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The Range-Rover crawled the last few miles to the hospital and they were within sight of the building when the snow finally won the battle. Two cars had slewed across the road thereby blocking it completely, and turning round wasn’t an option.
‘Looks like the last leg will have to be on foot.’ Morgan cut the engine as he spoke, stretching his arms above his head for a moment. ‘Hold on to me and we’ll get there, OK?’
He had just encapsulated her thoughts for the future more neatly than he’d ever know. Quietly, she said, ‘I’m sorry I dragged you out on a night like this. You seem forever destined to rescue me from one disaster or another.’
‘Beth falling down the cellar steps can hardly be laid at your door.’ He smiled. ‘Nor the blizzard.’
She smiled back. ‘Thank you,’ she said softly.
A shadow passed over his face but it had gone so swiftly she thought she had imagined it. Words hovered on her lips, explanations, excuses, but then she nearly jumped out of her skin as someone tapped Morgan’s window.
The police officer informed them the road ahead was impassable, as if they didn’t know. ‘This is not a night to be out, sir,’ he added, ‘and all the signs are the storm’s getting worse. Have you far to go?’
Willow chimed in. ‘My sister’s expecting a baby and we’re trying to reach the hospital. It’s not far from here.’
The policeman nodded. ‘You’ll do that all right, but I suggest you think about staying there the night. Come morning things will be easier but any journey tonight is foolhardy. People don’t realise how treacherous these sort of conditions can be. Stay in the hospital and keep warm.’
‘We’ll do just that, Officer,’ Morgan said appeasingly.
Once the policeman had trudged off, looking more like Frosty the Snowman than anything else, Willow said again, ‘I am sorry to have put you in this position, Morgan. Will the Range-Rover be OK to leave here until morning?’
‘It’ll be fine.’ His tone was dismissive, even curt.
Again she told herself to say something but the moment—and her courage—was gone.
She watched as Morgan walked round and opened her door, helping her down into the snow, which immediately rode over the old boots she’d pulled on before leaving the cottage. The snow was blinding and she was glad of Morgan’s arm around her once they began walking. Far from being the enchantingly feathery stuff of fairy tales, this snow was vicious. It stung the eyes and lashed the skin, making the several hundred yards to the hospital an ordeal. She’d never experienced snow like this.
When they reached the automatic doors leading into the maternity section of the hospital, the warmth hit them as they walked in. Willow made herself known at Reception as Peter had instructed, and the efficient hospital machine kicked in. Within a few minutes a bright, cheery little blonde nurse was standing in front of them. She explained Willow needed to be fitted with a hospital gown before she joined her sister in the delivery room, and Morgan could wait in a special area designed for that purpose close to the room where Beth and Peter were.
Willow wondered if the girl’s fluttering eyelashes and bold smile had registered on Morgan, but gratifyingly she rather thought not. He’d been equally oblivious to other women’s interested glances in the past too, although she’d found them irritating to say the least.
She forgot about the nurse when she walked into Beth’s room, knowing she’d never forget the look on her sister’s face when Beth saw her. She spent the next little while between contractions assuring Beth that of course the baby was fine and lots came early, and were happy and healthy; praying inwardly all the time it was true. Beth would never forgive herself if things went wrong.
As time went on the contractions got stronger and the minutes between them less, but Beth wouldn’t hear of her leaving. It was another three hours before the baby was born. It was a boy and he was a good weight, his lusty lungs proclaiming all was well as he bellowed his way into the world.
Willow was misty-eyed and Peter was crying unashamedly, but Beth was radiant as the nurse put the baby into her arms. ‘This is David Peter,’ she said, glancing at Willow who nodded her understanding. David had been their father’s name. As Beth glanced towards the window, she seemed to realise it was snowing for the first time. ‘How did you get here?’ she asked. ‘You didn’t drive in this, did you?’
Willow smiled at her sister. ‘I came courtesy of Morgan’s white horse, although it was the four by four this time, not the Harley.’
It was totally against hospital rules, the nurse murmured a little while later after she had been to see the sister, but what with the storm and all everything was topsy-turvy tonight. If Mr Wright only stayed for a minute or two the sister would turn a blind eye this once. Beth nodded and assured the nurse sixty seconds would do it. ‘Go and fetch him,’ she said to Willow after the nurse had left. ‘I want him to feel included in this; but for him you wouldn’t have got here tonight.’
