Chapter Twenty-Five
Saturday, 1 st July
R ico woke early to Saturday morning sunshine streaming through the curtains, and for half a second, nothing had changed in his world. Then the new normal thudded into his mind – Dad was going to sell Lakeside. He’d phoned Ralph yesterday with what Michael Keller had said, but they’d already known it, hadn’t they? And now it was five more days to G-Day, when they’d accept the offer and Lakeside would become a Grande hotel. Or rather, a Grande plot of land. It didn’t bear thinking about.
He rolled out of bed and headed for the shower to embark upon one of the last days of the Lakeside Hotel as he’d always known it. Not a good start to the weekend, and remembering that Stacy and Emily were here was only sort of positive. Alan and Emily were in exactly the situation he would so love to be in with Stacy, but as far as she was concerned, he was little more than wallpaper in her life. There in the background, but nothing you noticed particularly and certainly nothing to get excited about.
By half past seven he was down in reception. Karen wasn’t on until the afternoon, when she would greet next week’s six new arrivals, but it was a good idea to have someone on the desk during breakfast time. The one-night bikers would be checking out soon, and regular guests often stopped off with a question on their way to or from the restaurant – or, in today’s case, the terrace, as the sun was splitting the skies already and breakfast was being served outside. Nine cyclists had stayed over last night, more than double the number they’d had last weekend. The weather really did make a difference.
He was sorting through the first aid kit when the lift door pinged open and Stacy stepped out. She was thinner; he’d noticed that yesterday. Her cheek bones were more prominent but her eyes were bright – she seemed pleased to be here. And hoping she’d feel anything more than that was going to be a lost cause, so he wouldn’t.
He managed to give her a smile. ‘Morning. All alone today?’
She came over and leaned on the desk. ‘Let’s just say the only reason I know Emmy and Alan didn’t fall in the lake last night was because she texted me to say she was upstairs with him. I’m so glad for them – and I had the best night’s sleep for weeks. It must be the air here. I’m starving now. What are you doing?’
Rico slotted the tube of antiseptic cream into the box. ‘Having you here reminded me we should check the first aid box. Mum used to keep an eye on it, and some of the creams, etcetera, have passed their use-by dates.’
‘I guess you don’t often need it.’
‘We go through plasters and antiseptic at a fair old rate, with all these cyclists and walkers getting blisters and scrapes. That’s about it, though.’
She was looking at him with soft eyes. Hell. He should never have mentioned his mother. Stacy was bound to say something about it; she was kind like that. Heaven help him if he started welling up, but God knows the situation with the hotel was more than enough to set him off.
Sure enough, she glanced round, then spoke. ‘You must miss your mum. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if… But she’d be proud of you, I’m sure. You’ve finished your degree, and you’re doing your best for her hotel.’
But he wasn’t, was he? Rico took a deep breath. ‘Things change, that’s the problem. Your whole life changes when someone dies like that.’
‘You can only do what you can, Rico.’
The lift pinged open again and a couple of guests approached the desk. Stacy leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. ‘She would be proud, you know.’
She moved away towards the terrace and her breakfast. Rico cleared his throat and managed a cheerful smile for the couple, who wanted to know if they needed to book their car on the ferry to Friedrichshafen in advance. He was kept busy for the next half hour, but the little chat with Stacy had been comforting, like a warm blanket when you were freezing. He pictured her standing there, leaning on the desk, her perfume wafting over him and her eyes gentle as she spoke about his mother. Rico frowned. She’d been right there in front of him, leaning her forearms on the desk, her hands relaxed. Had she been wearing her engagement ring? He couldn’t remember seeing it – or maybe he’d blanked it out. He closed his eyes to concentrate on the picture in his head… no, she hadn’t been wearing it. But then, she could have taken it off for any number of reasons and forgotten to put it back on again. Had she been wearing it yesterday? He hadn’t noticed.
As soon as he could, Rico went out to the terrace, but Stacy was gone. He went back to reception not knowing what to think. All he knew was, he mustn’t allow himself to hope.
***
Emily followed Stacy into an intriguing ceramics shop in the old town district in St Gallen, and lifted a miniature wire basket. She would find something for her mother’s birthday here, surely. It was lovely being able to do normal things like wander round the shops, but even after two short hours, missing Alan was like a sword through her heart. Last night had been the best night of her life. Now she knew how it felt to be really, properly in love, and seeing the exact same feeling mirrored in Alan’s eyes as he looked at her was the most incredible thing ever. How she was going to get through the next ten weeks without him, she had no idea. He was working now, but he’d be off at four, and she couldn’t wait.
And meanwhile, here she was, shopping in town with her best friend. Emily lifted a gorgeously glazed blue and green pottery bowl – this would be perfect for Mum. She laid the bowl in the basket. It was hard to remember how she’d been in the tourist shop at the Rhine Falls only a few weeks ago, limping around with her stick, relying on Stacy to carry the shopping.
Stacy was looking at salt and pepper pots in the same range with what was very nearly a pout flitting over her face. Guilt rose in Emily’s middle to join the missing Alan feeling. She should be looking after Stace more. It couldn’t be easy, seeing her and Alan so happy, and all the time wondering about her own future.
She went to admire the salt and pepper pots. ‘Are you going to get a set?’
Stacy laid the little pots down. ‘I don’t know. I’ve sort of lost enthusiasm for buying stuff for my future home. Sorry, that sounds all “poor me” and pitiful, doesn’t it? I’m finding it hard to work out what I want with David, never mind where I am with him.’
Emily lifted the salt and pepper pots and placed them in the basket. ‘All that has nothing whatsoever to do with this cruet set. You can buy it for you, not you and David. You’re supposed to be spoiling yourself, remember? Come on. Alan told me there’s a funicular here in St Gallen, too. It takes you up the hill and you can walk along past a couple of ponds, and there’s a restaurant with great views. Let’s see what they have for lunch.’
The ride up in the funicular wasn’t as impressive as the one in Zurich had been, because there were no views over the town en route, and even after emerging at the top station they had to walk to the top of another hill to get to the scenic part. Emily’s knee began to ache. Oops. This might not have been such a good idea.
She was beginning to panic when they arrived at the pathway past the three ponds, which were full of people swimming, or sunbathing round about. The path was flat after that, and the views over St Gallen and down to the lake were stunning. Stacy was looking more cheerful now too.
‘This is almost as good as up on the S?ntis, isn’t it?’
Emily stopped to peer at the map on her phone. ‘Warmer, too. Look, the map says the restaurant’s along here. I’m dying for a seat!’
They found a table on the terrace and ordered mini cheese flans with a green salad. And poor Stace, she wasn’t half looking fed up. The other girl was scrolling through her phone now, her face glum.
‘You okay, Stacy?’ Wow. Ever since the accident, Stacy had been the helping one, the one who had things going right in her life, and now they seemed to have switched roles.
Stacy snapped her phone shut and dropped it into her bag. ‘Yes, I am. And I’m happy to be here, don’t worry. This place is a dream, and we’re so lucky, back for the second time in two months. But…’
Emily waited. Dreamy places weren’t enough, were they? You needed dreamy people too, and probably Stacy would be thinking about dreamy men specifically, and whether David still qualified as one of those. She raised her eyebrows, and Stacy’s mouth drooped.
‘I sent one of the pics I took of the cathedral in St Gallen to Mum, and, um, I sent it to David too.’ She bit her lip. ‘Mum replied, of course, but David didn’t. And he’s seen it. But not even a thumbs-up, and how long does that take?’
Emily reached across the table and gave Stacy’s arm a shake. It had obviously been an ‘if he loves me, he’ll react to this’ kind of thing in Stacy’s head. It was time to get firm.
‘You’re having a break, so have one. That’s what David’s doing. Forget him for the next few days.’
Stacy lifted her mineral water. ‘Easier said than done. He’s the habit of a lifetime, you know.’
‘I do know. I’ll just remind you here about the number of times you said “forget him” to me, about Scumbag Sam.’
Stacy flinched. ‘Oh hell, Em, I’m sorry! You must have wanted to clunk me with something solid.’
‘Only occasionally. But Stace, you need to work out what you want. That bit was clear for me – after what Sam did, I knew I didn’t want him.’
‘I want…’ Stacy stared to her right, where St Gallen merged into faraway countryside. ‘I want things to be like they used to be. ’
Emily didn’t answer. In other words, Stacy wanted David. Or at least, she wanted the David she used to have. Did he still exist?
***
‘I wish there was a pool at Lakeside.’ Stacy took Emily’s arm as they started from the bus stop back to the hotel. ‘A nice refreshing swim would do us both good. Today’s been a real scorcher.’
Emily nudged her. ‘Er, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s quite a big chunk of lovely fresh water a few yards behind the hotel. What’s wrong with swimming there?’
‘You didn’t bring your cossie, and I’m not going in alone. Suppose I get cramp or something, and drown? We don’t know anything about the currents, or where it’s shallow and where not. And stop rolling your eyes at me!’
‘Stop being so sensible, then. Dozens of people swim just off the hotel, so it must be safe. I’ll sit on the bank and watch you like a hawk, if you like.’
‘You would until Alan appeared, then your eyes would deflect automatically. I’ve seen the pair of you. Alan only has eyes for you, and you’re even worse.’
‘I am not!’ Emily pulled a face. ‘Or maybe I am, a little.’
‘Exactly. I’ll make do with a nice safe shower.’
Emily laughed, and Stacy gave the arm through hers a little pat. It was lovely to see Emmy so happy. Although – Alan was off duty tonight after being on all day, so they’d be a threesome at dinner. She’d better get her gooseberry outfit ready, because Em wouldn’t hear of her leaving them to eat alone. Might be a plan to sneak off as soon as poss afterwards, and leave the lovebirds to it.
The meal was trout with creamed spinach and baby potatoes, and Stacy sat feeling greener and pricklier every minute as the other two chatted and gazed and touched each other’s hands and – heck, this was way beyond her remit as Emmy’s BFF and relationship advisor.
‘I’m off to the loo,’ she said, pushing her chair back. ‘I don’t want dessert, so feel free to order.’
And there it was again, that little expression of relief whizzing across Alan’s kind, polite face – but this time, it was mirrored by the one on Emily’s. Stacy trailed back inside. Reception was deserted, and she sank down on the leather sofa. What she was going to do for the next few hours was anyone’s guess, but it wouldn’t involve Emily and Alan, anyway. She lifted a couple of tourist info brochures someone had left on the coffee table and leafed through them, finding one about Mainau, the island belonging to Germany that they were visiting tomorrow. Wow, this looked gorgeous, wall-to-wall flowerbeds and a lovely manor-type house. Mum would love this too. The brochure was in English as well as German, and Stacy settled back for a read.
‘It should be good weather tomorrow for our trip. It’s a lovely island – we’ll see the roses at their best.’
Stacy jumped. Rico was standing beside the sofa, a collection of empty mugs in one hand.
‘Are we going by boat?’ It was a slightly longer trip than the one she and Emily had done before, the day it had all been too much for Em.
‘We’ll take the car part of the way, that’s quicker.’ He grinned at her. ‘Are you hiding in plain sight here?’
Stacy laughed. ‘Guilty. I’m fed up being chief gooseberry.’
‘Gooseberry?’
His English was so good it was easy to forget he hadn’t grown up in the middle of all the little sayings and ‘in’ words .
‘Someone who tags on with a loved-up couple. It might be a bit old fashioned. My mum says it all the time.’
Stacy winced the moment the words were out. Oh hell – how tactless was that, talking about her mother? Rico didn’t seem to notice, though.
‘I don’t think I’ve heard that one. How about a walk by the lake? We could ask Emily and Alan along too.’
Stacy stood up immediately. ‘I think we’ll leave them to their dessert and being a twosome. Emily’s walked a long way today already.’
And just as Alan and Emily had looked relieved, so did Rico now. What did that mean? Life wasn’t half complicated sometimes. Stacy hurried upstairs for a cardie in case the evening turned chilly.
They set off along the lake path, Stacy matching her stride to Rico’s long one. It was still a warm evening, but a breeze had sprung up over the water, making the heat more bearable. The lake path was more or less what it said on the tin – a little trail along the lake bank, although every so often it snaked up behind some building or other.
‘I’m so glad things are working out for Emmy,’ said Stacy, as they headed up the lake.
Rico heaved a huge sigh. ‘Alan’s one of the good guys. I wish we had more English-speaking staff now. We used to.’
Oh, help – what was she supposed to answer to that? However successful the hotel had been in the past, with the tiny number of guests staying there now, they couldn’t need many seasonal workers at all. And starting a conversation about when his parents had been here, running the place together, would be even more tactless than her remark about her mother a few minutes ago.
She watched as a motorboat chugged up the lake towards the mountains she knew now were in Austria. ‘You’ll find a solution for the hotel, I’m sure. It’s so home-like, and this is such a lovely place. People should be queuing up to come here.’
‘It’s a–’
A loud scream from somewhere not far ahead rang through the air, then another. A dog was barking frantically too – and then came silence. Something had happened… Stacy gaped at Rico, and they sped round a bend in the path about twenty yards away. A stony beach opened out in front of them, and down near the water a man was clutching the limp body of a small child, while a woman beside him was holding a younger child with blood dripping down one leg. An older woman nearby was gripping the collar of a large Alsatian. Stacy gasped. Oh no. No. Had that dog attacked the children?