“It’s not the money,” Les insisted. “Ada was really looking forward to this.”
“I was not.” She growled. “You were.”
“We all were,” Les said. “This is a big, big event for us.”
“Les, if people can’t get here then they can’t get here,” Norma said to him patiently. “We must accept it.”
Des fetched her shearling coat from the coatroom, climbed into it and started for the door, her hood up, a flashlight in hand.
“Wait, where are you going?” Mitch asked her.
“When there’s a T-l, every available trooper goes on emergency assistance detail. That’s why they paged me. I have to find out whether I can get out of here or not.”
“May I come, too, Des?” Ada asked excitedly.
Des looked at the old woman in surprise. “Why would you want to do that, Ada?”
“I want to be out in it.”
“You’d better not. You might slip and fall.”
“Nonsense.”
“Please, Mother, it’s not safe.” Norma took her firmly by the arm and ushered her away from the door. “Just think what would happen if you broke a hip.”
“Such a frightened little mouse you are,” Ada sniffed at her. “But you always have been, haven’t you?”
“Whatever you say, Mother,” Norma responded wearily.
“Hang on, I’m coming with you,” Mitch told Des as he went for his parka.
“No, you absolutely aren’t,” she insisted. “This is a work thing, Mitch. I can’t put you or anyone else at risk. But send out the dogs if I’m not back in five minutes.” She flashed her mega-wattage smile at him, then headed out, her long lean body hunched into the howling wind.
Mitch watched her make her way down the icy stones of the front path. She slipped and slid but stayed on her feet. She was lithe and nimble. Careful, too. Still, he kept watch over her, her flashlight growing steadily dimmer as she made her way farther and farther out into the stormy darkness.
“I’ve never been in a blackout before,” Hannah said, her voice quavering with fear. “It feels kind of like the end of the world.”
“It’s certainly the end of mine,” Spence said heavily. “I don’t know what to tell the West Coast.”
“You Americans are so spoiled,” Ada said reproachfully. “It’s a power outage. The French get them so often they don’t even bother to light candles. They just find someone to make love to.”
“Typical French behavior,” Aaron said sourly.
Des had made her way across the drawbridge now. Mitch could just make out their iced-up cars in the distant beam of her flashlight.
“Why do you right-wingers all hate the French so much?” Ada wondered. “Is it because they know how to enjoy life and you don’t?”
“No, it’s because they’re spineless.”
She let out a mocking laugh. “You didn’t exactly sound like Monsieur Spiny yourself just now when the lights went out. You sounded like a scared little girl crying for her mommy. Norma had to come rescue you.”
“Grandmother, I’ve had just about enough of you tonight,” Aaron shot back. “Kindly leave me the hell alone, will you?”
“No, please don’t, Ada,” Carly begged her. “This is the most fun I’ve had in months.”
“Me, I’ve been through three New York City blackouts,” Teddy said. “Know what? They’ve checked out the birth records, and it’s amazing just how many babies were born nine months to the day after each of them. Which is to say, old girl, that the French don’t have the market cornered on l’amour.”
Des’s flashlight beam was growing brighter now. She was starting back across the drawbridge toward them.
As she made her way closer, Mitch called out, “How is it?”
“We can’t get out!” she called back, darting under the castle’s covered entryway. Her hood and shoulders were crusted with ice. Droplets of water had beaded on her face and glasses. “There are two huge trees down right at the top of the driveway, completely blocking it.”
“Those must be Astrid’s sycamores,” Norma said, her voice heavy. “She planted them there more than seventy-five years ago. They were quite lovely and spectacular, poor things.”
“How are the power lines?” Les asked.
“Don’t know. Couldn’t see them.” Des shook the ice off of her coat outside, then came back in, slamming the big door behind her.
Mitch took the coat from her and gave her his handkerchief for her glasses. “What are you going to tell the barracks?”
“That they’ll have to cover for me. I’m stranded up here.”
“They can’t send someone to come get you?”
She shook her head. “They’ll be stretched thin for bodies as is. Can’t spare other troopers just to come get me.” Clearly, Des was not happy about this fact. She wanted to be out there doing her job.
“Well, that settles that,” Spence declared decisively. He yanked his cell phone from the breast pocket of his camel’s hair blazer and hit the speed dial button. “Hi, it’s me… No, everything is not okay. We’ve got a natural disaster here.”
“I’d better warn Wolf Blitzer’s people,” Aaron said, reaching for his own cell phone. “I was supposed to do his show tomorrow. They’re sending up a cameraman.”
Des got busy phoning in as well. The sudden flurry of cellular activity reminded Mitch of a herd of commuters at Grand Central after Metro North has announced a train delay.
“Mitch, I was kidding around with you earlier,” Les said. “But it looks like you and Des will be staying over with us.”
“Looks like. Not a bad place to be stranded for the night, if you ask me.”
“We’re happy to have you. And just so there’s no confusion, you’re our guests, not paying customers.” Les pulled him aside, lowering his voice discreetly. “But being an innkeeper does mean you have to get rather personal sometimes. What I mean is, one room or two?”
“One, please.”
“Fine, fine.” Les went behind the reception counter, poked around and presented him with a pair of keys to room six. “Norma can fix you kids up with toothbrushes. And Jase will fetch you extra firewood and blankets. You should be cozy enough until morning. I’m sure the power will be back on by then.”
“Dunno, Les,” Jase said softly. “Last time this many trees came down it was three, four days before the crews got to us.”
“Did your pipes freeze?” Mitch asked him.
“Would have, if I hadn’t bled them,” Jase replied.
Les said, “Mitch, if you’d like a nightcap, the taproom should stay pretty snug for a while. But if I were you, I’d go up and get a fire started in your room.”
Mitch glanced at his watch. It was not yet ten, but the darkness had a way of making it seem a lot later. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I’ll clear the table,” Jory informed Les briskly. “I can cram everything in the dishwasher until morning.” To Jase she said, “Sweetie, you’d better…”
“Firewood, right.” Jase went tromping back toward the kitchen, lantern in hand.
By now Des was done phoning in. Norma unlocked the gift shop for them and filled an Astrid’s Castle tote bag with travel toothbrushes and toothpaste, bottles of mineral water and matching Kelly green Astrid’s Castle flannel nightshirts, size extra large. Also a disposable razor and shave cream for Mitch in case there was hot water by morning.
“If you need anything else, anything at all, do let us know,” Norma said. “Shall I show you up to your room?”
“We can find it, thanks,” Des said.
They said their good-nights and started up the winding staircase together, their lanterns casting a soft glow in the darkness. Des had her shoulder bag thrown over her left shoulder. Mitch had been involved with her long
