The Midwife's Marriage Proposal (Lakeside Mountain Rescue 3)

‘I’ve got a more powerful torch.’ Tom reached into his rucksack and retrieved another torch, which he shone down the side of the cliff. Immediately there was an answering flash. ‘You’re right. He’s there.’

Ellie had joined them.

‘We’ll need to go down to him,’ she said immediately, but Tom shook his head.

‘As your surgeon, I’m telling you that you’re not going anywhere. I don’t mind you walking a couple of months after your Caesarean but I draw the line at lowering you down a cliff on the end of a rope.’

Ellie grinned cheekily. ‘Are you doubting your sewing skills?’

‘Call me fussy but I just don’t fancy restitching your uterus halfway up a cliff face,’ Tom said dryly. ‘I’ll go.’

Sean nodded. ‘Sounds good to me. Get roped up. Ellie, you look after James. Get some fluids into him and if he’s up to it, you and Toby rope him up and bring him down lower.’

They swung into action, operating with smooth efficiency, and within minutes Tom was stepping boldly over the edge of the sheer drop.

Sally felt her heart lurch and Ellie put a hand on her arm.

‘He’ll be fine.’

Sally lifted her chin and shrugged slightly. ‘I’m not worried about him.’

‘You’re a hopeless liar, Sally Jenner,’ Ellie said softly. ‘You two are crazy about each other and always have been.’

‘I’m not crazy about him,’ Sally said hoarsely, watching as Sean skilfully masterminded the whole operation, getting people ready to act on Tom’s instructions. ‘And he ended our relationship, if you remember, so he’s hardly crazy about me eithe

r.’

‘Oh, men often get confused about what they really want,’ Ellie said airily. ‘It’s up to us women to show them as tactfully as possible. And if tact doesn’t work, just tell them straight out. It always amazes me how some men can be so clever and yet be so stupid when it comes to emotional stuff. Bless. It’s amazing the human race continues.’

Sally laughed. ‘You are priceless, Ellie MacAllister.’

‘He’s down.’ Sean lifted a hand in their direction. He listened on the radio and beckoned to Sally. ‘He needs another pair of hands and he says the ledge is narrow.’

‘I’ll go,’ Sally said immediately, standing still while Sean checked the knots in her rope.

Then she went over the edge into the darkness, feeling a sudden gust of wind threaten to take her.

Tom shone the torch so that she could see what she was doing, and she abseiled quickly but carefully down the steep face, thankful that the visibility was good.

She could see Tom resting one foot on a narrow ledge, holding onto the shivering figure of the other boy.

‘So this is Lester?’

‘Presumably.’ Tom raised his voice to be heard above the wind. ‘I can’t get him to speak or move. He just keeps shivering and clutching his side. I need to see if he’s injured, but this rock isn’t wide enough for me.’

‘But it’s wide enough for me,’ Sally said immediately, shifting her position and stepping gingerly onto the rock next to the boy.

‘Whatever you do, don’t unclip your own rope,’ Tom shouted grimly, and she looked at him.

‘Do I look stupid?’

To her surprise he grinned. ‘Actually, you look beautiful. A bit windblown maybe, but …’ He shrugged and despite the seriousness of the situation she felt her heart warm.

Then she forced her attention back to the job in hand.

And the most important task was to get a rope onto Lester so that he was safe if something happened to his precarious perch.

‘Lester, I’m Sally. I need to slip this over you so that we can get you safely attached to a rope.’