the loose rock slope to where the others were waiting, clustering round her and looking concerned as they set her on her feet, and she felt silly and horribly embarrassed.
And annoyed, because she’d been really looking forward to climbing up Haystacks and there was no way she was going up it now, and she couldn’t see how she could get down, either, so one way or another she was going to miss out on the climb and coincidentally cause the others a whole world of aggravation.
Either that or just sit there and let them pick her up on the way back.
Whatever, they’d be worried about her, Matt especially since he’d seen her fall, and she felt awful now for scaring him. Scaring all of them, and putting a dampener on the whole trip.
‘Sorry, guys,’ she said humbly. ‘That was really stupid.’
‘It was an accident. They happen,’ Dan said calmly, but Matt just snorted and turned away. Because he was angry with her? Maybe, and she felt like the sun had gone in.
‘Want me to look at it?’
‘It’s fine, Dan. It’s only a sprain and anyway I’m not taking my boot off.’
‘OK. Just keep your weight off it.’
‘I can’t do anything else,’ she said in disgust, and lowered herself gingerly onto a handy rock.
‘So what now?’ Matt asked, still not looking at her.
She followed the direction of his gaze and traced the rough path that seemed to wind endlessly down until it met the track that led to the car park. Funny, it didn’t look so beautiful now. It just looked a long, long way away.
‘We’ll carry her down,’ Sam said.
‘No, you won’t. You’ve got to finish the challenge!’ she protested, but Sam shrugged.
‘Well, we can’t leave you here, Livvy.’
‘Yes, you can. I’ll be fine. I’m not ruining anyone’s day just because I was an idiot. Please, all of you, go on up and I’ll wait here. I might even work my way down. If I take my time I’ll be fine. I can go down on my bottom.’
‘No,’ Matt chipped in, turning round at last, his expression implacable. ‘I’ll take you back. Our team’s out, anyway.’
‘Are you sure?’ Sam asked him, but she shook her head, really unhappy now.
‘Matt, I can’t let you do that. You were looking forward to it!’
He just smiled, his eyes softening at last. ‘It’ll keep. It’s millions of years old, Livvy. It’s not like it’s going anywhere. I can climb it another time.’
‘But—’
His tone firmed. ‘But nothing. We’re teammates, and we stick together, and it’s what we’re doing. End of.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Are you always this bossy?’
‘Absolutely. Ed, can I borrow the car?’
Ed nodded and delved in his pocket and tossed him the keys. ‘Mind you don’t crash it. Annie’ll kill us both.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ he said mildly. ‘Go on, you guys, go and have your climb and I’ll take Livvy back and come and get you when you’re done. Call me when you hit the track.’
‘Will do—and no more stunts, Henderson, we need you in one piece!’ Sam said as they headed off, leaving her alone with Matt.
* * *
He laughed and shook his head in disbelief.
‘I can’t believe I’m so stupid.’
She looked up at him, her face puzzled. ‘You are?’
‘Yes, me. I’ve spent the last three days trying to work out who you remind me of, and it’s just clicked. You’re Oliver Henderson’s daughter, aren’t you? It’s so blindingly obvious I can’t believe I didn’t see it. You’re the spitting image of him.’
‘Do you know him?’
He perched on a rock in front of her so she didn’t have to tilt her head. ‘Yes, I was his registrar, years ago. He’s a great guy. I’m very fond of him, and your mother. How are they both?’
‘Fine. Doing really well. He’s about to turn sixty, but he doesn’t look it and he’s got no plans to retire and nor has Mum.’
‘I’m not surprised. They’re very dedicated.’
‘They are. Dad just loves surgery, and Mum would be bored to bits without the cut and thrust of ED, so I can’t see them retiring until they’re forced, frankly! So, when were you at the Audley Memorial? I must have been at uni or I’d remember you, unless you’re much older than you look.’
He chuckled. ‘I’m thirty-six now and I was twenty-seven, so that’s—wow, nine years ago.’
‘So I must have been twenty then, which explains it, because I didn’t come home a lot in those days. I had a busy social life at uni, and it was a long way from Bristol to Suffolk.’
‘Yes, it is. Give them my love when you speak to them.’
‘I will. I’ll call them later today.’
‘So, how are we going to do this?’ he asked quietly, getting back to the core business, and she shrugged.
‘I have no idea. I can’t hop all the way down, but I can’t walk on it either, so it looks like the bottom shuffle thing.’
‘Or I can carry you,’ he suggested, knowing she’d argue.
‘How? Don’t be ridiculous, it’s not necessary. And anyway, I weigh too much.’
He laughed at that, because she hardly came up to his chin and, sure, she was strong, but she definitely wasn’t heavy, he knew that because he and Sam had already carried her to the path. He got to his feet.
‘Come on, then, sling your arm round my neck and let’s see how we get on with assisted hopping.’
Slowly, was the answer. He had to stoop, of course, because she was too short to reach his shoulder otherwise, and after a while they had to change sides, but she said it hurt her ribs, which left only one option.
He stopped and went down on one knee.
‘Are you proposing to me?’ she joked, and it was so unexpected he laughed. Ish.
‘Very funny. Get on my back.’
‘I can’t!’
‘Why?’
‘Because I’m not five and I’ll feel like an idiot!’
He straightened up, unable to stifle the laugh. ‘You just fell off the path!’
