Des had made her way across the drawbridge now. Mitch could just make out their iced-up cars in the distant beam of her flashlight.
“Why do you right-wingers all hate the French so much?” Ada wondered. “Is it because they know how to enjoy life and you don’t?”
“No, it’s because they’re spineless.”
She let out a mocking laugh. “You didn’t exactly sound like Monsieur Spiny yourself just now when the lights went out. You sounded like a scared little girl crying for her mommy. Norma had to come rescue you.”
“Grandmother, I’ve had just about enough of you tonight,” Aaron shot back. “Kindly leave me the hell alone, will you?”
“No, please don’t, Ada,” Carly begged her. “This is the most fun I’ve had in months.”
“Me, I’ve been through three New York City blackouts,” Teddy said. “Know what? They’ve checked out the birth records, and it’s amazing just how many babies were born nine months to the day after each of them. Which is to say, old girl, that the French don’t have the market cornered on l’amour.”
Des’s flashlight beam was growing brighter now. She was starting back across the drawbridge toward them.
As she made her way closer, Mitch called out, “How is it?”
“We can’t get out!” she called back, darting under the castle’s covered entryway. Her hood and shoulders were crusted with ice. Droplets of water had beaded on her face and glasses. “There are two huge trees down right at the top of the driveway, completely blocking it.”
“Those must be Astrid’s sycamores,” Norma said, her voice heavy. “She planted them there more than seventy-five years ago. They were quite lovely and spectacular, poor things.”
“How are the power lines?” Les asked.
“Don’t know. Couldn’t see them.” Des shook the ice off of her coat outside, then came back in, slamming the big door behind her.
Mitch took the coat from her and gave her his handkerchief for her glasses. “What are you going to tell the barracks?”
“That they’ll have to cover for me. I’m stranded up here.”
“They can’t send someone to come get you?”
She shook her head. “They’ll be stretched thin for bodies as is. Can’t spare other troopers just to come get me.” Clearly, Des was not happy about this fact. She wanted to be out there doing her job.
“Well, that settles that,” Spence declared decisively. He yanked his cell phone from the breast pocket of his camel’s hair blazer and hit the speed dial button. “Hi, it’s me… No, everything is not okay. We’ve got a natural disaster here.”
“I’d better warn Wolf Blitzer’s people,” Aaron said, reaching for his own cell phone. “I was supposed to do his show tomorrow. They’re sending up a cameraman.”
Des got busy phoning in as well. The sudden flurry of cellular activity reminded Mitch of a herd of commuters at Grand Central after Metro North has announced a train delay.
“Mitch, I was kidding around with you earlier,” Les said. “But it looks like you and Des will be staying over with us.”
“Looks like. Not a bad place to be stranded for the night, if you ask me.”
“We’re happy to have you. And just so there’s no confusion, you’re our guests, not paying customers.” Les pulled him aside, lowering his voice discreetly. “But being an innkeeper does mean you have to get rather personal sometimes. What I mean is, one room or two?”
“One, please.”
“Fine, fine.” Les went behind the reception counter, poked around and presented him with a pair of keys to room six. “Norma can fix you kids up with toothbrushes. And Jase will fetch you extra firewood and blankets. You should be cozy enough until morning. I’m sure the power will be back on by then.”
“Dunno, Les,” Jase said softly. “Last time this many trees came down it was three, four days before the crews got to us.”
“Did your pipes freeze?” Mitch asked him.
“Would have, if I hadn’t bled them,” Jase replied.
Les said, “Mitch, if you’d like a nightcap, the taproom should stay pretty snug for a while. But if I were you, I’d go up and get a fire started in your room.”
Mitch glanced at his watch. It was not yet ten, but the darkness had a way of making it seem a lot later. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I’ll clear the table,” Jory informed Les briskly. “I can cram everything in the dishwasher until morning.” To Jase she said, “Sweetie, you’d better…”
“Firewood, right.” Jase went tromping back toward the kitchen, lantern in hand.
By now Des was done phoning in. Norma unlocked the gift shop for them and filled an Astrid’s Castle tote bag with travel toothbrushes and toothpaste, bottles of mineral water and matching Kelly green Astrid’s Castle flannel nightshirts, size extra large. Also a disposable razor and shave cream for Mitch in case there was hot water by morning.
“If you need anything else, anything at all, do let us know,” Norma said. “Shall I show you up to your room?”
“We can find it, thanks,” Des said.
They said their good-nights and started up the winding staircase together, their lanterns casting a soft glow in the darkness. Des had her shoulder bag thrown over her left shoulder. Mitch had been involved with her long enough to know that her SIG-Sauer and her shield were in there. She had to keep them with her at all times. If she left them unattended somewhere, anywhere, they could be stolen. Mitch remained amazed that he’d gotten mixed up with a woman who was always armed.
“Sorry about this,” he said to her as they climbed. “I know you want to be out there, making sure people are safe. And instead you’re trapped in this castle with a family of feuding crazy people.”
“No big. It reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunt Georgia Mae’s. The only difference with this bunch is that nobody’s throwing punches. Not yet, anyway.”
“Still, it’s my fault that you’re stuck here.”
“Mitch, I’m glad I came. And way glad I met Ada. She’s special. But you’re right, I do feel like I ought to be out there.”
“Same here. I’m worried about Mrs. Enman and Tootie and Rut. They all live alone. They could freeze to death and nobody would know.”
“I just spoke to First Selectman Paffin. The Center School emergency shelter will be up and running by midnight. We have a plan in place for dealing with the elderly. I’ll make sure your three are on the watch list. The fire department can get them to the shelter if they have to.”
“Thanks. I’d hate for anything to happen to them.”
“It won’t. I promise.”
“Did you reach Bella?”
“Our phone’s out, and she refuses to get a cell. I’ll keep trying her.”
“I put down plenty of food for the cats. They’ll be okay by themselves, right?”
“They’ll make you pay for being somewhere else, but they’ll be fine.”
“I wish I felt as confident about my houses out there. All I keep thinking about is trees crashing down, roofs caving in, pipes freezing. I’m responsible for that whole island.”
“Mitch, you’re not responsible for the weather. Besides, Big Sister has withstood a lot of pounding over the years. Compared to a hurricane, this is nothing.”
The darkened second-floor hallway felt genuinely spooky as they started their way along it with their lanterns, the carpeted floorboards creaking softly underfoot. Those old photos of the celebrated long-dead looming there on the walls certainly didn’t help.
“I am starting to get definite vibes from The Shining,” Mitch had to confess. “If I see a pair of identical twin girls standing together at the end of the hallway, I’m spending the night out in my truck.” In fact, all he could make out was a glass-paned door reflecting their lantern lights back at them. “Where does that go?”
“To the tower, and please don’t tell me you want to go up there.”
“Not even a chance.”
“Could you believe Ada wanted to go outside with me?”
“Des, she flew a plane solo when she was sixteen. That’s who she is. If she ever changed, she’d shrivel up and die.”
Their room was the third door on the right. Mitch unlocked it and set his lantern on the mantel, gazing around. It was cozy and charming, with a huge old oak bedstead. Des took her lantern into the bathroom and deposited their gift-shop loot in there. The room was already plenty cold, so Mitch immediately got busy building a fire.