by Minna Howard
Everything seemed to be conspiring against him this season – finding that he couldn’t put off the extensive work of Jacaranda any longer; the chef drama, although Eloise had worked out better than he imagined as she brought something special to the chalet – though he wasn’t sure what – and then the avalanche and the fallout from that; learning that Radley had bought a publishing firm and might write an article – possibly dictated by his mother – about Verbier, or even Jacaranda; and now some new ruckus seemed to be taking place upstairs.
He sighed, he supposed he’d better go up and see what was happening – how glad he’d be when this lot had gone – but before he could shut down his computer, Theo came running into his office, his face fraught with panic.
‘Gaby and Jerry have gone.’
‘Gone where? Skiing?’ He put his hand on his shoulder as if to reassure himself that his lovely boy was safe. Theo seemed none the worse for his experience; in fact he’d heard him and Jerry joking about it last night before supper, though he suspected Jerry was more scared by the ordeal than he pretended.
‘No… packed and everything, left the chalet,’ Theo said as if Lawrence were slow on the uptake. ‘Eloise says they’ve run away from Debra, you know she told Gaby she had to go back to London today…’
‘I didn’t know that.’ He was annoyed he hadn’t been told. It didn’t matter to him financially if anyone left early as the chalet was already paid for, though he did expect to be told if there were any changes.
‘Gaby was so stressed after the avalanche; she told Debra she didn’t love Jerry and Debra ordered her to go home today. Travis has got her a ticket for a flight this evening.’
He struggled with the sudden burst of anger rising in him. ‘So why has she already left, and where is Jerry?’
‘I don’t know,’ Theo slumped down on a chair, staring morosely out of the window, one hand stroking Bert who’d left his bed in the other room and come to him, hoping they were going out. ‘Jerry and I were going to ski the four valleys before he left, he even said he might stay on a few more days to do it if there was room here.’
Lawrence felt sorry for Theo. He’d thought Jerry a dull kind of person, probably under Debra’s thumb, but Theo had brought him out of himself by taking him and Gaby skiing. Although Jerry was quite a bit older than Theo, they had got on well together and perhaps Theo had shown him what fun ordinary life could be, so it seemed churlish of them to just up and leave without saying goodbye to him.
‘We must find out what’s happened to them, perhaps Gaby has told Eloise where they are,’ Lawrence said. ‘No doubt someone has checked their rooms?’
‘Yes, Eloise did and I went up too. The rooms are empty. Eloise knows no more than we do. Vera said she found the outside door was unlocked when she came in this morning, but it often is if you get up early or Bert is let out, so she thought nothing of it,’ Theo said.
‘I better go up and deal with it,’ Lawrence sighed. There had often been dramas with the guests over the years, but this lot were some of the worst – if not the worst – they’d had, probably because Debra and Ken didn’t really want to be here, at Jacaranda, at all.
‘I suppose they ran away so they could be together,’ Theo said. ‘Debra doesn’t like Gaby; she thinks she’s after Jerry’s money. Do you think she is Dad?’
He smiled at him, knowing that Theo only called him Dad when he needed reassurance, he was just nineteen after all, and though he liked to act older, there were times – especially like this – when he escaped back into the security of childhood.
‘Who knows? But I’m sure they will work it out between them. I’m sorry if they have left, you got on well with them and they obviously enjoyed skiing with you.’ The whole situation sounded a bit strange to Lawrence, especially if Gaby had said she didn’t love Jerry. He couldn’t have forced her to leave with him, could he? No, from what he’d seen of them, Gaby was too gutsy to allow that.
‘Do you think the avalanche was my fault?’ Theo suddenly blurted.
‘No. I don’t. You know after a large snowfall there is more risk, and Marcus, David and I were about to ski in the same place. It could just as easily have been us. It was just bad luck, you know the mountains well enough.’ Theo must have seen the warning flags and made his own decision. If he hoped to be a ski guide he had to be able to assess the risks, and Lawrence knew his son wouldn’t have knowingly put anyone in danger. He got up. ‘I better go and deal with Jerry and Gaby’s disappearance.’ He lowered his voice and leant closer to Theo, ‘Though I’d quite like to run away from Debra myself.’ He reluctantly made for the door. Theo followed him, assuring Bert he’d be back soon, knowing that if Debra saw him she’d only kick off.
They were all, except for Pippa, who Lawrence had presumed had gone upstairs, assembled in the living room. Debra sitting on the sofa, Ken standing by the window looking as if he too longed to escape, and Travis hovering about anxiously as though Gaby and Jerry’s disappearance was somehow his fault. Radley prowled by the bookcase looking grumpy, as if annoyed with the fuss being made. Eloise and Vera were not there, but he could hear some clattering in the kitchen. He wondered if he should ask them both to come in so they could all discuss this together but decided against it – Eloise had told him she had no idea where they’d gone and Vera didn’t know, so better to leave them out of it.
Lawrence said quietly, ‘I understand Jerry and Gaby have left without your knowledge.’
‘She is nothing more than a gold-digger,’ Debra announced, making Ken say nervously, ‘We don’t know that, dear.’
‘You might not, but I know one when I see one,’ Debra retorted, as if she was constantly on the lookout for such people. ‘She practically admitted it to me, said she didn’t love Jerry enough.’ She turned to Lawrence. ‘I told her she must go back home today, Travis booked her a ticket for this evening, as he told her he would. Now I find she and Jerry are gone.’
‘And you’ve no idea where?’ Lawrence wasn’t at all surprised they’d escaped; he was amazed they consented to stay here with Debra at all.
‘Of course not or I would have gone and fetched him, talked some sense into him,’ Debra threw him a withering look. ‘I can’t reach him on his mobile, I’ve left countless messages, but he won’t respond. I suspect she’s taken his phone,’ she added, as if Gaby was entirely responsible for this and had Jerry imprisoned somewhere.
How should he deal with this? Both of the fugitives, especially Jerry, were well over age and surely able to do what they wished. He suspected that Gaby had the stronger character of the two but this was hardly a case of a woman abusing a vulnerable person, though there was no doubt Jerry was in love with her. He addressed Ken, hoping to get a more helpful answer from him.
‘Do you know where they could have gone, Ken?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ Ken glanced nervously at Debra, before quietly suggesting, ‘Perhaps they just wanted some time alone together.’
‘Huh! I’m sure she engineered the whole thing,’ Debra proclaimed, her eyes boring into Ken’s face. ‘So what do you suggest we do, Lawrence? Perhaps you could telephone all the hotels, see if they are there.’
He was certainly not going to do that; Ken didn’t seem concerned about them so nor would he be. ‘I’ll go and check with Eloise, I believe she knows Gaby,’ he said hurriedly before leaving the room. Theo, who’d been standing by the window looking longingly out at the mountains, quickly followed him into the kitchen, relieved to get away.
Eloise was making a mushroom and leek filling for her interpretation of a beef Wellington. She looked up with an expression of sympathy. ‘Did they – or rather Debra – give you a hard time?’ she said quietly. ‘I don’t know where they have gone, but I would imagine Jerry wanted to go with Gaby, either back to the UK or somewhere else, he’s desperately in love with her.’
‘They are both mature, consenting adults,’ Lawrence said, though he imagined that that wouldn’t be enough to please Debra. ‘Ho
w old is Gaby?’
Eloise thought a moment. ‘At least twenty-one, possibly twenty-two, she’s a couple of years or so older than my twins.’
He sighed, ‘And she’s obviously a clever, sensible girl, so I don’t know what to do.’
‘Let them go,’ Vera, who was at the sink polishing the silver knives and forks, broke in. ‘I would go if I had to stay long with that woman.’
Privately Lawrence agreed, but the sound of the door opening, the chill of cold air and voices in the hall disturbed them.
Theo said hopefully, ‘Perhaps they’ve come back?’
Lawrence started down the passage to see who it was. At the same moment Eloise’s mobile announced a text, she peered at it as it lay on the table beside her.
Jerry and I have moved on. Tell you more later. Gaby xxx
She had given Gaby her number so she could pass it on to her mother. Eloise was about to show this text to Vera and Theo when she heard Aurelia’s voice, loud and unmistakable.
‘There you are Lawrence. I’ve bought my new friend, Harvey Brandon, to see you, to give you some great ideas about making Jacaranda more lucrative.’
Twenty-Seven
Harvey… Harvey was here? Shocked, Eloise rushed to wash her hands at the sink, frantic to escape.
‘Oh that woman again,’ Vera said impatiently, then seeing Eloise’s consternation exclaimed, ‘What has happened, are you ill? That woman makes me ill, coming here, trying to steal Jacaranda from Lawrence.’
Eloise forced herself to remain calm. She dried her hands and took off her apron. They might not come into the kitchen, or Lawrence might ask them to leave, perhaps to come back when he’d sorted out Gaby and Jerry’s escape, for that’s what it was, it was obvious from Gaby’s message. At least she was safe… but she couldn’t worry about that now, not with Harvey here. Why had Aurelia brought him to Jacaranda? How well did she know him – were they sleeping together? That was usually her first conclusion when she saw Harvey with an attractive woman, and Aurelia was glamorous and sexy, but what about the pink-clothed woman… no, she must not go there, Harvey’s love life was nothing to do with her any more.
‘It’s my ex-husband… Aurelia’s brought him here with her,’ Eloise explained to Vera, her heart beating, fit to burst. Perhaps she should escape through the door by the kitchen, though it would be so cold if she had to wait outside there long, and why should she risk freezing to death for Aurelia and Harvey?
‘How she got him?’ Vera frowned, glancing in the direction of the passage leading to the front door as if they would suddenly emerge.
Eloise and Vera could hear Lawrence asking Aurelia why she hadn’t telephoned first, it was not a good time, and perhaps they could come back later. Then they heard Aurelia’s laughter.
Eloise crept closer to the door so she could hear their conversation better.
‘Harvey has to leave soon and he says he knows the chalet. It’s such a surprise,’ Aurelia sounded incredulous, ‘that he was once married to your little cook.’
‘I don’t think we’ve ever met?’ Lawrence said.
Theo, who had followed his father out of the kitchen but had only gone halfway down the passage to see what was going on, came back now.
‘Is he your ex, Eloise?’ he asked in surprise.
She nodded, furious now that Aurelia had barged in here with Harvey. Had she brought him here to taunt her? ‘Excuse me, Theo.’ She dodged past him and went down the passage.
Lawrence turned to her, an expression of incredulity on his face; did he think she had invited him here with some wild idea to turn the place into some millionaires’ haven?
Harvey, seeing her, smiled awkwardly, ‘Hello Eloise, sorry to drop in but Aurelia…’
‘You should have rung first,’ Eloise said sharply. Aurelia was grinning in a pitying sort of way, and now Debra came out of the living room and said imperiously, ‘Are you here about Jerry? Do you know where he is?’
‘Oh, no,’ Aurelia said, not at all interested in Debra’s distress. She had taken off one of her boots and was about to bend over to remove the other, she straightened, smiled at Debra and said, ‘I’ve come to show a friend who’s in the travel business this chalet, so he can suggest some ideas to make it appeal to a higher market.’
Debra, who obviously thought she was a member of the ‘higher market’, suddenly forgot about her own dramas and began, ‘Well you need more bathrooms and…’
‘Thank you,’ Lawrence said firmly, ‘now is not a good time, Aurelia, and I suggest you come back later… and please give us warning before you do.’
Harvey, as if he wanted to calm the atmosphere, said, ‘We had some happy times here, didn’t we, Eloise?’ He threw her a look, and then addressed Lawrence, ‘We stayed here a few times when our children were small.’
Eloise wanted to cry, remembering now those times when all seemed calm and loving, when she and Harvey were together and the twins were too young to leave home alone, be off in the wide world somewhere, open to untold dangers, but she pulled herself together, her dislike of Aurelia and her love of Jacaranda giving her strength.
‘It’s a wonderful chalet, and people who really enjoy the mountains and nature and the true atmosphere of the place are happy here. Wouldn’t you agree, Harvey? Don’t you remember you used to ridicule those ponced-up places, as you called them, pandering to people with money but no imagination, no feeling for the natural beauty all around. Remember,’ she threw him a stern look, ‘your descriptions of some of the holiday places you visited in your job? The ones that didn’t have the charm and beauty of Jacaranda.’
‘I don’t you know what you mean?’ Aurelia looked offended.
To his credit Harvey looked ashamed, which was rare for him. Eloise suspected that dropping in here unannounced had been entirely Aurelia’s idea. Having found out what Harvey did for a living had she thought she could get him on her side and persuade Lawrence to make changes to Jacaranda to suit her?
Lawrence said, ‘I think it’s best if you go now, Aurelia, we’ll talk on the phone later.’
Debra addressed Harvey, ‘Are you involved with the chalets in the new development? Can you put in a word for us to rent one next time if we should come to Verbier again?’
Harvey had the grace to say, ‘No… I… that’s not my line of work, I deal mostly with summer resorts.’
‘But he’s got very good ideas about skiing ones, and Verbier attracts more and more summer visitors,’ Aurelia tried again.
Theo looked worried, he said, ‘We love Jacaranda as it is, are we changing it, Dad… Lawrence?’
‘It needs more bathrooms and perhaps a hot tub,’ Debra reiterated.
Lawrence’s face darkened. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said to Harvey, ‘you’ve been brought here under false pretences. I’d be grateful if you’d leave, make an appointment to come back if you have to… unless…’ he glanced at Eloise, but she shook her head and turned away. It still hurt to see her ex-husband, imagining him making love to other women… to Aurelia? The last thing she wanted was for Harvey to come back to the chalet. Perhaps Lawrence thought they were like some of those celeb couples that divorced yet referred to each other as their ‘best friends’.
‘Go now, Harvey,’ she said firmly, ‘it’s not a convenient time. In fact there is no convenient time for you to come to Jacaranda.’
‘But Eloise…’
‘No buts,’ she said, ‘we haven’t been here for at least ten years and things are different now. Please leave and don’t come back.’
Aurelia said sarcastically, ‘Well if it’s not convenient… but Lawrence, I’d say you’re missing out on a great opportunity by not at least listening to Harvey’s ideas to turn Jacaranda into a huge money-spinner.’
‘That’s not what I want,’ Lawrence said, and then Bert, who’d managed to escape from his place downstairs, came flying down the passage barking excitedly.
‘Oh, that dog.’ Debra backed away as if he were a raging lion.
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br /> ‘Theo, control him will you,’ Lawrence said, trying not to laugh.
Bert started to sniff at Aurelia and Harvey, but before he could decide if he liked them or not, Theo scooped him up.
‘I’ll take you out soon,’ he said, going back towards the kitchen, making Debra remark that she hoped he was well out of the way of the food as animals were so unhygienic.
Eloise, in her nervous state, felt an urge to giggle when she thought of Bert and the joint of lamb but curbed it when she caught Lawrence’s stern eye, though his mouth was twitching with a smile. She turned to go back to the kitchen.
Lawrence opened the front door and the freezing air drove Debra back into the living room, shutting the door firmly behind her. Left with them in the hall, Aurelia struggling to put on her boot, Eloise heard Lawrence say, ‘You’ve come at a difficult moment. Two of our guests seem to have done a runner. I’ve got to sort that out before I do anything else.’
‘What, like your last chef, run off with one of the guests, or run off without paying?’ Aurelia asked. Eloise hovered in the passage to hear what Lawrence would say.
‘No, nothing like that,’ Lawrence said irritably, ‘it’s a family matter, but I need to deal with it in peace.’
Theo, still holding Bert, said as she came down the passage, ‘What’s your ex-husband doing here, Eloise? Is he trying to get you back?’
‘No,’ she said, ‘it’s just a dreadful coincidence. I’d no idea he was even out here, I probably wouldn’t have come if I’d known.’
‘I’m jolly glad you didn’t know then,’ Theo said warmly. ‘I’m sorry if you don’t want him here, I don’t either if Aurelia’s trying to get him to change Jacaranda. We love it as it is.’
