Christmas in Chamonix

by Christmas in Chamonix (retail) (epub)

  ‘I’ll let you all know nearer the time about your outfits.’ Elodie consulted her fluffy white notepad. ‘I am also arranging a staff Christmas lunch. No guests.’

  Everyone visibly brightened at this news.

  ‘It will take place at Le 3842 on the Sommet de l’Aiguille du Midi. Stunning views, delicious food and they have a special Christmas menu.’

  ‘It’s lovely there,’ Imogen whispered to Lily. ‘You’ll love the food.’

  Lily bit her lip. This was the restaurant attached to ‘Step into the Void’ where she and Luc had been the other day. It could only be reached by cable car, but Lily had a bad feeling about the way Elodie was smirking. Mostly in her direction.

  Elodie continued. ‘We will obviously reach the restaurant by cable car, but we will ski most of the way back down. For anyone who is brave enough, do not drink too much! The plan is to hike 150 metres across the ridge line. This takes you directly to the Vallée Blanche. Not for the faint-hearted! It is very, very high and there are ropes to hang onto, but it’s a sheer drop. Once we’ve taken a group photo – I have my selfie stick ready – we will put our skis and snowboards on and off we go. It’s an off-piste, unmarked route, but it’s not that difficult.’ She threw a glance at Lily. ‘So if you have a fear of heights, you have two weeks to get over it.’

  ‘Cool!’ Ollie said enthusiastically. ‘Can’t wait.’

  He wasn’t alone. All the seasoned skiers and snowboarders in the room – i.e. all of the staff – looked as though Christmas had come early.

  Lily gulped. Then seethed inwardly. Why on earth had Elodie arranged something so challenging? Lily didn’t want to be arrogant about this because maybe it had nothing whatsoever to do with her, but she couldn’t help thinking that Elodie had arranged this Christmas lunch to alienate her. It felt like it was meant to exclude her from a social event that she would desperately love to attend, either because her skiing wouldn’t be up to it or her fear of heights might hold her back.

  She felt Luc’s gaze on her and even though he looked concerned, she stuck her chin in the air. For all she knew, Luc and Elodie had arranged this together. Lily felt close to tears, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe Elodie wasn’t bullying her, but it did feel that way. Lily told herself she was being silly. This was probably what the staff always did and she was taking it personally. Surely Elodie must have far better things to do than organise a lunch designed to exclude or humiliate Lily.

  ‘One other thing,’ Elodie lowered her notepad. ‘Marc has some updates on the issues my father mentioned at the last staff meeting before his accident. But I have one other complaint to bring up.’

  Everyone waited.

  ‘A guest has complained about a massage they had.’

  Lily looked at Imogen, who seemed equally flabbergasted. No way. She had never had a complaint from a client in her life. She was professional to the hilt at all times and she loved her job. Lily felt her cheeks flaming. And why on earth wasn’t Elodie speaking to her about this in private? Why was she belittling her in front of everyone?

  Lily steeled herself. ‘Who made the complaint?’ she asked, hoping to God her voice sounded steady.

  ‘Madame Argent,’ Elodie said, staring Lily down.

  Madame Argent. Lily stared back at Elodie, not shying away for a second. Madame Argent was a kindly old lady from Biarritz who had come with her husband to Chamonix so that he could ski and she could shop, go on a few walks and have spa treatments. They came once a year together and made the most of it.

  Madame Argent had waxed lyrical about Lily’s massages, effusive in her open and frequent praise. She had booked a massage every single morning for the entire week and a half they had been there. Madame Argent had also presented Lily with a gift of some beautiful hand creams when they had left, kissing both her cheeks warmly. They wouldn’t be back until the following December, either, making it a very difficult accusation to prove.

  Lily knew in her heart of hearts that Madame Argent hadn’t made a complaint. She had genuinely enjoyed her massages and Lily knew if a client wasn’t happy with what she was doing, because she checked throughout. Pressure, the type of massage, even the oil. Lily often got clients to smell the aroma of the oils before she even applied them, as some clients had an aversion to certain scents like ylang-ylang. Madame Argent liked gentle strokes, except on her shoulders where she carried all her tension, a lavender-based oil and, randomly, but because she was a very cool sixty-year-old – Ibiza classics in the background by request.

  ‘What did she say?’ Lily asked frostily, knowing she needed to stand her ground.

  ‘Apparently, the pressure wasn’t right, and you rushed her through her massages,’ Elodie said, without referring to her notepad.

  ‘That’s ridiculous!’ Imogen cried, unable to help herself. ‘Absolutely ridiculous. Lily never rushes a massage and she always asks if the pressure is right. Madame Argent loved Lily. She gave her a present when she left and she—’

  ‘Are you calling me a liar?’ Elodie gave Imogen an odious glare.

  Imogen stared back as if to say ‘if the cap fits, wear it’.

  ‘Madame Argent loved her massages,’ Lily stated simply. ‘I would know if my client wasn’t happy. Perhaps there has been some mistake.’ She sounded sane and calm, but inside, she wanted to cry with frustration and outrage. What was Elodie trying to achieve with this? It was unprofessional. She glanced at Luc. He looked furious, but Lily had no idea why. Was he cross with Elodie? Or did he think it was right for Lily to be punished?

  ‘Well, I can assure you that she did complain,’ Elodie snapped. ‘I have it in writing if you’d like to see it.’

  ‘Yes please,’ Lily said confident, that no letter of complaint would ever be produced. ‘Photocopy it and hand one out to everyone. Then let’s call Madame Argent and ask her too.’

  ‘I think perhaps this should be discussed in private,’ Marc interjected, bringing the talk to a close. ‘Elodie, Lily, book a meeting to discuss this later please.’ He frowned, looking extremely displeased with the confrontation. ‘To update you on the other unpleasant matters my father brought up, I’m pleased to say that no more money has been taken recently.’

  Everyone brightened. Some good news after Elodie’s horrible accusation.

  ‘All the bookings are going through efficiently. I am taking care to check every single one of them and man the desk more or less at all times now.’ Marc ran his hand through his hair distractedly, making it look uncharacteristically dishevelled. ‘But everything looks good. No one stepped forward and owned up, by the way.’ He eyed them carefully. ‘But I am taking it that being found out formally was enough. I hope that we can leave it there and I am happy to say no more about it assuming that it ends here.’

  There was a muffled silence, with a few whispers and comments, then everyone became quiet again.

  ‘That will be all,’ Marc said, taking his leave. Elodie shot out of the room after him, closely followed by Luc.

  Everyone gathered around Lily.

  ‘She has a bloody cheek,’ Imogen said furiously. ‘How dare she accuse you of that, Lil. And in front of everyone!’

  ‘What a bitch!’ Ollie agreed.

  ‘If she had picked anyone else,’ Lily said, ‘but not Madame Argent. She really loved her massages and gave me so much praise. I know she didn’t complain.’

  Imogen nodded. ‘I think she only picked Madame Argent because she comes once a year. Any other client might pop back in February or March for the next season, but not those two. They’re creatures of habit.’

  ‘Not nice to say it in front of everyone,’ Amelia commented with feeling. ‘She must have it in for you.’

  ‘I did think that with the staff lunch,’ Ollie offered. ‘That’s an ambitious route, even for the more advanced skiers and snowboarders. I’d offer to get you down, but after last time…’ He tailed off ruefully.

  ‘That’s OK,’ Lily told him, appreciating his loyalty. ‘I guess I’ll
just have to miss out. Two weeks isn’t enough for me to overcome my fear, or to learn to ski to that level. I’ll just have to miss it.’

  Imogen looked upset. ‘Oh Lily, no! Surely we can get you down that slope between us. Luc won’t let you be left out. I’m sure of it. Surely you could take the cable car back down again?’

  Lily didn’t know for sure. But she knew she would feel like a terrible failure if she had to do that when everyone skied down.

  ‘Where is Luc?’ Joe asked.

  ‘He ran after Elodie,’ Imogen said darkly. ‘Hopefully to slap her. Or kick her off a mountain.’

  Lily’s phone rang. It was Ivy. Lily was relieved to take the call and get out of the oppressive atmosphere of the staff room. Grabbing one of the staff jackets, Lily headed outside and sat on one of the benches outside the hotel. It overlooked the pool, which wasn’t being used much at this time of year, but the view of the pool with all the fairy lights around the fences and the backdrop of the mountains was absolutely breathtaking.

  ‘Ivy. How are you?’

  ‘Not too bad.’ Ivy sounded tinny, as though she was at home in her flat.

  Lily glanced at her watch. Ivy should be at work now. ‘Where are you?’

  ‘At home. Tummy ache.’

  Lily’s brow knitted. Ivy was never sick.

  ‘How are you? What’s happening in Chamonix?’

  ‘Ha. Not much.’ Lily gave her sister a quick rundown of the skiing, the hypnotherapy and everything else, ending with the recent staff meeting.

  ‘Oh dear. Sounds as though you’ve made an enemy in Elodie,’ Ivy commented. ‘Are her and this Luc an item?’

  ‘Probably,’ Lily commented gloomily. ‘There’s definitely something between them.’

  ‘Stay out of it then,’ Ivy said. ‘It’ll only cause you trouble otherwise.’

  ‘Yep.’ Lily’s heart sank, but she knew Ivy was right. There was nothing to be gained by getting close to Luc. As well as they got on, Elodie had clearly marked her territory and Lily wasn’t going to gain anything by stirring it up. It wasn’t as if Luc had made any kind of move on her anyway.

  ‘You like him.’ Ivy stated the fact.

  ‘I don’t know what I think of him.’

  ‘Yes, you do.’ Ivy sighed. ‘Oh Lily. Just be careful.’

  ‘I will.’ Thinking that she couldn’t feel much worse than she did right now, Lily bit the bullet. ‘How are things with you and Jamie?’

  There was a pause. ‘I’m not really sure.’ Ivy sounded miserable. Lily was certain Ivy’s tummy ache was more about Jamie than anything else. ‘I think he thinks I work too much.’

  ‘And do you?’

  ‘Probably, but we’re going through a really busy time at the moment. I have to be there all the time and it’s so hard juggling everything.’ Ivy sighed. ‘But I really like him.’

  ‘I know you do.’ Lily felt sorry for Ivy. She knew she was trying to have everything and was having a hard time pulling it off, but maybe she needed to think about what was important to her. If Lily had Jamie, she wouldn’t put work in front of him.

  ‘Have you… have you spoken to him?’

  Lily hesitated, but only for a second. ‘Yes, but only once. We text occasionally.’ That was stretching the truth a tad. They texted most days now, but Lily did her best to keep it brief.

  ‘Did he say anything about me? About us?’

  Lily pulled a face. How awkward. She didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to get involved. ‘Erm… kind of. Just that he doesn’t see you as much as he’d like to, I suppose.’

  ‘Oh God!’ Ivy sounded like she was going to cry. ‘I’m trying so hard, Lily. I really am. Maybe I’m just not cut out for a relationship.’

  ‘Don’t be daft. Of course you are. You’re amazing. And Jamie knows that.’ He must know that, Lily reasoned to herself. He wasn’t dumb or blind. Ivy was a catch. Maybe they weren’t suited for each other, but only time would tell on that front. And actually, for the first time, Lily wasn’t sure she wanted them to break up. Well, if they weren’t happy, of course, but not for her own personal gain.

  Lily sat and thought for a moment. How about that? How had that happened? She certainly hadn’t felt that way when she’d arrived in Chamonix. The change had clearly done her good. And it had nothing whatsoever to do with Luc. No. Yes. Maybe. Oh God.

  ‘I have to go. I have a work call coming through,’ Ivy said. ‘Sorry, Lily. I’ll call another time, but I’m glad you’re loving Chamonix.’

  ‘Bye, Ivy.’ Lily ended the call and sat for a moment watching her breath come out in little white puffs.

  So today she had learnt that Elodie was gunning for her and wasn’t afraid to show it, and that something had shifted in the way Lily felt about Jamie, but she wasn’t sure what. As for Luc… no, Lily was still none the wiser.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ‘And two, you’re aware of the room and you want to open your eyes…’ Bernadette brought Lily back from the hypnotherapy. ‘How do you feel?’

  ‘I feel OK,’ Lily said, stretching her fingers. She liked being in Bernadette’s room; it felt comfortable and calm and she liked the crackle of the roaring fire. ‘I still don’t feel myself lifting my arms or anything like that, but I believe you. If you say I’m doing it, I’m doing it.’

  ‘Sometimes it’s just a flicker of your little finger when I ask your subconscious for permission to talk to it.’

  Lily shook her head. She still didn’t understand how it all worked – all she knew was that it was working. She felt generally calmer, but especially on the slopes. The fear and anxiety hadn’t completely subsided, but it was manageable.

  ‘And how is the skiing?’ Bernadette asked. She went and fetched some of her special hot chocolate for Lily. It was indulgent and delicious, and it had become a little ritual of theirs after Lily’s hypnotherapy. As soon as Bernadette sat back down again, one of her cats jumped onto her lap and curled up in a fluffy, ginger ball.

  ‘The skiing is going well,’ Lily nodded. ‘I feel so much more confident. We’ve stuck to green runs so far, but we’re going higher and I feel OK with that.’

  ‘You can do it. You are lucky you have Luc helping you.’ Bernadette said this with an innocent face, but Lily was sure there was more to the statement.

  ‘He… told me about Anais,’ she said, feeling it was safe to bring up Luc’s sister with Bernadette.

  Bernadette’s eyebrows raised. ‘Did he? Such a sad business. I still miss her to this day. Well, Luc certainly trusts you, doesn’t he? He really doesn’t talk about her much. And certainly not with people he doesn’t know very well. Hasn’t known for that long,’ she corrected herself.

  ‘Maybe that’s why he felt he could talk to me,’ Lily wondered out loud. ‘Maybe it’s because I’m not involved in any way.’

  Bernadette disagreed. ‘No, Luc’s not really like that. He tends to only trust a few people, and the whole issue around Anais is very hard for him to talk about. He felt so responsible, as though he should have been able to stop it from happening. But of course, he couldn’t. When people take drugs…’ Bernadette tutted. ‘They are out of control sometimes. And only they can stop themselves from repeating those patterns.’

  ‘Yes. It’s such a shame that it’s affected his ability to enjoy Christmas too. But I totally understand.’

  ‘Perhaps it’s time for that to change?’ Bernadette suggested, stroking her ginger cat. He was called Jez. Luc had named him, apparently.

  ‘What, the Christmas thing?’ Lily was confused. ‘I’m not sure how.’

  ‘I think if Luc could see Christmas through someone else’s eyes, perhaps he could enjoy it again. And not think of Anais every time it gets to this time of year.’

  ‘Really?’ Lily sat up, feeling excited. ‘I mean, I love Christmas! Absolutely love it. I could… well, I don’t know anything about Christmas in France. There must be lots of traditions?’

  Bernadette smiled. ‘There are. But I can he
lp you with those.’

  Lily took another sip of hot chocolate. ‘Shall we do it? Is it worth a try?’ Her face fell. ‘There is always a chance that it might not work out, I guess. We might go to all this trouble and then it falls flat.’

  ‘Falls flat?’ Bernadette looked flummoxed. ‘Is that to do with skiing?’

  ‘No!’ Lily got up. ‘Falls flat means it didn’t work. Or the plan failed.’

  ‘Right.’ Bernadette lifted Jez up and put him on the sofa, still curled up in a ball. ‘I see. Well. I think we should get our heads together and see what we can come up with. Maybe it would do Luc’s parents good to step out of this horrible depression at Christmas time too. But we shall see. Maybe our plan will… fall flat, as you say.’

  Bernadette showed Lily out, arranging a time for their final hypnotherapy session as she did so.

  Lily stepped outside, as ever, feeling the sharp contrast of Bernadette’s warm, cosy home compared to the chilly air outside, as delicate snowflakes spiralled through the air. She was due back at the hotel shortly for a massage with Celine, oddly, but she was going to take her time strolling through Chamonix.

  It truly was picture-postcard pretty. Christmas card pretty, in fact. Every tree and monument was adorned with fairy lights that twinkled and shone and each shop had bright lights above it and more festive lights and decorations. The ground had a thick layer of snow on it and every surface had a good sprinkling as well, even the little street signs advertising shops and restaurants. The Christmas market was out in full force, the little huts dusted with snow, each one giving off a warm glow from the small heaters all the sellers used.

  How could she help Luc see the beauty of Christmas again? More to the point, how to do it without dismissing the terrible tragedy that had blighted it? It was going to be difficult and Lily wasn’t even sure she was doing the right thing, but if Bernadette – who knew Luc exceptionally well – thought it was a good idea, then Lily was going to trust her. Her phone rang; it was Jamie.