Page 71 of You Had Me at Chateau
He narrows his eyes at me, unconvinced.
‘I have white in the car,’ he says with a smile. ‘Let me get you some.’
‘Oh, you don’t have to do that,’ I reply.
‘It’s no problem,’ he insists.
I pop a piece of cheese in my mouth. Wow, so Henri is the heir to all of this? Can you imagine if Mandy, Bette and Gina knew that? The banging-a-billionaire trope would be straight to the top of their list – and yes, I know the wager is off, but I still think they would be all over it.
A few minutes later, Henri returns with a concerned look on his face.
‘What’s wrong?’ I ask, sensing his unease.
‘It seems like my car battery is flat,’ he says. ‘I can’t unlock it.’
My heart sinks.
‘Can we walk back?’ I ask him. ‘To the château, I mean?’
Henri shakes his head.
‘It’s too far, and it’s getting dark,’ he tells me. ‘But don’t worry, I have a meeting later, and I told the person I’m meeting that I would be here first. When I don’t show up, he’ll know to come here and get me. Everything will be okay.’
I nod, trying to shake off the anxiety that is building inside me. I don’t want to sound like I’m addicted to my phone but I do feel kind of edgy when I know I’m somewhere without signal.
‘Okay,’ I say, forcing a smile.
Henri sits back down, and we continue our meal in silence for a few moments. Then, sensing my discomfort, he reaches over and takes me by the hand.
‘I promise, it will be okay,’ he reassures me. ‘In the meantime, let’s enjoy our picnic, and the fire, and each other’s company.’
‘Yeah, you’re right,’ I tell him, trying to sound like I mean it, and like this hasn’t totally distracted me.
I pick up another piece of cheese. Then another, as my mind races with worry. After all, nothing good ever happens in a cabin in the woods, does it?
35
Pacing the floor – treading the creaking floorboards, which only makes all of this even more creepy – I try to steady my racing heart and my sharp breaths which are, probably technically speaking, in panic-attack territory, but I’m trying to run it in the background, so that Henri doesn’t think I’m a dork. Hopefully I’m coming across as fidgety, rather than like I’m freaking out.
The cabin would be completely dark were it not for the flickering glow of the fire – although somehow this only makes things seem creepier. It’s marginally better than total darkness, of course, and I’m grateful for the warmth.
It’s late now, and no one has turned up to rescue us. Every creak of the wood, every gust of wind outside, everythingsends shivers down my spine. Even without everything I’ve ever seen in every horror movieeverrunning through my mind, it’s cold here, and we only have so much food. It’s glorified camping.
Henri is much more chill about it. He’s sitting by the fire, the reflection of the flames dancing in his eyes as he warms his hands.
‘Don’t worry, Amber,’ he reassures me, his voice calming. ‘People knew I was coming here. I’ll be missed – the resort relies on me for too much. Someone will come.’
I nod, but I’m not convinced.
‘Even if they don’t come until morning, it will be okay,’ he continues. ‘If you want to take the bed, wrap yourself up under the covers, and I’ll add more wood to the fire. I’ll wake you, if anyone comes, but otherwise try to get a good rest. I will take care of you.’
Oh boy, now we’re going to have to sleep here? Really? I mean, at least it’s warmer in here than it is outside, and slightly less scary, but… come on.
As I glance around the cabin, I can’t help but smile to myself. I can’t believe I’ve walked right into a classic trope – perhaps the most iconic one there is – there’s only one bed. Oh my God, there’s only one bed. What am I going to do?
I shake with cold as I watch Henri push the two small armchairs together. He tries to get on them, to make a sort of bed out of them, but he looks like he’s struggling to keep his balance.
Shivering, I get into the bed, pulling the blankets around me tightly. My teeth are chattering, and I can’t seem to get warm.
