The Little Swiss Ski Chalet

by Julie Caplin

  Everything crystallised in her head, like a flower opening up to the sun. She’d crossed that damn bridge, and had reached happy island. ‘I want to open a little café here. I want to make cakes. Develop chocolate recipes. I want to experiment. Create new cakes. I want to live in Switzerland.’ She paused, the next sentence too impulsive even for her – as she realised she wanted to be with him – and instead she said, ‘I’d call it serendipity.’

  Luke raised an eyebrow, and if she hadn’t known him so well or be so attuned to him, in the way that she had since the very first day they’d met, she would have missed that tiny, imperceptible stiffening.

  Ignoring the tiny dart of disappointment that slipped straight and sure into her heart, she launched into logic. ‘It makes perfect sense. I could make the cakes for Amelie, which would lighten her load. That would save her loads of time in the mornings. I could provide lunches which would also save her work and I could help her in the chalet, so that she could have more time off. And it would cut down on the amount of shopping she had to do, because she wouldn’t need so much. I could pay her rent and she could use that to pay for more help as well.’

  ‘You’ve got it all worked out.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘In all of five minutes.’

  ‘Someone once said to me, “sometimes you just know”.’ Luke walked over to the window and studied the view, shoving his hands in his pockets. Mina felt a flicker of foreboding. Something wasn’t right. What had changed? The hunch of his shoulders made him appear distant and isolated, as if he were shutting the world out. Normally he welcomed the world in. It was one of things she’d noticed straight away about him. One of the things she’d liked most about him. That open, prepared-to-be-friends-with-everyone readiness. Mina often thought there were two types of people in the world, those that thought everyone was a potential foe, and those that believed everyone was a potential friend.

  ‘What about Amelie?’ he asked quietly. ‘She might not like you making these unilateral decisions on her behalf. Just because she’s ill doesn’t mean she’ll be happy with you deciding what’s best for her and her business.’ She flinched at the soft insistence in his voice. ‘People have a tendency to do that.’ His head shot up and gave her a sad smile. ‘They like to assume that they know better than you. That they know what you can and can’t cope with, without even doing you the courtesy of asking.’

  ‘Was that what people did to you?’ She swallowed.

  ‘Yes. Cancelled my university place, although in hindsight I would have been too ill to go. Moved house because it was closer to the hospital. Things were just done. No one ever thought to ask me what I thought. I know they were trying to do the right thing, and that makes it harder because then you look like an ungrateful, whinging, adolescent, hormonal sod.’

  Mina winced. She had made assumptions about Amelie, although it wasn’t because she thought she knew best. What she’d been trying to do was put forward a logical argument for her sudden impulsive idea. One that, now she’d come up with it, she desperately wanted to make happen. Maybe she should have slowed down and not let her enthusiasm and imagination get the better of her.

  ‘You’re right,’ she acquiesced quietly, a little bit ashamed of herself. He was right in one way; she was still too impulsive. She hadn’t thought before she spoke, just run her mouth off letting her enthusiasm race away with her like bolting horses. ‘But if I can’t do it here, then… then I’ll find somewhere else. Johannes already said that he’d employ me. Well,’ she qualified, ‘we were going to talk about it.’

  ‘Sorry, I was being a bit harsh.’ He moved across the room and took her in his arms and kissed the tip of her nose. ‘I love that you have this positive, can-do attitude. It is a great idea. You’ve described it perfectly. I can imagine sitting here with one of those glass mugs of hot chocolate piled with whipped cream and marshmallows and a big slab of chocolate cake. I’m just a bit off-balance today. Ignore me. Something has come up.’

  ‘I’m not sure I could ever ignore you,’ said Mina, reaching up and kissing him on the mouth. ‘But I think, now that I’ve calmed down a bit, Amelie might already have plans for this place. Someone’s made a start on insulating it.’

  Luke’s phone chose to beep at that moment and he pulled it out of his pocket wrinkling his nose. ‘Sorry, I need to return this call. I also need to make arrangements to get the Suitcase Train shipped. I’ll probably have to take it into Brig tomorrow. Do you mind if I leave you to it?’

  ‘No, problem. I’ll see you later.’

  She closed the shutter and listened to his receding steps. Now that she knew about his illness, a lot of comments over the last two weeks made sense. His positive, live-life-to-the-full attitude. She guessed if you’d had your life severely curtailed for a couple of years, you would want to make the most of every moment and every opportunity. It’s certainly what she would have done. Yesterday’s hospital visit must have triggered unpleasant memories. No wonder he was a bit sensitive – and if she was honest, she had been totally insensitive about poor Amelie. For all she knew, her godmother might want to sell up and take life more easily.

  But despite her resolution that she wouldn’t let herself get carried away before she’d spoken to Amelie, she couldn’t help thinking that this was the answer to everything she’d been looking for. She knew exactly what she wanted to do.

  At three o’clock she stood beside Johannes while he rang the hospital again.

  Halfway through the conversation with the nurse, he suddenly brightened. ‘We can speak to her. They’ve done the procedure and she’s sitting up in bed.’

  Suddenly he was shy and he handed the phone to Mina, his face turning pink.

  ‘Amelie?’

  ‘Mina. How are you?’

  ‘How am I? How are you?’

  ‘I’m fine. Stupid really. They put this stent thing in to widen an artery. Do you know they put it in through a vein in my wrist? Quite astonishing. And now I feel so much better. It’s like magic. And how is everything? How are the guests?’

  ‘Everything is fine. The guests all send their love.’

  ‘I’m so worried, they should have had lunch today. Not many would have gone out. And coffee.’

  ‘Amelie, it’s all fine. They had soup and bread for lunch. And I made coffee at eleven.’

  Her sigh of relief echoed down the phone and even Johannes, standing a foot to her right, smiled.

  ‘And I’ve done the bedrooms. Dave has made a wonderful cake. And I’m about to start cooking dinner. You mustn’t worry. Everything is under control.’

  ‘You are a treasure, Mina. And remember the guests. They need looking after. How are Dave and Sarah?’

  Mina laughed. ‘They are fine.’

  ‘Hmm,’ said Amelie. ‘And what about the new arrivals?’

  Mina gulped. ‘Yes. The new arrivals.’ Shit, they would be arriving in… she glanced at her watch. Oh shit, two hours.

  ‘Remember Kristian needs keeping an eye on, and the Italian family are back, and of course you know Bernhardt. It’s all in the book.’

  ‘Don’t worry. It’s all under control. Now do you need anything? Johannes is going to come visit this evening. I’m sorry, I’m not sure I can cook dinner and come see you. Will you mind?’

  ‘No, no. I am happier knowing that my guests will be fed. You can call Franzi and Giselle.’

  ‘Yes, I’ll do that.’ Mina had never been more grateful that it was Saturday tomorrow, they couldn’t possibly have an exam.

  ‘Good. So Johannes is coming. Is he terribly worried?’ There was a tiny ripple of amusement in her voice.

  ‘Terribly,’ said Mina. ‘Although I’m not sure I can spare him, he’s been on fire duty.’

  Amelie laughed. ‘He does love looking after my fire.’

  Mina bit back a snigger at the unintentional double entendre, at least she thought it was unintentional – her godmother’s English was so good, it might not have been.

  ‘I’ll hand you ove
r,’ she said, giving the phone to Johannes, who immediately seemed to be tongue-tied. She patted him on the shoulder. ‘I’ll leave you to it.’

  Slipping out of the kitchen she went into the dining room, which promptly reminded her that the table needed laying for dinner. When she returned to the kitchen Johannes sat with a dazed expression on his face.

  Biting back a smile, Mina asked him what Amelie needed to be taken to the hospital, and had to laugh when he couldn’t remember a single thing she’d asked for.

  ‘Do you know where she keeps the keys for her apartment?’

  ‘There.’ He pointed to a bunch of keys hanging on the hook on the end of the dresser.

  ‘Would you like me to go and get some things for her?’

  He responded, nodding enthusiastically. ‘That would be… appropriate.’

  Dust motes leapt into the air, scared into action by the keys rattling in the lock, as Mina stepped into the silent apartment. It felt wrong to be entering Amelie’s space without her, even though she had permission. Of course, Mina’s curiosity couldn’t be contained, so she took a peep into the living room. With a small two-seater sofa, a solitary coffee table, and a virtually empty bookshelf, the room created a stark contrast with the cosy lounge in the chalet. Not a single picture hung on the walls, no cushions, no throws, which surprised Mina; it didn’t feel like Amelie at all. Puzzled, she walked into the centre of the room. It had the potential to be a beautiful room, with the lovely rosy wood-clad walls, the polished floorboards, and the wide windows.

  Then she realised Amelie had put all her energy into the chalet. That was her true home. Mina realised that her godmother probably never spent any time here. It strengthened her resolve to try and help. But mindful of Luke’s comments, she would approach it diplomatically. He’d clearly had a rough ride as a teenager, and the more she thought about it, the more she sympathised.

  When she moved into the bedroom, she immediately felt more comfortable when she spotted the selection of photographs on the dressing table, which included a couple of pictures of Mina and Hannah when they were younger, and a more recent one of Mina taken when she’d just completed a mini triathlon. In the picture she grinned up at the camera, holding her medal. Mina laughed out loud at her own image – a typical example of triumph over adversity. Despite never having done a triathlon in her life, or even attempted an open water swim, she signed up to the charity event because it sounded fun. She’d finished it, and wasn’t last. Next to that picture was a much larger silver frame with a photograph of her mother and Amelie, their arms slung around each other in a restaurant somewhere, huge smiles on faces lit up with genuine affection for each other. Mina wondered for the thousandth time how different her life might have been if her parents hadn’t been killed in that accident. Amelie had been good to her and Hannah. What would Miriam and Derek say if she decided to stay in Switzerland? Although set in their ways, they’d never held her or Hannah back. They’d always given them free reign, and gentle, understated support.

  Quickly and methodically, Mina gathered up clothes, a dressing gown, and toiletries, putting them all in a stylish navy leather holdall. On impulse, as she was locking up, she darted across the hallway to the other apartment. It was completely different from Amelie’s; the lounge and kitchen were open-plan with a small wood burner in the corner. Wide French windows opened on to a wide balcony filled with empty window boxes. The two first-floor apartments had been built into the slope just above the chalet, and so looked out over the roof of its neighbours, affording another wonderful view. Mina could immediately imagine living here, and wondered where the nearest Ikea was. With cushions, throws, and lights, it would be easy to make this room look really homely. The kitchen was a decent size and already contained a fridge, cooker, and microwave. But she needed to stop getting her hopes up: she had to speak to Amelie first.

  By the time Dave’s delicious Victoria sponge, sitting in lofty splendour on a cake stand, was ready to be served at four o’clock, Mina had got dinner under control, and couldn’t believe where the day had gone. She was a little nervous about the rosti potatoes because the only time she’d made them before at home, they’d been a little raw. Hopefully Amelie’s method using potatoes cooked the day before would be foolproof. Now all she had to do was greet the new arrivals and make sure they all felt welcome. Whether she could encourage everyone to mix over coffee and cake the way that Amelie did was another matter, but she was determined to do her best. There’d still been no word from Johannes, which was worrying her, and she wished she’d thought to ask for his mobile number or for the name of the hospital.

  She let Dave carry his latest masterpiece out from the kitchen, because quite frankly anyone whose sponge rose quite like that deserved every last bit of praise.

  Its arrival in the dining room was perfectly timed, as Sarah and her friends had just returned.

  ‘Wow, Dave, that’s a big one,’ said one of them.

  ‘Isn’t it just?’ said the other with a roguish snigger.

  Sarah, who was quite prudish, blushed and exchanged a private look with Dave that made everyone take a second look at him.

  Dave, quite unperturbed, grinned. ‘That’s what all my women say.’ He winked at Sarah, who ducked her head shyly and didn’t say another word.

  Mina hide a wry smile at the unexpected rise in Dave’s status. As the skiers shed their layers, she left him to serve the cake and coffee while she went to the little cubby hole in the reception area where Amelie did her admin. Thankfully she relied on pen and paper, and there was a good old-fashioned A4 desk diary with neat pencilled lines splitting each page into eleven sections, ten of which were the room numbers. To Mina’s utter relief the system was almost foolproof, and she could see exactly which rooms had been allocated to today’s new arrivals – thankfully all the rooms had been cleaned and made ready when people had departed earlier in the week. She could also see who was arriving and how long they were staying. The bookings for the weekend included Bernhardt and Kristian, who were sharing a room, a couple and their two children – who Mina thought must be the Italian family with the two teenagers, who’d been here last weekend – and one other couple. All that was quite straightforward. What wasn’t obvious was the annotations next to each name. AT, U, LC. Mina didn’t have a clue what they signified, least of all because they were probably in Swiss-German. There was no point even trying to fathom them out. She’d have to ask Amelie.

  Taking the keys for the rooms, she ran up the stairs and double-checked, just as Amelie always did, that they were clean and ready. To her relief they all looked pristine, and she sauntered down the stairs to find the Italian family group she’d met the previous weekend arriving.

  ‘Hello,’ she said, greeting them with a big smile. ‘Nice to see you again.’ She said a silent prayer in thanks for the way in which Amelie ensured everyone was introduced to each other during their stays. She was able to greet them with perfect friendliness.

  ‘Hello, Mina,’ said the father of the group. ‘Where’s Amelie?’

  ‘I’m afraid she’s not very well, so I’m standing in for her this evening.’ Before they could make any comment, she added, ‘Your rooms are all ready for you, and you have your usual ones, if that’s OK? Can I just ask you to sign in?’

  As they were regulars, they happily took their keys and headed up the stairs.

  Mina glanced at the desk diary and the initials and numbers next to the names. She’d worked out that the numbers related to how many times the guests had been before. Luke had stayed here a grand total of ten times, making him the most frequent guest. Bernhardt and Kristian six times. As for the initials, she suspected, given Amelie’s fussiness about who she allowed to stay, that they might be ratings on the guests themselves. What did they translate as? Next to Dave and Sarah’s names were the initials. BSH. Next to Kristian’s, BVH. And next to Luke’s, FM. A fanciful thought crossed her mind. For Mina?

  As she was studying the diary, the door opened,
bringing in a fresh set of faces, two of which were reassuringly familiar.

  ‘Mina,’ cried Kristian, and gave her a gangly wave, his long arm almost side-swiping Bernhardt next to him. ‘You’re still here.’ Like a small lumbering elephant, he dropped his boot bag and his overnight bag with a crash, making heads in the lounge on the other side of the fire turn.

  ‘Hello, Mina,’ said Bernhardt, a lot more calmly and smoothly, giving her a warm, appreciative smile. ‘Lovely to see you again.’

  They’d shared a taxi with the last of the arrivals, an English girl, Jane, and her French friend, Matilde. It was their third visit, and they were very sorry to hear about Amelie’s absence, as were the two men. Once they’d completed the paperwork, they all opted to leave their bags by the desk and join the others for cake. Jane and Matilde seemed, like most of the guests, quite happy to dive right in and join everyone in the lounge. Mina nodded to herself; Amelie had got the right recipe for success. She chose her guests well. How many visits were allowed before someone was accepted or blacklisted? It wasn’t exactly a sensible way to run a hospitality business but then, Mina realised with a sudden flash of insight, this was also Amelie’s home. She clearly didn’t use the apartment apart from for sleeping in. The chalet was her whole world. No wonder she only wanted nice people staying here.

  With everyone checked in, she joined everyone in the lounge and immediately noticed that Kristian was standing awkwardly with a plate of cake, eyeing it as if he were contemplating mounting an expedition to climb Everest. As well he might: Dave servings went beyond generous, and with the cherry filling oozing out, they definitely needed a dessert fork, as well as firm foundations for the bottom. He was on his own, as the French girl Matilde was happily chatting to Frank and Claudia, along with the Italian family, and Bernhardt talked to Dave and Sarah. Jane, the new arrival, had tucked herself into the corner nursing a cup of coffee.