‘No, I guess you never were,’ he murmured. ‘You tried to tell me, but I wouldn’t listen, would I? That’s the way I am. I believe some people find me intolerable because of it.’
‘Tell me who they are and I’ll go after them,’ she said at once. ‘I won’t let anyone bad-mouth you.’
He laughed against her hair. ‘That’s all right, then. With you to defend me, what could I have to fear?’
‘Don’t let go of me,’ she said. ‘Stay here.’
‘Wait a minute.’
He drew away, returned to his own bed and pushed it up against hers.
‘That’s better,’ he said, taking her in his arms again.
Now it was easy to drift back to sleep, and this time there were no nightmares.
CHAPTER FOUR
WHEN Mandy awoke she was alone. With the window blocked by snow, she had no idea of the time and groped her way cautiously out of the room and across the hall until she could see the open door that led to the ‘forbidden’ room, the one whose far wall was missing, and the only place where there was any light.
There she found Renzo, looking out onto the snow that was still falling heavily.
‘If a helicopter comes up here, this is the best place to wave,’ he said as she edged cautiously close to him.
‘Has there been any sign of a helicopter?’
‘No, and even if there were-’
‘They couldn’t see us through that snow,’ she finished.
‘Let’s get something to eat. Then we’ll come and stand guard.’
They spent the day in the forbidden room, sitting well back, listening for the sound of a helicopter that never came. By the time the snow stopped, darkness had fallen and they moved back to the safe part of the house to find something to eat by torchlight.
‘You’re cold,’ he said as she shivered. ‘There’s only one place to keep warm, and the sooner we’re there the better.’
Before they got under the blankets, he tried his cellphone again, then hers. Neither gave any response. Mandy sensed his despair, and put her arms around him.