The little girl threw her arms around her mother and hugged her. As she did so, Zoë felt a distinct tug at the heartstrings. There was no getting away from it – she wanted one of these.
‘Night, night, Mummy. I love you.’
Zoë took Bella’s hand and they turned to leave. As they did so, Lorna reappeared at the next table, accompanied by two large men in dark blue suits. As Zoë and the little girl walked past, she saw Ron being dragged unceremoniously out of the room. She spared a thought for Lorna, who had just discovered – not for the first time in her life – that a man had taken advantage of her. She resolved to sit down with her as soon as Mandy relieved her from her babysitting duty.
Zoë and Bella took the lift up to the top floor and walked along the corridor to Martin and Mandy’s room. Unsurprisingly, the reception desk up there wasn’t manned and Zoë wondered for a moment whether Erika would make an appearance in Grant’s bed later on. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she shook it away impatiently. Grant was well and truly out of her life now.
She supervised Bella’s trip to the bathroom and her change into pyjamas, listening to the non-stop chatter from the excited little girl about all the presents she was hoping Santa Claus would bring. Once she was safely settled down, with just the bathroom light shedding light into the room, Zoë took a seat alongside the bed. No sooner had she sat down than a little voice came from under the covers.
‘Tell me a story, Zoë… please.’
‘What sort of story? Have you got a book somewhere?’
‘I know all the stories in the books. Can’t you just make one up? Please, please, please?’
‘All right, I’ll do my best, but it won’t be as good as your normal stories.’
Zoë settled back in her chair and did a bit of thinking. She had never been asked to make up a bedtime story before, so she took refuge in dim memories from her own childhood.
‘Do you know the story of the Ugly Duckling?’
‘Sort of…’
‘Well, you see, there once was an Ugly Duckling. He lived beside a lake with the rest of his family. He had six brothers and sisters and they were all a lovely soft fluffy yellow colour, while he was a dirty grey colour.’
‘Why was he dirty grey?’
‘Shh, you just try to go to sleep and I’ll explain.’
Zoë carried on with her tale, realising that just about all she remembered of the story was that the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan at some stage. As Bella had been skating on the frozen lake that morning, she set the story here in Bad Bergstein, adding a number of familiar characters, such as Georg the waiter, Big Max, and Arnie the dog. As Bella’s eyes closed, the story came ever closer to home. The Ugly Duckling’s father slipped and broke his wing, but he got better, and the ducklings all ended up at a grand ball given by the handsome Prince Charming. It was while describing events at the ball that everything got a bit confused and the Ugly Duckling ended up turning into Prince Charming. Fortunately, though, by this point Bella had fallen fast asleep and Zoë let her voice drop to a whisper and then fade out.
Silence descended upon the room. She leant back and relaxed, revisiting in her head the sensations she had felt down in the ballroom. There was no getting away from it – the sight of all these happy people in their family groups had stirred a feeling of loneliness in her. Prince Charming hadn’t shown up at the Ball, so sooner or later, she would have to start looking, or face the prospect that so haunted Lorna – growing old alone. She sighed to herself.
And as if that weren’t enough, it now looked pretty certain that her return to London would mean unemployment – or at the very least a serious dressing-down by her boss and a big setback to her career. She knew she had done the right thing, but the thought of what was to come further served to dampen her spirits.
Her introspection was interrupted by a quiet knock at the door. She tiptoed across and opened it to find Mandy outside.
‘Did she behave herself? Is she asleep?’
‘Yes to both. I told her a story and she fell asleep before I got to the end – which is just as well as I’m not sure I knew how it was going to end.’
Mandy came into the room. ‘What was the story about?’
‘Sort of a cross between the Ugly Duckling and Prince Charming.’
A smile spread across Mandy’s face. ‘I think we both know who that is, don’t we?’
‘Do we?’
Mandy nodded. ‘Think about it.’ She grinned. ‘Now listen, I’m desperate to go to the loo, so you get off and enjoy the rest of the night. Thank you so much, Zo… for everything.’ She kissed Zoë on the cheek and pushed her gently out of the room.
Chapter 18
When Zoë got back downstairs, the oompah band had just reached the end of their last set and the DJ was playing a slow number. Couples were swaying about and to Zoë’s surprise and delight, in the midst of them she spotted Lorna, enveloped in the massive arms of none other than Big Max. They both looked happy and Zoë’s spirits rose at the sight of them together.
She took a seat alongside Juliet and pointed them out.
‘I see Lorna’s found a replacement for her photographer friend.’
‘Yes, she got him thrown out. Apparently he was a paparazzo, sent to spy on Billy.’
‘I don’t know about paparazzo – to me he’s just a scumbag.’
‘She said you knew him. How come he pitched up here?’
‘It’s my fault, I’m afraid.’
As they were on their own, Zoë went on to tell her the whole sad story. Juliet heard her out before passing judgement.
‘You don’t have anything to reproach yourself for. It’s not as if you invited him.’
‘I just shouldn’t have told anyone at work where I was spending Christmas.’
‘Forget it. There’s no harm done. And you’ve told your editor you’re not doing the article about Billy, so that’s fine. As for Lorna, the way she and Max are getting on, you never know, she may have found her Prince Charming after all.’
Zoë smiled. ‘Max is a really nice guy. Sort of a benevolent giant – not like the one in Jack and the Beanstalk.’
Juliet smiled back. ‘Have you been telling Bella fairy stories?’
‘Yes, but it wasn’t that one. The only one I could sort of remember was the story of the Ugly Duckling.’
‘Well we all know who that is, don’t we?’
‘We do?’
‘Just think about it, Zo.’
Zoë was reflecting when she felt a touch on her bare shoulder.
‘Hi, Zoë. I gather you’ve been doing your Mary Poppins act. All well with Bella?’
She looked up to see Billy smiling down at her.
‘She’s fast asleep. Mandy’s with her now.’
‘I’ll give her half an hour and then I’ll go up and relieve her.’ Juliet pointed across the room. ‘Martin appears to be having fun on the dance floor with Danni – even with his arm in a sling – but I’m sure he’d like a last dance or two with his wife before going to bed.’ She glanced up at Billy. ‘Come and sit down. You’ve been rushing around all night.’
Billy sat down gratefully opposite them and rested his elbows on the tabletop. He looked as if he was feeling a bit tired, but then, Zoë thought to herself, so was she. She wondered if she should say something about the Ron incident, but decided to leave it to a quieter moment. That way she would be able to explain the whole thing to him properly, and she owed it to him to do so. She yawned, checked the clock on the wall, and saw that it was only just past eleven, but the mountain air was taking its toll. At that moment, a waitress came past with a tray and Billy grabbed three glasses of Sekt off it.
‘Cheers, girls, and thanks so much for coming. Seeing you all again has made my year.’
As Zoë raised her glass and clinked it against his, she added her own thanks.
‘We’re the ones who should be doing the thanking. You’ve got a fabulous place here and you’ve bee
n so very generous.’ She felt her expression grow more serious. ‘This year’s been pretty terrible for me, and this week has been just the tonic I needed. And, more importantly, it’s finally provided me with closure on the whole sad Grant saga.’
Juliet reached over and took her hand. ‘Of course, it was exactly one year ago, wasn’t it?’
Zoë nodded. ‘Yup. This time last year I thought my world had ended. I cried and cried and cried. It’s taken time, but I’ve discovered that the world keeps on turning after all, and now finally – thanks to Billy – the future looks a whole lot brighter.’
Billy took hold of her other hand. ‘If I’ve been able to help in any way, Zoë, I’m glad. Your happiness means a lot to me.’
At that moment Daniela reappeared, followed by Martin. Zoë pulled her hand away from Billy’s and looked up at them.
‘Hi, you two. You look hot.’
As they both collapsed into chairs, Daniela replied, ‘I’m worn out. I haven’t danced so much for months, years.’
‘So you don’t feel like coming for a dance with me now?’ Billy pushed his glass across to her. ‘Here, have a drink.’
‘Thanks, Billy, but I’ve drunk enough wine tonight – and I’m certainly too exhausted to think about dancing for a bit. In fact I know exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to go and get myself a big glass of water. Dance with somebody else. Zoë looks the freshest of the bunch. Zoë, go and dance with my husband, would you?’
As Danni got to her feet and set off in search of water, Billy looked across the table at Zoë again.
‘Fancy it, Zoë? You’re not too tired, are you?’
For a moment Zoë thought about taking refuge in tiredness, but then decided that as it had been Billy’s wife who had suggested they dance, she couldn’t be harbouring any feelings of jealousy, so she smiled back at him and nodded.
‘I’d be delighted, Billy.’
They went out onto the dance floor and she was soon enjoying herself. It gradually dawned on her that here she was, in the middle of happy, smiling people, and she wasn’t on her own. All right, she only had Billy on loan for a few minutes, but it felt great to be dancing with a good guy – even if he was already spoken for.
After a while, the music slowed and Billy caught hold of her, pulling her close. She felt his hands on her waist and she reached up, placing her arms loosely around his neck. As the music played, she rocked gently against him, and a feeling of belonging and happiness spread through her. Now that the Grant business was finally laid to rest, she was really pleased to be here, and she owed Billy a lot. She raised her eyes and saw him looking down at her. She smiled up at him, and he smiled back.
‘I’m glad to see you looking happy, Zoë. Really pleased.’
‘I am, Billy, and it’s down to you.’
‘Like I said before, your happiness means a lot to me.’ He looked and sounded as if he meant it.
There was something in his tone that reminded her she had to talk to him about the necklace. They were hardly in private here, but she took a stab at it anyway.
‘Billy, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. It’s about the necklace – that lovely necklace you gave me. You do understand why I can’t accept it, don’t you?’
Seeing a strange expression in his eyes, she did her best to explain without hurting his feelings.
‘Something like that’s a very special, very intimate gift. It’s terribly generous of you, but it’s not the sort of thing I could possibly accept from you. You must understand, surely? You’re a married man now, Billy, and you’re not like Grant. You’re a good guy, and good guys don’t give gorgeous gold necklaces to girls who aren’t their wives. You do get that, don’t you?’
To her surprise, she saw him smile, and she definitely felt his arms tighten a little around her waist.
‘Zoë, you’re a wonderful girl. How on earth did you end up with somebody like Grant?’
‘I’ve spent twelve months asking myself that, Billy. Love’s a funny thing.’
He nodded, his head almost touching hers as he did so. ‘It certainly is, Zo. It certainly is.’ She felt what might have been the softest of kisses on her forehead before he relaxed his grip around her waist and drew back.
‘Anyway, Zoë, if you’ve got the energy for an hour or two on the slopes tomorrow morning before lunch, maybe you’ll allow me to try to explain why I really want you to have that little gift and why I think it’s right that you take it.’
‘But it isn’t, Billy…’
‘Come skiing with me in the morning and hear me out. If you still don’t want to accept it, I promise I won’t argue. All right? How does meeting in the lobby at ten tomorrow morning sound?’
‘It’s a date – but you won’t get me to change my mind.’
‘So be it, but at least we’ll be able to ski together, and I’m looking forward to that. I’ve enjoyed being with you this week – a lot.’
* * *
Zoë finally made her way up to bed around one o’clock. By that time most of the other guests – including Lorna and Max – had also disappeared, and it was quietening down. As she was leaving the ballroom with Juliet, her friend reached across and nudged her in the ribs.
‘Well, well, well… Do you see what I see?’
Zoë followed the direction of Juliet’s gaze. There on the far side of the dance floor was none other than Grant, wrapped in a passionate embrace with some unknown woman in a silver dress. She harrumphed quietly to herself, but she was smiling as she turned back to Juliet.
‘That’s very kind of him. He’s obviously going out of his way to prove to me that I made the right decision in telling him to take a hike.’
Back in her room, she slipped off her heels and sat down heavily on the bed, wiggling her toes in relief. She really wasn’t used to wearing this sort of stuff. She stretched and leant back on her elbows, revisiting the evening in her mind. Apart from the Ron incident and his confirmation that she was in the doghouse with Damien, it had been fun, and the sensation of loneliness that had struck her at one point had been swept away by the sheer kindness and affection showered upon her by Billy – married man or not. She looked forward to skiing with him again in the morning and was determined to get him to understand why she couldn’t accept the necklace.
She pulled herself to her feet and stepped out of her dress, hanging it meticulously in the wardrobe. She unclipped her little pine marten necklace and laid it on the table. As she did so, she glanced at her skiing jacket. On an impulse, she opened the side pocket and removed Billy’s necklace in its packet. She unwrapped it again, opened the box and took it out, holding it up in front of her, studying the exquisite detail of the jeweller’s art. She undid the clip and put the gold chain round her neck, letting it hang against her skin. It really did look wonderful and she would have so loved to keep it, but she knew she couldn’t. Billy had said his new-found air of sophistication was only a veneer, and this present to a woman who wasn’t his wife was an example of how naïve he still was. Regretfully she took it off again, replaced it in its box and wrapper, and returned it to her jacket pocket in readiness for the morning.
She was just coming out of the bathroom in her pyjamas when her eyes strayed to the sofa.
‘Bugger! The presents.’
She had completely forgotten that she had to make her own delivery on behalf of Santa Claus to the tree in the private lounge, in readiness for what would no doubt be an early-morning assault by little Bella. She pulled on her bathrobe and slippers and packed as many of the presents as she could into a plastic bag, balancing the remainder in her arms. Then she let herself out of the door and made her way gingerly down the empty corridor towards the lounge.
It was just as she reached the empty reception desk opposite the lift that Clumsy Lumsey, her innate clumsiness, struck yet again. She felt one of the loose presents move and tried to catch it, but the next thing she knew, she had dropped the lot, some of them rolling under the glass and steel scree
n of the desk.
Cursing to herself, she set about picking them up. Fortunately, nothing appeared to be broken. After retrieving the presents lying in the corridor, she squeezed behind the reception desk and scrabbled around on her hands and knees, locating and collecting the others. It was while she was doing this that she heard a noise. She looked up – concealed by the screen and the miniature Christmas tree on the counter – and saw Grant’s door open. Instinctively she crouched lower, peering out from among the tinsel garlands of the tree. To her surprise, she saw Erika emerge, bright red in the face. As she knelt in her hide, feeling like a hunter in the jungle, totally absorbed by the scene unfolding before her, she saw the receptionist spin round on her heels and lunge back into the room with one hand. There was the sound of a hefty slap, then the girl turned and came marching down the corridor towards the lift.
Zoë hastily ducked right down behind the counter in case she should be spotted, but Erika had other things on her mind. Quite unaware of Zoë’s presence, she could clearly be heard muttering and fuming to herself as she waited for the lift to arrive. The doors closed behind her and Zoë found herself smiling. That was definitely karma. You got what you paid for in this life. She herself had never slapped Grant, but she had to admit that it had sounded good.
She reached into the half-open door of a wall cupboard, located the last two presents, which had somehow rolled in there, and stuffed then into the pocket of her bathrobe. She was just about to get to her feet again when she heard the pinging sound that announced the arrival of the lift. As she was in her pyjamas, she ducked down behind the desk once more as the doors opened, resisting the urge to giggle at the thought that this was turning into a farce. Squinting through the branches of the Christmas tree once again, she saw Lorna and Max come out into the corridor. They were wearing their coats and had evidently been for a walk outside. Lorna’s room was right beside the lift, and Zoë saw her open the door and then turn towards Max with a smile.
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