Will You Love Me in September

"If this goes on," said Jeremy, "the thaw will set in sooner than I expected.”

Sabrina was very disconsolate. But her father said, "There'll be no skating until we are sure it is safe.”

He went out in the morning and came back to tell us that there were cracks in the ice on the pond. "This is the end of our skating unless the weather turns icy again.”

"But there is still ice on the pond," protested Sabrina.

"It'll be there for some days, but it is not safe for skating anymore.”

"/ think it is," said Sabrina with a touch of rebellion in her voice.

"You shall not go on the ice again until it is perfectly safe," said Jeremy.

Sabrina pouted, looking angry.

"Now, darling," said Damans, "if your father says it is not safe, it isn't. So you must keep away from the pond until it freezes again.”

Sabrina was silent ... too silent. Perhaps we should have been prepared.

In the afternoon I thought I would take her round the field on her pony. She loved riding and was always delighted when I rode with her. One had to be watchful of her, for she was far too daring. Like most children, she did not know the meaning of fear, and it never occurred to her that anything could go wrong I could not find her. Nanny Goswell, who had accompanied us to Enderby to look after Jean-Louis, said that she had seen her running out of the house. I went to Damaris to ask if she had seen her, and when she heard that I could not find her, she grew perturbed. I said I would go through the house.

I wished I had stayed with Damaris.

I could not find Sabrina. I went up to the attics. Sabrina was rather fond of exploring them and up there I happened to look out of the small window and I saw Damaris running as fast as she could away from the house, and she had not stopped to put on a cloak.

She will be frozen, I thought. And then, suddenly, a frightening thought came to me. Events clicked into place. I saw Sabrina's face, quiet for once, brooding, planning-and I guessed.

I did not stop for cloak or gloves. I ran out of the house as fast as I could and down to the pond.

It was clear what had happened. Sabrina had gone to skate in spite of being forbidden to do so. There was a gaping black hole in the whiteness and there was Sabrina's head in the red cap protruding from it. Damaris was lying full length on the ice supporting her.

I was panic-stricken, not knowing for a moment what to do. If I went out to try and help, my weight might break the ice. In fact, it might break at any moment, taking Damaris down with Sabrina.

I turned back to the house, shouting for Lance and Jeremy.

Fortunately Jeremy was in the garden and heard me. Breathlessly I explained. Lance appeared.

Then we were all running as fast as we could to the pond.

It was a near disaster. I shall never forget those terrible tense moments. Jeremy was like a man possessed by despair. It was Lance, really, who calmly and practically saved their lives. I was proud of him. He acted almost nonchalantly, as though rescuing people from such situations was an everyday occurrence to him. Jeremy was handicapped by his lameness; but with amazing skill and firmness, Lance had Sabrina out of the water, and handed her to me while Jeremy helped Damaris to rise gingerly from the thinning ice.

Sabrina was white-faced and terribly cold; it was strange to see her still and silent.

Smith, having heard what had happened, came running to the pond, and it was he who took the sodden little bundle from me and rushed toward the house. I saw Damaris then ... she was half fainting, and Lance had lifted her up and was carrying her.

We reached the house, where they were already getting blankets and warming pans and wrapping hot bricks in flannel.

Someone ran to get the doctor.

I was with Nanny Curlew when she stripped Sabrina of her wet clothes and wrapped her in a warm towel to rub her dry. Then we put her into a blanket and bed already warmed. Her teeth chattered, which relieved me, for I had been terrified to see her so still and silent.

She opened her eyes and saw me.

"Clarissa ..." she whispered.

I leaned forward and kissed her. "You're safe now, darling," I said. "In your own little bed.”

"I was frightened," she said. "It cracked ... and I was in. Oo, it was cold.”

"Tell me about it later, dear." I stroked her face. "There. You're home now. You're safe.”

"Stay with me," she murmured.

So I sat by her bed and she held my hand tightly.

"She'll be all right," said Nanny Curlew. "A chill, mayhap. But she'll be all right.”

I sat looking at that beautiful little face, so different from usual-pale and quiet, with the lashes, looking darker than usual, lying fan-shaped on her white skin-and I rejoiced that Lance had saved her and thanked God that there had not been a tragic ending to this day's adventure.

But before the day was out I realized I had been overoptimistic.

Damaris was very ill.