The Hopeless Hoyden by Margaret Bennett Page B

“You'll come up behind me."
                  “Behind you?  But--"
                  “And you only get on that ledge if I say so."
                  “But--"
                  “That's it, Em."  He gave her a lopsided grin.  "I won't be responsible for having to explain your crumpled body at the base of the ivy."
                  "Oh, all right, but do hurry.  It is cold out here."
                  The drain pipe was hidden under the ivy, just where Gabriel said it would be.  Within seconds after testing to see if it would hold his weight, he was halfway to the ledge.
                  “Start climbing, Em," he called down to her in a loud whisper. 
                  Climbing was hardly new to her, though trees were more her specialty.  Grabbing her night clothes in one fist, she realized she probably could not have climbed the pipe alone.  But Gabriel had forged the way by providing hand holds and support for her feet in the thick ivy, making the going much easier.  Her toes, numb from the cold, felt bruised and bloodied, and soon her hands were nearly raw.  Emily said nothing to Gabriel and was glad that, once he saw she could make the climb, he'd continued up and was waiting by the ledge.  It didn't take her long to see his reasoning for her to follow him up. 
                  Most of her legs were exposed as she worked her way straight up the pipe, hand over hand.  At one point the ivy came lose, and half her body swung out, causing her to lose her footing as well.
                  “Emily" 
                  Emily heard Gabriel but could do nothing.  The ivy in her other hand was working loose from the wall.  She frantically snatched the ivy for another support, but all she got were handfuls of ivy leaves. 
                  Gabriel reached down and grabbed the back of her gown and robe at the nape of her neck and saved her from falling.  Bent completely over, he pulled her up beside him, then wrapped one arm around her waist, supporting most of her weight as she grabbed for a fistful of the rope-like vines.
                  “Are you all right?" he asked. 
                  All Emily managed was a nod, but not because of the close call.  His nearness set her heart to wildly beating and made her knees weak.  She took several deep breaths to get control of herself.  Another mistake, she realized as she reveled in his scent.
                  “You don't have to do this, Em."
                  “Don't be silly, Gab.”  She sounded breathless to her own ears.  She swallowed hard.  “Besides, I am perfectly fine."
                  “I won't be able to keep you from falling once you're out on the ledge."
                  “If you're trying to scare me, save your breath."
              “Very well."  He shifted her weight and eased her closer to the ledge.  She wanted to cling to him.  He felt so good, so warm, so safe.  She let go of the vine, then quickly grabbed it again when the branch in her other hand pulled away from the brick.  Instantly, she felt his arm tighten around her waist, drawing her close to his body again.
                  “Test it first while I've got you."  Then, he clasped her to his chest and whispered in her ear.  "Be careful, Em."
                  This time his hand grabbed a handful of her robe at the waist before she eased her weight on the cold stone.  It held and gradually Emily slid from the vine onto the ledge with one hand clutching the ivy, the other stretched out, until her fingers curled around a brick.
                  The window that appeared so close from the ground now seemed miles away.  She looked down and shuddered.  It was a twenty foot drop.  But she was committed and so inched along until Gabriel