that came their way to make even more.

  Vera had been the most strident in her condemnation of them. ‘I know this sort,’ she said, her mouth twisting as if it was tainted with something sour. ‘They spend a lot of money to come here and they can’t get the chalet they want, so if they sue they get the money back, have a holiday for free.’

  ‘But if it hadn’t happened they wouldn’t have had anything to make trouble over,’ Eloise argued and then said no more as Theo appeared, hungry as always, for a snack.

  Eloise roused herself now as their meal came, raclette, warm and filling on such a cold day.

  ‘But they don’t know where you are,’ Theo said to Jerry, ‘and they might start something about the avalanche without talking to you first.’

  ‘I’ll contact them.’ Jerry leant over and took one of Gaby’s hands, smiling at her. ‘Debra wanted to send Gaby back home, she doesn’t approve of our relationship, thinks Gaby too young.’ He smiled at her as if he obviously thought it a joke. ‘So we escaped; we need a bit of time together, alone. But I will get in touch with them, tell them I’ll have no part in trying to make something of it; they weren’t there, they don’t know what happened.’

  Eloise felt a little comforted by this, but she could not help noticing how withdrawn Gaby was. Her hand lay like a trapped bird in Jerry’s. Perhaps she had been severely traumatized by the avalanche, but would she not then have wanted to go home away from such dangers?

  They finished their lunch; Gaby ate well, so perhaps she was just tired and hungry. Eloise and Theo had to get back to the chalet and she managed to snatch a brief moment with Gaby while the men were studying a map of the ski routes pinned on the wall.

  ‘Are you all right, Gaby, you seem to be very quiet,’ Eloise asked.

  Gaby smiled weakly, ‘I suppose I deserve it, but I feel I’m trapped with Jerry. After the avalanche and realizing that I couldn’t carry on with him, I thought I’d back off, finish it, stop taking his money, but he won’t listen. He says he loves me and it’s only because I’m younger than him and involved with my studies that I don’t feel ready to get too serious and settle down.’ She bit her lip. ‘He says he understands that. He wants to help me get my degree and he thinks I’ll come to love him more as I mature. I’ll always care for him but not as he wants. I know I should have gone home, only Mum and the boys are with Roger and I hate it there and don’t want to be home on my own. Anyway,’ she gave a little laugh, ‘I do love skiing and I haven’t been for ages.’

  ‘Oh, Gaby.’ Eloise squeezed her hand. She’d changed her mind about her opinion of Jerry. Her firs
t impression was of him being a man overpowered by his aunt – Debra was what her father called a ‘ball breaker’, a woman who emasculated men – but he seemed different when he got away from her and could joke around with Theo. Perhaps he simply needed Gaby, wanted someone kind who depended on him. The avalanche had scared them all, thrust them into the cold, stark reality of life and death and perhaps made him more determined to hang on to Gaby, who he was obviously besotted with. But Gaby, being so much younger, understandably felt trapped and even guilty.

  ‘He’s twelve years older than me, and although I enjoy being with him, I don’t want to be with him all the time, I want to hang out with my own friends.’ She looked anguished. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

  Theo and Jerry were now returning to the table.

  ‘Perhaps suggest a few weeks’ break from each other,’ Eloise said quickly, ‘time apart sometimes puts things in perspective.’ There was no chance to say any more but she hugged Gaby tightly, urging her to keep in touch. She worried how it all might turn out, but underneath it all she felt that Gaby was strong enough to make the right decisions in the end.

  Time was marching on, so Theo and Eloise skied quickly down, not stopping to chat. Not until they were both in the jeep on their way back to Jacaranda did Theo say, ‘What will happen to Dad and Jacaranda if they do make a fuss? What if Debra makes Radley write something in one of his magazine that puts people off coming to us?’

  ‘Let’s wait and see if it happens,’ Eloise said, a knot tying itself tight inside her as she considered the possibility. But whatever happened, it was out of her control; she was going home herself very soon, when the next chef Lawrence had booked arrived to take over. The thought tightened the knot. She didn’t want to leave, she wanted to stay here. Despite the real concern of avalanches, a lurking ex-husband and a scheming woman, she had felt happy and safe.

  Only Vera was at the chalet when they got back.