Page 76 of The Chalet Girl

Where are you now, Tristan?

Chapter Forty-Four

Walter Steinherr was sitting at his grand wooden desk in his capacious study at the Steinherr mansion reading through papers, when a figure in the doorway made him start.

‘Son!’

Lysander had been waiting, leaning against the frame. He hadn’t wanted to make his father jump, and it felt strange the butler announcing him in his own family home, so he’d lingered for half a minute while he waited for his father to look up.

Walter took off his reading glasses and placed them on the dark-green leather writing surface, next to his pile of papers.

‘It’s only been… what… three weeks! To what do I owe this pleasure?’

Lysander gently shut the door behind him. He wore a blue shirt unbuttoned at the top, a navy blazer, and smart suit trousers.

‘Is everything alright?’ Walter asked, standing gingerly.

‘Yeah yeah, it’s fine Dad, but… well, there’s been a development.’

Lysander embraced his father. Walter managed to hide the pain from the signs of his son’s affection, pulsing through his spine, as he looked over Lysander’s shoulderand winced. Walter carefully sat back down and Lysander casually slumped into one of the two huge studded leather armchairs facing the desk.

It was the chair Lysander had sat in when his father called him to the study for a talk before he went to live in the United States. It was the same chair he’d sat in when his father lectured him on striving harder at school when his grades were in doubt. It was where Lysander had sat when his father told him he needed to set an example to his siblings– to stop crying around the house over their mother and pull himself together. That was the first conversation Lysander remembered having in that chair. He wore a navy blazer that day too. Now the roles were to be reversed, and he would advise his father.

‘Can I get you a drink?’ Walter said, gesturing to a gold trolley stacked with cut-glass bottles, tumblers and tongs.

‘No, really, I’m fine, look… is Kiki around?’

Walter’s eyes widened. What news could it be if Lysander had to deliver it in person?

‘No, she’s in Milan, shopping with a girlfriend.’

Lysander raised an eyebrow sceptically. Ten days ago, Rico DeLuca had called him saying he’d done some more digging; he’d left no stone unturned and found something very interesting on Kiki Bouffon Steinherr. Lysander had spent the nine days since wondering how the hell to tell his dad. He had expected to find some dirt on Kiki in the depths of her past, but he hadn’t expected to find present-day scandal, happening right under his father’s nose.

‘Do you have something?’ Walter asked, hopefully.

‘Yeah, it’s kind of uncomfortable though, Dad…’ he said, opening his blazer jacket and pulling out his phone. Heopened a website featuring a statuesque beauty with a black shiny bob, naked except for heels, pleasure lighting up her face in all manner of tantalising positions. The name Eden Roque was emblazoned across the screen in a jolly font.

‘Why are you showing me this?’ Walter frowned, perplexed.

‘Scroll down,’ Lysander instructed, leaning across the desk to show his father how to. As he scrolled down Walter saw Eden Roque naked in clinches with women. Eden Roque with men. Eden Roque in threesomes. Eden Roque with cocks in her mouth. Eden Roque with her asshole on display. Eden Roque riding a beautiful black man. Eden Roque naked but for a Santa hat in Lapland. All while she eyed the camera coquettishly.

Why was Zand putting porn on his desk? Walter put his glasses back on and peered closer.

The woman’s familiarity. The butterfly birthmark on her abdomen. The face of pleasure he knew too well.

‘What the…?’ Walter said slowly, aghast, as he scrolled further and saw his wife on all fours on a beach. ‘Kiki?’ He looked shellshocked. He looked old. He looked up at his son in dismay.

Lysander walked an apologetic yet hopeful tightrope.

‘I think that’s your “out”, Dad…’

Chapter Forty-Five

Emme had just waved the kids off with Cedric at the ski train and was walking along the high street when she heard Cat call out her name. She stopped in her tracks and smiled to herself before she turned around outside the Läderach shop, where the assistants were putting up their Christmas display.

‘Hey!’ Emme said. Cat was approaching, carrying her snowboard and a huge smile, and hugged her friend in greeting.

‘Mad party Saturday– want to earn some extra cash?’