Read Online Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anthony Bidulka
Tags: Suspense
Ads: Link
your meal and wine. But not until the precise moment that they are ready for you in the restaurant, are you invited in to be seated just as your first course, the Amuse Bouche, is being delivered.
Forty minutes later, sated with champagne but a little short on repartee, it was my turn.
The meal was out of this world fantastic.
80
Anthony Bidulka
Little mounds of tomato mousse, a fish veloute, cold mackerel topped with raspberry puree, coq au vin, unbelievably huge pimentos stuffed with lobster, and a lime souffle that looked as if it might float off the plate. The wines, a half-litre red and a half-litre white, were incomparable.
(From the sommelier, I'd learned it was not only acceptable but recommended to switch wine selection and colour during a meal.) I could only manage a small hunk of goat cheese when the cheese trolley came by. My wonderpants were beginning to wonder whether they'd be able to contain me much longer.
After a quick walk on the patio I returned to my room and gave in to sleep. It had been a full first day.
I woke at 2:00 a.m. and read.
Sun streaming through those damn large windows jolted me awake at the crack of dawn. The room was so bright I considered reaching for my sunglasses. I sat up and swore at the no longer beloved gauzy curtains. Would I have to start wearing sunblock to bed? It wasn't until I shifted my feet to the floor that I noticed the wooden shutters on either side of the window. Oh well.
Early bird gets the worm. And my worm was arriving today. I cleaned up and headed down-Amuse Bouche stairs. Since I had to pass by her desk anyway I decided to check with the receptionist before heading into the salon for breakfast.
"Bonjour," I said to her. Same woman as last night. They must work killer split shifts.
"Bonjour, Monsieur Quant. Did you have a wonderful rest?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"And the restaurant. Did you enjoy your meal?"
"It was fantastic." Aside from the early morning tanning session, I was a pretty happy guy. "I wonder if you could help me?"
"I will try, Mr. Quant." She still had that pleasant singsong quality to her voice. It probably irritated her husband all to hell.
"A good friend of mine is arriving today and I was wondering if perhaps you knew what time he was expected."
She looked a little uncertain but didn't shut me down. "What is your friend's name, Mr.
Quant?"
I guessed Tom Osborn would have checked in under Chavell's name. "Harold Chavell," I told her.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Quant." This sounded hopeful.
"Mr. Chavell left very early this morning."
Pardon? I didn't say anything at first, going over the translation in my head to make sure I'd 82
Anthony Bidulka
gotten it right. "He left?"
"Qui."
"This morning?"
"Out."
"Mr. Harold Chavell?"
"Qui."
I was grateful the woman showed no out-ward signs of being impatient with me. "Is there anything else I can help you with this morning?"
"I'm a little confused," I told her. I'm sure she'd already figured that one out. "My information says Mr. Chavell was not to arrive at Domaine Des Hauts until today."
"Yes, that is correct."
Okay. Something was not working between this woman and I. "But he left already? Even though he wasn't supposed to arrive until today?" This was not easy to put into French.
She laughed. "\ see the problem now. You're wondering why he has already checked out?"
Bingo! "Out!"
"Mr. Chavell called to change his reservation to yesterday, rather than today. He was fortunate, as you were Mr. Quant, that we were able to accommodate him on such short notice. The tourist season is nearly over, you see. We can do such things easier this time of year."
Fortunate? I did not feel fortunate. Tom Amuse Bouche
Osborn had been right under my nose and I'd missed him.
What was worse, he was no longer following the itinerary.
84
Chapter Four
OVER BREAKFAST OF RAVEN DARK COFFEE and soft breads oozing butter and slathered with chunky jam, I studied the itinerary yet again. I was irked to have missed
Forty minutes later, sated with champagne but a little short on repartee, it was my turn.
The meal was out of this world fantastic.
80
Anthony Bidulka
Little mounds of tomato mousse, a fish veloute, cold mackerel topped with raspberry puree, coq au vin, unbelievably huge pimentos stuffed with lobster, and a lime souffle that looked as if it might float off the plate. The wines, a half-litre red and a half-litre white, were incomparable.
(From the sommelier, I'd learned it was not only acceptable but recommended to switch wine selection and colour during a meal.) I could only manage a small hunk of goat cheese when the cheese trolley came by. My wonderpants were beginning to wonder whether they'd be able to contain me much longer.
After a quick walk on the patio I returned to my room and gave in to sleep. It had been a full first day.
I woke at 2:00 a.m. and read.
Sun streaming through those damn large windows jolted me awake at the crack of dawn. The room was so bright I considered reaching for my sunglasses. I sat up and swore at the no longer beloved gauzy curtains. Would I have to start wearing sunblock to bed? It wasn't until I shifted my feet to the floor that I noticed the wooden shutters on either side of the window. Oh well.
Early bird gets the worm. And my worm was arriving today. I cleaned up and headed down-Amuse Bouche stairs. Since I had to pass by her desk anyway I decided to check with the receptionist before heading into the salon for breakfast.
"Bonjour," I said to her. Same woman as last night. They must work killer split shifts.
"Bonjour, Monsieur Quant. Did you have a wonderful rest?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"And the restaurant. Did you enjoy your meal?"
"It was fantastic." Aside from the early morning tanning session, I was a pretty happy guy. "I wonder if you could help me?"
"I will try, Mr. Quant." She still had that pleasant singsong quality to her voice. It probably irritated her husband all to hell.
"A good friend of mine is arriving today and I was wondering if perhaps you knew what time he was expected."
She looked a little uncertain but didn't shut me down. "What is your friend's name, Mr.
Quant?"
I guessed Tom Osborn would have checked in under Chavell's name. "Harold Chavell," I told her.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Quant." This sounded hopeful.
"Mr. Chavell left very early this morning."
Pardon? I didn't say anything at first, going over the translation in my head to make sure I'd 82
Anthony Bidulka
gotten it right. "He left?"
"Qui."
"This morning?"
"Out."
"Mr. Harold Chavell?"
"Qui."
I was grateful the woman showed no out-ward signs of being impatient with me. "Is there anything else I can help you with this morning?"
"I'm a little confused," I told her. I'm sure she'd already figured that one out. "My information says Mr. Chavell was not to arrive at Domaine Des Hauts until today."
"Yes, that is correct."
Okay. Something was not working between this woman and I. "But he left already? Even though he wasn't supposed to arrive until today?" This was not easy to put into French.
She laughed. "\ see the problem now. You're wondering why he has already checked out?"
Bingo! "Out!"
"Mr. Chavell called to change his reservation to yesterday, rather than today. He was fortunate, as you were Mr. Quant, that we were able to accommodate him on such short notice. The tourist season is nearly over, you see. We can do such things easier this time of year."
Fortunate? I did not feel fortunate. Tom Amuse Bouche
Osborn had been right under my nose and I'd missed him.
What was worse, he was no longer following the itinerary.
84
Chapter Four
OVER BREAKFAST OF RAVEN DARK COFFEE and soft breads oozing butter and slathered with chunky jam, I studied the itinerary yet again. I was irked to have missed
Similar Books
