Secrets and Lies (23 page)

Minnie’s hand appeared over the gutter with its rope offering. Esmé grabbed it, and a couple of minutes later she began to haul on the rope. The stone was heavier than she expected, but it came smoothly. Just as she was about to heave a sigh of relief it caught on the gutter and stayed there.

She needed to put some weight into this operation. Crawling up the beam she stood upright, and with her legs apart, braced herself and tugged. The stone moved, but didn’t quite make it over the lip of the gutter. It fell back, knocking a plank from the wall, and nearly jerking her arms out of their sockets.

When she swore, Minnie giggled. ‘I didn’t know you were familiar with such language, Lady Es.’

‘Stand well back, Min, I’m going to have to drop it if I don’t manage it this time.’

Using all her weight she dug in her heels and gave a prolonged heave on the rope. The stone slipped over the gutter and on to the edge of the roof. Strength spent, Esmé stopped for breath. Before she had time to congratulate herself there came an ominous crack from the beam, and it fell, still attached to the roofing sheet, bent and buckled beyond repair. She slid down the corrugated iron gathering splinters of rust and fell through the attic into the house space below, accompanied by a dozen decades of debris and dirt.

She bounced off a bed, automatically flinging out an arm to save herself. A sharp crack sent pain ratcheting into her arm, neck and shoulder and she screamed out with the agony of it. Bombarded by falling bits and pieces, she reached out with her usable hand and managed to grab up a pillow. She held it over her head until everything stopped dropping on her. The iron sheet tipped sideways on to her, and something heavy landed on it and pinned it there.

There was a scrabbling sound nearby, and a scream from Minnie. ‘Es, are you all right? I’ll never forgive myself if you’re dead.’

‘I’ll never forgive you either.’ Esmé’s laughter bordered on hysterical, but she couldn’t stop herself. At the same time, tears trickled down her face. ‘I managed to get the stone up.’

Minnie gave a hiccup. ‘Congratulations. I wouldn’t have suggested we whitewash the walls if I’d known you were going to demolish the place.’

‘Whatever you do, don’t pull on that rope if you see it. And if you can get to the pedal radio to call for help, I’d be grateful. If not, you’ll have to go to the mine and ask Ben. Don’t try and move me from under this pile of junk by yourself. You might bring the rest of it down.’

‘Do you have any injuries, Es?’

She was beginning to feel a bit shaky, and the pain was making itself known to her. ‘Quite a few, I’d say. I think my left arm is broken, and possibly my collarbone, and a rib or two. I don’t know about the rest, though I can wriggle my toes. The bed took the brunt of it, but everything hurts.’ Her teeth began to chatter. ‘I’m beginning to suffer from shock, so don’t be too long.’

Minnie bit back a sob. ‘All right, Es, just lie there and take it easy. I’m sorry I made a joke out of it.’

‘Be thankful for small mercies. That sheet of iron could have cut my head off.’

Minnie was back in a few minutes. ‘The radio is useless. Hold tight, love. I’ll be as quick as I can.’

Esmé felt alone after her friend had gone. Her heart pounded and her mood went from despair, to hysteria, then back to despair again. Above her the beam supporting the stone creaked. The pile of splintered planks, iron sheets and broken glass gave an occasional creak as it settled. Dust rose in the air and was either whipped away by the wind, or threatened to choke her.

Part of the pillowcase had been ripped off, and the rag was hanging on a nail not far from her face. With one arm trapped and the other one useless, she managed to grab it with her teeth when it was blown in her direction. After a short tug of war it loosened from the nail and she was able to draw it down through the small opening above her. It settled on her face, where, clenched between her teeth, it would act as a makeshift filter.

Her chest ached, but she couldn’t move. Just as well really, because she felt broken into pieces. She seemed to be wedged in, though she could see daylight and clouds racing across the sky through a tiny gap. Under her was something soft . . . the mattress off the bed, she thought, and was thankful for small mercies. Now and again her body began to shake and her teeth chatter. Coldness crept into her limbs and weariness crept through her body. She closed her eyes, and then jerked them open again. She mustn’t go to sleep. She drifted off again, then jumped when she heard the truck.

There was a crunch of footsteps, then, ‘Stone the crows! That’s a work of art. How did she manage to bring that lot down on her?’

It wasn’t Leo’s voice, it was his brother’s.

Leo’s voice came next, laconic, but with an unmistakable fear in it. ‘Beats me.’ She smiled when he said, ‘Esmé, love . . . if you’re still conscious, talk to me.’

Nobody else could say her name like that. Opening her dust-encrusted eyes she spat out the rag and croaked, ‘Leo . . . how did you get here so quickly?’

‘Alex and I came to pay you both a surprise visit. We bought lunch with us, and were on our way out here in Ben’s truck. We nearly ran over Minnie, who was running so fast in the opposite direction she overtook a kangaroo. She said you’ve done yourself a bit of damage. Is there any neck trauma, d’you think?’

It wasn’t as casual a question as it sounded. ‘I don’t think so, Leo. My toes and fingers still work. At a guess my left arm is broken and my collarbone and ribs are damaged. There’s a bit of shock thrown in, and splinters and bruises, I expect. It’s all so heavy, and there’s hardly any space to expand my chest, so I can only take shallow breaths.’

‘It could be worse. We’ll soon have you out of there my brave girl.’ His voice was kind and concerned. It made her want to cry.

‘Don’t encourage me to snivel, Leo, because I’m not far from a fully-fledged bout of hysterical self-pity. And be careful of any rope that’s hanging down. It’s tied to a paving stone that’s still balanced on the edge of what’s left of the roof.’

‘Yeah, we know about it, sweetheart. I’ve stood Alex under it, so if it falls and lands on his head it will simply bounce off.’

Alex said something rude, to which Leo laughed. ‘Your language is usually more colourful than that, brother.’ He addressed her again. ‘What position are you lying in, Es?’

‘On my back, but I don’t know what direction.’

‘North, by north east, judging by your voice,’ and she giggled, despite the pain she was in. ‘Now . . . Alex and I are going to lift this stuff off of you. We’ll be as careful as we can.’

She heard the rumble of the truck engine. ‘Is Minnie going somewhere?’

‘To get my bag from the plane, and to let Ben know what’s happened.’

The load became fractionally lighter when they lifted the first beam. ‘How are you doing, Es?’

‘I don’t know. I’m all right, I think.’ But it hurt like hell when she breathed, and her broken arm was an agony. She couldn’t even move her good arm across to support it, because something prevented it.

‘We’re going to remove an iron roofing sheet next. You might like to close your eyes against dust and rust flakes.’

‘My back is already full of rusty splinters.’

With the iron sheet gone her world lightened a little bit more. Cautiously, she opened her eyes a chink and caught a glimpse of sky through a gap. Leo’s face blotted it out, and one blue eye gazed through the hole at her. ‘Hello, sweetheart.’

She sniffed, and her eyes swam with tears, so she didn’t trust herself to speak in case she started to howl and couldn’t stop.

‘It won’t take too long now. We’ll remove the small stuff next. Everything is balanced, like a house of cards and seems to support everything else. There is a beam pinning you to the ground. Once we can get access to it, Alex is going to support the beam with the Jack from the truck, while I pull you out. The bad news is . . . it will hurt like hell. Can you move, at all?’

‘Marginally. I seem to be wedged in by the beam, which is pressing on my chest and obstructing my breathing. My good arm is under it, with the forearm sticking out the other side. It’s trapped, but I can move it. I just can’t bring it through to where the rest of me is.’ She was well aware of what would happen if the prop carrying the weight of the beam collapsed. ‘I think the beam might be balanced on the remains of the bed, which is supporting it at the high end.’

‘All right, love. When the weight of that beam is lifted from you, try and use your good arm as a splint for the injured one. I don’t want to damage you any more than you are, but I’ve got no choice than to pull you out, because you’re in too precarious a position, as it is.’

And indeed, there came another warning crack from above, and a shower of debris rained on them.

Her voice wobbled when she said, ‘I think I’m lying on a mattress, that might make things easier. Leo . . . please don’t put yourself in any danger.’

‘This gives me an opportunity to play the hero and impress you,’ he said, and his voice moved away. ‘Right, let’s get on with this, Alex. She’s barely hanging on to herself as it is.’

She didn’t want him to impress her by putting himself in danger. If anything happened to him she’d never forgive herself for being so stupid.

It seemed ages before the weight was lifted from her chest. She managed to bring her left arm through and cradled her broken arm with it. She’d begun to shake, and with teeth chattering, said, ‘I’m ready, Leo.’

Steadily dragged out by her feet, she tried not to scream at the pain of being moved. She groaned, and felt sick when she emerged, shaking uncontrollably. Opening her eyes she panicked. ‘I can’t see anything.’

‘There’s a handkerchief over your face.’ He removed it. ‘Is that better?’

Covered in dust, Leo and Alex smiled at her with the same smile, and she thought inconsequently that they must have been double trouble when they were children, but how wonderful to have such fine sons. Taking up each end of the thin mattress they carried her outside away from the house, just as the truck arrived. The mattress was slid on to the tray.

Minnie said, ‘Ben’s opening up the nursing post. I’ve brought a blanket. The mission sisters haven’t picked up the equipment yet, so we can use whatever is left. How is she?’

‘I’m just examining her, but she’s going into shock.’ He took Minnie aside and his voice rumbled as he said something to her that Esmé couldn’t quite hear. He turned back to her, checked the skin inside her eye socket, pressed her fingernails and took her pulse. ‘Tell me if it hurts.’ He gently probed her arm and her chest, and she reacted with indrawn breaths and winces. ‘Sorry.’

Waiting until he’d finished his examination she asked, ‘How much damage is there?’

His eyes engaged hers. ‘You escaped lightly, considering that a house fell on you. Apart from multiple bruises and lacerations, at least three ribs are cracked. Your arm is fractured in two places. The good news is that the collarbone seems to be intact, and I think the pain there is associated.’

‘Internal bleeding?’

‘The signs are mostly good. There is some tenderness around the spleen, but I don’t think it’s ruptured. You’ll be under observation for a while.’ He tucked the blanket round her as though she was a child, snuggling it cosily around her neck and ears.

Esmé touched his hand, grateful for the warmth and thankful for his presence. He caressed her arm, then the sharp prick of a needle made her cry out.

‘Ouch . . . that was sneaky. What is it?’

‘Something to take the edge off your pain.’

The thought worried her. ‘Has pain got edges . . . what happens when you remove them? You’re not putting me to sleep are you?’

His broad smile said, trust me. ‘Would I do that to you?’

She wasn’t going to be taken in by that smile of his. ‘Would you?’

‘No . . . it was a painkiller. It will relax you, so you won’t be quite so uncomfortable when we move you.’ He sidetracked her adroitly. ‘You should have known the roof would have been full of termites.’

She had to think about that for a long time. Termites? They lived in Africa and built mounds out of mud. ‘Are you going to tell me off?’

‘I think you’re old enough to know how stupid you’ve been by endangering your life in that manner?’

He was right, but she hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward. A tear inched down her face. ‘Don’t be cross, Leo.’

‘I’m cross because I happen to love you, and you’ve scared the living daylights out of me.’ He sighed. ‘I think you’ve had enough trouble for one day. Minnie you get in the cab with my brother. Drive like you’re on eggshells, Alex.’

Behind them, the stone slipped. Then it plunged to the ground, the rope whipping after it like a long, lashing tail.

‘Nice timing,’ Leo muttered.

Esmé’s ears began to buzz and her muscles relax. Leo was sweet, even when he was being mean . . . she’d be a fool to let him get away. The sky slipped sideways and leaned to one side.

‘Try not to move your neck.’

‘Tired . . . head is heavy . . . what did you give me?’

Sitting beside her, he grinned. ‘Love potion number one.’ He placed his hand against her cheek. ‘Here, use this as a pillow.’

When his palm took the weight of her head, he stooped and kissed her mouth with such tenderness she had to sniff back her tears.

‘Eyes closing,’ she whispered, ‘Love potion number one . . . you know something, Leo, I think it’s working.’

An hour later, Esmé’s arm was wrapped in a wad of cotton wool and immobilized by splints, bandages and a sling. ‘There, that will have to do.’

Leo stated his intention to bandage Esmé’s ribs. ‘You know how this should be done, Es. We’ll have to remove your garments first, and you must exhale as much air as you can.’

Minnie said, ‘It would be best if I did this for her, since we bandaged each other often during training. Take a ten-minute break. I can call you if you’re needed.’

Leo nodded, and joined Alex on the veranda outside.

Esmé choked back an assortment of squeaks and groans as the strapping took place. She looked tired now, and her face was ashen from the strain of bearing the pain. Although it was an obvious effort, Esmé was being as brave as she could, and Minnie’s heart went out to her. Quickly, she cut the stitches from the sleeve of Esmé’s blouse, opened the shoulder seam and took out the sleeve. After arranging the garment around Esmé’s body for the sake of modesty, she secured it at the shoulder with safety pins. ‘There, that will cover you decently for the time being. I‘ll keep the sleeve and we can repair it later.’