‘Of course!’ Emily hurried forward and put her arm around the woman’s waist. She flinched when her hand encountered Ben’s but there was no way she could remove it when the poor woman needed her support. They helped her inside and got her settled on the sofa. Ben stepped back as soon as Louise was comfortable, his face impassive, but Emily could tell from the tightening of his jaw that he’d enjoyed the contact no more than she had done.
The thought was strangely upsetting. Emily turned away, reluctant to let him see how she felt. ‘I’ll fetch a blanket. She feels cold despite the fact it’s warm outside.’
‘Shock,’ Ben replied succinctly, crouching down in front of the woman. He gently chafed her hands. ‘Her husband fell down the bank of a stream and injured his leg. She was unable to get him out.’
‘How is he?’ Emily asked, sotto voce, and he shook his head.
‘Not too good.’
Emily didn’t ask anything else, not wanting to add to the poor woman’s distress. Ben asked if he could use the phone to call search and rescue headquarters so she showed him where it was then ran upstairs to fetch a blanket. He was still on the phone when she went back down so she took the blanket through to the sitting room and draped it over Louise then smiled at her. ‘I’m going to make you a cup of tea. It will help to warm you up.’
Louise didn’t respond. Her face was completely blank as she stared straight ahead. Emily frowned as she headed to the kitchen. Ben had finished his call and she beckoned him over, waiting until they were out of earshot before speaking. ‘Has she said anything to you?’
‘No. She’s not said a word since we found her.’ He sighed as he rested his lean frame against the worktop. ‘It was sheer luck that we came across them. Tom just happened to glance down the banking and spotted Louise’s red jumper. She was just sitting there, not shouting or anything, just cradling her husband’s head in her lap.’
‘The poor soul!’ Emily exclaimed. ‘She must have been terrified.’
‘Oui. To see the one you love in trouble and not be able to help them…!’
Once again he gave that very Gallic shrug and Emily looked away. It was one of the things she remembered most, the way he punctuated his conversation with various gestures. Although Ben’s English was faultless thanks to his having an English mother, his French heritage from his father was still very apparent and had always been a huge part of his charm. That along with so many other things, of course.
She closed her mind to that stupid thought as she made the tea. She filled a mug, adding both milk and sugar. Ben smiled faintly as he watched her.
‘Ah, the British answer to all life’s ills—hot sweet tea.’
‘It’s very reviving,’ she countered.
‘Oh, it is. I learned that for myself when I first came here. Ros would make me a cup of tea and all of a sudden everything seemed that bit brighter.’
‘Sadly it can’t cure everything. There are some problems that can’t be solved by a cup of tea.’ She hadn’t meant to say that, certainly hadn’t intended to allude to their problem, his refusal to acknowledge their child, and bit her lip. Ben’s expression darkened as he stared at her with undisguised contempt.
‘Some problems are too huge to be resolved. It needs trust and honesty to sort out important issues. When they are absent, there is never a way forward.’
He went back to the sitting room, leaving her to stew that over. Emily ground her teeth, hating the fact that he had the gall to make out that she was lacking in honesty. Picking up the mug, she hurried after him, hating him with every fibre of her being. Ben had been so afraid of facing up to his responsibilities that he had chosen to deny his own child. There couldn’t be anything more dishonest than that!
CHAPTER THREE
TOM arrived about twenty minutes later. Emily hurried to the door when she heard his footsteps coming up the path. The rest of the team were assembling by the cars while Alan supervised the loading of the stretcher into one of the vehicles.
‘How is he?’ Emily asked, ushering Tom inside.
‘Not too good.’ He glanced into the sitting room and sighed. ‘Severe hypothermia from being half-submerged in the stream for several hours, plus a badly fractured femur. Good job Ben spoke to HQ. They’ve arranged for the helicopter to meet us in town and do the transfer.’
Emily nodded, not needing to labour the point. Speed was of the essence and the poor man was already at a disadvantage after being missing for so long. She led the way into the sitting room, avoiding Ben’s eyes as she went over to Louise. She’d let Tom fill him in. The less she had to say to him the better.
‘Louise, your husband is going to be flown to hospital in the emergency helicopter,’ she explained gently, sitting down beside her. ‘There isn’t room for you, I’m afraid, but someone will take you there so you can be with him.’
‘Alan’s going to take her,’ Tom put in, dropping wearily into an armchair.
‘Oh, that’s good.’ Emily smiled at the woman but still failed to get a response. Louise continued to sit there. She hadn’t attempted to drink her tea despite Emily’s urgings and Emily was beginning to feel really concerned.
‘Louise seems to be very shocked,’ she said, glancing at Tom. ‘She hasn’t said a word since she got here.’
Tom frowned. ‘She didn’t say anything when we found her, either.’ He turned to Ben. ‘Do you think this is a normal reaction?’
‘It’s difficult to say. Everyone reacts differently to stress,’ Ben replied. He got up and came over to the sofa and Emily hurriedly moved aside as he crouched down in front of the woman. ‘Do you understand what we are saying, Louise? Your husband is alive and he’s being taken to hospital.’
Louise looked at him with hollow eyes. ‘Are you sure? Sure that Dennis is alive? Only the last time it happened, they were wrong, you see.’
Emily frowned. ‘The last time? You mean this has happened before?’
‘Not to Dennis, no. But to my first husband…’ Louise broke off. She gave a little sob then managed to collect herself. ‘Frank and I were out shopping one day when he had a heart attack. The paramedics told me that he was all right but he wasn’t. I don’t think they meant to lie, really, they just didn’t realise…’
Louise couldn’t go on as tears overwhelmed her. Emily patted her hand, trying to hide her dismay. No wonder the poor woman was so distressed. To have it happen once would have been bad enough but to have something similar occur a second time must be horrendous.
‘It isn’t the same this time,’ Ben said gently and Emily shivered when she heard the compassion in his voice. Nobody hearing it could doubt that he wanted to help and she suddenly wished with all her heart that she’d received this kind of consideration when she had told him about Theo. It was hard not to let her emotions get the better of her as he continued in the same caring tone.
‘Your husband is alive and he will be treated at the hospital. Yes, he is very sick, but he’s alive, Louise, and everything possible will be done to keep him that way.’
Louise took a shuddering breath then stumbled to her feet. ‘I want to see him.’
‘I’ll take you,’ Tom offered immediately, standing up. He led her to the door, leaving Emily alone with Ben. He stood up as well, making it clear that he had no intention of lingering. Why should he, Emily thought bitterly as she followed him out. There was nothing here to interest him, after all.
‘Mummy!’
A pitiful wail from the top of the stairs brought her spinning