Page 100 of The Secret Christmas Library
Mirren stood behind him. ‘Oh, God,’ she said, suddenly. ‘Do you think Theo and Esme...’
Jamie covered his face with his hands and almost started laughing. ‘Oh, please,’ he said. ‘What are we like?’
But Esme came running down by herself, nightgown flying behind her.
‘The maze is on fire!’ she shouted.
‘Really?’ said Jamie. ‘That’s a coincidence; we were ringing the bells for fun.’
‘It won’t reach the house,’ said Esme, bullishly.
Then they all turned as Bonnie ran up to them, and finally Theo, down the main stairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
Bonnie stared out of the main doors. ‘The maze . . . it’ll hit the cottages!!’
‘No, the cottage is fine,’ said Jamie. ‘I checked.’
‘You’ve been up to the cottages?’ said Bonnie.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘It was looking bad for a minute there but it was just a flying branch on the roof and the wind direction has changed now. It’s not going to spread in that direction.’
‘Okay,’ said Bonnie. ‘But whatisit doing?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s dying down?’ said Theo optimistically. ‘I’m really, really sorry. I thought it was out. I thought I’d got it.’
Jamie waved it away, not making a big deal out of it. ‘You did your best,’ he said, and Mirren had a little start in her heart – that she thought well of this man.
Bonnie shook her head. ‘It won’t be enough,’ she said.
‘I know,’ said Jamie. ‘We’re just down to round up all the fire extinguishers.’
Bonnie nodded. Then, suddenly, she stopped and cocked her head. ‘Can you hear it?’
They all stopped then and listened. There was a cracking sound, a creaking and a twisting noise.
‘What’s that?’ said Esme.
Bonnie looked at her.
‘It can’t be the thaw,’ said Jamie. ‘It’s still freezing outside.’
‘I think . . . ’ said Bonnie. ‘I think it’s worse. I think if there’s anything you need . . . you should probably grab it.’
And, in the second of stunned, disbelieving silence that followed, Jamie grabbed Mirren and held her close. He didn’t know.
But Mirren, the quantity surveyor – she knew. She looked at Bonnie and nodded in agreement.
‘What are you talking about?’ said Esme.
The cracking grew louder. There was a creaking everywhere. Something was very wrong.
‘It’s the pipes,’ said Mirren, quietly.
Bonnie nodded. ‘They’re unbelievably old. And the stress they’ve had on them – the snow, then the ice has frozen them, then more snow’s warmed them . . . I mean, we’ve had bad years before . . . ’
‘And the flames have stretched them, and the cold must have pulled them about like billy-o.’
