Joe's voice rang out somewhere very close to Mandie. "Everyone grab someone to sit with." Mandie heard the group scrambling. Suddenly she felt an arm gently grip her right shoulder, it was Joe. "This time instead of losing the matches we lost the lamp." Joe said to her quietly.
"I'm so sorry everyone." Tommy said.
"No, I'm sorry I should have watched where I was stepping." Polly said mournfully.
"Burr, it sure is cold in her." Celia's voice called from close by.
"I'm going to try and find the end of the tunnel, I know there is a lamp hung beside the door, and I know my way around the tunnel." Mandie declared.
"But I'm not letting you go alone, what if you get hurt." Joe said from beside her.
"Fine then you can come with me." Mandie said grumbling to herself, she could probably find her way on her own faster. "Jonathan, where are you? I'm going to need some matches."
"Over her Mandie." Jonathan's voice called from somewhere on Mandie's left. Mandie felt her way over to where she'd heard Jonathan, with Joe trailing behind her. With a bit of a stumbling Mandie made her way over to Jonathan (not without accidently treading on Celia's foot first). Mandie quickly stowed the matches in her pocket and then found the wall to grasp onto to guide herself to the end of the tunnel.
"Joe, you go to the other side and follow the wall and tell me if your side is beginning to turn." Mandie told Joe.
"Mandie do be careful." Mandie heard Celia say.
The two followed their walls in silence, only checking in on each other every few minutes. Twice Mandie stumbled and Joe's breath would hitch as he cried out "Mandie are you alright?" and Mandie would slowly get up and respond with "Yes Joe." After what felt like an hour Joe said "Mandie this part of the tunnel is beginning to turn to the right."
"Maybe you should come over to this side of the tunnel." Mandie told him.
"I don't know, I thought there was a right turn in the tunnel." He told her.
"No Joe, there's a right turn up at the top of the tunnel not near the end."
"I think we should go to the right." Joe contended.
Mandie stomped her foot. "Joe Woodard you are being as stubborn as ever." She chided.
"I see you're still as hot tempered and stubborn as ever Mandie Shaw." He shot back at her. Mandie couldn't see in the dark but she was sure Joe was grinning in the dark, this thought made her even more frustrated.
"Joseph Woodard come over to this side of the tunnel this instant or I'm going on alone." Mandie was now feeling furious. She could tell he had jumped when she had called him Joseph, Mandie knew only his mother called him that when she was mad.
"Fine." Joe said, as he made his way to Mandie in the dark.
The two continued down the tunnel.
"Oh shucks, Joe I'm scared that I chose the wrong passage, and it is getting cold." Mandie said, shivering.
"Oh Mandie, we'll be fine. God will watch over us." Heard from behind her, feeling Joe put his hand on Mandie's shoulder, she shook it off.
"But what if something happens to the others?" Mandie said.
"They will be fine Mandie." Joe told her.
"Joe?" Mandie said timidly.
"Yes Mandie?" Joe replied lightly.
"Can we say our verse?" She asked.
"Sure." He replied. He felt Mandie's small, soft hands reach out for his large, rough ones in the darkness.
The two recited in the darkness "What times I am afraid I put my trust in thee." Mandie immediately felt herself calming down.
"Joe, I feel the end of the tunnel!" Feeling her way in the darkness she felt Joe move past her, he was feeling around for the lantern.
"Mandie, I think I can feel the lantern. Here!" he exclaimed.
"Thank the Lord!" Mandie said happily.
"Mandie hand me a match, would you?" Mandie quickly handed Joe a match. Suddenly the tunnel was all lit up from the warm light of the kerosene lantern.
"Mandie you're shivering!" Joe exclaimed looking at her.
"I'm just a little cold I'll be fine." Mandie replied, giving Joe a weak smile.
"Here Mandie take my jacket." Joe said beginning to pull his jacket off.
"No Joe! Don't I'm fine." Mandie said quickly.
"Mandie! Don't be silly I have a jacket and a sweater."
"No Joe Woodard, it's not proper." Mandie replied frustrated, she was cold and wasn't thinking clearly.
"When have you ever been proper around me Mandie?" Joe asked quickly, his expression was unreadable. Mandie used to be able to tell what he was thinking with such ease. Mandie began to give in.
"Shame you always said you wanted a proper and educated wife." Mandie swiftly teased not knowing the affect her words would have on Joe.
"Mandie." He said looking at her. One of his hands reached out to grab her hand. He stopped her. "Do you remember the day I proposed to you?" His dark brown eyes staring deeply into her bright blue eyes.
"Sure Joe, it was the day my Mother and Uncle John got married." She smiled up, her heart beating.
Joe went to reply and then shook his head "Wait, first Mandie look, I have a sweater and a jacket on, you only have a shawl." He pulled off his sweater and slipped his jacket back on. Mandie opened her mouth to protest but Joe quickly interrupted and said sternly for a moment, "No more arguing Mandie, please." Joe then slipped his fleece sweater over Mandie's head without compliant. Joe's eyes only remained stern for a moment before he grinned at her. "Oh, Mandie we've never been proper around each other." Chuckling as he looked down at her. Mandie let out a small giggle herself as she realized how big the fleece was on her.
Immediately Mandie felt the warmth of the sweater around her and she managed to stop shivering. Without her teeth chattering Mandie was able to think more clearly. "Oh, thank you Joe." She exclaimed, for some reason she found herself blushing again for no apparent reason. "You're sure you're going to be warm enough?"
"Sure Mandie, I'd tell you if I wasn't." He said smiling, he then picked up the lamp and the pair started down the tunnel. "Good thing you were so stubborn and made us go down this passage, otherwise we'd be lost." He said half teasingly, half seriously.
"Joe" Mandie said, glancing over at him "You were just about to say something about the day my Mother and Uncle John got married." Joe stopped her and grabbed her shoulders. Mandie felt his strong, worn hands grasp her shoulders firmly. Her breath hitched momentarily. She wanted to hear whatever he was about to say but she also wanted to continue on and get out of the tunnel as soon as possible.
Joe opened his mouth, looking down at her again. His dark brown eyes stared intently as if he was searching her bright blue eyes. Joe removed his left hand from Mandie's shoulder and ran it through his hair, making it even more unruly than it already was "Mandie, I-" Joe began and was immediately interrupted by a voice calling.
"Papoose!" The tunnel suddenly grew even brighter as Uncle Ned and Uncle John came into view.
"Oh, Uncle Ned!" Mandie shouted as she ran into his arms, embracing him.
"What Papoose doing in tunnel during blizzard?" Uncle Ned inquired.
Mandie and Joe related their story to Uncle Ned and John as they continued up the tunnel.
"If Mandie hadn't been so adamant about taking the right tunnel we would be lost or even worse, frozen by now." Joe said smiling at Mandie as they told their story.
"But where are the others?" Mandie asked. "Are they alright?"
"They are all a little cold but safe." Uncle John said. "Celia was awful worried that something had happened to the two of you and both your mothers are just about worried sick."