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And Juliet watched him back.
What woman wouldn’t have?
She saw unreasonably broad shoulders and a strong, athletic physique. She saw a man who was both arrogant and confident, a man who would lead while others followed. She saw a man who was tough and uncompromising and totally comfortable in these harsh surroundings. And she saw strong masculine features designed to make a woman dream and want.
But most of all she saw danger. The sort of danger she avoided at all costs.
For a moment Juliet struggled with her breathing. Then she told herself firmly that it was nothing to do with the fact that she was on the receiving end of that intense dark gaze, and everything to do with the sudden increase in altitude. She’d just gained six thousand feet in elevation. It was hardly surprising she was breathless.
Neil followed her gaze. ‘That’s Finn McEwan. Bit of a legend. He’s climbed almost all the big ones, but Everest has always eluded him. Mostly because the guy is always playing the hero. Two years ago he risked his neck bringing an injured climber down from the South Col, the year before that he rescued a bunch of climbers who’d been caught in an avalanche. I hope he makes it this year. Handsome devil, isn’t he? Can’t believe you don’t know him.’
For a moment Juliet didn’t respond. She was held, locked in visual communication with the man on the opposite side of the runway. ‘I’ve read his research,’ her voice was croaky. ‘I’ve seen him interviewed and I—’
‘That’s not the same,’ Neil interrupted her with a wave of his hand. ‘It’s time you met each other in the flesh, so to speak. Come on.’ He grabbed Juliet’s arm. ‘I’ll introduce you. He’s the male equivalent of you. Both doctors, both climbers, both driven and competitive. And both single.’ His tone was dry. ‘It’s a match made in heaven.’
Panic fluttered inside her but before she could reply Neil propelled her across the airstrip and the next moment she was standing in front of the man.
‘Finn.’ Neil greeted the man with a handshake and a warm slap on the shoulder that suggested familiarity. Then he turned back to her. ‘This dizzy-looking blonde is Dr Juliet Adams. Don’t be fooled by the fact she looks like a teenager. Her qualifications are impressive. Frankly, I can’t believe the two of you haven’t met before now, given that you climb the same mountains, are on the same lecture circuit and the fact that you’re never one to let a pretty girl pass you by, but there you are. This is your lucky moment.’
Juliet tensed, stiff with embarrassment at the introduction, but the expression on Finn McEwan’s hard, handsome face didn’t flicker and his gaze lingered thoughtfully on her flushed cheeks.
‘Dr Adams.’ He extended a hand and she had no choice but to take it. Strong fingers closed around her palm and the contact made her pulse race even faster. In contrast he was totally relaxed, his voice deep and steady. ‘I read your last paper on the effects of altitude on asthma. Your conclusions were interesting. Are you carrying out any research at the moment? What’s your purpose on Everest this year?’
Juliet hesitated. ‘To climb it.’
She saw something dark flicker in the depths of those dark eyes. They continued to hold hers. Continued to probe.
‘You should stick to research.’ His tone was low and measured. ‘Or being Base Camp doctor. You shouldn’t be up on her slopes.’
She lifted her chin, needled by his unwarranted advice. ‘Why is that, Dr McEwan?’
There was a long silence while he watched her. ‘I think you know why.’
A sudden tension snapped the air tight and for a moment his eyes held hers in silent communication.
Her stomach tumbled and her pulse raced and she cursed herself silently for feeling something she really didn’t want to feel. ‘I wish I had the time to argue the merits of being a woman on Everest, Dr McEwan, but I’ve got places I need to be.’ Her tone was cool and formal and lacking in any reaction other than politeness. ‘And now we need to get going because we’ve got some walking to do before we settle down for the night.’ She jerked her hand away and turned to Neil. ‘We’re sleeping lower down the valley. It will be easier to breathe.’
Neil gave a slight frown. ‘I know our itinerary, but I thought you—’
‘We should really get going.’ Aware that she was repeating herself, Juliet shifted the pack on her back and gave Finn McEwan a quick nod. ‘See you at Base Camp, I expect.’
The sudden narrowing of his eyes was his only reaction to her almost curt dismissal.
‘Oh, we’ll see each other long before that.’ His voice was a deep, lazy drawl that hinted things that she really didn’t want to think about. ‘We’re following the same trail as you at the same pace, Dr Adams. There’s a strong chance we’ll get the chance to enjoy a yak burger together.’
Her gaze maintained a glacial cool. ‘I don’t think so. It was nice meeting you, Dr McEwan.’ And with that she walked over to the trekkers, careful not to look back in case those watchful blue eyes were still trained in her direction.
‘Well!’ Neil joined her, not even bothering to hide his astonishment. ‘What was all that about?’
Juliet bent down to adjust her boots. ‘Clearly your Dr McEwan has a problem with women climbing Everest.’
Neil frowned. ‘I don’t think so. I mean, he’s been on loads of expeditions with women. The man loves women—’
Juliet stood up. ‘Must just be blondes he has a thing against, then.’
Neil shook his head. ‘I don’t get it. You’re the most sociable person I know and normally if you meet another doctor I can’t stop you talking. Finn is the best there is but you behaved as though he were carrying the plague, not here to treat it.’
Juliet didn’t answer. Instead, she took her water bottle out of her pack and drank deeply. She knew the importance of keeping herself hydrated at altitude. And the activity gave her time to settle her thoughts. ‘Perhaps I’m just not in the mood to argue about a woman’s right to climb mountains.’ She took another drink, aware that Neil was staring at her.
‘But you love arguing. It’s what you do best. You’re sassy and sparky and you love it when people challenge you just so that you can prove them wrong.’
Juliet lowered the bottle, her peaked cap hiding the angry flash of her eyes. ‘Perhaps I don’t feel the need to prove myself today. We’ve got a schedule to keep, Neil. Let’s do it.’
He stared at her. ‘And that’s it? You just met the heartthrob of the mountains and all you can think about are schedules?’ Neil scratched his head, his expression amazed. ‘You’re the first woman I’ve ever met who hasn’t gone dizzy at the sight of him. Women usually can’t leave the guy alone. He’s Mr Super-Cool. Real hero material.’
‘Surely you mean Dr Super-Cool.’ Juliet stuffed the water bottle back in her pack. ‘And I don’t need a hero. Let’s just say that Dr Finn McEwan isn’t my type.’
‘But you don’t know him.’
She thought of those wicked dark eyes and that lazy look that could seduce a woman at a glance. She thought of the cool self-confidence and machismo that was part of the man. ‘I know all I need to know. That sort of guy you can read at a glance.’ She checked her boots were comfortable, swung her pack onto her pack and jammed her cap further down over her eyes. It was a ritual she followed before she walked. Boots, pack, cap.
‘Oh, right.’ Neil gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘You don’t go for strong, handsome guys who are clever and bold as brass?’
‘That’s about the size of it.’ Juliet shifted the pack slightly and made a mental note to remove something that evening. It was too heavy. She was carrying too much gear.
‘If I live to be a hundred, I will never understand women.’ Neil shook his head. ‘That guy scores with every female he meets. He fights them off.’
‘Sounds exhausting. I’m sure he’ll be relieved to know that I’m one less woman he’ll have to keep at a distance.’ She strolled towards the trekkers who were hovering, determined not to let her mind linger on Finn McEwan for even a second. He didn’t think she should be on Everest. But she wasn’t interested in his opinion, she reminded herself. His opinion didn’t matter to her. ‘I just want to watch them load my medical equipment and then we’ll start the walk to the village. The sun is hot at the moment but once it dips behind those clouds the temperature will drop sharply so make sure you have an extra layer handy.’
Sally, one of the trekkers, walked over to her. ‘That flight was amazing. I couldn’t believe the angle of the runway.’ She was obviously eager to ask questions. ‘Is it true that it’s possible to walk to Everest Base Camp in three days from here?’
Juliet ignored Neil’s pained expression. The trekkers had paid to be guided by a doctor with experience in high-altitude medicine. They had a right to ask questions and she was more than happy to answer them. This was her job. It was what she knew. And she was happy to be distracted from thoughts of Finn McEwan. ‘If you want to risk cutting your holiday short, yes. But from this point on you’re going to feel the effects of high altitude. If you don’t give yourself time to acclimatise, you’ll suffer. You need to give your body time to adjust to having less oxygen. Climb too high, too fast and your trip will be over. And not just the trip. Over supper tonight I’m going to give a talk on altitude sickness so that you all know the basics.’ A small crowd of Sherpas converged on the luggage and Juliet’s face brightened as one of them approached her, a broad smile on his face. ‘Pemba Sherpa! Our Base Camp leader. Namaste.’
Using her rusty and very limited Nepali, she greeted the Sherpa whom she’d met on previous expeditions and who would be responsible for running the camp that they established at the base of the mountain. She switched to English to discuss the transportation of her medical equipment and watched as a string of yaks were led onto the landing field.
Yaks, a type of hardy cattle, were used to transport packs and equipment up to Base Camp and Juliet watched in trepidation as the Sherpas placed blankets and wooden frames on the animals’ backs and then started tying on her crates. Would they be too heavy? She’d barely been able to lift half of them but the animal didn’t flinch and she relaxed slightly when she saw that the Sherpas were loading still more on top. Clearly they didn’t consider her supplies to be excessively heavy.
Which was a relief, because she’d carefully run through all the possible medical scenarios that she was likely to encounter on the barren, frozen flanks of Everest and she’d packed accordingly. She didn’t want to leave any of the equipment behind.
Juliet stood and watched, slim as a blade, her blonde hair falling in a plait between her narrow shoulder-blades, her mind totally focused on the job in hand. Only when she was satisfied that it was all safely loaded did she turn her attention back to the trekkers.
‘This isn’t a particularly nice place to linger and I want us to sleep at a lower altitude tonight to make breathing easier, so we’ve got a short walk ahead of us down to the hamlet where we’ll be staying.’ She’d planned the route carefully with Billy, their expedition leader, who would be meeting up with them at Base Camp.
The trail was hard-packed dirt and easy to follow and Juliet soon settled into her stride, enjoying the rhythm and the stimulation of physical exercise, taking the time to review the people walking with her. In fact, she was careful to think about everything except Dr Finn McEwan.
A clear vision of him came into her mind and she dismissed it instantly.
Base Camp was going to be busy, she assured herself. Once the season started there could be as many as six hundred people camped on the glacier. It was like a small town and each expedition had their own goals and objectives. Dr Finn McEwan would have plenty to occupy him.
He wouldn’t have time to concern himself with her or her reasons for being on Everest. And she certainly wouldn’t have time to concern herself with him.
Sally closed in behind her, still eager to talk. ‘I can’t believe I’m really here. In the Himalayas. It’s been my dream for so long.’
Grateful for the distraction, Juliet encouraged her to chat and learned that she and the other trekkers were all medical students.
They were an enthusiastic and lively bunch and Juliet hoped that they weren’t underestimating the effects that altitude would have as they climbed further down the valley. Many people who had never been exposed to the effects of high altitude were taken by surprise.
Just as she’d predicted, as soon as the sun vanished behind the clouds, the temperature dropped dramatically. Juliet stopped to pull a jumper out of her pack. ‘The air doesn’t hold much heat up here,’ she told Sally. ‘Once the sun goes, it’s freezing.’
Sally also added another layer and Juliet noticed that she was slightly out of breath.
Lack of fitness, excitement or the sudden increase in altitude? Juliet wondered at the cause and made a mental note to keep an eye on Sally.
They continued down the trail to the river, crossed a wood and cable suspension bridge and arrived in the tiny hamlet that would be their home for the night.
A group of climbers was sitting outside a lodge with their feet up, drinking Coke, and Juliet exchanged a few words of greeting and then took Sally up a set of steps to a top-floor room that was full of wooden bunks.
‘We’ll bag a space now,’ she told Sally, ‘ready for when our duffel bags arrive. Make sure you keep your day pack as light as you can. Only carry the things you really need. Everything else—spare film, sleeping bags—put in your duffel.’
All items not needed during the day and which were to be carried by the Sherpas were packed into duffel bags, leaving the climbers and trekkers to carry the bare minimum as they negotiated the trail through the foothills.
Sally glanced around her, her gaze sharp and interested. ‘How do they build these things in the middle of nowhere?’
‘Hard work.’ Juliet rummaged in her pack for another jumper. ‘You see Sherpas and yaks transporting impossible loads up and down the valley. Teahouses and lodges are springing up all over the trail now to accommodate trekkers and climbers, some of them more sanitary than others, to be honest. When we get higher up we’ll be moving into tents. Come on—let’s join the others and get something to eat. Then I’m going to brief you all so that you’re prepared for what’s ahead.’
CHAPTER TWO
THEY ate sardines and French fries and afterwards, she and Neil gathered the trekkers together in the small, smoky room of the teahouse that served as a dining area when it was too cold to sit outside. In one corner a fire burned and at a table in the corner sat two climbers. One of them was Finn McEwan.
The moment Juliet entered the room their eyes met and held. Then she forced herself to give a nod of acknowledgement and turned her attention to her own party. She would have preferred that he wasn’t sitting in the corner while she talked, but there was nothing she could do about it. So she set about ignoring him.
‘Tomorrow we’ve got a five-hour, three-thousand-metre climb to the village of Namche Bazaar.’ She spread out the map so that she could show them the route. ‘You could call it the last outpost of civilisation. It may not seem far but it’s really important that you walk slowly. At this altitude you can get tired very quickly and if you exhaust yourselves early on, you won’t be finishing the trek. Remember the story of the hare and the tortoise? Well, up here, it’s the tortoise that wins every time.’
One of the men settled back in his chair, his arms hooked behind his head, gym-developed muscles bunched. ‘We’re all pretty fit and well prepared.’ His gaze was slightly mocking, as if it should have been obvious from a glance that he was more than up to the job. ‘I can’t see any of us having a problem.’
Cocky.
Juliet studied him for a moment, looked at the muscles and the man and wondered whether to cut him down to size now or let him fall down by himself later. His name was Simon and she’d met his sort before on treks. Macho. Determined to stride out and prove himself, not understanding the effects of altitude on human physiology. By the next day he’d probably be gasping for breath by the side of the trail, unwilling to admit that he was in trouble.
In the interests of team harmony, she decided to watch and wait. But she delivered a polite warning. After all, that was her job and if she didn’t watch him, she’d be the one clearing up the mess.
‘The only thing that can prepare you for altitude is altitude itself.’ She spoke the words quietly, directly to him, hoping that he’d take heed. Then she addressed the group as a whole. ‘As we get higher up we’ll be sleeping two to a tent, and as soon as you arrive in the camp the Sherpas will serve tea. Make sure you drink it. It’s important to drink plenty of liquid at high altitudes and in hot weather to prevent dehydration. Due to the polluted water supplies it is necessary to boil all water, so hot tea is the best available drink. Having said that…’ Juliet gave a wry smile ‘…heartburn is a common complaint around here and it’s largely due to the tannin in the black tea. It’s abrasive and irritating to the stomach. If you find you have problems, you might want to switch to herbal.’
The two guys exchanged appalled looks that clearly stated their opinion of herbal tea.
Juliet chose to ignore them, knowing that once their stomachs started protesting they’d switch soon enough. Instead, she ran a finger over the map, showing them the route. ‘The first half of tomorrow’s trail follows the river and crosses it a few times. Then we gain some height and that’s when you’ll start to feel the effects of altitude. I’ve said it before but I’m going to say it again because it’s important.’ She lifted her head and looked directly at Simon, determined to get the message across. ‘You need to keep your pace slow and steady.’
He gave a suggestive smile. ‘I can do slow and steady when the occasion demands it. Any time you want a demonstration, Doc, you only have to ask.’
‘You’re totally disgusting, Si.’ Sally gave him a friendly thump on the shoulder and leaned forward to look at the map more closely, her expression interested. ‘Can you really develop altitude sickness at that elevation? I thought you’d need to be higher up to feel the effects.’
Juliet chose to ignore Simon’s comment but the look in his eyes was making her increasingly uneasy about the forthcoming trip. ‘Certain normal physiological changes occur in every person who goes to altitude. At night you wake more frequently and you might notice a difference in your breathing pattern. During the day you’ll find that you become short of breath on exertion and you need to pass urine more often.’
‘All the more reason to cut down on that herbal tea,’ Simon drawled, and Juliet gritted her teeth and reflected on the fact that before the trip was over she might well have stabbed the guy with the business end of her ice axe.
She didn’t like his arrogance and she didn’t like the way he was looking at her.
Something made her glance across at Finn and she was surprised to find him staring at Simon, his gaze cold and hard.
Juliet bit her lip, wondering exactly what had angered him. Perhaps she wasn’t the only person to find the guy objectionable.
Sally sipped her drink, apparently oblivious to the undercurrents of tension around the table. Or maybe she was just used to Simon. ‘And that’s all OK? All those changes are normal?’
‘As long as the shortness of breath resolves rapidly once you take some rest. The increase in breathing is an essential part of adapting to the altitude. You have to work harder to obtain oxygen and you do it by breathing more deeply and more quickly.’
‘Because there is less oxygen in the air?’
‘Precisely.’
The other male trekker, Gary, was enjoying a drink of chang, the local brew, and Juliet gave him a pointed look. ‘That can be a pretty alcoholic drink and by tomorrow you might be regretting that decision. It’s a good idea to avoid alcohol and certain drugs, anything that might decrease breathing—that’s if you want to finish the trek. Remember, you need those extra breaths to give your body the oxygen it needs to function. And even when you’re breathing faster you still won’t gain normal blood levels of oxygen.’
Simon stared at the glass. ‘No alcohol and plenty of herbal tea. Who the hell talked me into this trip?’
Sally frowned at him. ‘For goodness sake, shut up, Si.’
Silently thanking Sally for the timely intervention, Juliet continued with her talk, aware that Neil had joined Finn and was watching and listening from the edge of the room.
An oldtimer at altitude, Neil had seen it all before. And heard it all before.
Juliet carried on talking, made the points she wanted to make, answered the girls’ many questions and then called a halt to the evening.
She needed some space and time by herself.
And she needed to get away from Simon.
Leaving the group of trekkers to enjoy themselves, she dragged on her jacket and left the teahouse, braving the freezing air outside.
Juliet stood for a moment with her eyes closed, feeling the sting of the cold bite her cheeks and listening to the rush of the river just below the lodge. She breathed in the smell of smoke and outdoors and instantly felt more relaxed. Apart from the muffled laughter that came from within the lodge, the night was silent and she huddled deeper inside her jacket and opened her eyes, letting her vision adjust to the semi-darkness.
She walked a short distance, sat down on a boulder and hugged her knees, enjoying the night sounds.
‘That trekker of yours is going to give you a problem. You need to watch him.’
The deep, masculine voice came from right next to her and she gave a soft gasp, wondering how she could have not noticed the powerful figure leaning against the tree.
It was Finn McEwan.
He was obviously escaping the crowds, too.
