Chapter Twenty-One
The temperature in England had been mild, but France, in May, was hot – hotter than Lisa had imagined. As Felicity drove them along the twisty roads up in to the mountains, Lisa wished she had worn lighter clothes – in material and colour. Her black leggings were absorbing the heat of the sun through the windscreen of the hire car, making her too warm despite the best effortsof the Skoda Fabia’s air conditioning.
Felicity looked awestruck at the dramatic scenery as stretches of grass broken by the occasional chalet or barn, forests of pine, and snow-capped mountains flanked the road. ‘It’s beautiful, breath-taking. Is it just me, or is the sky bluer here?’
‘I think it’s just that we can see more of it, fewer houses, bigger scenery. Does that make sense?’ Lisapeered through the windscreen.
‘No. I think it’s bluer.’
Lisa laughed, enjoying seeing Felicity so animated, and relieved that her friend with a self-professed penchant for beach holidays was taking so readily to a break in the mountains.
‘Look, cows!’ Felicity swung the car on to the grass verge and pressed to lower her window.
A few of the medium-sized brown and white cows, lookingas if they had stepped off the wrapper of a bar of Milka chocolate, glanced up inquisitively and sauntered over. The bells attached to thick leather straps around their necks clanged repetitively as they moved. The rings through their soft pink noses and the fact they had no udders suggested they were bullocks, but Lisa didn’t say. Instead she soaked up the noise as it resonated on the coolbreeze, looked into their dark enquiring eyes and admired their long eyelashes.
Felicity put her hands on her hips and took a big breath. ‘The children will love these. I can’t wait to … arghh, I’m at it already. This weekend is meant to be about us, a little oasis in the desert of real-life responsibilities, and here I am getting excited about cows and wanting to show the children.’
‘Don’t worry about it. I love them too.’
‘My children?’
‘Of course, but I meant the cows.’
Felicity laughed and took out her phone to take the first of many holiday pictures.
When they pulled up outside Lisa’s parents’ three-storey chalet, nestled above the village of Samoëns, Felicity’s eyes boggled. ‘Wow! It’s beautiful.’
‘And it is all ours, at least until Sunday evening!’
The pair shared a satisfied smile before getting out of the car.
The air was clear. The only sounds were the chirping of crickets as they stridulated in the surrounding grass, and the faint rush of meltwater tumbling down the face of a distant mountain. As the two of them stood soaking in the view, Lisa couldn’t help but compare the verdant late spring surroundings with the winter landscapeshe had seen during her visit in December when snow had dominated the view.
Now the sky was a crisp light blue and cotton wool clouds hung low across the lush mountains. Lisa could see the ski runs she had watched being prepared in the winter, now slick carpets of green streaking down between the trees. The ski lifts sat idle. To her left a craggy mountain untouched by vegetation stretchedhigher into the sky. Its snow cap glistened as the sun touched but didn’t penetrate it.
‘Right, let’s get this holiday started.’ Felicity walked to the rear of the car, popping open the small boot. As her bag was less than half the size of Lisa’s, she passed it to her.
‘I don’t know what you’ve got in here.’ Felicity groaned as she lifted Lisa’s case out.
‘I didn’t know what the weatherwould be like, or what I would be comfortable in. Besides, I’m packing for two.’
‘You know that’s not actually a thing until the baby arrives, don’t you?’
Lisa laughed. ‘I meant me and Nathan. I’ve stolen half his wardrobe.’And the engagement ring he once tried to give me.Seeing her case, where she had slipped the ring before baggage drop at the airport, made guilt pulsate through heronce more. Lisa recalled being in Sam’s flat and her snap decision to take the ring. With the distance of time and over six hundred miles, she couldn’t believe her actions; the things she had done played through her mind as if watching somebody else. Despite being tempted many times on the journey, she hadn’t confessed to Felicity. Lisa already knew her advice would be to speak to Nathan. She evenconceded it was the sensible thing to do, but with Nathan in England and the weekend ahead to focus on with Felicity, Lisa was happy to remain in denial about the need for that conversation, at least for the next two days.
As Lisa rummaged in her bag for the key her mum had entrusted her with, she looked at Felicity’s bag at her feet. ‘How have you packed so little?’
‘I’ve packed my goodfriends the Molton Browns, Penny and Percy Pig, a couple of maxi-dresses, and a swimsuit for the hot tub. Oh, and a few essentials like sun cream and underwear.’
‘You’re here for a week!’
‘And Pete is bringing the rest.’ Felicity smiled.
Lisa opened the front door and motioned for Flick to go in first.
She put down the case she had lifted over the threshold and blew out a breath.‘Wow again! Lisa, this is amazing. I knew I should have kept in contact with your parents when you buggered off after our prom!’ Felicity giggled and spun around in awe.
By the time Sunday evening arrived, Lisa and Felicity were completely chilled out and felt they had taken relaxation to a whole new level. Felicity sat in the hot tub sipping wine while Lisa was drinking blackcurrant squash,and eating Maltesers, with her feet in a paddling pool they had bought at the local supermarché. The once red umbrella, they had put up for protection from the hot sun, was weathered in stripes; its ornate wrought-iron base took centre stage between the two of them on the terrace. The table, chairs and barbecue sat idly waiting for the arrival of the others, who would no doubt put them all to gooduse. A lizard, no larger than Lisa’s palm, flitted about the terrace, pausing mid-motion each time they looked directly at it, as if it were playing a game of Sly Fox.
