Page 62 of A Brambleberry Manor Christmas
‘Come on. Let’s try again. You’re going to do it, Tavie! I’mgoing to count to three and then we’re going to muster every ounce of ourstrength, and I’m going to pull and you’re going to heave yourself towards me.Okay?’
‘Okay.’ Her voice is feeble, not like Tavie’s at all.
I swallow down my rising panic. ‘Right! One, two,three!’
With a gargantuan effort, I manage to haul her a few feet,but she’s not strong enough to scramble out. And with a frustrated cry, sheslides back into the water.
Now I’m really panicking. What the hell am I going to do?Lie here all night, grasping her hand, until someone sees us or hears our criesand comes to the rescue? But it’s freezing out here. We won’t last untildaybreak…
‘I’m sorry, Jenny,’ she calls, over the howl of the wind.‘I’ve been a complete bitch to you, and you didn’t deserve it at all. It’s justI didn’t know…’
‘Hush, it’s fine, love. Let’s just save our energy forgetting out of here.’
‘But how? I can’t move, my legs are so numb.’
My head spins.
I’m the grown-up. I should have a solution. But for thelife of me…
I hear a noise, and at first I think it’s the wind. But whenI freeze and listen, it’s the unmistakeable sound of a car engine.
Judging by the look on her face, Tavie’s heard it as well,so it’s obviously not just my imagination!
I get to my feet as quickly as I can, moving cautiously tobe safe. The road is just a hundred yards from where we are, and I wave thetorch in the air and shout, ‘Hellooooo! Help! We’re over here!’ Peering over, Ican see the car headlights moving along the country lane, and I start ploughingthrough the snow towards the road, waving my arms, hoping the driver can see mydark shape against the all-white background.
When the vehicle starts slowing down, my heart leaps withhappiness.
They’ve seen me! The car is stopping! We’re going to beokay!
It looks like a Jeep, and two people are tumbling out of it.They start running over – a man and a woman. And my heart leaps when I realisewho it is.
Noah. And Fen.
Noah gets to me first. ‘Jenny. Where’s Tavie? Have you foundher?’
‘Yes, but she’s trapped,’ I tell him, already racing backover to her. ‘She fell through the ice and she can’t drag herself out. I triedto help her but I was scared I’d go under, too.’
‘Right.’ He stops and thinks. ‘Hang on. Back in a sec.’
He runs back to the car and Fen joins me, panting.
‘I couldn’t believe it when Noah told me Tavie had gone outin this terrible weather. Have you found her?’
I nod. ‘She’s over there, stuck in the ice.’
Fen looks horrified, and we both start ploughing overtowards her. Then Noah arrives, holding what looks like a coil of rope.
He quickly unwinds it. ‘It’s a garden hose. It was in theback of Constance’s car.’ He moves towards Tavie and calls, ‘I’m going to throwthis over to you. Grab hold of it, and we’ll have you out of there in no time.’
‘Okay.’ Her voice sounds thin and exhausted. But she doeswhat Noah tells her, and I watch with Fen, holding my breath, as slowly,slowly, Tavie is pulled from the icy water until eventually she’s on solidground.
She’s trembling violently, unable to stand, but in one easymovement Noah gently lifts her up and carries her over to the car.
‘She’s soaking wet,’ says Fen, worried.
‘I’ve got this puffa jacket tied round my waist but it mightbe wet,’ I say doubtfully.
‘There’s a blanket in the back seat,’ says Noah, over hisshoulder. ‘If you can get her wet things off, Jenny, and wrap her in that, wecan pile our coats on her to warm her up.’
