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‘Yes, with Rose last season. Luca played the same silly game with her and then got bored. She didn’t show up for work the first week back. When he got engaged, I told him there must be no more relationships, other than the perfectly good one he has.’ Genevieve pulled out a packet of cigarettes from her fur coat, lit one and inhaled, closing her eyes to really enjoy it.
‘I feel like such an idiot,’ I said, licking the chocolatey dregs off my teaspoon.
‘I had no idea he was being unfaithful to Fern, otherwise I’d have said something sooner. Le Mirador was my engagement gift to them last year and I had an email to say the voucher had been activated. I knew Luca had gone there with someone and I was with Fern at the time, so I knew it wasn’t her. It didn’t take me long to get it out of him.’
Shame spread through me at the thought of being topless, however fleetingly, with another woman’s fiancé on their engagement spa break.
‘That is so awful,’ I said, mortified. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘Of course you didn’t,’ she said. ‘I know my brother well enough. If anything, I thought something might have been going on between you and Xavier.’ Genevieve took another drag of her cigarette.
‘Xavier? But he’s married.’ I was so confused. Why would she say that? What kind of den of iniquity was this?
‘Yes,’ Genevieve said. ‘It is a little complicated though, I think.’
‘Complicated or not, marriage is a sacred vow. I don’t understand.’ Did monogamy and honesty mean nothing to people these days?
‘Non, you don’t understand, and it is not my place to explain. Xavier is a dear friend and I won’t break his confidence, but I think there is something he should tell you.’
‘Is it best if I go home?’ I asked, a wave of shock riding through me. The thought of being back in London job-less, man-less and money-less was beyond devastating.
‘Zut alors, non,’ Genevieve said. ‘Luca has made his bed and now it is time for him to lie down in it and sleep.’
‘As in…?’
‘He goes back to Paris. He had his chance. My brother is very well indulged, Holly, as you can see. Time to face up to his responsibilities.’
‘Are you sure? Wouldn’t it be easier if I went instead?’
‘You haven’t done anything wrong. Leave him to me.’
I wasn’t even sure I wanted to stay out here anymore. Liv and Xavier were being off with me and if Xavier didn’t want to teach me anymore then what was the point in staying at all? I’d lost all sense of what I was doing with my life and now the back-up for the back-up was falling through.
My phone vibrated as both Rachael and Liv replied:
Liv:Oh babes!
Rachael:So sorry Holly, I should have taped the box shut.
Me:Did you know he was engaged?
Rachael:Not until the order came through this morning. I was going to tell you, but it didn’t seem right to do it earlier with David there.
Liv:I’m back at the room if you want vodka?
Me:No. I’m going to have it out with him.
Liv:Not sure on that one. Come for vodka first xx
Genevieve’s phone rang and she dismissed me with her cigarette-laden hand, which was fair enough. I still worked for her, after all. I took my cup back to Droopy.
‘Merci,’ he said, with a kind, downward-facing smile. Maybe I could go out with him instead.
I walked back to the chalet with a sense of dread. Would Luca be back, and what would I say if he was? Should I pie him in the face with the cheesecake? I could leave it in his bedroom with a Post-it –Third time lucky with your Aunt Fern? I needed to think of a suitably smug but mic-droppable response. A smattering of snow feathered down from the sky, and I wrapped my arms around myself as I trudged home through the town. I decided to be bold and walked in through the front door of the chalet, knowing Genevieve wasn’t home, and wanting to take Luca by surprise. Let him see me in my full power.
‘Hello?’ I called as I pushed the door open, feeling the emptiness around me. I was all fired up and ready for a row and no one was home. I sent Luca a message in frustration.
Me:I need to ask you something.
