Page 129 of The Chalet Girl

‘Daddy!’ Vivian said, her eyes lighting up as she crossed the foyer and took his hands. The Saturday before Christmas was the busiest time of year for any Alpine hotel, let alone the newest in town, and the Anna Maria was bustling with guests, diners, partygoers and holidaymakers, all sharing the collective self-satisfaction of being in one of the most Instagrammable places in the world right now. The beaches of St Bart’s had New Year. The cherry blossom of Yoshino had spring. The jewels of the Greek Islands had summer. New England had the fall. December belonged to Kristalldorf, and this hotel was fully booked for weeks.

Her father didn’t often visit the hotel he had gifted his daughters, he had wanted to let them flourish on their own.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Oh I just popped in, I have Timo and the yumbooutside. I’ve just been to the lakes…’ Walter omitted to mention he had spent a lovely day with Lumi, lunching lakeside under the gaze of snowy mountains.

‘Would you like something to eat?’ Vivian asked, excited by her father’s visit. Vivian was a people pleaser, and there was no person she strived to please more than her father.

‘You should come and eat in Avocet. The December menu is wonderful.’

She was aware that her father looked like he needed feeding up. The powerhouse of a man appeared to have shrunk in clothes that had stayed the same size.

‘No, no, I just wanted to pop by, have a look at the place, see you in your natural habitat.’

His emotion was unnerving her. As if this would be his last visit. A smile of puzzlement curved her lips.

Vivian looked around.

‘Daddy, are you OK? I know you’re going to be fine without Kiki, I’m just a little worried about you, going back on your own.’

He waved away her worry with a liver-spotted hand.

‘Why don’t you stay and have some supper here? We can find you a table.’

‘I’m fine! It’s only over the river, I could probably swim home myself!’

‘And freeze to death!’

She wouldn’t have put it past him in his youth, although not in December.

Walter looked around in awe, at the bustle, at the décor, at the happy guests.

‘I just wanted to stop by and let you know– I stand by my decision, Vivian. Anastasia will find her way back to us, but you are the right successor for all this.’

Vivian beamed.

‘And you don’t need to feel guilty about that.’

An athletic man with silver hair sauntered over, his grey-blue eyes in awe behind black rectangular glasses.

‘Is this the genius who made all this happen?’ the mansaid, a delighted smile lighting up his face. He was definitely one of the tourists who appreciated how fortunate he was.

Vivian smiled.

‘Hugh, welcome back!’

Hugh Van-Tam was a repeat guest– a widower in his fifties, who owned a chain of Pilates studios around the world and had the physique to show for it. Vivian kissed him on each cheek.

‘Father this is Hugh, a regular now, who’s here with his daughter. Hugh, you are correct, this is indeed the famous Walter Steinherr.’

Vivian looked adoringly at her father. His sentimentality of a few moments ago slid away as he smiled and pressed the flesh of the polite Englishman. Walter was the consummate hotelier, even in his old age.

‘Would you care to join me and Holly for dinner tonight?’ Hugh asked both father and daughter, but he was really looking at Vivian, his eyes glittering. ‘Holly isdesperateto get into hospitality and do a season out here, any nuggets of wisdom you can spare would be delightful…’

‘Oh Hugh, I would love to but I’m so busy. Perhaps we can meet in the bar later, when things quieten down?’ Vivian flashed her winning smile.

‘Vivi, I will leave you to it,’ Walter said, keen for one of his maid’s hot whiskies, and to get his aching bones to bed. He had another date with Lumi tomorrow. The Lucerne Christmas fair. They had vowed to spend as much time together doing as many joyful things as possible. While they could.