A Slippery Slope (7 page)

CHAPTER NINE

Verity
was beginning to think she’d hit a nerve by asking Josh about the previous team
at
Chalet Marianne
. They hadn’t seen him since that day. She was going
to ask Etienne about it, but they hadn’t seen him either and that surprised her
even more. She was sure that he was attracted to Lucy and she wondered again
whether something had happened between the two of them on that second evening.

‘I’m surprised Etienne hasn’t stopped by,’ she said as she and
Lucy were making the last of the beds. ‘We haven’t seen him since they came for
dinner on Sunday night.’

Lucy shrugged. ‘He’s probably busy. I’m more surprised we haven’t
seen Josh since Monday at that restaurant. But I know he said he wanted to
visit all his other chalets so I suppose that’s why. I did think he’d come to
check everything was okay before the guests arrive tomorrow though.’

‘What happens about that? And yes, I did read the info pack where
it said that the guests are dropped here on Saturdays around four in the
afternoon, depending on flight times and traffic, but by whom? Etienne? Josh?
Or are the chalets booked via package companies? It didn’t mention that.’

Lucy shrugged again. ‘Jo told me that Josh has deals with a few
exclusive ski holiday companies but that some of the guests come independently.
It does say in the pack that we’ll be notified of alternative arrival times so
we’ll have to wait and see.’

‘At least everything’s ready for when they do arrive,’ Verity said
as they made their way downstairs. ‘I’m a little nervous to be honest. What if
they’re all lager louts or stuck up snobs or worse still, miserable gits.’

‘I hope you’re not referring to me.’

Verity nearly jumped out of her skin and even Lucy was surprised
when they turned the bend of the stairs and found Josh standing in the hall.

‘No. But we were talking about you a few minutes ago,’ Verity
said, blushing. ‘We were wondering how the guests would be arriving tomorrow.
You’ll be pleased to hear that everything is ready. Lucy has planned some
wonderful menus. Would you like to see them?’

‘Lucy? Oh, you’re the cook Verity, and Lucy is the planner, is
that right?’

‘Um ... not exactly.’ Verity wondered if she should simply own up.
It was too late for him to sack her now, with guests arriving in less than
twenty-four hours.

‘We share all the duties,’ Lucy added, smiling sweetly. ‘We were
just about to make some coffee. Would you like some? I’ve ... we’ve made a
delicious chocolate and orange cake.’

Josh looked tempted. ‘I can’t stop now, I’m afraid. I just dropped
by to check you were both okay and that you didn’t need anything. I’ll be
dropping off the first batch of guests tomorrow. They’re all regulars and
Etienne will be taking them out every day as they’re all expert skiers. It
should be a pretty easy first week for you.’

‘You don’t know how pleased I am to hear that,’ Verity said. ‘I
was just saying to Lucy that I feel a little nervous – but I suppose I
shouldn’t have told you that, should I?’

Josh laughed and Verity wished she could think of something to
make him stay, even if only for a few minutes.

‘I have complete confidence in both of you, and from what I’ve
seen so far, Verity, I’d be amazed to find there was anything that could faze
you. Anyway, call me if you need me. My home and mobile numbers are in the info
pack. I assume you’ve read it?’

‘Were we supposed to?’ Verity teased. She could see by the look in
Josh’s eyes that he was joking. He obviously took it for granted that they had.

‘Yes. And there’ll be a test later. I must dash.’ He turned and
walked towards the door, hesitated, and looked back. ‘Actually, talking of
later, Etienne and I could pop round for a quick drink this evening to sort of,
launch your chalet hosting season – unless you have plans.’

‘No. We have no plans, do we Lucy? We were just going to have a
quiet night by the fire so yes, please do pop in. That’s okay, isn’t it?’
Verity glanced at Lucy.

‘Yes. That would be great. We haven’t seen Etienne for days. I’ll
cook supper if you like. Just something simple.’

‘It’s a date,’ Josh said. ‘Oh, I don’t mean
a date
kind of
date. I ... I just ... you know what I mean. Bye.’

‘He actually blushed!’ Lucy said with a grin when he’d shut the
front door behind him. ‘And he’s not the only one!’ She cast a worried look at
Verity. ‘Is there something you’d like to tell me, Mum?’

Verity sighed. ‘Unfortunately not,’ she said, strolling into the
kitchen for her well-earned coffee break.

***

‘I’m sorry I haven’t seen you all week,’ Etienne said. ‘I’ve been
helping Josh with some stuff at one of the chalets, and showing a new ski guide
the ropes.’

‘Don’t you mean pistes?’ Lucy joked, grabbing glasses from the
shelf for the champagne Josh had brought.

Etienne beamed at her. ‘Mais oui! How’s your week been? You’ve
been hitting the slopes every day, haven’t you?’

‘Good, thanks. Yeah, we’ve done quite a bit and Mum’s skiing is
brill so we’ve marked a few trails off piste too, which–’

‘You shouldn’t go off piste without me!’ Etienne snapped. ‘Or
without one of the guides anyway.’

 ‘No, you shouldn’t!’ Josh agreed. ‘Next time you want to do that,
please ask one of us to go with you.’

‘But we did have a guide!’ Verity said. ‘Mathieu ... something or
other. I forget his surname. Tall, muscular, fair-haired – a bit like you,
Etienne.’

Etienne and Josh exchanged anxious looks.

‘Mathieu Deschamps?’ Josh asked.

‘That’s him!’ Verity said. ‘Is he a friend of yours?’

‘No!’ Josh and Etienne said in unison.

‘Why did you ask him to guide you? Did he know you are working for
Josh?’ Etienne asked.

‘We didn’t,’ Lucy said. ‘He came and talked to us the other day.
That day we saw you actually, Josh. Monday. Anyway, he offered to take us out
the next day.’

‘And he did,’ Verity added. ‘He ... he seemed very nice.’ She
noticed the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped a few degrees.

‘He may seem it but he’s not,’ Josh said. ‘If you’ll take my
advice you’ll stay away from him.’

‘Why? What’s he done?’Lucy asked but Josh just shook his head as
if the subject were closed.

‘He ... reckless,’ Etienne said. ‘And he’s got a bad reputation
where women are concerned. Let’s leave it at that.’

‘Thanks, Etienne,’ Lucy said, ‘but I think Mum and I can look
after ourselves. And the last man who tried it on with Mum seriously regretted
it – once he got up from the floor, that is.’

‘What’s this?’ Etienne asked, his mood lightening considerably.
‘Don’t tell me you’re a black belt in karate or something, Verity?’

Verity felt the colour rush to her cheeks. ‘Nothing of the sort.
But I can handle myself and so can Lucy.’

Etienne grinned. ‘We’d better be careful then hadn’t we, Josh?’

Josh merely nodded. He had a far-away look in his eyes.

‘Let’s eat,’ Lucy said in an obvious attempt to change the
subject.

Nothing more was said about Mathieu Deschamps. Etienne told them
about the new ski guide, François, and Josh went over the procedure for getting
guests settled in. Most of it was in the information pack so it was just a
matter of confirming that they were both on the ‘same page’. Verity noticed
Josh glancing in her direction several times but he seemed rather aloof and she
wondered if it was because of the outing with Mathieu. She tried to bait him
more than once, in a friendly manner, but he just smiled and let the comments
go.

This time, it was Verity who yawned.

‘We’re keeping you up,’ Etienne said. ‘We’d better go and let you
get some sleep. You’ve got a busy day tomorrow, girls.’

‘Is something the matter, Josh?’ Verity asked when he stood up to
leave.

‘No,’ he said distractedly. ‘We should be here around four
tomorrow but I’ll call if we’re delayed. Call me if you need anything.’

‘We will,’ she said as they all walked to the front door.

Josh followed Etienne out but he seemed to hang back as if he had
something else to say. He finally reached his car and Verity was about to close
the door when he spoke:

‘I can’t tell you what to do or who to spend your time with,
obviously, but please take care with Mathieu. Things aren’t always as they seem
as I’m sure you’re well aware. Goodnight.’

‘We will, Josh, but …’

There was no point in continuing. Josh had got in the car and
started the engine. He drove off without a backward glance.

‘What the hell was that about?’ Lucy asked as Verity shut the
front door. ‘You’d think they’d give us a better reason than “He’s reckless.
And he’s got a bad reputation where women are concerned.” We’re not bloody
Victorians. And as for “Things aren’t always as they seem,” what does that
mean?’

‘It’s all very odd,’ Verity said. ‘And Josh seemed really concerned.
They both did. I bet Mathieu ‘stole’ their girlfriends or something and Josh
and Etienne are still upset about it. You know what men are like.’

Lucy shrugged. ‘I suppose so. The silly thing is though, by sort
of telling us not to see Mathieu but not really explaining why, it just makes
me want to see him all the more to find out.’

Verity sighed. ‘I know exactly what you mean. And I’d still like
to know why the previous chalet girls left. I’m sure there’s more to that story
than Josh is saying. Perhaps the two things are connected in some way.’

‘I bet we’ll be disappointed when we do find out,’ Lucy quipped.
‘It’s probably something really silly and totally unconnected. I’m off to bed.
It’s going to be a
really
long day tomorrow.’

CHAPTER TEN

Verity
opened the curtains and wished she could go back to bed. Every day for the last
week, the view from the bedroom window had been breathtakingly beautiful.
Snow-covered pistes, chalets and trees surrounded by stunningly white
mountains, set against a perfect, cerulean sky lit by a warm, golden sun. Even
on the few occasions it had snowed, the sun had shone through shortly after.
Today, she couldn’t even see the neighbouring chalets. This was officially a
white-out.

‘Good morning, Josh,’ Verity said, answering her phone after
seeing his name appear on the screen. ‘Although that’s a bit of a misnomer this
morning.’

‘Tell me about it,’ Josh replied. ‘Not a good start to the first
day of your season, is it? I’m calling to tell you to expect severe delays.
Chambery airport is closed due to the weather and flights are being diverted.
It’s snowing in the UK too so some flights are being cancelled. We think the
flight our guests will be on will be diverted to Geneva so that means we’ll be
at least two hours later than expected, but we’ll have to wait and see. I’ll
let you know as soon as I have any more news. Everything okay your end?’

‘Fine, thanks, apart from not being able to clear a path to the
door yet. Partly because we can’t even
see
the door once we get more than
two feet away from it and partly because the snow is falling so thick and fast
that it would be a futile exercise. I’m surprised planes are flying at all.
What will the roads be like?’

‘There’ll be a few problems but they clear the roads pretty
quickly out here so it should be okay. It’ll just take longer, that’s all.
You’d better cook something for dinner tonight that can either be cooked
quickly or be left simmering for hours on end. God knows what time I’ll get the
guests to you.’

‘Assuming you
do
get the guests to us.’

‘I’ll get them there ... eventually.’

Verity sighed. ‘And there was I hoping I’d get an extra day or so
to sit in front of the fire and do nothing very much. You’re a slave-driver,
Joshua Calder. I knew it the moment we met. Have a safe journey.’

Josh burst out laughing. ‘And you, Verity Lawton, are nothing but
trouble. I knew
that
the moment we met. I’ll deal with you when I get
back.’

There was something in Josh’s tone that had Verity imagining that
comment was more of a promise than a threat, and the tingling sensation running
up and down her spine as she rang off had nothing to do with the snowstorm
rattling the shutters outside.

***

Verity stood at the door to greet the guests as they clambered
from the minibus and made their way towards the warmth and comfort of
Chalet
Marianne
via the hastily dug path. Thanks to the blizzard, both she and
Lucy were still shovelling snow when Josh phoned to tell them that he and the
guests were about half an hour away. Despite the weather, the delays and the
plane being diverted to Geneva, he managed to arrive by seven-thirty: only
three and a half hours later than originally anticipated.

‘Come in. Welcome to
Chalet Marianne
. I’m Verity. Take off
your coats and hang them on the rack. There’s a fire in the sitting room and
Lucy has a glass of warming
vin chaud
and a plate of hot canapés for
each of you.’

Josh deposited the luggage in the hall whilst Verity and Lucy
chatted to the sixteen guests. He joined them for a drink but only stayed for
fifteen minutes and it wasn’t until he’d gone, that Verity felt herself relax.

As much as she’d been looking forward to seeing him – and she most
definitely had been – those blue-grey eyes of his seemed to burn all rational
thought from her brain and tie her tongue in knots. She hardly said more than
two words to him from the moment he arrived and he must have noticed that every
time he walked towards her, she scurried away to talk to another guest.

‘I’ll leave you to it,’ he said when he finally managed to catch her
off-guard. ‘You seem to have it under control and I’m clearly in the way. Call
me if you need me.’

After saying his goodbyes to all the guests and giving Verity a
last, lingering look as if he had something else to say, he left.

When he closed the door behind him, Verity concentrated on the
guests.

‘We’ll be having dinner in an hour so you’ve got a little time to
settle in. Josh tells us that you’ve all been here before so you know where
everything is and how it all works but do please ask one of us if you’re unsure
or if there’s anything you need. We’re here to look after you and ensure you
have a good time, so don’t feel shy.’

‘There’s no chance of us being shy,’ Rupert, one of the younger
men in the group, said. ‘Didn’t Josh also tell you that we’ll be conducting
your
initiation ceremony
?’

‘No,’ Verity replied as the others laughed. ‘He obviously forgot
to mention that.’

She knew Rupert was joking and was relieved that the entire group
seemed friendly and clearly intended to enjoy themselves. They varied
considerably in age but were equal in enthusiasm and she quickly realised that
being a chalet girl may turn out to be just as much fun as she always thought
it would – once all the chores were done, of course.

***

Verity
and Lucy were up by six-thirty the following day and after just one cup of
coffee and a slice of toast, they began their first full day of the season.

Verity was shovelling
a fresh path through the snow by
seven-forty five, having lit the dining room, sitting room and kitchen fires.
She’d also drawn the curtains, plumped up the sofa cushions and done half a
dozen other little things to ensure everything was ready. She was glad she’d
set the long, oak table for breakfast before going to bed last night; something
both Lucy – and Josh’s info pack – had said was a wise thing to do to save
time.

‘I
think I’d better learn to cook,’ Verity said, collapsing on a chair and nursing
the second cup of coffee Lucy had poured for her. ‘That way you can shovel snow
in the freezing cold and I can stay in the warm and bake.’

Lucy
grinned. ‘I can teach you how to make a yoghurt cake. It’s really easy and the
yoghurt guarantees the cake will rise. High altitudes make cakes flop when you
take them out of the oven. The yoghurt combats that problem. It’s just a basic
mix, and there’s no weighing of ingredients because you use the yoghurt pot to
measure. I’ll show you, and tomorrow you can stay in and make the cake and I’ll
shovel snow.’

‘A
yoghurt cake! Hmm. I’m not sure.’

‘Honestly,
Mum, it’s simple. And I asked Josh if it was okay because apparently some of
the chalet owners don’t like their staff making it, but he was fine. He said
that as long as it tastes good and there are no complaints, we can do anything
to make our lives easier. You know, the more I see of him, the more I like
him.’

Verity
couldn’t help thinking that unfortunately, she felt exactly the same.

***

Breakfast
was served from eight until nine and guests had a choice of cereal, cooked
breakfast, fruit, toast and jams; fruit juice, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
After breakfast, once the guests had gone skiing, Verity and Lucy loaded the
dishwasher; emptied bins; made the beds; cleaned the bathrooms; washed the
floors; dusted the furniture; vacuumed the rugs; prepared for afternoon tea in
the sitting room and peeled the vegetables for dinner.

‘I
can’t believe we’ve finished everything we need to do and it’s still only
noon!’ Verity said.

‘And
after a few days, I think we could cut the time it takes by half an hour, if
not more. It’s just a matter of routine. Let’s go and have lunch, Mum. And a
couple of hours on the slopes.’

‘I
think I need a couple of hours in bed! I can’t remember the last time I worked
this hard. In fact, I don’t think I’ve
ever
worked this hard!’

‘You
can go back to bed if you like,’ Lucy said, grinning, ‘but it’s a glorious day
and wouldn’t you rather be out in the sunshine – even if it’s just to sit in a
chair and soak up some rays?

Verity
couldn’t argue with that; she certainly would. And that’s exactly what she was
doing less than an hour later.

***

They
were back in the chalet by four-thirty for afternoon tea. Josh’s info pack
instructed them that they only needed to be there on the first day. After that,
they could just leave the beverages in the catering-sized flasks, and the
cakes, biscuits or buns, bread and jam, out and covered, on the coffee table.

There
were canapés at seven-thirty and dinner was at eight, accompanied by tales of
the day’s skiing, sharing of photos via phones and digital cameras, raucous
laughter, jokes and copious amounts of wine. Coffee and petit fours followed
and were served in the sitting room to allow Verity and Lucy to clear the
dinner things and set the table for breakfast.

After
that, around ten o’clock, the evening was their own, and as all the guests had
either headed to Meribel’s bars and nightclubs or gone to bed, Verity and Lucy
curled up in front of the fire in the sitting room with mugs of brandy-laced
hot chocolate.

They
heard the front door open and footsteps in the hall. Moments later, Josh and
Etienne appeared.

‘We
just wanted to see how your first full day went,’ Josh said. ‘Oh! You both look
exhausted.’

‘Thanks!’
Verity replied. ‘Although to be honest, we are. Well, I am. It’s just a matter
of getting used to it though. You’ll be pleased to hear there were no disasters
and so far, no complaints. We went skiing for a couple of hours too.’

‘No
wonder you’re exhausted. You’ve no intention of breaking yourselves in gently
then? And I didn’t think there would be any disasters, or complaints – although
it is only the first day.’ He grinned mischievously before raking a hand
through his hair. ‘Um ... Etienne and I are going for a couple of beers and we
wondered if you’d both like to join us but you look as if you’ve settled in for
the night.’

Lucy
jumped to her feet. ‘I’m up for that. Just give me five minutes to change. What
about you, Mum?’

‘I
... I don’t think I’m up to it. As much as I’d like to say yes, I think I’ll
have to pass. You go though Lucy, and have a good time.’

She
thought she saw a flash of disappointment in Josh’s eyes but it could just have
been the reflection from the fire.

‘Are
you sure?’ Lucy asked, looking doubtful. ‘I don’t want to leave you here on
your own.’

Verity
chuckled. ‘I’ll be fine on my own, darling. Please don’t worry about me. Go.
Have fun.’

Lucy
hesitated but Verity waved her away and Lucy raced off to get changed.

‘You
won’t change your mind?’ Josh asked as Etienne hovered in the doorway.

Verity
shook her head. ‘No. But thank you.’

‘Maybe
later in the week?’ Etienne asked. ‘Josh and I often go for a beer.’

‘Yes.
I’d like that.’

She
watched as Josh ran his hand through his hair again. She was still trying to
decide if he did that when things didn’t go to plan, or whether it was a sign
of nervousness or doubt. It did seem to be a habit. She’d seen him do it
several times since they’d met.

‘Um
... what about if Etienne and Lucy go out on the town tonight and I stay here
with you?’ Josh suggested. ‘If you don’t mind, that is. I’m a bit old to be
going out at this time of night too. Unless you’d rather be on your own? Oh, I
didn’t mean you’re old. I meant–’

‘I’ll
stop you before you dig that hole any deeper,’ Verity interrupted, laughing. ‘I
feel
old, today but I’m sure that won’t last. And no, I wouldn’t rather
be on my own. But please don’t feel you need to stay on my account. I’m happy
either way.’

‘You
don’t mind, do you, Etienne?’ Josh asked.

‘Nope.
I’m happy to spend the evening with Lucy.’ He winked at Verity and added, ‘I’ll
have her home at a reasonable hour ... by Meribel standards.’

‘I
think you may find that Lucy will dictate when she comes home, not you,
Etienne,’ Verity said, grinning at him.

Lucy
appeared at the sitting room door. ‘I’m ready.’

‘It’s
just us,’ Etienne said. ‘Josh is staying with your mum.’

For
a moment, Lucy looked as if she were having second thoughts but Verity gave her
a reassuring smile and a few minutes later, Verity was alone with Josh.

‘Would
you like a glass of wine?’ she asked, suddenly feeling like a sixteen-year-old
on a first date and having finished the brandy-laced hot chocolate, she needed
a touch more alcohol to steady her nerves. ‘I think I’ll have one.’

‘Thanks,’
Josh said, looking equally unsure of himself.

‘Sit
down then. I’ll be back in a minute.’

She
was so glad that her bedroom was accessed via the kitchen. She quickly nipped
through into the ensuite bathroom and checked her reflection in the mirror. She
cleaned her teeth, touched up her mascara and brushed her lips with a smear of
lipstick – she didn’t want to make it obvious. She dabbed on more perfume and
considered changing her jumper for a blouse, but thought better of it. Be
casual, she told herself, this is
not
a date. After brushing her hair
and adding a touch more lipstick, she took a deep breath and headed back to the
kitchen.