A Winter Affair Read Free

two of her best friends happened to ring her that evening and when she’d told them of this ‘mad’ offer she’d had, they’d encouraged her to take it. What fun to have an adventure in such a lovely resort while they’d be putting up with difficult in-laws in a dark and probably rainy climate where the only mountains would be the washing up. But now here without them, she wanted to go home.
    There was still time to escape, she could go to an airline desk and ask for a return ticket. Overcome with sudden panic, she almost turned to do so when she caught sight of a man, his face bronzed and eager, holding up a placard with her name on it. He looked so young, just like Kit, and tears rose in her, wishing it were him with Lizzie beside him, searching for her in the crowd. She’d told them she was coming out here for Christmas but kept from them her loss of confidence since the break-up of her marriage, not wanting them to worry and feel guilty at leaving her.
    â€˜Lucky you, shall we come and be kitchen maids, get in some skiing?’ Kit had said.
    â€˜You’d be a hopeless kitchen maid,’ she’d heard Lizzie say, ‘you’d be at the wine bottles, too pissed to be any help to anyone.’
    â€˜Speak for yourself,’ Kit had answered and she had imagined them ragging each other, pushing and shoving like two overexcited puppies, and how she yearned to be with them now instead of being here trying to pretend she was something she most definitely was not.
    But then she saw Theo, with his mop of blond curls, searching anxiously through the jostling crowd, thrusting up the placard with her name, Eloise Brandon, written in black felt-tip pen. She hovered uncertainly for a moment, struggling to resist an urge to turn and run. She glanced back at him and saw a small brown dog sitting by his feet looking hopefully at the people passing by. How could she be so selfish as to run away? She went over and said, ‘Theo, it’s me, Eloise.’
    â€˜Oh, great,’ he looked relieved and the little dog got up and sniffed her, wagging its tail. ‘This is Bert, hope you like dogs.’ Theo watched her warily.
    â€˜Yes, I do.’ She patted Bert, who rolled over on his back before jumping up and chasing his tail with excitement.
    â€˜Bert, stop showing off,’ Theo said affectionately. ‘Sorry he gets a bit hypo if he likes someone.’ He smiled, making her feel better. Perhaps it would be all right after all. ‘Let me take your case. Good flight?’ He took it from her and she guessed he was used to dealing with the guests who graced the chalet.
    â€˜Yes thanks. Have you guests at Jacaranda now?’ She wondered what they were eating if all the cooks had eloped with clients or been fired.
    â€˜They arrive tomorrow, we only had four people this week, I’ve just dropped them off here, and Dad… Lawrence,’ he grinned, ‘he is my Dad but he thinks it more professional if we don’t broadcast it about too much – he managed breakfast, but he had to buy in the dinner,’ he explained as she followed him and a bouncing Bert out into the car park and over to a midnight-blue mini coach with
Chic Chalet Parties
written in white along the side, the description refuelling her fears that she would not match up to Lawrence’s standards or those of his guests. Surely in her chain-store jeans, rose pink jersey and blue ski jacket she was not
chic
enough?
    Theo, seeing her expression, laughed, ‘Maddy, Desmond’s girlfriend, thought it up, but sadly she died before they could get the business going.’
    â€˜I remember her.’ Eloise thought back to the times when she and her parents and sister had come out here to stay at Jacaranda and Maddy had been there. She was such a warm and caring person, who lit up everywhere she went. Later, after her marriage, Eloise had come a few times with Harvey and the twins. The first