Page 8 of The Chalet Girl

The wealth in Kristalldorf was immense but understated. And it was quiet, save for the odd electric bike whizzing past, or the sounds of a distant après-ski bar, where a chorus of ‘Take on Me’ was muffled by all the wood and the weather in between. Cowbells rang on the hills behind the buildings, which were hardly high-rise.

Nestled between a pretty chalet and a small wood-fronted hotel was a set of wide but winding steps, where Emme could already see Bill up ahead at the top, the yumbo having dropped him at the base of the steps, her enormous case over his shoulders like he were participating in a survival challenge on a game show. A strategically placed light at the top of the steps illuminated him, as if he had won firstplace, and the children raced each other to see who would take silver and get to their father first.

‘Careful!’ Lexy called after them.

Emme breathed heavily. The thin Alpine air teamed with the ferociousness at which these steps were coming at her caused her to pant slightly.

‘Quite the thigh workout living here,’ Lexy said, glancing back at Emme, who was embarrassed by her lack of fitness. ‘You’ll have glutes of steel by Christmas,’ she said.

Emme could almost hear the woman clench her pert buttocks as she kept an eye on her footing in the dark, while Harry and Bella chatted to their dad.

‘I got the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Daddy!’ Bella declared.

‘That’s wonderful, darling …’

‘I scored two hoops– that’s like goals– in basketball today.’

‘Well done, buster.’

Emme reached the top step out of breath and took off her coat.

‘Won’t miss you in the dark!’ Bill quipped, flatly, as he leaned on the handle of Emme’s suitcase, a bead of sweat glistening on his jaw in the light of the building.Their buildingby all accounts.It had Chalet Stern hand-painted on the side in an elegant script.

‘Gosh, thank you, sorry my case is so heavy…’

Bill leaned casually and waved, as if to say don’t worry.

‘You can carry it down when you leave!’ Lexy said with a laugh.

Bill looked at his wife pointedly and the laughter stopped.

Emme smiled a little awkwardly.

Lexy tapped some digits into a keypad next to the door before a heavy-sounding lock was released and the front door pushed open with ease. ‘I’ll give you all the codes you’ll need,’ she assured Emme. ‘We share this door with three other families, although two of them are away at the moment, and Mr and Mrs Muller keep themselves to themselves.’

They walked into the building entrance, which had stone heated floors and smelled of clean laundry. A tumble drier whirred in a low hum off an adjoining room.

Bill rolled Emme’s case to the elevator and fluffed Harry’s hair in the reflection of the lift’s shiny doors.

‘What’s this then?’ he said playfully, ruffling up his son’s fringe. Harry batted him away affectionately.

‘We’ll all fit…’ Lexy assured Emme, jabbing a button by the doors, which opened straight away. ‘Top floor,’ she said, trying to conceal her pride.

Of course.

Chapter Five

‘Son!’ Walter beamed. ‘I wasn’t expecting you!’

He threw down his white linen napkin, stood up and opened his arms for a wide embrace.

‘I’d have made it in time for dinner if you didn’t insist on eating at this ridiculous hour,’ Lysander replied, hugging his father.

‘Happy birthday, Dad,’ he said, patting his father on the back, then handing him the bunch of flowers.

Anastasia and Vivian exchanged a look as if to gauge whether the other had known about their brother’s surprise visit. Neither clearly did. Anastasia’s children looked up and beamed at their uncle. Dimitri cleared his throat, stood up, and shook his brother-in-law’s hand.

‘Zander!’ Vivian smiled, as she stood and wrapped her long arms around her brother’s shoulders.