by Minna Howard
‘It’s your decision, Gaby, but you’ve had a terrible shock, so perhaps it’s best to wait until you’re calmer before you decide, and wait until Jerry gets back, talk it over with him.’ She got up. ‘Why don’t you have a long, hot bath to relax. I can’t believe it’s Christmas day, I’ve got the dinner to see to, though I wonder if anyone is in the mood to eat it.’ She bent over and kissed her. ‘Try not to stress too much .It will probably all sort out in the end,’ she said with a confidence she’d didn’t feel.
She had a sudden longing to talk to her children. Lawrence had said she could use the landline and she crept downstairs to go to Lawrence’s office. The door to the living room was ajar and she could hear Debra speaking on her mobile. ‘I’m well aware it’s Christmas day, Travis, but I need to speak to Hugh at once, see if there is a case to answer.’
Afraid Debra would see her and pull her in, Eloise scuttled back upstairs, she’d ring the twins later.
In the bathroom, Eloise stood under the hot shower for ages hoping it would wash away her fears; it warmed her body but not the turmoil in her heart. Would the avalanche be the end of Jacaranda if Debra made trouble? Even if she didn’t have a case against Theo, she could involve lawyers and Lawrence would have to do the same, and it would cost him a fortune, and she could make trouble with the agency, which would affect Jacaranda’s reputation. Eloise couldn’t bear to think of it. She dressed quickly and went downstairs, and to her relief found that Lawrence had just got back with Jerry and Theo.
Debra immediately snatched up Jerry, who seemed perfectly well, and she took him into the living room, firmly shutting the door behind them.
Theo grinned at Eloise. ‘Rather hairy time,’ he said, as she went to hug him. He hugged her back, the warmth; the living bulk of him comforted her. She released him, blinked away her tears.
‘I suppose you’re hungry,’ she said to hide her emotion.
‘You bet, we missed lunch,’ he said, following her to the kitchen.
Lawrence said something about seeing to the champagne and came with them. He seemed subdued, gentle with her. He said, ‘I hope you’re none the worse, Eloise. It must have been a very frightening experience.’
‘It was, but I’m fine now, relieved no one was badly hurt.’ She wanted to say something about Debra trying to get hold of a lawyer but he went on.
‘Have you rung your family yet?’ When she shook her head he said, ‘Use the landline in my office, you’ll be undisturbed there.’
She wished for one mad moment that he would hold her close. ‘How are you, Lawrence? It’s been quite an ordeal for you too,’ Eloise said, seeing how tired he looked, exhausted with the strain and shock of the day.
‘Fine, thanks,’ he said, though she sensed he didn’t mean it. He paused as if he had something important to say, but instead said, ‘We’ll forget it all for now, try and celebrate Christmas, but tomorrow I’ll need to find out from everyone exactly what happened and if you saw any warnings to keep you off the piste. I don’t know what Ken will make of it, but I get the impression Debra will not want to let this go.’
Twenty-Five
It was a great relief that she’d cooked the Christmas meal many times before; she could almost do it in her sleep, Eloise thought. She had already stuffed the turkey with an apple and pistachio mixture and made little balls of meat and cranberry stuffing to cook separately and it was now in the oven. She parboiled the potatoes to make them extra crispy when they roasted in a pan of goose fat.
It was comforting to have something familiar to do after their terrifying experience this morning, though she wondered if anyone apart from Theo would sit down to eat it, Debra and her party being in a fever after the events.
‘They were not even there, on the mountain,’ Vera said when she heard about it as she hovered round the kitchen. The table was laid in the main living room but the door to the room was still shut while the family conferred over what action they might take over the event. ‘It’s always the very rich who try to make money out of everything,’ Vera went on. ‘The men are alive and well, they should thank God for that. Give money in thanks to the sick and poor, instead of trying to get it off someone else.’
Vera obviously didn’t like these guests, but Eloise kept her own feelings about them to herself. Lawrence had given Vera the evening off and she was about to leave to have Christmas dinner with her friends. Theo and Eloise – though both were summoned to sit at the table, something Eloise would have liked to avoid – were going to be the waiters, with Lawrence filling in where needed.
It had been an unusual Christmas Day to say the least, and she’d be quite content to go to bed with her book. She was dreading spending Christmas evening with Debra and her family.
They heard the living room door open and someone come down the passage. Vera jumped up from the chair she had just sat down on and picked up her bag, ready to leave, as if afraid it was Lawrence telling her she couldn’t go after all. Travis came into the kitchen and the sight of both women staring at him made him nervous. He jiggled on his small feet, attempted to smile and look friendly and failed. Eloise felt sorry for him.
‘Do you need anything?’ she said, her heart racing. Was he going to say they were leaving, or had sent for a lawyer?
He didn’t look at her but fixed his eyes on a spot above her head. ‘It’s Christmas Day and you’ve obviously gone to a lot of trouble to prepare dinner for us, so it’s Debra… and Ken’s wish that we put the events of today to one side and enjoy the rest of Christmas.’
‘Good idea,’ Eloise said, wishing it was just her, Lawrence, Theo and Gaby sitting down together. ‘Is eight thirty all right for everyone?’
‘Yes, that will be fine,’ Travis muttered and scampered away.
‘He does their dirty work,’ Vera said darkly.
‘We don’t know that, Vera,’ Eloise said, though she suspected it was true.
Lawrence came into the kitchen, ‘All set, Eloise?’ He was smiling but she could see the tension in his face. He came closer to her, putting his hand on her arm, looking into her face. His voice was soft, ‘I’m sorry if you don’t feel up to all this cooking for tonight, I could…’
‘Bring in Aurelia’s Tempting Delights,’ she said. ‘No thank you. I’m fine, glad to keep occupied and not sit about and dwell on this morning, I’m just so relieved it all ended well.’
A shudder passed over him as if he could not bear to think of how it might have ended. ‘We’ll have to see, but let’s try and enjoy this evening.’ He moved away to deal with the wine.
He had put the champagne and some white wine in the fridge and he now opened the red wine to let it breathe. Theo appeared, having taken Bert for a walk, and asked if he could help, his eyes lingering on the glasses of chocolates and sugared almonds ready to go on the table in the living room.
Vera said, ‘If they are finished in the other room, Theo, you can help me carry these in before I go. Don’t eat any,’ she smiled indulgently at him.
‘I’m starving,’ he said, popping a chocolate into his mouth and rearranging the others to hide the space it left. ‘Only one and no one will notice.’
He reminded her so much of her own children, young and vibrant and always hungry. Eloise turned back to her cooking to hide her pain of missing them, the hollow feeling in her heart. She’d managed to speak to them, Lawrence leaving her alone to make her call from the landline in his office, shutting the door behind him to give her privacy.
To her disappointment the line had been bad, their voices lurching in and out of earshot as if they were being rocked forward and back by the sea, so they couldn’t have much of a conversation. She did not tell them about the avalanche this morning, or even that their father was here, but asked them instead about what they were doing, but their sentences came in broken bursts, though she gathered they were well and moving on to China. It was a relief, after the trauma of today, to hear their voices even though they were not clear. As she said goodbye she be
gged them to keep safe and look out for each other.
She had spoken to her parents in New Zealand too; Lawrence had insisted on that. ‘You must ring your family. I’ve spoken to Desmond and he hopes I’m not working you too hard,’ he said. ‘I haven’t told him about this morning,’ he added in a quieter tone. ‘No need to worry him just now.’
The line to New Zealand was clearer and she told her parents about the avalanche, starting the story by saying no one was hurt. Her mother took the news calmly.
‘You are in the mountains after all, Eloise, and it’s one of the hazards, but I’m so relieved everyone is safe. You know what I think about mobiles making people feel insecure if they are not constantly in touch with everyone, but in this case having one was a godsend.’
When her parents had rung off, leaving her feeling cocooned in their love though missing them dreadfully, Eloise told herself she only felt so lonely because it was Christmas Day and the people she loved best were far away.
After her calls she went upstairs to get the presents she made for everyone, and when she returned to the kitchen she found, Lawrence, Vera and Theo waiting for her.
Vera was very touched with her present of the orange pomander she’d made, saying she’d hang it in her wardrobe. Vera gave her a pretty bottle of body lotion. Theo gave Eloise a box of chocolates, and insisted on trying one and the fudge she’d given him, saying it was the best fudge he’d ever tasted. Lawrence too was pleased with his fudge, saying he would hide it from Theo, so he could enjoy it in peace. He gave Eloise a cashmere scarf, which had been beautifully gift -wrapped from an expensive shop. It was gorgeous and she was touched by his choice.
‘I hope the colour’s right, I thought it matched your eyes,’ he said as she held the soft blue scarf to her face. ‘It looks good.’ He smiled, his eyes appraising her, making her blush, his look feeling warmer than the scarf. Ken, calling for him, quickly broke the moment, and throwing her a reluctant glance, Lawrence went to him, leaving her feeling bereft. Remember you are going home very soon, she warned herself, leaving all this behind.
*
The turkey was cooked to perfection and Eloise served the starters while it rested. They all sat round the table in the living room. Vera had laid out the silver candlesticks that Eloise remembered from when she was here before and made everywhere so elegant. In the centre was a glass bowl filled with golden balls and the glasses of chocolates and white sugared almonds.
Eloise sat next to Theo and Radley. She had brought one smart dress with her, it was cobalt blue slightly fitted with a fullish skirt in a silky material, which enhanced her figure. Lawrence did a double take when he saw her, and seeing her surprise he laughed.
‘Sorry Eloise, you look so different out of trousers.’
‘Not so different, I hope,’ she said. Had she been looking a complete fright? Too unattractive to tempt any of his rich clients – though no amount of money would tempt her to go after anyone in this party.
At first the atmosphere of the dinner was awkward, everyone trying to be festive without much success, but after some champagne and then wine they loosened up.
Radley was shy but he tried to talk to her, asking where she lived in the UK. She told him and then asked about his writing. ‘Pippa told me you’ve just bought a publishing company, for trade magazines, I think she said.’
As she spoke there was a lull in the conversation and Lawrence caught her words, and she saw the pinch of anxiety on his face. Was this yet another weapon to use against Jacaranda’s reputation? He was watching her and she was spurred on to continue the conversation.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ Radley said. ‘I did the deal just before we left.’
‘What do the trade magazines cover?’ She could feel Lawrence’s tension.
‘Various subjects: art, travel, antiques, you know.’
‘So will you be writing about Verbier?’ Eloise said, smiling at him to hide her fear.
‘I might,’ he said, ‘it’s a lovely place.’
Debra heard his words and said bossily, ‘You could do an article on the new chalets out here, the ones in that modern complex down in the village. Get a photographer up, that would go down well.’
Radley’s face creased with anxiety and Eloise guessed Debra would persuade him to do what she wanted, perhaps even write a damning article about the danger of being led into avalanches, but before she could say any more to him, Ken started on about a car he had seen that afternoon.
Jerry seemed none the worse after his adventure and in fact he and Theo boasted about it. Debra ignored them and, turning to Lawrence sitting beside her, began rather pointedly to question him about how early in the year one had to book one of the ‘more luxurious’ chalets in time for Christmas. Might it be prudent to do it now, while she was here?
‘I’ve no idea,’ he said smoothly, ‘some of them are no doubt booked a year in advance, you must contact the ones you like, perhaps go and look round them and see how it goes.’
‘I think we’ll have next Christmas in the sun,’ Ken said.
Jerry butted in, ‘Well I like the snow, it’s more Christmassy really, and it would seem odd to spend it in a swimsuit on a beach in the blazing sun.’
‘Same here,’ Theo said and Jerry began to say how he’d like to come to Jacaranda again, but he might as well have stated a liking for a shack in the middle of nowhere without food or drink for the enthusiasm Debra showed. Ken just smiled, glancing nervously at Debra. Travis, their Mr Fixit – though Eloise guessed he only fixed what he was told to fix – finished his wine in a gulp and looked anxiously round for more. Pippa hardly said a word; throwing nervous glances at Radley every so often, as if afraid he might suddenly disappear and leave her here alone to be picked at by her mother-in-law.
Gaby seemed completely withdrawn. Eloise tried to catch her eye, send her a smile of comfort, but she didn’t – or wouldn’t – notice, perhaps she too missed her family, her mother and her brothers. She pushed her food around her plate and not even when Theo brought in the Christmas puddings surrounded by dancing blue flames did she show much interest. Jerry was sitting away from her and perhaps he didn’t notice her mood in the candlelight, or if he did he didn’t know how to deal with it, for he never said a word to her.
Eloise hoped to be able to speak to Gaby again that evening, try to make her feel better. But as soon as the dinner was finished she went upstairs, leaving the rest of the party sitting in the living room by the open fire drinking wine and coffee and eating the chocolates and sugared almonds.
Lawrence hovered about between the kitchen and the living room, helping carry through the dishes, and finally settled in the living room with Ken, who was questioning him about other ski resorts. Theo and Eloise tided up the kitchen together, and Bert crept in and hoovered up any morsels he found on the floor, though Eloise, still chastened by the lamb incident, asked Theo to take him away.
‘Don’t worry, the dinner’s eaten and no one is going to come in here and see him. If Dad makes a fuss, I’ll say it’s my fault,’ Theo said cheerfully.
‘Let it be on your head then,’ Eloise retorted. Then, changing the subject, she said, ‘Have you heard that Debra is insisting that Gaby go home tomorrow, back to the UK?’
‘No.’ Theo frowned at her. ‘Why should she, they’re booked for the rest of the week?’
‘She’s annoyed with her because…’ She paused, wondering the best way to explain Gaby’s situation, and decided it was better to tell it as it was. ‘Because she told Debra she didn’t love Jerry. She was in shock after the avalanche, but Debra said she knew she didn’t and is sending her home.’
Theo looked concerned, ‘And what does Jerry think?’
‘I don’t know, maybe Gaby hasn’t told him, though I suppose Debra has.’ She put the leftovers from the two Christmas puddings on a plate and stored them in the fridge.
Lawrence, coming in for more coffee, interrupted their conversation. Bert, seeing him, hid himself behind t
he curtain, and if Lawrence noticed he didn’t remark on it, he just made another pot of coffee.
Eloise was almost asleep on her feet, and as the clearing up was finished, she said goodnight and scurried up to bed. As she turned off the light and snuggled down to sleep, she suffered a wave of loneliness, missing her children and her family as it used to be, but she’d got through her first Christmas without them and it had been the most eventful day.
She was down at half past eight the next morning to make breakfast. Vera was already there and had laid the table and was tidying before the guests came down. Everyone, even Lawrence, drifted down long past nine. The day was overcast, the sky heavy with more snow, and it wasn’t until mid-morning that it was noticed that Gaby and Jerry had not appeared.
Debra sent Eloise up to wake Gaby. ‘Travis has found her a flight at teatime and she must pack and leave for the airport. I assume Theo can take her, or you can call a taxi,’ she said bossily.
Eloise didn’t answer and went upstairs to give Gaby the news. ‘Gaby, it’s me, can I come in?’ There was no answer; she knocked again before opening the door.
The room was empty, a pillow on the floor, the bedclothes in a tangle; the cupboard doors flung open, showing they were bare. She knocked on the next door, which was Jerry’s room, there was no answer either, and when she went in, apart from the unmade bed, there was no sign that he had ever been there.
Twenty-Six
There seemed to be a lot of commotion upstairs, raised voices, someone clumping up the stairs, the thud of a door closing. Lawrence sighed; it had been the strangest Christmas of his life. He still felt sick thinking of the avalanche yesterday, terrified at how near he had come to losing Theo.
It was not surprising that the mood on Christmas Day had been affected, though they had managed to enjoy a good dinner, having made a pact not to talk about the event until the following morning. Yet he felt that those of the party who were not on the mountain at the time – Ken, Debra and the rest of them – had not understood the possibility of an avalanche, imagining that the runs were constantly monitored, as if they were at a playground for small children, not a place governed by the elements. They wouldn’t understand any more than they’d understand that a sudden squall at sea was a product of nature and could not always be dictated to by man.
