What Happens in the Alps... (20 page)

She very quickly stopped gesticulating as she saw him stretch out his arm and encircle the shoulders of the very pretty little blonde girl beside him. In spite of some seriously high heels, the girl had to reach up on tiptoe in order to kiss him very affectionately on the neck, before dropping back down to ground level and burying her head against his shoulder. Annie had seen enough. She turned and continued blindly along the corridor to Gate 12.

The Christmas holiday flashed by. Annie spent the first night in London, staying with an old friend from university days, chatting, catching up and drinking too much Chardonnay, doing her level best not to let her mind consider the implications of the scene she had witnessed at Turin airport.

Next morning, before leaving for Devon, she did some last-minute Christmas shopping in Oxford Street, which made Turin airport look like an unpopulated wasteland in comparison. She had to fight her way through the crowds and emerged feeling as if she had just skied the Cock's Comb without stopping. She bought a few more presents for the family and then took the tube down to Harrods and bought a lovely warm, and very expensive mohair jumper for Paolina, to thank her for everything she had done.

From London, Annie took the train and travelled down to Devon to see her mum. The old house still looked the same and the old cat was just the same lazy, loveable old tabby who came up to her bed every morning to wake her by jumping onto her chest and purring furiously. Her mum looked exactly the same, maybe her hair just a shade greyer, and Annie's old bedroom was almost unchanged since her schooldays, right down to the poster of Robbie Williams still on the back of the door. Annie flung herself into the celebrations: shopping, cooking, cleaning and helping to make it a joyous event for all of them. And she succeeded. It was only at night, lying in bed trying to sleep, that the scene at the airport replayed time and time again in her mind. She thought about it a lot, and struggled hard to relegate it to the back of her mind. At least for now.

Karen, Chris and the boys were there over the Christmas weekend and again for New Year and the whole family came together. It was about four o'clock on Christmas Day, while Chris was snoozing in front of the television in the living room, and the boys were playing with some Star Wars thing at his feet, that she found herself alone at the dining table with her mum and sister and decided to speak about it. Karen and her mum listened in silence as she recounted what she had seen at the airport.

‘Maybe she was just a good friend.' Karen was the first to offer support. ‘After all, it's not as if he had his tongue down her throat, was it?'

‘Maybe she'd been drinking and was just a little bit too amorous.' Her mother smiled encouragingly. ‘Like Mr Davis, the organist, on Christmas Eve. Margie Barry said he was like an octopus – hands everywhere.'

In spite of her upset, Annie had to laugh at that image. Both Mr Davis and Mrs Barry were well into their seventies, maybe older. ‘Yes, I know, but you didn't see the look on her face. The girl was crazy about him. It's true, I didn't imagine it.'

‘Well, so what?' Karen was obviously opting for a bit of tough love. ‘It's not as if you're expecting his baby or anything.'

‘Karen, really!' Their mum sounded positively shocked. ‘I should think not.'

Karen continued, unrepentant. ‘What I mean is, you and he haven't even… you know.' Out of deference to their mother she just nodded her head and grunted. Her meaning, however, was unmistakable. Ignoring her mother's disapproving look, Annie was quick to confirm the exact state of the relationship.

‘I know. Nothing's happened between us, unless you count a ten-second kiss goodnight in the front seat of his Ferrari.'

‘Did you say Ferrari?'

‘Yes, horrid noisy thing and they're so bloody low. Every time I tried to get into it, I fell in, and getting out was a real struggle.'

‘So what's new? Stop press: Annie falls over yet again. But, a Ferrari…?'

Annie nodded. ‘I know. In so many ways Alex isn't my type. Flashy car, expensive tastes, even his skis cost about three times what mine did; but, still, I liked him a lot.' Her voice tailed off. ‘I mean, I like him a lot. I still do, really.' She caught her sister's eye. ‘Although I know what I saw, part of me is still hoping there's an innocent explanation. It would be a pity to lose him.' She paused for thought. Why was she getting so worked up? The fact was that their relationship wasn't really deserving of the name. They had only been out together for two meals and a bit of skiing. She raised her head and looked across the table. ‘I'm just being stupid, aren't I? I've only known him for a few weeks and it's not as if I've fallen head over heels in love with him, or him with me. When all's said and done, it's no big deal, is it?'

‘And remember, dear, you were saying to me back in the summer how the last thing you wanted at the moment was a man.' Her mum was still doing her best to bolster Annie's spirits.

‘And you told me that self-same thing only a month ago when I was over,' Karen joined in. ‘Besides, even if he turns out to be a miserable, no-good bastard, you've always got Matt.'

‘Karen, must you use language like that?' Her mum grimaced. ‘Now, Matt's that handsome boy, isn't he? I remember meeting him.'

Annie found herself smiling. So even her mother had noticed Matt's charms. ‘That's him. He's an old friend from Turin. He and Steve were best friends. They used to go climbing together.'

‘Poor, poor Steve.' Her mum dropped her eyes. ‘If only you'd managed to get him to stop that awful climbing.'

‘Climbing to Steve was like oxygen to us, mum. It was something in his blood, something he just had to do. The fact that I almost got an ulcer worrying about something happening to him didn't enter his head.'

‘He never struck me as a selfish boy. I always thought he was very caring.'

‘And he was, except for that blind spot.' A thought occurred to her. ‘It's like Alex and that damn phone of his. He never turns it off and it's always ringing.' As she spoke, the suspicion grew in her mind that not all of his calls had been business-related. The fact that he so often disappeared outside to take them pointed towards the likelihood that some, at least, had been of a personal nature. She did her best not to snort out loud.

‘And this boy, Matt. What's he doing now?' Annie told her mother about the deal she had struck with Matt. Her mother approved.

‘I think that's excellent, you having a man to help out.' She gave Annie an unusually cheeky smile. ‘It sounds like the best of both worlds. He's there and he helps and you don't even need to go to bed with him.'

‘Mum, honestly!' Now it was Karen's turn to be shocked. She glanced at Annie. ‘Mind you, Annie, that's not a bad idea.' Her eyes took on that same distant, dreamy look she had exhibited the first time she had met Matt. ‘Go on, surely you'd like to.'

Annie shook her head. ‘No, of course not. He's just a friend; a very close friend.' She paused, remembering the last time she had seen him. ‘But I'll agree with you that he's very handsome and very helpful. If I was looking for a man, and if I didn't have Alex, assuming that I still have Alex, and if Matt wasn't Steve's best friend, and if he wasn't such a womaniser, I'd agree. But that's not the way it is. Besides, I'm sure he doesn't think of me in that way.' As she said it, she found herself remembering the rather unexpected things he had said to her just before leaving. Had he been trying to tell her there was some sort of connection between his meeting her again and the fact that he no longer had a girlfriend? So, could it be that he did think of her in that way? And if he did, what did she think about him? This was all getting too confusing. She reached across for a mint chocolate and nibbled it as her brain continued to churn.

Karen was grinning. ‘So at least you admit it; he's gorgeous. And, like I told you before, it's obvious he likes you a lot. Go on, Annie, you could do worse.'

Annie finished the chocolate and made a decision. She shook her head again. ‘No, mum's right. I really don't want a man in my life, especially as it would appear that the two men I know best have no conception of monogamy. No, I think I'll just chalk Alex up to experience and hope that Matt continues to be there for me without my having to sleep with him.' She smiled at her mother. ‘Good advice, mum.'

‘I think it's terrible advice.' Karen had no doubt. ‘I know what I'd do.'

It was only when she was on the plane home, flying over the snow-covered Alps, that she allowed herself to descend into more introspection. So what if Alex had another girl? Annie had got the impression that he liked her a lot and yet, by the look of it, she was wrong. Of course, after only a couple of dates, she could hardly expect unswerving devotion. So, did the fact that she had reacted so strongly to seeing him with another girl mean that her feelings for him were stronger than she was prepared to admit; certainly stronger than his for her? Was she, in spite of her protestations to the contrary, desperate for a man, and had this desperation led her to misread his feelings for her? As the aircraft circled to the south of Turin, losing height before making its final approach, Annie did her best to take a long, hard look at herself.

He was a handsome man and a very rich man. It was obvious there would be any number of women ready to throw themselves at him. Was that what she had been doing? Had she blown this thing out of all proportion? He had never made any commitment to her, so why shouldn't he go on holiday with another girl? Did she really mean all those things she had been saying at Christmas about not wanting a man in her life? Maybe she had just been deluding herself. She took a deep breath as she heard the landing gear come down.

As they touched down and the engines roared to slow the aircraft down, Annie realised the other major complication caused by his behaviour. If she broke off further contact with him, then she couldn't really keep visiting his father and she enjoyed the old man's company. So, if she stopped seeing both of them, his father might well feel miffed, side with his son, and not want anything to do with her. And that might even extend as far as to tell Signor Dumoulin to rethink his offer of the guest chalet at Le Pont. So, potentially, she might have to face the twin disappointments of losing a man she had liked and also losing the gorgeous little chalet with a view to die for. As the plane came up to its stand by the terminal building she felt very confused.

The journey back up the valley by train through fields covered in fresh snow took until almost six o'clock and it was quite dark when she got back to the school. Inside, it was pleasantly warm and everything looked clean and tidy. Paolina and Matt had been busy, arranging the new tables and desks in the classrooms. The plumber and the decorators had finished and the place had been transformed from a building site to a school. In spite of her unhappiness, she found herself smiling as she collected a pile of mail off the mat and set it on the counter.

Her phone whistled and she saw that she had a text from Janet.
Happy New Year. Come up and see us when you get back. xxx Jan
. Annie realised that the idea of seeing Janet again really appealed, particularly as it would give her the opportunity to talk through what she had seen at Turin airport. She checked her watch and texted Janet.
What are you doing in the next half hour?
The answer came right back.
Kettle's on. J
.

It took ten minutes to clear the snow off the Panda. From the depth of it, it was clear that there had been heavy snowfall while she had been in the UK. This was really good news for the ski resorts and Annie found herself wondering if she could afford the time to go skiing the next day. The little car started without too much trouble and gradually the ice inside the screen melted. As she drove out to Janet's house, she looked up to her left, as far as the lights of Montalto. When, she wondered, would Alex be back, or was he already home? In spite of everything, part of her was looking forward to hearing from him.

Annie sat and drank tea with Janet for over an hour. Janet did her best to cheer her up by suggesting that the girl at the airport might have been just a casual friend or a relative, but Annie felt certain that this was not the case. The expression on the girl's face as she stared up at Alex had been very different from that of a family member, and the kiss had been anything but casual. In the end, all Janet could do was to offer support, advise Annie that she needed to talk to Alex, and promise to spread the word, yet again, that Annie might be on the lookout for a place to live.

Chapter 15

Next morning dawned bright and clear and Annie knew what she wanted to do. First, she really wanted to go skiing, and second, she knew she had to go round and see old Signor Lago, to tell him what she had seen at the airport and to see how he would react if she broke off relations with Alex. There was no sign of Matt, and Paolina wouldn't be back to work until Wednesday, so Annie decided she could also take the day off. She set off in her car just after ten-thirty and was sitting on the ski lift by eleven. Although it was a Monday, lots of people were still on holiday, so the pistes were fairly crowded. Piles of snow alongside the road and in the corners of the car park testified to the amount of snow that had fallen over the festive period. In spite of the crowds, the snow conditions were excellent and she managed to ski happily for four hours, getting back to her car at about half past three.

She changed out of her ski boots and walked down the private road to Signor Lago's house. She was still a hundred yards from the gate when she heard an excited bark and a familiar black shape came hurtling through the snow towards her. She dropped down on one knee as Leo the Labrador gave her a boisterous welcome.

‘Hello, Leo. And a very Happy New Year to you, too.' She scratched his ears and rubbed his back and then, as he collapsed into the snow, paws outstretched, she rubbed his tummy while he made all sorts of happy canine whining noises. After a few minutes, she wiped the doggy smell off her hands in the snow and continued along to Signor Lago's pedestrian gate, accompanied by a bouncy Leo. She pressed the bell and waited. Around her, the silence in the woods was total and it made a welcome change after the noise and bustle of England.