Page 99 of The Unlikely Pair
It’s Harry’s turn to roll his eyes.
I take a deep breath and let it out, watching it mist in the air. “I think we need to decide what our priority is. Being found or staying alive.”
Harry gives a crisp nod, and I can see from his expression he’s been having the same thought process.
“Here, we have shelter. We can stay warm. We have food. If we stockpile enough firewood and keep fishing, I think we can survive the winter,” he says.
“If we continue to walk on, we could find help. But more storms will come, and if we’re caught out in the open, we may not survive,” I say.
It’s a big decision. If we decide to stay at the cabin, we’re basically conceding we won’t be rescued for months. And for Harry in particular, time is ticking down to the election in May.
“If we wait until spring, there will be more people around, I’m sure,” Harry says. “More chances of being found.”
“I guess the big question is, do you think we can survive a winter trapped in a small cabin together without one of us murdering the other?” I say.
Harry’s lips quirk up. “As long as we agree not to discuss the nationalization of utilities, I think we’ll be all right.”
“As long as you don’t hog the blankets or leave your socks everywhere,” I counter, which is funny as I’m definitely more naturally the messy one.
Harry struggles to contain his smirk. “I’ll endeavor to do my best.”
As I contemplate the long, bleak months ahead, fear threatens to overwhelm me. All the things that could go wrong.
But I force the fear away.
I’m not doing it alone. I have Harry.
And I need to stop worrying about the future. I need to go back to my mantra to simply enjoy the moment. Because right now, I’m standing in the autumn sunshine with Harry.
So I just enjoy the warmth on my face.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Harry
Toby and my decision to stay in the cabin assuages something inside me. We now have a plan. I’ve always been an advocate for adopting a solid strategy.
Of course, staying here through winter has ramifications for me politically. Best-case scenario, we make it through winter and find our way to civilization in early spring, delivering us back to the United Kingdom perilously close to the election. Which provides Rupert with a much larger opportunity to prove his leadership. There’s a high probability I could arrive home to discover that the Tories are on track to win the election, but I am no longer wanted as the leader of my party. Therefore, I will not be the next prime minister.
But I push all thoughts about what is happening in London out of my mind. Because Toby and I need to survive winter first.
That thought spurs a new urgency to take stock of everything in the cabin and the surrounding area. We find a set net in a cupboard, which is great news as it means we can hopefully learn how to use it and increase the fish we catch. Although, we’ll have to resort to ice fishing once the lake freezes over.
We also do an inventory of the firewood. There’s already a decent amount stacked in a small lean-to by the cabin, but we’llneed more to last us through the bitter cold ahead. Considerably more.
Just as we’re turning to go, I notice a small reel of wire resting on a small shelf in the lean-to. I pick it up, holding the weight pensively in my hand.
“Look.” I hold up the reel to show Toby.
Toby’s eyes widen theatrically. “I’m not sure if introducing wire into the bedroom and starting to tie each other up is a good idea.”
“Very funny. I’m thinking I could use this to rig some snares. We could try to catch rabbits or squirrels. Add some other forms of protein to our diet besides fish.”
Toby eyes the wire skeptically. “Have you ever caught an animal before?”
“Not with snares. I went pheasant and rabbit hunting with my grandfather once.”
“Of course, I forget blood sports are favorite pastimes for you Tories.”
