task.
Glancing at the manor, Noelle was on the verge of telling Brigitte that it was too late, that, judging from the angle of the window curtain in her uncleâs chambers, theyâd already been discovered, when a brilliant idea struck her.
ââOnly short onesâ â¦â she repeated, chewing her lip. âHow short?â
âWhat?â Brigitte was tugging at another bough.
âYou said you only climbed short trees. How short?â
âVery short.â
Noelle pressed her face into Fuzzyâs fur. âNowâs our chance,â she whispered.
So saying, she inched away until she came up against the thick bark of the oak tree that loomed beside the pond. Tilting back her head, she gauged her distance, then flung Fuzzy up as high as she could.
He landedâand caught on the lowest branch.
In a flash, she shimmied up the tree, snatched Fuzzy, andâjust to be on the safe sideâclimbed several limbs higher. After counting to ten, she called, âBrigitte!â
Brigitte spun about, her gaze darting everywhere at once. âNoelle, where are you?â
âUp here.â
Following the sound, Brigitte tipped her head back until she spied her charge. âWhat are you doing up there?â
âFuzzy got stuck. I climbed up to get him.â
âWell, you can climb right back down.â
âI canât. I ⦠My dress is caught on the branch, and I canât pull it free.â
âNoelle â¦â
âI know youâre afraid,â Noelle interrupted in a soothing tone. âSo why donât you get Uncle?â She pointed helpfully toward the manor. âJust throw a stone at his window. Heâll hear it. Heâs probably standing near there anyway.â
Brigitte gaped. âWhy you little imp. You planned this.â
A grin. âGet Uncle, Brigitte. Heâll help you.â
âIâll do no such thing. You come down here this instant.â
âNo.â Shaking her head, Noelle inched farther out over the water. âThe branch gets real thin out here,â she announced. âYouâd better not take any chances. Youâd better fetch Uncle so he canââ
Noelleâs sentence ended on a broken scream as, with a loud crack, the branch gave way, toppling both its occupants directly into the center of the pond.
âBrigitte!â Noelle shrieked, flailing about in genuine terror.
Her dark head vanished beneath the surface.
âOh, my God.â Brigitte kicked off her shoes and flung the holly to the ground, racing forward and splashing into the pond without thought or strategy.
She struggled her way to the spot where Noelle had now resurfaced and was thrashing about in an attempt to save herself. Frantically, Brigitte grabbed for herâonce, twiceâbut each time Noelleâs battling limbs evaded her.
Panic took over. Relinquishing all attempts at retaining her footing, Brigitte lunged at the child, grabbing hold of Noelleâs waist and catapulting them both headlong into the center of the icy pond.
Frigid water slapped Brigitte in the face, stinging her eyes and nose. She strove to regain her balance, but Noelleâs wrestling limbs and her own sodden layers of clothing were too ponderous to overcome. Blindly, she fought for their lives, her arms and legs growing weak after what seemed like an eternity of effort. Finally, with her last bit of strength, she thrust Noelle upward, praying it was far enough for the child to break the surface and breathe. Her own lungs were bursting for air and a dark roaring pounded through her skull as she kicked at her gown and cloak, her feet searching desperately for the muddy bottom.
Abruptly, Noelle was yanked from Brigitteâs grasp. A split second later, a powerful arm anchored beneath her legs, hauling her up and out of the water.
Air, frosty or not, was the greatest of gifts, and Brigitte sucked in one huge breath, then