Page 24 of The Chalet Girl

It was hard for Emme to drag her gaze away from balcony man to a bunch of dishevelled twenty-somethings with matted hair and tan lines around their eyes.

‘Carla, Johann and Enno work behind the bar. The band are Will, Yannick and Lydia, she’s Aussie…’ Cat looked around. ‘Those guys at the next table are from out of

town– I’d say Emirati or Greek, I don’t know them… those guys, I don’t know… but the women look like they need a good fucking…’ Cat gave a mischievous laugh as she nodded to the coiffed women with the pearl necklaces.

‘I don’t know any of the rich tourists who come to town– apart from Elton John and the European royals– I only know the loaded locals, and I have to be a bit careful what I say, in case they’re friends with my bosses.’ Annoyingly, Cat hadn’t touched on the circle of men drinking champagne at the end of the bar near the band, who had now been joined by a squat woman with smiley eyes.

‘Most of the workers come down later because they’re, well, working.’

‘How about those guys?’ Emme said, taking a sip of wine and nodding to the man from the balcony.

‘I don’t know about most of them, but the guy talking is TDK.’

‘TD what?’

‘TDK.’

Emme thought Cat might be talking in text speak and tried to think what Dominique’s teenage daughter might text her mother from exchanges she had been privy to.

Too damn kissable?

‘TDK! Everyone knows TDK, even the out-of-towners. He’s kind of… notorious,’ Cat said cryptically.

Emme winced internally. Notorious wasn’t good. But she already knew he wasn’t a good boy.

‘What does TDK stand for?’

It sounded like a virus. He looked as dangerous as one. His smile had the squat woman in a tizzy.

‘Tristan Du Kok. The son of…’ she trailed off. ‘Long story. He’s a wine importer. Owns the Vitreum hotel. Sort of. Although he knows cock-all– pardon the pun– as you English say, about the hotel industry. Biggest playboy in Kristalldorf.’

That much Emme did know.

‘Not so big that he’s at the fancy Italian wedding?’ Emme asked curiously.

‘Hmm… I’m not sure he’d be welcome. He’s ruffled a few feathers.’

‘Oh really?’

As if Emme wasn’t intrigued enough.

‘Are you single?’ Cat asked with one arched eyebrow.

Emme nodded.

‘Seriously, of all the guys in this bar, Tristan Du Kok isnotthe guy to go for. And he’s fucking one of the Steinherr sisters…’

Emme wanted to tell Cat about the balcony incident,but held back for some reason. Maybe she knew retelling it would reveal herself.

‘Who are the Steinherr sisters again?’ Emme probed.

Cat looked a little apprehensive suddenly.

‘Remember I said on the train, the guy who owns most of this town, my boss’senemigo…’

‘Wasn’t that the name of the hotel we ate at?’

‘Yes. The Steinherrhof. It’s one of many. Ernst Steinherr made this town. His grandson Walter is the biggest landowner in Kristalldorf today– owns five of the best hotels in this place. His daughters Vivian and Anastasia…’ Cat looked around to see if they were in the bar, but of course they wouldn’t be; if they weren’t at the wedding in Italy they would be in one of their own hotels. ‘They help run this town, and one of them is fucking Tristan… more fool her.’