A Winter Affair (29 page)

‘So Jerry doesn't know this?' Lawrence frowned.

‘Not unless she's told him just now.' Eloise went on to explain about Gaby's studies, ‘And now I feel I might have inadvertently signed Jacaranda's death warrant when Jerry finds out I encouraged Gaby,' she finished dramatically.

Lawrence's anxiety increased and Eloise feared her interference in Gaby's escape from Jerry could make him determined to side with Debra. He could even use it as a subtle blackmail to make Gaby stay with him if he dropped his aunt's wishes to take action. Eloise struggled to find something to say to relieve the tension and blurted out that she hoped she hadn't made things worse.

‘It's too late now,' Lawrence said heavily. ‘I don't know how Debra's mind works, or Jerry's for that matter, but if Gaby decides to leave him for whatever reason, he could easily scuttle back under Debra's wing.'

‘Gaby will do whatever she thinks best for her. She is determined to get a good career and she won't take my advice if it doesn't help her,' Eloise said lamely, moving to get up and leave the room, the dinner had to be cooked and she couldn't bear it if Lawrence was angry with her for making things worse.

‘Gaby's at a difficult time in her life, making choices of getting the right degree for her career,' Lawrence said, ‘and it's a pity she's got involved with Jerry and is sort of beholden to him. Sugar Dads, we never had anything like that when I was at uni.' He was silent a moment, his eyes seeming to focus on something she couldn't see. He went on slowly, ‘I got involved with someone when I was a student, Georgia, Theo's mother. He was the best mistake I've ever made, but at the time it was quite a drama.'

‘I can imagine.' She'd wondered about the relationship of Theo's parents but had not liked to ask. It was obvious they were not together and Theo seemed quite relaxed about it, spending time with each of them. But there was enough going on at Jacaranda now to concern Lawrence without Eloise adding to it by questioning him about his love life at uni.

But Lawrence seemed to be happy to continue with his story. ‘We were fortunate that both sets of parents – well not my mother, she didn't feature much in my life, but Desmond, Maddy and Georgia's parents – supported us. It was youthful sex and exuberance I suppose, though we are still very fond of each other, but it was not enough to marry. That would have been a disaster.' He laughed. ‘But I think everything worked out in the end.'

‘Certainly has, Theo is lovely, you couldn't ask for better,' she said with enthusiasm.

Lawrence's story made her feel closer to him, see him in a different light. Ever since she'd arrived she'd been wary of him, knowing her cooking skills were not up to the dizzy heights he expected and afraid of letting him down. Apart from Bert and the lamb incident, which she felt he had not quite forgiven her for, he had not complained about any of the meals she had produced, though she suspected he'd be relieved when the
proper
chef arrived in a week or so and she went home.

She got up. ‘I must cook the dinner and not give Debra any more reasons to make trouble. I don't know what to do about Gaby and Jerry,' she said. ‘I feel bad about encouraging Gaby to go to America, but I suppose either way Jerry might side with Debra. I'd hate to have any part in harming Jacaranda.' To her horror she felt near tears, she sniffed angrily.

Lawrence noticed. ‘Oh Eloise,' he said, ‘don't upset yourself, how could you know you were dealing with such a megalomaniac as Debra.' He got up and put his hand on her shoulder.

She'd no idea how it happened, she must have lost her balance and fallen against him. She laid her head on his chest, feeling his heart beating and the warmth of him. He put his arm round her, perhaps to steady her or to push her away, but the feel of it was so comforting, so exciting. He bent over her head and she thought that she felt his lips kiss the top if it, but of course it could not be that, she was just imagining things.

They heard a clatter coming down the stairs, reaching the door. Theo calling, ‘Lawrence, you promised a game of snooker.'

Lawrence let her go, opened the door. ‘Theo… I was just talking to Eloise about the avalanche, I must question you too and she must get the dinner.'

Theo frowned, his face now anxious as he, followed by Bert, came into Lawrence's office.

Eloise escaped, running up the stairs to change out of her ski clothes, her emotions in turmoil.

Whatever was he thinking holding Eloise close like that, even kissing the top of her head? He could still feel the silkiness of her hair on his lips and recall the soft, flowery scent of it and the pressure of her head against his chest. He was going mad; Debra and her insistence of contacting her lawyer was causing him to behave in the most irrational way.

It was hardly surprising that it was Travis who was detailed to inform him that Debra felt it was such a serious matter that she would be seeking the necessary legal assistance. He had given the news in a monotone like a bad actor and it was obvious that Debra had convinced herself that Theo had not taken proper precautions. He'd listened with sinking heart, knowing if Debra carried out her threat he must also consult his lawyer and that could cost a fortune.

‘So will you be leaving Jacaranda early?' he'd asked, they only had two more days and he'd rather they went given the circumstances, but then they'd probably ask to be refunded for the last days.

Travis had seemed surprised, ‘Well I… I don't know.' He looked embarrassed, as well he might, and scuttled away, muttering that he'd ‘consult with Debra'.

‘So Dad, our game, we've just time before supper,' Theo said impatiently now, turning towards the snooker table that was in the room outside the office, fitting beside the wine cellar, a deep freeze and the washing machines. Bert had made off to check out the corners of the room and to see that his bed had not been disturbed while he'd been away.

‘No… in a minute, I've got to talk to you first about the avalanche.' Lawrence pulled himself together and gestured for Theo to go into his office.

Theo said plaintively, ‘Not that again? You promised a game and I'm going out later.'

‘I will play but I must talk first, keep you up to speed. Come in and close the door.'

‘Jerry said he'd stop Debra going to a lawyer, suing me, us whatever… so not to worry.' Theo flopped down on the chair. ‘She wasn't there, so it's none of her business.'

It was hard to tarnish Theo's opinion of a person he'd enjoyed spending time with but it had to be done.

‘I'm sorry Theo, but it hasn't worked out that way.'

‘What way? What do you mean?' Theo looked anguished.

‘Debra holds the reins for this family, she probably paid out for this holiday herself. I suspect she's a better businessperson than all of them put together. It doesn't help that she knows very little about the mountains, skiing or the weather conditions, but she can get someone to find all that out and, if it's possible, to bring a case of negligence.' Lawrence sighed, he'd fight it all the way, but it would take money, wipe out the sums he'd put aside to carry out crucial maintenance on Jacaranda, not to mention be catastrophic for Jacaranda's reputation and remaining on the exclusive agency's books.

‘OK, I see that, the old cow,' Theo said bitterly, ‘but Jerry knows how it was. Eloise and Gaby will back me up.' He sighed, ‘I'm not going to go through it all again, Dad, I've told you enough times. Surely Jerry can persuade Debra not to take action, especially as it might go badly for him, as he rushed off when I told him to wait. Eloise and Gaby heard me do it.'

‘I don't know the whys and wherefores but Travis told me Jerry's agreed to support his aunt's decision to consult her lawyer to see if there is a case,' Lawrence said heavily, feeling as if he was spearing his son with a knife.

‘No, he can't have!' Theo protested, his face anguished. ‘He promised he wouldn't. He said she was mad and it was just one of those things that can happen in the mountains. You must have misunderstood, Dad.' He slumped back in his chair, near tears.

Lawrence longed to hold him, assure him that everything would be all right, he would deal with it, but he couldn't. Theo was an adult, accused – wrongly, he was certain – but accused all the same of a serious offence, of leading them into danger.

Debra's determination to make trouble reminded him of those disreputable insurers who cold-called people about ‘their accident' on the off-chance that they had had one and could be persuaded to make a claim for it, when it hadn't crossed their minds before.

‘But why would Jerry change his mind?' Theo wailed. ‘He was fine about it when we talked yesterday.'

‘It's Debra,' Lawrence said heavily. ‘She's the one who makes the decisions. She thinks Jerry was led into a place where there was a danger of avalanches.'

‘What! But I didn't know, there were no warning signs, ask the others, ask Eloise.' Theo's face was stricken. ‘Dad, Debra's mad, she doesn't even ski, how can she know anything?'

‘I know, Ken has tried to dissuade her, but she's determined. I don't understand how her mind works, but perhaps she takes every opportunity to make money, that's why she's so rich,' Lawrence said, his anger rising in him, thinking of the damage this could do for Theo's ambition to become a ski guide.

‘Ask Jerry; he was the one caught in it; he'll tell the truth, he must, then the lawyers will see she hasn't got a case,' Theo said with feeling. ‘He said it's like falling into the sea if you're sailing, it can happen, but you can't sue unless you were pushed by someone.' Theo thumped his hand on the desk. ‘She can't Dad, you'll have to sue her back for spreading lies, I suppose she's telling everyone I'm a danger to ski with and then I won't be able to train to be a ski instructor.'

There was so much to lose. He knew Theo had not been negligent, Eloise had confirmed that he had taken proper precautions before they started down, though Jerry had not listened and charged off. She had told him that she'd seen the warning flags though she didn't know if Theo had noticed them or not, but he had seen they were only a three, and, Lawrence reminded himself, he and his very experienced friends were about to go there for the powder snow themselves, before they heard about the avalanche, and would have taken the same risk. Also Theo had asked the advice of a ski guide – they must try and get his name, surely his word would count for something. Lawrence asked now if Theo knew the guide.

‘It was hard to see his face as he had his hat pulled down. I'll go and look at the photos at the ski office but…' Theo said desperately, ‘but he could have been a private guide from somewhere else.'

‘Well, we'll try.' Lawrence hoped it wasn't a private guide. They often did not know the slopes so well. He'd have to call his lawyer if Debra did go ahead with her plan, but first he'd try and find out as much as he could about the circumstances so he could make a hole in Debra's story.

‘I can't believe Jerry will go ahead with Debra's mad idea, though,' Theo said now.

‘It seems Debra persuaded him to side with her,' Lawrence said quietly, wishing there was a way out of all this.

‘But he wouldn't really do it, he finds her quite bossy and wants to break out on his own, he probably said he'd do it to keep her quiet and get away,' Theo said, getting up to let in Bert who was scratching at the door.

Lawrence said heavily, ‘I'm afraid he has agreed to go with it, Theo. You know he's in love with Gaby and Debra disapproves of her, or she did. Now she says she admires her for studying law, working hard wanting to make a success of her life, I don't know if she really does think that having got to know Gaby better or if she's trying to get Jerry on side to support her claim. Anyway, she said Gaby would make a perfect wife for him.'

‘Wife? She doesn't want to be a wife yet,' Theo protested. ‘You've got it wrong Dad, Jerry wouldn't go back on his word.'

Lawrence suffered for him; it was so hard being let down by someone you thought was a friend. He was not going to go into Jerry and Gaby's bizarre relationship. ‘You must ask him yourself,' he said. ‘Families are complicated things, as you know, and they are in business together as well, so it could be difficult for him to go against Debra.'

‘So we lose Jacaranda because of her,' Theo cried out, ‘and I lose my chance at becoming a ski guide.'

‘Not necessarily,' Lawrence said, feeling helpless, ‘but we've got to tread carefully, see if we can resolve it another way. I suggested to Travis that they leave the chalet early; I thought they'd want to, but he seemed very surprised. I would insist they go, but then they could make more trouble by complaining to the agency.' He sighed, these certainly were the most troublesome guests they'd ever had and he longed to be shot of them.

He'd tried to contact his own lawyer earlier and found he was away until after the New Year. No doubt Debra kept a string of lawyers on standby, like a change of clothes, and would have more than a head start on them.

His mobile rang and wearily he answered it, it was Paddy the chef he was expecting in a couple of weeks.

‘Hi, mate, sorry to drop this on you, but I've been offered a job I can't refuse, working in one of the top restaurants in the world, but don't worry,' he added as he heard Lawrence's intake of breath, ‘I've got a friend who'll do it, she's a great chef and she's free until the summer. I'll email you her details.'

Lawrence sighed; everything seemed to be conspiring against him and Jacaranda at once. ‘OK, thanks for telling me, I'll check out her details and let her know… congrats anyway on your rise to fame.' This was another annoyance, but at least Paddy had offered him someone else and knowing him she would be a good recommendation.