A Slippery Slope Read Online Free Page B

box and bench-seat, were covered with at
least six inches of snow, some of which had fallen today.
    The
chalet was in darkness but Verity could picture the windows bathed in a warm,
golden glow of light and a roaring fire with smoke billowing from the big,
square chimney. She couldn’t wait to sit in front of a real log fire again. It
seemed like an eternity since she’d done that.
    ‘Welcome
to Chalet Marianne ,’ Etienne said, opening the massive door into an
expansive wood-framed hallway and depositing their
bags near the foot of a large wooden staircase . He led the way into a
vaulted sitting room. ‘I’ll light the fire and give you a quick tour. Then I’ll
leave you to get settled. Josh has a welcome slash instruction slash
information pack to explain everything and I’ve left that in the kitchen. Have
a read of it and I can go through anything you’re unsure of, tomorrow.’
     ‘Wow!’
Verity said, following Etienne, her head turning from side to side like a child
in a toyshop, marvelling at the many delights on offer. ‘This place is really
something! And this sitting room is about the same size as my entire house!’
    ‘Size
isn’t everything,’ Etienne replied, flashing his pearly white teeth in a wide
smile.
    ‘It
is sometimes,’ Verity said, her eyes scanning the room.
    The
fireplace to the right was at least six feet across and made of stone with a
raised hearth and a heavy wooden beam for a mantle. The walls of the room were
wood, which had mellowed over the years to a dark honey tone but the oak floor
was clearly reclaimed from a much older building and was a deep, rich brown.
Two six-seater sumptuous leather sofas sat either side of the fireplace and a
large oak coffee table in the centre of a colourful rug, stood between them. A
couple of armchairs and an odd, red, heart-shaped designer-looking chair
completed the seating arrangements.
    Heavy
curtains hung stylishly at the sides of several French doors that opened out
onto one of the wrap-around, snow-covered balconies. Through the strategically
placed, large picture window, Verity could see a large cluster of brightly lit
buildings just a little way off. Earlier, when they were outside, faint strains
of music and the noise of people partying had wafted through the alpine air
from that direction.
    ‘Is
that Meribel Village?’ she asked, pointing towards the lights.
    ‘Yes
and no.’ Etienne moved closer to the window. ‘That’s the main village and the
heart of the resort where most of the nightlife et cetera is, but it’s called
Meribel or Meribel Centre, not Meribel Village. You’ll find Meribel Village on
the road heading out of town towards Courchevel. That’s mainly chalets and
hotels and you can’t see it from here. Many people get the two places confused
and find they’re not staying where they thought they were. Further up the
valley in the opposite direction is the higher resort of Meribel Mottaret. It’s
not as pretty as Meribel but there’s some great skiing up there. Can you ski
well?’
    ‘I
haven’t been skiing for years,’ Verity said, peering out into the darkness at
the welcoming lights of Meribel, ‘but Lucy is an expert snowboarder. She goes
every year. I used to ski when I was younger but then I got married and had
Lucy and ... we couldn’t really afford skiing holidays.’
    ‘Yeah,
I really screwed things up for you didn’t I?’ Lucy said, only half joking as
she joined them at the window.
    Verity
wrapped her arms around her daughter and hugged her tightly. ‘You’re the best
thing that ever happened to me and don’t you ever forget that.’ She planted a
long, lingering kiss on the side of Lucy’s head.
    ‘Okay!
Mind the hair,’ Lucy joked. ‘So ... the tour, Etienne. Forget about lighting a
fire, we’ll do that. Where’s the bedroom?’
    Etienne
raised honey-blonde brows. ‘You’re a fast mover. We’ve only just met but if
you’re offering …’
    ‘Oh,
very funny. I meant for Mum and