Patricia Wentworth - Lonesome Road

He was above her now, with the torch cunningly tilted to show him her position without dazzling her. He had a white bundle in his arm and he began paying it out.

“Nanny hadn’t any rope-I had to tear up her sheets. That’s why I’ve been so long.”

The linen fell dangling beside her against the face of the cliff.

“Now, Rachel, can you let go at all with either hand?”

She said, “No.”

Gale Brandon said, “You must!” The light slipped to and fro across her hands. He said in an encouraging voice, “You’ve got quite a good bunch of stuff in that right hand. Does it feel firm?”

She couldn’t really feel anything at all, but she said, “Yes.”

“What sort of foothold have you got?”

“Rock-but I’ve only got my toes on it.”

“That’s fine. Now I’m going to swing the sheet close up to you on your left. It’s knotted into a sling at the end. I’ll try and pull the sling up under your elbow. The minute you feel it there let go the bush with your left hand, push your arm through the loop, and catch the sheet above it. That’ll bring the sling under your armpit. Now do that quick, and then I’ll tell you what to do next.”

Rachel did it, she never quite knew how. She found herself holding to the linen rope and feeling it cut in under her armpit as her weight came on the sling.

Gale Brandon said, “That’s fine.” The light slid over her again. “Now you’ve got to put your head through. It’s quite easy. And then your right arm, so that the sling will be under both armpits.”

Rachel said, “I don’t think I can.”

She heard the sharpest tone of command that had ever been used to her.

“Do what you’re told, and do it at once!”

She did it.

She was holding the linen now with both hands, and the sling was round her body.

He said, “Now we’re all right. I’m going to pull you up, but you must help yourself as much as you can. It’s nothing like sheer-there’s a good bit of slope in our favor. Take advantage of every bit you can. And don’t be frightened I’ll let you go, because I won’t. You’re quite safe now.”

Safe! The next few moments were the most terrifying she had ever known. If she had been less afraid she might have fainted. It was a very poignancy of terror which kept her conscious. It would have been much easier if she could have swooned. No use thinking about what would be easier-she had got to help Gale.

But at first there was nothing she could do. The linen strip tautened and took her off her feet. A pause while she swung there, and then the bush scratching her face, her hands, as she was drawn up through it, a few inches at a time. Now the twigs were rasping against her stockings, and now she got a knee on a projecting tussock and eased the weight. Then on again, but less difficult now. The cliff sloped to the path, and she was dragged up, half leaning, half scrambling, until she reached the edge and Gale took her under the arms and pulled her up beside him.

They reeled back together across the whole width of the path to a place where there was rough grass under their feet. And stood so clasped they made one shadow there. And neither spoke. She could feel the laboring of his breath and the strong, measured beating of his heart, She had never been so close to another human being. The cold went out of her, and the fear.

And then all of a sudden he loosed her and sang out, “Who’s there?”

Rachel, holding to his arm, turned round and saw a lantern bobbing along the track, coming from Whincliff Edge. It spilled its circle of light about a long skirt and a pair of feet which she would have known anywhere. She said weakly, “It’s Louisa,” and sat down upon the grass.

And then there was Louisa, crying over her and fussing, and being told not to fuss with a good deal of energy by Gale. Most of it went over Rachel’s head, for she was really faint now, but neither Gale’s commands nor her own dizziness could entirely arrest the flow of Louisa’s lamentations.

“Oh, my dear Miss Rachel!” She said that several times. And, “I had to come-I was that anxious. Oh, my dear-that it should come to this! And I’d die for you- cheerful and willing-but I can’t stop them-”

“Will you be quiet!” said Gale Brandon. “I want to get your mistress home. Put that lantern down and help me to take the rope off her!”

She had not realized that it was partly the linen strip cutting in under her arms and across her chest that was making her faint, but when it was gone and she could take a deep, full breath again her senses cleared.

Gale lifted her up.

“Can you stand?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Walk?”

His arm was round her, the arm to whose strength she owned her life. It felt very strong.

She said, “Oh, yes,” again.

“That’s fine. Then we’ll be going. Louisa, you go on ahead with the lantern. No, not that way. I’ve got my car up at Nanny’s cottage. I don’t want her to walk farther than she need. Pick up that torch and come along!”

Actually, the movement did Rachel good. Her shoulders and arms had been numb, but the feeling came back to them. She was sore and bruised, but had no real hurt. She had not yet begun to think.

But when they came to the car and he had sent Louisa in to tell Nanny she was safe, she clung to his arm as if it was all she had to trust to.

“I’d like to sit in front with you.”

“I’d like to have you, but I thought you’d be more comfortable at the back-you can lean right into the corner.”

“No-I don’t want to-I want to stay with you.”

He frowned at the fear in her voice. He said,

“Why are you afraid? There’s nothing to be frightened of now.” He put his arm round her and said insistently, “Is there?”

Before she had time to answer Louisa came out of the cottage.

He was frowning in the dark beside her all the way to Whincliff Edge.

In her room Rachel reviewed the damage, and decided that it might have been much worse. She was bruised and she was scratched, but that was the worst of it.

“And you’ll go straight to your bed, Miss Rachel, and not see no one,” said Louisa tearfully.

Rachel considered. She could say that she had had a fall, and either go to bed or sit comfortably here by the fire. But she wondered if it would be humanly possible to keep Mabel out of her room, because if it meant a tête-à-tête with Mabel, she would rather confront the whole family and have done with it. Also she wanted to see Miss Silver.

She stood warm and relaxed from her bath and looked thoughtfully at Louisa.

“What I’d like to do, Louie, would be to have my dinner here quietly by the fire in my dressing-gown with Noisy. I don’t want to go to bed a bit, but I don’t feel like bothering to dress-or talk. That’s the thing-do you think you can keep the family out?”

Louisa nodded fiercely.

“Indeed I can, my dear, if I have to lock the door on you and take away the key.” She came close, picked up one of Rachel’s hands, and held it against her cheek. “Oh, my dear, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you-you know that.”

Rachel drew her hand away with a little shiver.

“I know, Louie.” She sank into the big chair and leaned back gratefully.

But Louisa stood her ground.

“Aren’t you going to tell me what happened, Miss Rachel?”

Rachel steeled herself. A scene with Louie now-oh, no!

“I had a fall,” she said. “I went over the edge of the cliff, and Mr. Brandon pulled me up. It was horrid, but it’s over. I’m not hurt, and I don’t want to go on talking about it.”

Louisa did not speak. She wasn’t crying any longer. She said harshly,