Baby It's Cold Outside

‘Harry says you’re going into town,’ he said. ‘I’m going to come with you.’

I opened my mouth to say no, but Jamie elbowed me sharply in the ribs.

‘That’s a good idea,’ he said, smiling at Douglas. ‘The weather’s terrible – you can huddle together for warmth.’

I scowled at him, regretting how understanding I’d been about Tansy. Then I saw his scared face as he looked at the kitchen door and felt sorry for him again.

‘It’ll be fine,’ I said, squeezing his hand. ‘I’ll be home in an hour or so. I love you.’

Jamie gave me a quick kiss.

‘I love you too,’ he said. Then, without a backward glance, he disappeared through the kitchen door.

Douglas waited patiently as I put on a thin fleece, a thicker jacket, a beanie hat also made of fleece that was brilliantly warm, scarf, gloves and boots, then we stepped outside. It was freezing. It had obviously snowed all night, though it had stopped now. The sky was heavy and as white as the landscape. It was quiet and still and very beautiful.

‘Wow,’ said Douglas. ‘I’ve not seen snow like this for years.’

I took a step into the soft snow covering the garden path – it was almost up to my knees and I was thankful for my sturdy boots and thick trousers. We waddled towards the road in an undignified fashion.

‘There’s something magical about virgin snow,’ Douglas said. ‘I’ve always loved being the first person to make footprints.’

I looked at him and gave him a brief smile. I’d always loved it too, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

Out on the street the snow was just as deep, obviously, a foot or more, with steep piles at the side of the road where the wind had blown the powder into drifts. A couple of cars had obviously driven up this far – Tansy’s taxi for one – before the snow had got too bad, but even their tracks were covered now.

Carefully we began to tramp down the hill, hugging the hedges of the houses we passed and using the branches for support.

‘I wonder if they’ll bring the snowplough up here,’ I said, mostly to myself. Douglas shrugged.

‘They should do,’ he said. ‘Bet they’re busy though.’

We trudged on in silence. I sneaked a few glances at Douglas as we walked. He was tall and thin and seemed to be taking great pleasure from our surroundings. He was breathing deeply and looking at the scenery in satisfaction. As we rounded a bend, there was a break in the trees and Claddach spread out beneath us. To our right the mountain – Ben Claddach – loomed above the road, its pine trees covered in snow and its tip wrapped in a cloud. At the bottom of the road was the town itself, barely visible because every roof was covered in snow, and the loch. Its water was normally inky black but today it was like the surface of a mirror. It was silvery grey and reflected the jagged, snowy tips of the hills close by.

It was hard work just keeping upright on the walk down the hill and I was soon out of breath, even though I was in pretty good shape. Douglas, I noticed, was barely breathing heavily. As we reached the foot of the hill I paused to loosen my scarf – the walk had left me feeling warm – and Douglas turned to look at me.

‘Oh god,’ I thought. ‘Please don’t tell me how much you love my mum.’

‘I really love your mother,’ Douglas said. I grimaced but he carried on regardless. ‘I don’t much care whether you like me or not, but I know us getting on would make Tess happy.’

I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t expected that. Douglas’s slightly fierce expression softened. ‘I also know how you’re feeling,’ he said. ‘My dad left before I was born so it was just Mum, my brother and me for a long time. Mum remarried when I was sixteen. I wasn’t exactly welcoming towards her husband.’

He grinned at me suddenly, looking much younger.

‘We get along great now,’ he said. ‘It’s only taken fifty years to iron out our differences.’

I gave him a cautious smile.

‘There’s a lot happening,’ I said. I didn’t want to say that he was the least of my worries, but that’s what I meant. ‘I’ll try.’

It was the most I could manage and I knew it wasn’t good enough, but Douglas seemed pleased. He gave me a brisk nod and we carried on into town. I loved Claddach anyway, but in the snow it was like something out of a fairytale. There was hardly traffic, so it was quiet and the thick snow muffled what little noise there was.

The single set of traffic lights on the road to the main town square changed silently from red to green and back again. The shops were open though – it would take more than a blizzard to shut Claddach – and there were people milling about. A band of riotous teenagers were ducking in and around the town hall steps where they normally all sat smoking sulkily, glaring at passers-by. They were chucking snowballs at each other and laughing uproariously. A group of women were clearing the area outside the shops, the shovels scraping on the pavement.

‘This is me,’ said Douglas. We were outside the funeral parlour. It had been here for years but I’d never paid much attention to it before. It had a large window of smoked glass, with floor-length vertical blinds. There was a discreet floral display in the window, being arranged by a woman about my own age. She had brown hair pulled back into a neat bun, and she was wearing a smart black suit and sensible court shoes.

‘That’s Kirsty, my niece,’ Douglas said. ‘Would you like to come in and meet her? I think you’ll get on.’

I looked at Kirsty, bustling through to the back of the shop in her bank manager outfit and thought I doubted that.

‘I’d love to,’ I said. I gestured vaguely behind myself. ‘But I have to go and do… stuff. Bye.’

I felt Douglas’s eyes on my back as I trudged through the snow across the square, towards Leona’s wedding dress shop. Snow started falling again, lightly, and I pulled my scarf round my neck once more. Leona’s shop was up a wee side street and for a moment I thought she wasn’t open. The snow outside the door was fresh and untouched. I stopped, biting my lip in concern, and then Leona came out from a narrow passageway, carrying two shovels and wearing an enormous furry hat.

‘Esme,’ she said with a wide grin as she saw me. She leaned the shovels up against the wall and gave me an awkward hug because both of us were wrapped in so many layers that it was like we were wearing fat suits.

‘I’ve just been clearing the car park,’ she said. ‘I’ve got a very special delivery coming this afternoon…’ she gave me a violent nudge, ‘… I don’t want the van not to make it.’

‘It’s dreadful isn’t it?’ I said, looking round at the thick snow. ‘But it’s going to look gorgeous in our photos.’

Leona sighed with happiness. ‘Let’s have a cup of tea,’ she said. ‘And you can tell me all about your plans.’

It seemed that despite providing dresses for every Claddach bride for the last twenty-five years, Leona never got bored of weddings. I peeled off my layers and we sat snugly in the shop, drinking tea as I filled Leona in on every tiny detail of the wedding from the favours to the ribbons round the chairs.

While I talked, Leona, who was a stylish woman in her fifties with a weakness for gossip and biscuits, went through her emails on her small, pink laptop.

‘Ah ha,’ she said, turning it round so I could see the screen. ‘This is the customs check – your dress has arrived at Aberdeen. It’s being loaded on to the van now and I should get it this afternoon.’

I felt a rush of excitement. This was really happening.

‘I hope the snow doesn’t hold things up,’ I said, getting up and walking to the window. It was snowing heavily again. Thick flakes dropping softly from the leaden sky.

‘Ach, it’ll be fine,’ Leona said. ‘They’ll have the snowploughs out. I’ve gritted the car park and I know the Housewives’ Guild were galvanising people to start shovelling in the town square. The snow is no match for Millicent Fry.’

I grinned. Millicent was one of Claddach’s characters. She and I hadn’t always seen eye to eye and I’d badly misjudged her when we’d first met. But now I recognised her for what she was – a force of nature who organised, cajoled, and bustled everyone and everything into willing submission. Leona was right. The snow didn’t stand a chance.

‘So I was thinking,’ Leona said. ‘Obviously I’m shut tomorrow as it’s Sunday, but as it’s you – how about we meet here in the afternoon and you can try on your dress?’

I squealed in delight and gave Leona a hug. Then I looked at my watch. It was nearly lunchtime, surely Jamie and Tansy had talked enough for one day? I wanted to get home and snuggle up with my lovely fiancé to go through any last-minute plans.

Chapter 6

I said my goodbyes to Leona, layered up again, and trudged back out into the snow. I decided to go up to the main road straightaway, instead of through the square as it would be clearer – I thought – and easier to walk on. It meant a slightly longer walk, as first I had to leave town in the opposite direction to our house. Claddach nestled in between the main road on one side and the banks of the loch on the other. In one direction the main road led to the A9 and civilisation, and in the other it sloped up past our house and on up into the mountains. There were two roads in and out of the town itself – one on the side of Claddach closest to our house and one at the other side of town. Both of them came out on to the main road. Doug and I had walked into town the quicker way, using the ‘top’ road. But now I couldn’t face stomping through the snow in town and as Leona’s shop was closer to the main road the other way, that’s where I headed.

The road had been ploughed, though it was already covered in snow again, and like I’d hoped, it was slightly easier to walk on. I could look down on town from here and it was so beautiful – like an Alpine village with all the snowy roofs – that I pulled my phone out to take a photo of the town to show Jamie – and that’s when it happened. I heard it before I saw it, and looking back I felt it before I heard it. A deep rumble, that vibrated in my chest like the bass thump at a nightclub. I turned to look behind me, along the road. I could see a man and a woman – dressed similarly to me – tramping along, walking in the road as I was because the pavements hadn’t been cleared. And one car, a big 4x4, driving towards the town. I saw those things, and then suddenly I couldn’t see them any more. There was a roar, like rushing water, but louder and deeper, and the very ground beneath my feet shook. I shrieked as everything went white and snow flew all around me. I covered my ears and shielded my eyes and half ran, half staggered back the way I’d come. I’d barely gone two lurching steps though, when – disorientated and unable to see – I slipped and fell. It was like being in the middle of a blizzard. There was snow flying all around me, piling up over my legs. I tried to stand, but I couldn’t. All I could hear was my breathing and the roaring, crunching of the snow. I’d never realised something so soft could be so loud. Terrified, and completely confused about what was happening, I started to cry. And then, as suddenly as it had started, the roaring stopped. The snow began to settle around me and the air cleared.

I wiped my face with my gloved fingers, and looked round me. The scenery had changed completely. It was like the mountain had slid down on top of the road, but that was impossible, surely? My heart was thumping. Dazed, I staggered to my feet and looked back at the town, trying to get my bearings. Yes, the houses were to my left and the loch looked as it always looked. The mountain still stood to my right, but a huge swathe of snow had slid off it down on to the road, as though a giant hand had pushed it downwards. Where five minutes ago there had been the road and the two cars and the walkers, now there was a huge bank of snow. An avalanche, I guessed, though I’d only ever seen one in films before now.

‘Oh shit,’ I said, as I realised what had happened. ‘Oh shit, shit, shit, shit.’

Frantically I felt in my pocket for my phone but it wasn’t there. I’d been holding it in my hand when the avalanche started and now it was gone. I had to get help. I tried to get to my feet, but I fell forwards on to my knees.

‘Oof,’ I said. I was soaking wet, freezing cold and absolutely scared out of my wits. But I kept trying to stand, heart pounding and tears pouring down my cheeks. I was so shaky and battered that I couldn’t stay upright, I just kept slipping over. But I knew I had to try to stand up – the last thing I wanted was to stay slumped in the snow. After what seemed like forever but probably wasn’t long, I heard voices, and to my utter relief a hand reached out and pulled me upright.

‘It’s okay, sweetheart,’ my rescuer said. ‘It’s okay now.’

I was half sobbing, half laughing as I looked at him. He was part of the Mountain Rescue Team, wearing a thick fluorescent orange jacket and a hard hat.

‘She’s okay,’ he shouted to his colleagues, who were spilling out of a truck with big caterpillar tracks on its wheels, further along the road away from the snow slip, towards Mum’s house. ‘There’s an ambulance on its way. They can check you out.’ He draped a blanket round my shoulders and I gripped it in gratitude.

‘I’m fine,’ I said, shivering violently. ‘I’m not hurt. I’m just a bit battered and a bit cold.’ The other mountain rescuers reached us – about five or six in all – and they all stood silently to one side and looked at where the mountain had slid down on to the road.

‘It’s not stable,’ one of them said. ‘We need to clear the area and seal it off until we can assess what’s happening up there.’

They started talking about sending up the helicopter and suddenly my mind cleared and I remembered what I’d seen just before the avalanche.

‘There are people in there,’ I said. No one heard me. I stumbled over to the group, waving my arms under the blanket.

‘There are people,’ I yelled. ‘Under there. Two walkers and a car with passengers in it. We need to get them out.’

‘Woah,’ said my rescuer, who had the name Willie on his jacket. He was a bit older than most of the team and seemed to be in charge.

‘Slow down. We need more equipment, and until we get the dogs up here we can’t possibly know where the people are under that lot.’ He nodded at the huge mound of snow then looked straight at me. ‘I think this is going to be a recovery operation now,’ he said in a gentle tone. ‘Not rescue.’

‘No,’ I said hoarsely. ‘No. I know where they are.’

The mountain rescuers all looked at me blankly.

‘I’ve got a photographic memory,’ I lied desperately. ‘If you can get me up there, I can tell you where they are.’

‘That whole side of the mountain could come down,’ Willie shook his head. ‘It’s too dangerous.’

‘I know exactly where they are,’ I said. ‘Honestly. Give me five minutes – that’s all I need.’

I didn’t have a photographic memory of course; that really was a lie. What I did have was a gift all witches shared – an ability to tune into others’ thoughts. I wasn’t very good at it, but I knew I had to try.

‘Five minutes,’ he said. ‘Then we’re pulling out.’

Together we trudged our way up the sloping snow. He took the blanket from my shoulders then slung a belt round my waist and clipped on a rope, which was attached to their truck.

‘If it falls,’ he said. ‘We’ll find you.’

I was shaking like a leaf but I couldn’t forget the people I’d seen engulfed by the snow. In front of me was the pile of ice created by the avalanche. It was about as high as a house at its tallest part. It loomed up ahead of me like the prow of a ship. I gulped.

‘We’ll go up with you,’ said one of the other rescuers. He was younger, with reddish hair and freckles all over his face. I knew him.

‘Bobby McGill,’ I said, remembering him as a troublemaker from primary school.

He grinned at me, showing dimples.

‘Esmerelda,’ he said. I winced at my childhood nickname but couldn’t help returning his infectious grin, despite my fear.

‘This is Penny,’ he said, gesturing to the woman next to him. ‘She’s coming up too.’

Penny handed me a hard hat.

‘Your boots should be okay,’ she said in an accent I couldn’t place exactly but thought might be from New Zealand. ‘I’ll go first, you follow and Bobby will come last.’

I put the hat on my head, on top of my fleecy beanie, like Penny had done.

‘Ready,’ she said.

I nodded.

‘Ready.’

Slowly we part walked, part climbed up the side of the glacier-like ice. Some bits were steep enough that we had to use our hands to hang on, others sloped more gently. It was mostly soft and difficult to walk on, but some bits were more solid. It was hard work and my legs felt like jelly, but we carried on and eventually we stood, breathless, on top of the heap of snow.

I could see the town down below and sent up silent thanks that somehow the snow hadn’t reached the houses beneath us. It seemed to have run out of oomph before it reached the slope down to Claddach and now the mountain rescuers were busy building up a stack of thick bags, which I assumed would act as a barricade if more snow fell.

‘Over to you,’ Bobby said. ‘Can you get your bearings? Where do you think they are?’

I had absolutely no idea.

Chapter 7

I stared round at the blank landscape. The familiar scenery had changed so massively that I had no chance of getting my bearings. But of course I had a secret weapon.

I turned away from Bobby and Penny, opened the witchy part of my mind and concentrated hard. At first I could hear nothing and I felt a lurch of fear. I knew I wasn’t as good as Harry was at listening in on others’ thoughts but I just hoped the adrenaline would help me.

I blocked out the background noise, took a wobbly step towards the middle of the ice and closed my eyes. At first I couldn’t hear anything, just the general cacophony of lots of people, wondering if the snow would hold, if I was mad, what they were having for their tea. I tried harder to focus on the people I’d seen and shut my eyes.

‘Cold,’ I heard a voice whisper. ‘So cold.’

I knelt down on the snow and put my hand on the crunchy surface.

‘Cold,’ I heard again. Louder this time.

‘Over here,’ I yelled. ‘They’re over here.’

Penny and Bobby were at my side in two strides.

‘Right here?’ Bobby asked.

I patted the snow.

‘I think the man was here,’ I said. ‘One of the walkers.’

Bobby crouched down, pulled a tool from his belt and began carefully digging into the snow, using his hands as well.

‘What about the other walker?’ Penny said.

‘Hold on,’ I said. I pretended to be thinking but I was actually listening really hard.

‘Robert,’ I heard a faint voice say. ‘Where’s Robert?’

I scrambled to my feet and crouched down again close to the edge of the massive pile of snow.

‘Here,’ I said.

Penny looked doubtful.

‘Really?’ she said.

I nodded firmly but she shook her head.

‘Surely if she’d been that close to the edge she could have got herself clear?’

‘Maybe she panicked.’ I shrugged. ‘Whatever happened, I know she’s here.’

A shout from Bobby made us look up.

‘I’ve got him,’ he yelled. ‘Some help here would be good.’

The other mountain rescuers began swarming up the snowy hill, all thoughts of clearing the area forgotten, as Bobby dug some more.

Penny watched for a moment, then looked at me with narrowed eyes.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Here?’

I nodded and she started digging too, clearing the snow away with her hands.

I walked towards the middle of the snow again, looking out towards town. I could see an ambulance driving slowly up the hill and I was glad.

Behind me, the male walker was pulled out of the snow. He was completely covered, his frosty eyebrows making him look like a yeti. He was shivering, but he seemed fine. One of the rescue team helped him down the slope to the waiting paramedics.

His companion wasn’t so lucky. She’d not been buried nearly so deep, but she’d obviously broken her leg and as soon as Penny and another rescuer pulled her out, she fainted. Within seconds they’d hoisted a stretcher up to her and Penny began strapping her on. It was a very slick operation; I was really impressed.

There were lots of people below me now. I could see paramedics, police, more mountain rescue teams, and above us a helicopter hovered like a fat dragonfly. I was pleased they were all there but the only person I really needed was Harry. I knew it would be harder to find whoever had been travelling in that car and I wanted her help.

‘Esme,’ a shout made me jump. It was Harry. Of course it was Harry. She had a knack of showing up whenever I needed her. She was below me, on the ground, waving madly and talking to Willie. He’d been reluctant to let me up, but Harry had obviously worked her own brand of Jedi mind trick on him, because he was already wrapping another belt round her waist and plonking a helmet on her head.

Harry began scaling the sloping side of the mound, more nimbly than I had. Soon she was by my side.

‘There’s someone in a car under the snow,’ I gasped at her. ‘I’ve found two walkers but I need your help for this.’

Harry nodded, taking it all in immediately and not looking fazed in the slightest.

‘Okay,’ she said. ‘We can do this.’

She turned away from me, then thought for a moment, turned back and gave me a quick hug.

‘I’m glad you’re all right,’ she mumbled.

I gripped her hand.

‘It’s harder, isn’t it?’ I said. ‘If they’re inside.’

Harry nodded.

‘Nothing we can’t handle,’ she said through chattering teeth, taking my other hand so we faced each other. I was aware of Penny watching me intently, but no one else paid us any attention. They were mostly watching Willie, who was on his radio. From the way he was looking up, I guessed he was talking to the helicopter. Everyone looked very grim-faced.

‘Don’t worry about them,’ Harry said. ‘Concentrate.’

Together, we reached out with our minds. I was so much stronger with Harry by my side, but it still took a while for us to find a small energy – a tiny pulse that meant someone was alive under the snow. There was no voice this time, just a faint beating heart.

Harry felt it at the same time. She pulled me over the icy surface to where the pulse was stronger.

‘Unconscious?’ I said.

‘I guess so,’ Harry agreed.

‘I think it’s just one person,’ I said.

But Harry frowned.

‘I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘There’s something else.’ She was concentrating hard.

‘There’s definitely someone here, though,’ I said. ‘Let’s get them digging.’

I waved to Penny.

‘Here!’ I called. ‘The car is here. There was just one passenger, I think.’

‘And a dog,’ Harry said in a rush. ‘It’s a dog,’ she said to me.

The mountain rescuers flocked round and started digging, using shovels this time. Harry and I stood still, our arms around each other, watching.

It felt like time slowed down as the team dug, but eventually one of the men shouted.

‘We’ve got the car! It’s upside down.’

The rescuers huddled round, obviously working out the best way to get the driver out.

Down below us was a hubbub of activity. I could see people in their yellow jackets going from house to house along the road closest to the avalanche, knocking on doors and hustling groups of people down the street towards the town square. I felt a flicker of fear. What was happening? Why were they evacuating?

‘Harry?’ I started. She turned to me, her brown eyes large in her white, scared face.

‘Harry!’ another voice called. We both looked down at the ground. Louise stood there, wearing a fluorescent vest and waving madly.

‘She came down with me to help out,’ Harry said, a flash of pride in her eyes. ‘She’ll have been organising everyone.’