Читать книгу The Chateau - Karen Aldous - Страница 16

Chapter 7

Creeping in to the apartment Gina could just hear a clock ticking in the kitchen. She tiptoed down the hall and peeked her head slowly around the bedroom door. She waited a while and watched her mother’s chest take slow, shallow breaths, then gently closed the door.

Again, she tapped her father’s avatar on her phone, letting it ring. He didn’t answer. She blew out a deflated sigh. She texted him again. This time her message was less polite. Reaching for the kettle, she realised it was still quite warm. Her mother had, it seemed, been up and gone back to bed.

She pulled out her phone and the business card Ollie had handed her. Might as well, she thought, keying in his number.

Five minutes later, as she reached the foyer on the ground floor, she was pleased Ollie was standing outside the main door.

‘I’ve probably got an hour or two at most,’ she said, gazing at his untamed hair caught by the breeze. ‘How far are we going?’ she asked as they crossed the road and he led her through wrought-iron gates and down the side of his parents’ large lakeside villa.

‘I can take the car if you’d prefer. It takes about fifteen, twenty minutes to walk along the lake.’

Gina wrapped her hair behind her ear. ‘No, walking will be fine, I love to walk,’ she said and her eyes danced at the site of the house and gardens from the front. ‘Wow, this is impressive. How beautiful.’

‘This is my parents’ place.’

‘It’s vast. And what a magnificent style, traditional.’ She stopped briefly to take it all in.

Although it was just across from her parents, Gina had paid little attention to what was behind the well-tended foliage and walled garden. It was a villa of almost mansion proportions, she observed, with at least four floors if you included the attic rooms and possibly five with the cellar. Its pitched roof was elaborated by a majestic gable leading the eye down the centre of the property. Each window had been decorated with its own small Juliet balcony in black delicate ironwork and shuttered in a pale sage-green, adding to the symmetry of the enormous building.

‘Yes, I grew up here,’ he said, pointing to the other side of the road next to her parents’ block. ‘My own apartment is over there but I have lots of fond memories from my childhood. Did you grow up in Switzerland?’

‘No. Nowhere as beautiful as this.’ She shook her head. ‘Hammersmith is where I grew up. We moved to a house in Fulham when I was about five. Then my parents came out to Switzerland while I was at uni. My brother was in his last year at school. We used to visit my grandparents though. They lived in the centre of Clarens,’ she told him as they strode past a covered swimming pool and towards another wrought-iron gate that led out to the lake path.

‘I’m surprised we haven’t met before now.’

‘Perhaps we have.’

‘Mmm, possible. I did go to school in England. St Edwards in Oxford,’ he said.

‘Oh, Teddie’s.’ Gina gave a nod. ‘I know a few guys from there. Richard Branson’s daughter was the very first female head prefect or something.’

Ollie unlocked the gate. ‘Yes, girls are quite a recent phenomenon for St Edwards.’

‘Such a shame to be locked up in Oxford when you’ve had all this around you,’ Gina said, stepping out on to the path and into immediate warmth. ‘This quayside is such a suntrap.’

‘I liked Oxford, it’s a beautiful city. And it has the Thames.’

‘To be honest, as I recall, I’ve only ever been there once.’

They strolled in the direction of Territet, another small community the other side of the lake, east of Montreux.

Gina couldn’t forget her problems but she could blot them out just for an hour. Even Ollie seemed quite personable right now. She told him how she had started her business and about the London property market. She had to admit, his London site sounded nearly as exciting as the Swiss one and could possibly be months away from completion rather than the years she had imagined.

She spotted the boards of the building site as they turned a bend in the path towards the Château de Chillon. She gasped at the view. It was quieter in this part of the lake but equally, if not more, stunning. Certainly the château added romance. She also noted the vines beside the site, heavy with their last dark berried canopy, lined southerly along the relatively small terrace.

He unlocked the entrance. A makeshift lock securing the boards as there were still evidence of walling and iron railings which Gina thought seemed to also belong to the vineyard.

‘So, welcome to Château View Villas,’ Ollie announced as she stepped over the boarding threshold and onto piles of uneven dirt and debris.

‘Lucky, I came prepared,’ she said, pointing to her flat mules. Then glancing up at the front first villa, angled as the first of a crescent, a loud breath escaped her. ‘Wow! That’s stunning.’

‘Thanks. Let me show you,’ he said, taking her hand and leading her across the treacherous terrain. ‘This one and villa six are reserved. They all have lake views because of the way the crescent is laid out and the ground is terraced.’ His voice rang with excitement. ‘I can’t tell you how amazed I am with this layout. The architect did a great job at getting them all in.’

‘Well, yes, you’d be a disappointed customer if you didn’t get that outlook. And, these on this side will also have the bonus of that Château view,’ she said, twisting herself to look back. Her foot slid on protruding bricks and she almost shot headfirst into the mud.

‘Woah!’ she cried.

Instinctively, Ollie reached out, catching her arm pulling her into his torso. Finding her footing, she peered up to him. Simultaneously his hand slid around her waist, steadying her. Their eyes locked together while the tenderness of his hand on her waist sent a tremor of pleasure quaking inside her; striking at every nerve. Max had never evoked such a sensual reaction in her. Ollie then lifted her over a mound of debris and she could feel his breath hot on her neck as his lips brushed close. He held her there for a few seconds before gently lowering her on safe ground.

‘Thank you,’ she said, watching a hunger in his eyes not unlike her own. ‘Can we go in?’ she asked, rapidly diverting her attention, and possibly his.

‘Yes, but take my hand until we reach the building, just in case you stumble again. I rather enjoyed that.’

Flustered, Gina wiped her brow with one hand while clasping Ollie’s palm with the other and was led to the only completed villa. She looked in awe at the sight before her. The double storey villa contained two pitched roofs either side of the flat-roofed central crescent-shaped area containing large bowed fold-back doors. She could imagine them opening out onto a wide curved terrace wrapped around the front of the building. The arched doors on the end buildings also led to the terrace with the upper floors having overhanging balconies dressed with wrought-iron balustrades. Oh, how gorgeous would that be, she chimed to herself. She envisioned herself with Ollie, slouching in his arms on the balcony, sipping wine and relishing the exquisiteness of the lake.

As they negotiated the rubble to the front entrance he kept a tight grip on her hand. Passing her a voracious smile, Ollie unlocked the door. He offered Gina a hand up the elevated entrance. She leaned in to his hand.

‘Yes, sorry, a bit of work to do on the ground works and landscaping,’ Ollie said, breaking her trance. ‘But it’s due to start in two days. They’ll be a pool in front of this one, hence, the huge hole dug out there.’

He led her around, room by empty room, providing details as they went. Her mind whirled when they got to the bedroom and at the views. She fought desperately to embed the details in her head. The bathrooms and the kitchen were almost furnished, their quality evident. A further kitchen garden overlooked the pool area. Mentally, she kept a map of the house to relay to clients.

‘Very impressive,’ she told Ollie.

Ollie locked the door and helped her down back on to the ground. As she peered around the site, she shook her head at the size and considered its value alone.

‘How did you manage to get hold of such a prime site? The plot alone must be worth a fortune.’

‘Ah,’ he grimaced, cowering his head. ‘I was the lucky benefactor.’

‘You inherited all this?’ she asked as they walked through to the front of the villa. Gina slowed, admiring the unpainted frontage and imagined the finish.

‘Yes. Well, it was a commercial site, a goods yard, if you like. It belonged to my great-grandfather who’d acquired it when land was cheap and he then passed it to my grandfather. I believe some sort of machinery was manufactured here long ago and weapons exported during the war. I think it was last used for storing timber. Anyway, we only leased out the land. I demolished two warehouses.’

‘That’s fantastic. So, is it just you developing these?’

‘Yes. Originally, I did go into business with my father. He’s a property developer. I learnt much of it from him but he wanted me to start making my own way. Insisted I took this site on as a start. Well, as there was very little outlay, if I’m sensible enough, this should set me up for life.’

‘I should say so,’ Gina breezed, raising her eyebrows. ‘Anyway, I’d better get back to my mum.’

‘Is she OK?’ he asked, taking her hand again and leading her back to the boarding.

Gina lowered her eyes, pursing her lips. ‘Yes, I think so. She and Dad are going through a difficult time. I’ve left her asleep.’

‘I’m sorry. I hope it rights itself soon. For all your sakes.’ He sounded concerned. ‘My parents went through a difficult patch when I was younger. It really messed with my head. Just call me if you want to chat.’

They walked through the gate then Ollie locked up.

Gina scanned her eyes over the lake, the cloud had lifted and the sun streamed across resting on her skin. As Ollie stepped down beside her, a sharp chill surrounded her and something leaned into her the opposite side.

‘Phew.’ She jumped, stroking her arm and searching around. Something or someone was again making their presence apparent.

‘Are you OK?’ he asked.

‘Mmm, yes, fine,’ she lied. ‘A fly, or something.’

They began to stroll back. Talking about Montreux as they went.

‘So, have a think about how you can market these in London and let me know if you’re interested. And, of course, the apartments in Battersea. My option finishes soon but my instinct is to go with it, particularly as the market is on the up. I realise it’s not your immediate vicinity but would it be close enough?’

Gina rubbed her forehead. Wasn’t he being a bit presumptuous? ‘I’ll think about that too. I need to sort things out here at the moment. Email me the spec and details and I’ll get back to you,’ she said as they reached his garden gate.

‘Here, cut through.’ He waved his arm for her to enter the gate. ‘And, could you keep all this between us? The Battersea site is still highly confidential.’

‘Yes, of course,’ she nodded and stopped startled and he moved close, catching her elbows and planting a kiss on both her cheeks, then as she backed away, a third.

‘It’s three in Switzerland,’ he grinned. ‘Thought you would have known that.’

She trembled at his nearness. ‘Yes, it is.’ Her eyes met his, her cheeks flushing crimson as she turned to go.

Gina rushed up to the road, brushing her hair through her fingers like she was unleashing every loose strand. Although Ollie was rather presumptuous and arrogant at times he did seem nice. And he made her blush like a teenager. It was rare for Max to have that effect on her nowadays. Ollie had also been kind in offering support with her parents. Max was rarely interested in her family so it was quite refreshing for someone to take an interest.

Once at her parents’ apartment, she opened the door and her nostrils flared with delight as the aroma of fresh coffee wafted out. Glancing at the sofa, however, her heart sank seeing the shrunken frame of her mother, usually so vibrant, so smiley and in charge, now pale and listless, curled miserably into the corner of the furniture, wrapped in a soft throw.

‘That coffee smells divine. Are you feeling better after the sleep?’ she asked, sliding into the chair next to her.

‘I was happier asleep,’ Adrienne’s voice croaked. Then clearing her throat, continued, ‘I’ve just brewed the coffee, so help yourself.’

Gina gave her mother a long searching look, examining her red-rimmed and bloodshot eyes, her vacant stare, her tiny pink nose and dry, cracked lips. Her heart cried. This was so difficult. This was her mother, her light, her rock and sometimes, her saviour. What could she possibly do to help her through this? She sat back and hid her eyes, now swelling with tears. This was out of her realm. She couldn’t just tell her mother to pull herself together. This was going to take time. And she had to speak to her father.

‘Can I top up your coffee, Mum?’

‘No, honestly I’m fine. Thank you.’

Feeling useless, Gina kicked off her shoes, lifted herself from the chair and strolled to the kitchen area to pour herself a coffee. The stone-tiled floor was cool beneath her feet.

‘I’ve been trying Dad’s mobile but he’s not answering.’

‘Me too,’ Adrienne muttered. ‘Selfish bastard.’

Gina opened the fridge and added milk to her coffee. How was she supposed to speak to her father? She had no control over this situation but it wasn’t in her nature to sit back and do nothing. The thought of her mother sitting around like this for days, weeks, maybe destroying herself, was far more than she could handle. Well, perhaps she should give her mother a couple of days to at least come to terms with the situation. The poor woman didn’t deserve this. She’d received a pretty harsh blow. She sat down and folded her legs up on the sofa with her coffee in her hand.

‘Mum, tell me how you feel?’ she asked, sipping the hot drink and observing her mother. Maybe if she spoke about it she would find it easier.

Adrienne gave a thoughtful glance at her daughter and blinked hard. She then rubbed her eyes and sniffed. Gina held her patience with all her strength, willing her mother to collect her words and express them. Adrienne had always worn her heart on her sleeve whereas Gina kept her feelings close, unlike her opinions. She kept her focus on her mother, telling herself to hold her tongue.

Finally Adrienne took a deep breath.

‘Hurt, betrayed, sick, humiliated, heartbroken, sad, angry, jealous…I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong, I feel I’m owed an explanation. Why couldn’t he just talk to me and tell me he was unhappy? No, he’s found an easy way out – someone to move in with, just a shag. I expect that’s what he’s doing. Just fucking! I mean, who is she to just steal my husband? Break up a perfectly happy marriage. Ruin lives. And him! What was missing in his life? He wanted for nothing, so why?’ Her chest began to shake, then her voice etched up an octave. ‘So why couldn’t he just talk to me? Why?’

Gina rushed over and reached out as her mother collapsed sobbing into her arms. Tears began streaming down her own cheeks as she shared some of her mother’s pain. Their family was broken and her mother was clearly suffering, hurt and humiliated.

‘It’s OK, Mum. It will do you good to have a good cry,’ she said and then held her tongue. She would only blow out her own hurt and anger and that wouldn’t help her mother. She rocked her mother gently handing her tissues from the arm of the sofa.

She felt their roles had reversed. It had always been the other way around: she, the little girl in her mother’s arms. Now, she was the mother, sort of. What could she do to help? Staying here indefinitely was impossible. Her business wouldn’t run itself, although, bless her, Rebecca was managing well. Anyway, she had to somehow speak to her father. Find out what was going on, what his plans were and if he was going to continue support his wife.

Adrienne came up for air, wiping her eyes with a clean tissue.

‘I don’t know what I’m going to do, Gina,’ she said, seeking her daughter’s eyes for answers.

‘Would you like to come back to London with me for a while?’

‘No. No. I couldn’t do that. I want to be here, in case.’

‘In case what?’ Gina blurted out with more irritation than she’d intended.

‘In case Dad comes back. He could change his mind or regret leaving. Realise it’s not what he wants. I don’t know.’

Gina sighed.

‘Well, it’s up to you. You’re more than welcome,’ Gina replied in her softest approach. It was hard to imagine her father coming back so soon but her mother was obviously living on hope just now. ‘Think about it. I’m going to try Dad again.’

Gina gently rubbed her mother’s arm and stood to get her phone, which she’d left on the breakfast bar. Again, he didn’t answer so she text him another message with even more urgency. As she read her mother’s face, she could see the disappointment.

‘Let’s go and have something to eat,’ Gina said in a more upbeat tone. ‘I’m starving.’

Adrienne shook her head.

‘No darling, you go. I’m really not hungry.’

‘You have to eat, Mum. You haven’t eaten all day, have you?’

Gina heard a text message bleep from her phone. She quickly read it.

‘It’s from Ollie.’

‘What, Ollie, Gabriella’s cousin?’ Adrienne looked at her in surprise.

‘He’s just...asking about the villas. I went to see the first one.’

‘When did you speak to him?’ her mother sat forward with panic in her voice.

‘I met up with him earlier, while I was walking. Then, when I returned and you’d gone back to bed, I nipped up to his site.’

‘You didn’t tell him why you were home, did you?’

‘No,’ Gina lied but felt an uncomfortable stiffness in her throat.

Gina now wished she hadn’t said anything. She knew her mother was proud and would feel humiliated. Rubbing her forehead she felt as if she’d betrayed her mother. Not that she’d revealed much.

‘Well, don’t breathe a word. He’ll tell his family and it’ll be all over town. James doesn’t even know yet. What if he hears it from someone else?’ Adrienne closed her eyes and blew out a big sigh as she sat back in her chair. ‘Don’t get me wrong, sweetie, I like Ollie, but it’s private. I will have to ring James soon though. I don’t suppose for one minute your father will, but, well, he’s still on his honeymoon. I couldn’t do it, not until they’re back.’

‘Yes, I agree. I’ll speak to James if you’d rather. I’d wait until he gets back, of course.’

‘I think it would be better coming from me.’

‘If that’s what you prefer.’ She tried to reassure her mother but realised she was really trying to assure herself.

She tried to convince herself that Ollie would exercise discretion but was well aware of his loudness, particularly after a few beers. Oh, fuck!