A Winter's Tale (The Shakespeare Sisters 2)

It didn’t take much to impress a young boy, and bodily functions seemed at the top of Jonas’s list. She’d have to remember that.

Annie clicked her tongue and filled a bowl full of porridge, passing it to Kitty with an outstretched hand. ‘Maple syrup’s over there, and there’s organic slimline honey if you’re trying to lose weight. Mrs Klein insists on it.’

‘Mom pours it all over her breakfast and then doesn’t eat it,’ Jonas added cheerily. ‘It drives Annie crazy.’

From the narrow-lipped look of disapproval on Annie’s face, Kitty could s

ee he was right.

‘Maple syrup’s just fine,’ Kitty smiled, reaching for the sticky bottle. Though she wasn’t overweight by any means, she was what an ex-boyfriend had called ‘sturdy’, a girl with hips made for childbirth and a body able to withstand famine. In his more charitable moments, he’d tell her she’d outlive them all in a state of national emergency. Not exactly high praise. And exactly the reason he was an ex-boyfriend.

After breakfast, she took Jonas up to clean his teeth and get dressed. Choosing a warm sweater and thick trousers, she wrapped him up like a mummy, ready to face the frozen air. It had snowed again in the night, and though the roads had been cleared, the icy blanket stubbornly remained on the lawn and flowerbeds leading down to the forest that twinkled beneath the wintry sun. Jonas ran ahead of her, pulling his sled, shouting back at her with instructions and urging her to keep up.

Kitty pulled at the absurd bright pink snowsuit Mia had let her borrow. If Playboy bunnies frolicked in the snow, this was exactly what they’d wear. She couldn’t help but feel self-conscious in it.

Even if it was better than freezing in her thin jacket.

‘It’s just through here,’ Jonas shouted, disappearing into the densely packed forest. ‘There’s a clearing that leads down to the lake, with hills and everything. You’re gonna love it.’

The faintest of smiles crossed Kitty’s lips. As a child she’d always hated the snow, watching with envy as her braver sisters careered down the hill. They’d balanced precariously on their sledges, trusting blindly that when they reached the bottom they would somehow come to a stop. Meanwhile, Kitty would stand on the side of the slope, shivering, and will the hours away until she could go home and get back to the warmth and the TV.

The West Virginia winter put London’s in the shade, though. The weather here wasn’t just bitter, it was ice-age cold, making the vapour in her breath freeze as soon as she exhaled, and whipping her skin like a woman scorned. Kitty was already counting the minutes until she could persuade Jonas back indoors, perhaps with the aid of hot chocolate and marshmallows.

She was so lost in her thoughts, it took her a moment to realise he had disappeared; his trail of footsteps in the snow petering out as he’d entered the shade of the woodland.

Bugger, bugger, bugger.

She didn’t bother chiding herself for her muttered swearing, picking up speed to run into the forest in the direction Jonas had taken. Her chest tightened with panic, making her breathing loud and heavy, and her movements laboured. Eyes scanning from right to left, she looked for signs of the young boy, but came up with nothing but trees.

Where was he?

‘Jonas!’ Her shout disturbed what few birds remained in the forest, stubbornly staying north for winter despite the lure of sunnier climes. Wings flapped loudly, and disturbed snow cascaded down from the branches, falling at her feet in large white clumps.

‘Jonas, I can’t see you,’ she called again. A cracking sound came from her left, and Kitty whipped her head round, but there was nothing there. Nothing she could see, anyway. Still the pounding of her heart continued, hammering against her ribcage in a rapid tattoo. How could he disappear so quickly… and what if he made it down to the lake?

Images of his tiny body flashed into her mind. His skin grey, his face expressionless as he floated in the frozen water. Oh dear God, please let him be safe, she prayed, clasping her hands together as she continued to search.

A minute later she came to a large clearing. The land was covered in snow that sparkled like diamonds in the sun. At the crest of the hill Jonas was standing, holding on tight to his sledge with one hand, using the other to wave madly at somebody down by the lake.

Beneath the thick woollen hat Kitty had insisted he wore, Jonas’s cheeks were flushed, and a big grin was painted across his face. ‘Uncle Adam!’ he shouted, his voice loud enough to echo down the canyon. ‘Over here, can you see me?’

Kitty followed Jonas’s line of sight, spotting the form of a man down by the lake, a little over a hundred yards from where she stood. Bent over a pile of logs, he was holding an axe in his hands, stopping mid-swing as he heard Jonas’s shout. When the man stood up he was wearing only a T-shirt, despite the frozen weather. Kitty swore she could see his muscles ripple, even though she knew from that distance it should be impossible. Maybe the man had a body like the Wall of China – visible even from space.

Was it getting warmer out here, or was she having a hot flush?

‘Jonas, come here,’ Kitty shouted. ‘You can’t sledge down there, you’ll end up in the lake.’ The hill was steep, ending at the edge of the expanse of water, and the thought of Jonas ending in the icy lake made her heart clench wildly.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Adam place the axe down and walk towards them. In spite of her warm snowsuit, she could feel herself start to shiver. She’d met this man exactly twice, and both times he’d looked at her as though she’d stamped on his favourite toy.

He cleared the distance between them and the cabin in less than a minute. Jonas was grinning at him, still holding the end of his sledge in his gloved hand. He looked delighted to see him.

Unlike Adam, who had a face like thunder. Kitty could only assume it was aimed directly at her.

‘Uncle Adam, will you sled with me?’

Adam lifted Jonas’s hat off and ruffled his hair. ‘Maybe later. I want to have a quick chat with your nanny first. Can you give us a minute?’

Kitty’s mouth felt dry. The thought of a quick chat was making her feel sick.