me. How about it, eh?’
‘No,’ she said firmly.
He made the mistake of lunging for her, which gave Mandy the chance to seize his hand in an iron grip.
‘Ow!’ he muttered.
‘Listen carefully, Henry,’ she said with a deadly smile. ‘If you don’t back off, I shall boil you in oil and decapitate you, not necessarily in that order. Now push off before I’m tempted.’
Even he got that message. He sloped off in the direction of the door, muttering just loud enough for her to pick up the word
‘Hey!’ protested a voice.
‘How long have you been there?’ she demanded indignantly.
‘Long enough to enjoy the sight of Henry being an idiot,’ Renzo said, coming forward, brushing snow off himself.
‘Shouldn’t you have rushed to my rescue? How about protecting a damsel in distress?’
‘I never saw a damsel less in need of help,’ Renzo said, sitting beside her. ‘It’s enough to make a man go very carefully.’
‘If it was in his nature to go carefully. Some men don’t have the common sense to be afraid.’
Renzo nodded. ‘Except when I’m climbing, I never had any common sense,’ he confirmed. ‘It’s led to me having my face slapped a few times, but it’s also given me some of the best moments of my life.’
She nodded. It was just as she’d supposed.
‘You were pretty gorgeous in that dance,’ he said at last. ‘Enough to make a man enjoy a few fantasies.’
‘Only a twerp like Henry,’ she said firmly.
But Renzo shook his head. ‘Any man,’ he said softly.
‘Is this you doing your duty again?’ she asked, regarding him cynically.
‘Let’s just say that if I wanted to approach you, I wouldn’t go about it like a bull at a gate.’
It was madness to say, ‘Just how would you go about it?’ but she found herself saying it anyway.
‘I’d be quiet for a moment while we both drank in the mountains. Then I’d point out how the moonlight makes them unearthly, so that we almost could be on another planet-just the two of us.’
‘And then you’d say that there was nobody you’d rather have with you than me?’ she conjectured.
‘I think I’d try something more subtle like-you’re so ethereal that you seem to embody the moon. No?’
He’d seen the scepticism in her face.
‘I might laugh at that one,’ she admitted.
‘Then how about something more down-to-earth like-watching you dance gave me thoughts I’m ashamed of. I couldn’t even tell you about them-unless you insisted.’
‘I don’t think I need to,’ she murmured.
‘Of course not. You had a dozen men at your feet, as you well knew.’
‘Did I?’ she mused. ‘Well, perhaps.’
‘Little cat,’ he whispered. ‘You knew exactly what you were doing.’
Renzo was right. There had been pleasure in knowing that every man’s eyes were upon her, but the only ones she’d cared about were his.
But hell would freeze over before she gave him an easy victory.
‘One must pass the time somehow,’ Mandy said languidly.
‘Very good,’ he said. ‘Play the indifferent card. Make him suffer, but beware of teasing him too much, lest things get out of your control.’
‘Nothing ever gets out of my control,’ she mused softly. ‘I don’t allow it to happen.’
‘Now that is sheer provocation.’
Somehow he’d taken possession of her hand and was holding it gently between his.
‘Of course,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘this might be the moment when you threaten to pour boiling oil over me.’
‘No, I think I’ll save that until later.’
Without speaking, he laid his cheek against her palm. It was a pleasant sensation, and not alarming, until he turned his head so that she felt his lips. She controlled her tremor, determined not to let him feel it, but she couldn’t hide it from herself. This was only meant to be a joke, but what had she wandered into?
‘On the other hand,’ she said softly, ‘I know just the oil to use.’
‘You think I’d be foolish to try my luck any further?’
‘Very foolish.’
Renzo leaned forwards so that his mouth was close to hers. ‘A brave man would put that to the test.’
‘How brave are you?’
‘Shaking in my shoes.’
The next step was so easy. She had only to say the word and she would be in his arms, his mouth on hers, relishing the kiss for which he’d been cleverly preparing her.
Mandy froze as knowledge hit her like lightning.
It was a game, a trick, and she’d walked into it with her eyes open. He’d probably taken a bet with himself that he could lure her into dropping her defences. And she’d fallen for it. Nearly.
‘Shaking in your shoes, hmm?’ she mused. ‘Well, I think that’s a very good idea. If you knew what I was thinking right now, you’d really shiver.’
‘Mandy-’
‘Don’t treat me like a fool, Renzo. I know what you’re up to, and I’m ahead of you. You did it well, I admit, but not quite well enough.’
‘You think I’m-’
‘Just fooling. Admit it.’
‘Well-’he seemed to consider ‘-since you saw through me so easily, I guess that’s it. I might as well give up.’
‘You and Henry both,’ she said firmly.
After that there was nothing to do but walk casually back indoors, bid a cheerful goodnight to everyone, go to bed, and lie staring into the darkness wondering if she was going mad.
The sun rose on another bright day and, to Mandy’s relief, the ghosts of the night before were dispelled. He’d laid a trap, she’d weakened but seen the danger in time. The world was good again.
Renzo seemed to have forgotten about the night before. He had some words of advice for each of them.
To Mandy he said, ‘Don’t rush it. You climb as if you’re always trying to prove something. Just take it easy.’
They all set out cheerfully, taking deep breaths of the clear air, relishing the day to come.
As they trod carefully along a narrow ridge, Mandy began to fantasise about reaching the top. How incredibly blue the sky was, how wonderful it would feel to be there! Entranced, she let her thoughts drift.
Suddenly the ground, so firm beneath her a moment ago, simply ceased to exist. For a blinding moment the steep slope stretched away, yawning into the depths of infinity. Snow and sky became one, swirling sickeningly back and forth. Then the world steadied again. She was being drawn upwards, supported around her waist by an arm that seemed to be made of steel.
‘All right?’ said Renzo’s voice.
She lay on her back, looking up into the heavens, her heart thundering, while the universe fell into its right place again.
‘What happened?’ she gasped.
‘You slithered, but it’s all right now,’ he said in a reassuring voice. ‘Take a few deep breaths. No rush.’
‘I’m fine,’ she said, sitting up.
She began to get determinedly to her feet, accepting his support for a few moments. As they went on she put a brave face on it, but she felt shaken and it was a relief when Renzo said, ‘We’re not going so far today. There’s another hut soon up ahead. It’s not as grand as the one I was aiming for, but it’ll give us a much-needed rest.’
Mandy was desperately glad. Weariness had caught up with her and there was a pain in her leg where she’d scraped it as she’d fallen. At last the hut came into view. As Renzo said, it was basic, but comfortable.
