A Winter Affair (20 page)

‘Has help arrived? I'm trying to get to you. I'm at the top now, tell me where you are.'

‘Wait, I'll ask. A helicopter came but now it's gone, but the ski patrol are here digging for someone – we hope it is Jerry. Theo is helping,' she added, wanting to reassure him that Theo was safe. ‘Do you want to talk to him?' she added, watching Theo, his skis and jacket off, digging with great energy.

‘If you're sure he's not hurt, I'll just get there. Tell me exactly where you are.'

She went closer to the patrol and asked him their location. Without pausing with his digging, the man told her and Lawrence said, ‘I heard him; I'm on my way. Ring if there are any developments.'

Eloise imagined him making his lonely way here, his mind tortured by wondering if Theo really would be all right, or whether he may have some sort of delayed injury. She thought of Kit and Lizzie, young and vital but who could be wiped out by some freak accident in an instant. As soon as she got back she would ring them, she was going to anyway for Christmas, but she could not wait to hear their voices to reassure herself they were OK.

How fragile life was, and what of Jerry, would they find him alive? Time was surely running out before he suffocated, or he could already be dead, killed by the force of the snow, but she must not think like that, imagine the worst until she was faced with it.

She had never imagined such a Christmas: she and Gaby standing here watching the patrol desperately digging in the hope of finding a man who moments before had been full of energy, racing down the slope, revelling in the snow.

Gaby was crying beside her, her ski goggles on the top of her head, her tears falling unchecked. ‘I didn't love him,' she said. ‘I used him to get my degree.'

‘But you did care for him, Gaby.' She leant over and hugged her. Both of them were still in their skis. ‘You were kind to him and he was happy with you,' Eloise tried to reassure her, guessing how hard it was for her to manage her own guilt at using him when now he could be dead or badly hurt.

‘Yes, but I wouldn't have married him, Eloise. I agreed to say we were engaged so his family wouldn't be shocked, but he's behaving as if we really are. I'm twenty-one, I want to get a good career, and perhaps marry and have children when I've got everything on track. He didn't understand that.' She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘He's never known what's it's like to be poor, really poor, like we were when Dad died. We had a roof over our heads, but Mum had to juggle with bills and work so hard.' She sniffed. ‘I did try to get a grant, but it wasn't enough, which made Mum worry. I don't want to be poor like that, and I want to help her so she won't need to be with shitty men like Roger.' The words poured out of her.

‘I understand, Gaby.' She held her close. Eloise was finding it difficult to keep positive, and time ticked on and there was no sign of Jerry.

Suddenly, there was a shout and Lawrence and two other men skied into view. Eloise turned to greet them. They skied down to join them, Lawrence's face twisted in concern.

‘Any news?' He glanced at the ski patrol working a few feet away.

‘Not yet.' She longed to hold him, take away his fear, a fear that ate into her bones that Jerry was dead and Lawrence would have to break the news to Debra and the rest of them. But his eyes were on Theo, watching him dig, his face taut with concern as if he could not believe that his adored son had escaped and was alive.

‘And you two, are you all right?' He put his arm round her for a moment. ‘You weren't caught in it?' He turned to Gaby, ‘Either of you?'

‘No we were behind them, behind it.' Eloise forced herself not to fall into the comfort of his arms.

‘I'll join them,' he said, moving away from them and skiing down to join the rescue group, his two friends following behind. Theo leant against him a moment, Lawrence hugging him before he and his two companions took shovels from their own backpacks and began to dig.

At last there was a shout and more frantic digging. Eloise and Gaby who'd kept out of their way, as they'd been told to, hurried closer.

‘Bloody hell, get me out, it's cold down here,' Jerry said, his voice like music though there was a crack of panic in his tone.

‘Oh Jerry,' Gaby sobbed.

The men pulled him out.

‘And you've still got that stupid hat on,' he said to Theo with an attempt of a laugh, holding on to him for balance.

‘Are you hurt?' Theo regarded him anxiously as if he expected bits to fall off him.

‘Don't think so,' Jerry gingerly flexed his limbs. ‘Bloody cold though. I remembered to make a hole so I could breathe, but very glad to see you all.' He glanced round at them, tears in his eyes. Gaby, almost falling in her hurry to get to him, cried even harder, clinging to him as if he might slip back under the snow.

Lawrence, relief in his face, questioned Jerry on his state of health, and then after conferring with the rescue team, it was decided he could not ski down – one ski was lost anyway – and it would be prudent to go to hospital to be checked over.

‘I don't need to go to hospital, I'll be fine after a hot shower and drink,' Jerry said, ‘though I could do with another ski.' He tried to sound upbeat, but Eloise could see his exhaustion and knew he couldn't manage the journey back.

Lawrence insisted that he went to hospital to make sure he wasn't suffering some delayed shock or an injury to his head or his heart. ‘Your aunt would say the same,' he added firmly. ‘I'll come with you and Theo.' He turned to Theo, ‘Are you really all right?' He put his hand on his shoulder, his face anxious. ‘Perhaps you should have a check-up while we're there.'

‘No I'm OK,' Theo said. ‘I was knocked over and rolled about a bit, but nothing like Jerry.'

‘You never said you were knocked over, I thought you escaped it?' Eloise said. He'd been covered in snow, but she thought he had just fallen. She was fearful now that he too might be hurt but in his concern for Jerry had disregarded it.

‘We'll get you checked too, better safe than sorry,' Lawrence said firmly, holding on to his arm as if he might escape.

‘I'm fine, just wet.' Theo leant against his father, craving comfort. ‘I don't know what happened. The guide said it was safe,' he said now as if finally taking in the seriousness of what had happened. Lawrence held him closer, murmuring reassurances.

Eloise remembered the flags she'd spotted. Were they spelling a danger of avalanche and Theo hadn't seen them, or worse still had he disregarded their warning? This was not the time to say anything, but it worried her that he could be blamed for taking them all into danger.

The ski patrol called for a helicopter to take them to the hospital. Theo walked to it with Lawrence's arm still round him and Jerry, with Gaby hovering round him silent now, staring at him as if she could not believe he was alive.

As the two men were helped in, Lawrence tried to telephone Ken; he had not been able to get through to him or Travis. If Ken and Travis were skiing they might not hear their phone; he didn't have Radley's number, nor did he want to ring Debra. He didn't like to leave a message on voicemail, but Ken didn't pick up and he had to say something. ‘Hi Ken, it's Lawrence. Jerry and Theo have been involved in an accident, but they seem fine. We're just going to go to the hospital to make sure. I'll try and contact you when we get there. Ring me when you get this.'

He turned to Eloise who stood with Gaby close to the helicopter, the fear still in his face. Lawrence put his arm round Eloise again and hugged her to him for a second, to offer comfort, and she fought a sudden desire to rest her head on his chest. She must be suffering from delayed shock, she warned herself sternly.

‘Do you think you can both ski down? My friends, David and Marcus,' he introduced his two companions, ‘will go down with you. They know the route well, so you'll be safe with them.'

Gaby looked longingly at the helicopter, but Eloise, not seeing any alternative as there was only room for the injured and Lawrence, assured Gaby she'd be fine, they'd take their time and would make it down.

‘I'm sorry to ask you, Eloise,' Lawrence leant closer to her, his breath soft on her cheek, ‘but if you see Debra or Ken or one of the party can you tell them what happened. I'll keep trying to reach Ken on his mobile, or hopefully he'll pick up the voicemail and get back to me. Jerry is still in shock and said to wait to tell them, but I think it best to let them know as soon as we can.' He sighed, moved away from her. ‘We don't want them to think we're trying to hide anything from them. I'll keep you informed, I guess we'll go down to the hospital in Sion.'

‘Are they going to be all right?' she asked him, wishing he would hold her again, they'd been through such a shocking experience and she craved comfort too and it was so long since she'd been held in someone's arms. ‘I thought Theo had escaped it.' She felt guilty now she knew he'd been tumbled about in the snow. ‘It was all white and we couldn't see anything at first. If I'd known he'd been caught in it too I would have stopped him doing all that digging, the guide was there after all.' She felt she'd let Lawrence down again.

‘You weren't to know and Theo would have done it anyway unless he was incapacitated,' he smiled at her. ‘They are safe now, but we can't really tell how it has affected them until they've been properly examined,' Lawrence said. ‘Sorry you have all this to deal with, but thanks for ringing me.' He touched her hand, glanced at Gaby, ‘You'll both be all right skiing down, won't you, and it's not a difficult run.'

‘They'll be fine, we'll see they get down,' Marcus said as Lawrence left them to board the helicopter.

‘There won't be another avalanche, will there?' Gaby said fearfully, her love of the mountains now filled with terror. Eloise was afraid too, but it was the only way they could get down, there was no room in the helicopter, which would fly straight down to the hospital.

Lawrence's two friends reassured them.

‘The worst is over and we ski down to the road where there is a lift, or we can take a taxi back if you've had enough, but let's get started,' Marcus said.

The helicopter roared away, Eloise wondering if it could start another avalanche with its whirling blades. The ski patrol set off to another call. Gaby, pale with fear, stayed close to David and they started off back home.

Eloise tried to enjoy the run down. It was all so beautiful, the intense blue of the sky, the sparkling snow – a Christmas-card scene, peaceful and serene. It was impossible to believe the nightmare they had all been through, the sudden fall of snow coming so unexpectedly.

‘Had there been warnings of avalanches today?' Eloise asked Marcus when they at last reached the road and started to walk along it to the lift. Gaby seemed lost in herself, and Eloise, though keeping a watch on her and occasionally giving her words of comfort, thought it best to let her come to terms with the event, undisturbed. They could discuss it later.

‘Not that I know of,' Marcus said, ‘they usually cordon off areas if they think there could be danger and you didn't cross any barriers, did you?'

‘No, we didn't.' She tried not to think of the flags she'd seen at the beginning of the run.

‘The danger is always there, especially at this time of year when there's been a heavy snowfall. But as you probably know, it's your own decision where you ski off-piste as long as the run is not closed – we saw the warning flags, but they gave the warning as three – five is the worse, so…'

‘I don't think I saw those,' Eloise lied, wondering if Theo had seen them but, thinking three was safe enough, didn't mention it to them. At least three was passable and surely they would have shut the run if a real danger were predicted?

‘Although it was very scary and potentially life-threatening, the rescue service said it was not a very large avalanche,' Marcus went on.

‘It was large enough to bury Jerry, and if he hadn't been dug out…' Gaby broke in.

‘That's why most of us carry a shovel,' David said. ‘Some people think we are overcautious, but they were needed today.'

‘What a Christmas Day,' Eloise said with feeling.

Marcus grinned, ‘None of us will forget it, but at least it ended well.'

‘They'll be all right, won't they?' Eloise asked nervously. What if there were unforeseen side effects or internal damage and both men were more badly injured than it had appeared?

‘They're both young and fit. They'll be a bit shaken and bruised and it might haunt them for a while, but I'd say they'll get over it. It was a good thing you called Lawrence, and a relief he was close enough to be here.' Marcus shrugged, ‘It's not worth stressing about now. It happened and we all got away with it.'

Eloise felt suddenly faint, not wanting to think it could so easily have been Gaby and her lost under the snow. How would Kit and Lizzie cope if she left them so soon?

‘You all right?' Marcus put his hand on her arm.

‘Yes, thanks… just… I won't think of what might have happened. We're lucky, it ended well.'

‘I hope so,' David, who'd been listening to them, said. ‘I mean, let's hope those rich clients at Jacaranda won't try and sue, or whatever.'

Eloise was horrified. ‘They couldn't make trouble, could they? Surely they know there are risks on the mountains, and the run would have been closed if there was a great danger?' Again she thought of Theo, if Debra and the rest of them made trouble for him ignoring, or not seeing, the warning flags, his whole future as a ski guide and instructor could be in jeopardy.

‘It wouldn't surprise me if they tried it on, it wouldn't be the first time rich clients did it,' Marcus said. ‘They could state negligence, or something. It would cause some damaging publicity, which could be the last straw for Lawrence and Jacaranda.'