Page 111 of The Chalet Girl

‘Oh, hey!’

‘You’re lovely,’ Cat declared. ‘Thank you.’

She got the flowers.

‘Can I come in?’

‘Of course you can, I’ve just got the little man back down as he was feeling poorly, but I think he’s OK now,’ Emme said quietly. ‘Come in, I was watchingThe Holiday…’

‘What’sThe Holiday?’

‘Are you kidding me?’ Emme said in mock horror.

‘Come in and sit down,there!’Emme commanded. But not before Cat gave her a huge hug.

Chapter Sixty-Three

‘What do you think of Emme?’ Lexy asked, as she sawed into her bloody steak.

Bill looked befuddled and paused twirling his tagliatelle, fork frozen in his hand.

He considered his wife as though it was a trick question. Questions often were with Lexy.

He resumed twirling.

‘Erm, the kids seem to like her.’

‘Yes but what doyouthink of her?’ Lexy seemed to be in a particularly combative mood despite it being their wedding anniversary.

‘She seems less, erm, problematic than Jenny…’

‘Jesus, Bill! Why can you never give a straight answer?’ Lexy hissed, as she saw their neighbour Tomas Edstrom pass their table with a nod and a wave, so she faked a smile as quickly as a Christmas lights switch-on.

Tomas disappeared to the bathroom and Lexy returned to her questioning.

‘Do you find her attractive?’ she asked, as she gave a gentle flick of her tonged auburn mane.

Bill looked up, his mouth stuffed so full of pasta his words were incomprehensible.

‘Pardon?’ scoffed Lexy.

Bill swallowed.

‘I said she’s a pretty thing, but it’s not my place to say.’

‘Why not?’ Lexy probed, as she mopped up her peppercorn sauce with a last chunk of steak.

‘Well, what does it matter if she’s bloody pretty or not, Lexy? What corner are you backing me into now?’

Lexy leaned back, caressed her stomach and rolled her eyes, as if she were a petulant child.

‘I just wondered if men think she’s sexy. It’s hard to tell when someone’s looking after your children. It’s hard to tell what people think.’

‘What does it matter what people think? It doesn’t matter that she’s sexy, does it?’

Gotcha.

Lexy primly placed her knife and fork in a line on her plate and took a slug of red wine.