A Slippery Slope (24 page)

‘No, Mum. He hasn’t. How odd? What did he say?’

‘Nothing much. Just that he’d found it and that he knew I would
try to poison you against him. Which is true, of course. He also mentioned that
he’d discovered you no longer work at the bank – which didn’t make any sense at
all because how did he think you could be working out here if you were still at
the bank. I’ll never understand the man. Not if I live to be a hundred.’

***

Verity stepped out into the early morning sunshine as it cast its
golden cloth over the newly fallen snow. She heard birds rejoicing in the
branches as the rays warmed their feathers. She watched an odd shaped, single
white cloud as it raced across the powder blue sky like a little lost elephant
chasing after its herd. She took a deep breath of alpine air and felt thankful
to be alive. Hanging upside down in that gully made her realise just how
precious that air was and she vowed right there and then that she would never
take life for granted again.

As she walked to
Chalet Marianne
she noticed a dozen things
she hadn’t seen before, heard a dozen sounds she hadn’t heard and she felt as
if she were seeing life through new eyes. She felt more alive than she had in
years and as fresh snow crunched beneath her feet, she remembered the day that
she and Lucy had walked down Dunclutha Road avoiding puddles and sharing
secrets. The day she’d found Tony with Daniella. The day her heart had broken
like ice on a frozen lake, unable to bear the weight of the image of them
together.

And doubts began to set in like ripples below the surface. Had it
really been the first time he’d cheated? Did she really love him enough to
spend the rest of her life with him? Would Lucy really be so unhappy if her
parents divorced?

She raised her face towards the sun to savour its warmth and she
wondered if she should take a chance. As she turned the corner of the road just
a few hundred metres from
Chalet Marianne,
she saw Josh’s car parked
outside and her heart missed a beat – until she saw the chalet door open and
Josh strolled out.

A beautiful woman linked her arm through his and leant into him as
they walked towards his car, her face alight with laughter. Verity watched Josh
run his hand through his hair and smile down at his companion as he opened the
car door. Before she got in, she kissed him affectionately on the cheek. And
Josh didn’t seem to mind one bit.

The little cloud elephant had found its herd and they were
gathering over Verity’s head.

***

‘Hello, Mum!’ Lucy called out, sounding both surprised and pleased
to see her mother at the chalet. ‘You’ve just missed Josh. How are you
feeling?’

‘Fine, darling. Josh was here? On his own? I mean ... he didn’t
bring your father to see you?’

‘No. He had a friend with him as it happens. Marie ... something.’

‘Oh? He seems to have a lot of female friends, doesn’t he?’

Lucy gave her an odd look. ‘Are you jealous? That’s not a good
sign if you’re thinking of going back to Dad, you know.’

‘Don’t be silly, darling. I’m just ... making a point. He does
seem to have a lot of female friends. It’s not jealousy – it’s an observation.
My near death experience seems to have done that to me. I noticed all sorts of
things on the way here that I’d never noticed before.’

She was trying to make light of it but jealousy was coursing
through her veins faster than her blood could carry it.

‘They do say that happens, don’t they?’ Lucy said. ‘Sit down and
I’ll make you some coffee. Christelle’s gone to do the shopping so we’ve got
some time for a chat.’

Verity pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘How’s that going? Working
with Christelle, I mean.’

‘Great! She’s such a good cook and she’s teaching me lots of
time-saving tricks with the chores, too. She was a chalet girl for five seasons
before she moved in with Louis, so she really knows her stuff. There’s no need
for you to worry about a thing, Mum, and I know that’s what you’re doing. We’re
fine, so you just take it easy.’

Oddly enough, that wasn’t at all what Verity wanted to hear.

***

The more the day went on, the more Verity was beginning to feel
that she was neither needed nor belonged in Meribel. She wandered aimlessly
around the village, sat at a bar on her own and watched hordes of people having
fun on the slopes. She tried to quiet the rising anxiety she felt as she looked
at the mountains but it was impossible. It was as if they were taunting her.
‘We’ll get you next time,’ they seemed to be saying.

Her head swam as she saw a river of snow thunder towards her. Josh
was in the distance, laughing and dancing, first with Christelle, then with
Marie and then with someone else she didn’t know, and it was clear he wouldn’t
save her this time. As the avalanche got closer, she screamed and jumped to her
feet. Strong arms encircled her and pulled her towards a comforting and
familiar chest.

‘Are you okay, darling?’ Tony asked, holding her tightly in his
arms. I saw you from a distance and waved but you seemed miles away. ‘What
happened? Bad memories?’

She nodded into his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

‘The sooner we get you home and safe, the better.’

She nodded again. ‘Yes,’ she said, sobbing quietly. ‘Take me home,
please Tony. Please take me home.’ She thought she saw Josh in the distance
getting out of his car with Marie. But it was probably just another of the
hallucinations she’d experienced a moment ago.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

‘So
it’s true then?’ Josh said, standing in the doorway of Verity and Lucy’s tiny
bedroom at
Chalet Marianne
. ‘You’re leaving. Were you planning on
telling me? Or were you just going to sneak away?’

Verity’s back stiffened as soon as she heard his voice; she
continued her packing without looking round at him. She couldn’t face him; she
couldn’t look into those incredible blue-grey eyes. If she did, she would be
lost.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I was going to tell you but I didn’t know where
you were and Tony managed to get us on a flight this evening. I’ve spoken to
Christelle and she says she’s happy to stay on here until you find a
replacement. Lucy said that Jo may be able to come out in a week or two. I’m
sorry, Josh but I need to go home. I shouldn’t have come here. It was a
mistake. And I’ll be no great loss, will I? I mean it’s not as if I can even
cook.’

She was trying to sound light-hearted but her heart felt heavy and
tears weren’t far from the surface.

‘I couldn’t give a shit about whether or not you can cook! Verity,
I ...!’

This time she did turn and face him. ‘Yes, Josh?’ she replied,
watching him run his hand through his hair not once, not twice but three times.

‘I ... I’m really sorry to see you go. I thought we ... Should you
even be flying after your accident?’

Ever practical, she thought. ‘Yes, we checked and it’s fine.’

She was lying. She hadn’t checked and she hadn’t told anyone about
her hallucinations. She was worried that they wouldn’t let her go. And she
needed to go. She needed to get as far away from Meribel – and from Josh – as
she could.

‘I’ll miss you, Verity.’ Far more than you could ever imagine.’

‘I’ll miss you too.’ But it’s for the best. For everyone
concerned.’

‘For Lucy and you and Tony perhaps,’ he said. ‘But not for me.’

What did he mean by that? Was he saying ...?

‘Are you ready, darling,’ Tony asked, joining Josh at the door.
‘Sorry about this, Josh. But Verity wants to get home as soon as possible. As
you can probably imagine, this last month hasn’t been the happiest of times for
her. We’ll be home before the New Year. New Year. New start. Things are going
to be wonderful for us from now on.’

‘I’m sure they are,’ Josh said without taking his eyes off
Verity’s face. ‘I really hope they are. You deserve to be happy, Verity. Truly
happy. But if you ever want to come back ... to be a chalet girl again, you
know where to find me.’

He smiled half-heartedly and stepped aside to let her pass.

In the kitchen, Verity hugged Lucy and didn’t even try to stop the
tears from falling.

‘You look after her, Etienne,’ Verity said, looking him directly
in the eye. ‘And don’t ever let her go off piste without you, you hear me. Never!’

‘I’ll make sure she’s safe,’ he said. ‘Always.’

‘Thank you for stepping in for me, Christelle.’

‘My pleasure, Verity,’ she said. ‘I am just so sorry to see you
go. You brought happiness where before there was none. I look forward to seeing
you again.’

Verity shook her head. ‘Thanks, Christelle. But I don’t think I’ll
be coming back.’

‘Not even for a long weekend to see me, Mum?’

‘Oh! Well perhaps I’ll do that.’ She turned to Laura and tried to
lighten the mood. ‘Are you ready, Mum? And remember you two …’ She wagged a
finger at Tony and her mother, ‘play nice or I’ll be very unhappy.’

Laura and Tony glared at one another but they both forced a smile.

‘Anything for you, darling,’ Laura said with a look of
determination on her face as if she were about to run a marathon.

Verity took a deep breath and turned back to Josh. ‘Goodbye,
Josh,’ she said, fighting back more tears. ‘Thank you for everything. And I do
mean, everything. Oh, I’ve left your cook book on the worktop there.’ She
pointed to it. ‘I won’t be needing it and you never know, you might get another
chalet girl one day who can’t cook.’

‘There’ll never be another chalet girl like you,’ he said.

Tony smirked. ‘You can say that again. I expect, deep down, you’re
very glad to be shot of her, aren’t you?’

‘That couldn’t be further from the truth, actually, Tony. You take
care of her. And remember, you’re a very lucky man. A very lucky man indeed.’

Tony coughed. ‘Let’s go,’ he said, ushering Verity to the door.
‘We don’t want to miss our flight. It was a nightmare to get tickets at such
short notice especially at this time of year. I was certainly lucky on that
score.’

Verity felt as if she were being dragged to Etienne’s car. She
thought Josh would offer to take them but he didn’t. She wanted to look back
but she knew that if she did, she would turn and run to Josh and beg him to let
her stay. And she knew that was ridiculous. He didn’t want her. Not really,
even though the look in his eyes had pierced her very soul and his every word
seemed to have formed a chain around her heart. She wanted to go home. To
safety – to security. To her old life with Tony, the man she had promised to
love until death do them part.

Lucy hugged her for some time and it was as if neither of them
wanted to let go.

‘We’ve got to go, darling,’ Tony said. ‘Don’t worry, she’ll be
fine. I’ll look after her.’

He eased his wife and daughter apart, their outstretched arms and
fingers locking for just a moment before he separated them. Lucy couldn’t
speak. She just nodded her head repeatedly and her arms fell slowly to her
side.

‘Verity!’

Verity heard Josh call her name and it was like a foghorn to a
ship lost on a murky night. She turned to see him run towards her. She wanted
to run to him but Tony had his arm wrapped possessively around her and for some
reason, her traitorous feet just would not move.

‘Keep this,’ he said, unzipping her oversized handbag and slipping
The Chalet Girls’ Cook Book
inside. ‘It’ll remind you of here and ...
you never know, it may come in useful one day.’

Disappointment coursed through her. She thought he was trying to
tell her something but she wasn’t sure what. Perhaps simply that she should
learn to cook? No. He wouldn’t be that facetious. Not at a time like this.

‘Thank you, Josh,’ she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
‘I’ll treasure it. Goodbye.’

He ran his hand through his hair. ‘Goodbye, Verity. I truly hope
you’ll be happy ... but I hope I’ll see you again.’

What an odd thing to say, she thought. Was he telling her she
should come back if she wasn’t happy with Tony? Is that really what he meant?

‘Come along, darling,’ Tony said, helping Verity onto the rear
seat next to her mother before getting into the front beside Etienne. ‘Airlines
wait for no man ... or woman.’

As Etienne pulled away, it started snowing and Verity looked back
to see Josh standing on the forecourt, running his hands through his hair as
snowflakes kissed his forehead and the cold wind tugged at his jacket. She
watched him until Etienne turned the corner and Josh was out of sight. Then she
tucked her arm into her mother’s, leant her head on Laura’s shoulder and sobbed
all the way to the airport.

***

Life in Dunclutha Road returned to normal. Or as normal as it
could be when all Verity could think about was what time it was in Meribel,
what the weather was like, what Lucy and Etienne were doing ... and picturing
Josh standing in the snow, watching her leave and not doing a damn thing to
stop her.

The journey home had been exceptionally quiet – although far from
peaceful with Verity’s conflicting emotions waging war against one another the
entire way. More than once, if she could have turned the plane around, she
would have. But at least Tony and Laura had kept their promises. Although it
meant they hardly spoke, at least they didn’t argue and her mother didn’t even
give an indication that she thought Verity was behaving like a fool until the
minicab dropped her at her home.

‘I need to talk to you, darling,’ she said. ‘As soon as possible,
please.’

Several times at the airport she had tried to get Verity alone but
Verity couldn’t face another lecture about her choices and she had resisted the
attempts.

‘Don’t start, Laura,’ Tony said, carrying her suitcase the few
metres to the door and dumping it on the door step. ‘Why can’t you just allow
me and Verity be happy?’

‘I would, if I thought you could be.’

Verity shook her head. We’re home, she thought.

Arriving at Dunclutha Road, Verity had felt like a new and nervous
bride on her wedding night. Tony had even insisted on carrying her over the
threshold – all part of their ‘new beginning’, he’d told her.

Inside, he was nothing but attentive and considerate and when he
climbed into bed beside her and reached out for her, she didn’t move away. She
didn’t even tell him it was too soon. Although she knew she should. She closed
her eyes and told herself that if she loved him and she wanted this marriage to
work, having sex again was a very important step. And a tiny part of her wanted
to erase the memory of Josh. Having sex with Tony might just do that. Nothing
else seemed to be working.

But neither did that. Had it always been that clinical? That
quick? That ... unsatisfying? He’d kissed her and caressed her. He’d whispered
that he loved her. He’d even told her that he couldn’t remember sex with her
being as good. But all she could think about were Josh’s hands and Josh’s
kisses, and what little pleasure she did experience had nothing to do with Tony
and everything to do with the memory of Josh.

***

‘Finally!’ Laura exclaimed three days after New Year when she and
Verity were at last alone. ‘That man is following you around as if you were a
little lost sheep. How did you manage to get away from him?’

Verity laughed, although she didn’t feel happy. ‘He’s not keeping
me a prisoner, Mum! I’m there by choice. He’s popped into the restaurant for
half an hour. He’s dropped me off and he’s picking me up and no, it’s not
because he’s my keeper, it’s because he cares about me and wants to keep me
safe.

‘Yes. Well he should have thought about that before he screwed his
little waitress.’

‘Don’t start, Mum. Please. We’re together and we’re going to make
it work.’

‘Make it work! You shouldn’t have to ‘make it work’. Love should
be fun. Love should make you happy.’

‘In your world perhaps, where you move on to the next one as soon
as boredom creeps in. Most people work at their marriages to make them last.
It’s not all a bed of roses, you know.’

‘I’m well aware of that, darling. And I’ve done my share of
‘working at it’, believe me. But it shouldn’t be about fighting against the
tide; it should be about going with the flow. And I think you’re fighting
against a massive Tsunami.’

‘Mum! Stop! I mean it.’

Laura shrugged. ‘I won’t mention your marriage again. Have you
heard from Josh?’

Verity glared at her. ‘You just said you wouldn’t mention my
marriage again!’

‘I’m not. I’m mentioning Josh. Have you heard from him?’

‘Of course I haven’t,’ she snapped. ‘Why would I?’

‘Why would you?’ Laura sighed. ‘I love you beyond compare my
darling, but sometimes I find it very hard to believe you are actually my flesh
and blood. Because the man is head over heels in love with you, that’s why!’

‘Bullshit! To quote Etienne. Josh didn’t seem very in love with me
when he let me leave. Although I suppose he did say that I could have my job
back if things didn’t work out between Tony and me. At least I think that’s
what he was saying. I suppose that must mean he likes me.’

‘Likes you!’ Good heavens, girl. He loves you! I don’t know how
many times I have to say this. Mind you, I will accept that perhaps the man’s
as big a fool as you seem to be and that perhaps even he doesn’t realise it.
There is that.’

‘Of course! That’s it, Mum.
I
don’t think he’s in love with
me.
He
doesn’t think he is in love with me.
Nobody
thinks he’s in
love with me – except you, that is. You seem to know us all so much better than
we know ourselves.’

‘You may be sarcastic, darling but as it happens, yes I do, and
unless you want to end up like me and make the biggest mistake of your life,
you will get on the next plane and you will go back to Meribel – after telling
Tony you want a divorce, of course.’

‘For God’s sake, Mum. Enough! I need a drink. In fact, I need
several drinks.’

‘Have
as many as you want,’ Laura said, passing Verity a bottle of wine. ‘Just
remember that having a broken heart is bad enough. Having a broken heart and a
hangover is unbearable. Believe me I know. I’ve had both ... more times than I
care to remember.’

‘I
don’t have a broken heart! But I do have a headache from your constant jibes
about Tony and your constant assumptions about Josh. He … doesn’t … give … a
shit … about … me. Okay?’