“The sea? Yes, it is.”
“It’s like my mind knew that already, but now that my eyes see it… It’s something else.”
Colin smiled. They stood in silence for several minutes, and then he led her to the bathing machines for women.
They resemble coffins,she thought as she wrung her hands.
“I shall watch your machine carefully,” Colin whispered to her. “Don’t exit it until I swim over to you, all right?”
She nodded gratefully, unable to speak. Colin helped her into the machine and closed the door. She was alone in the small (coffin-like, she thought again) wooden box. There was a bench in it, so she sat down, bracing herself as she felt the device being wheeled into the sea.
It’s merely a carriage,she tried reassuring herself.On water instead of land, but a carriage nonetheless.
She strangled the apprehensive thoughts about her inability to swim and a potential horrifying death by drowning as she changed into her swimming dress and sat back down to wait for her husband.
“Elizabeth,” she heard his voice outside the cart after what felt like an hour, although she rationally knew it couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes.
She slowly opened the door and looked out. All she could see was two blues: a darker one below, and the paler blue of the sky above it, with one line separating them. It was the strangest sight of her life. There was nothing else in front of her – no clouds, no people, no things, no other colours. Just the two blues.
“Elizabeth,” she heard his voice again, more impatient now.
“I’m here,” she called out, after which she heard the splashing of water and saw Colin approach from the side of the machine.
“Come join me,” her husband said with a smile so wide it showed off the gap between his teeth.
He looked like he had immersed his entire head under water at some point, and his excitement was almost palpable. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was terrified of giving herself over to the seemingly endless sea.
“I’ll help you,” he said, coming closer, and Elizabeth tried not to think of his nudity.
He gently took her fingers and loosened her grip on the rail of the steps. She hadn’t even realised how hard she’d been gripping the wood.
“Hold on,” Colin urged, and with his help, she walked down the steps and submerged her calves in the cold water. She shrieked when he pulled her in all the way.
“I’m sorry,” he said, laughing.
“Liar!” Elizabeth said angrily, still holding onto him despite herself.
“I truly am, but it is easier to take the plunge and be done with it.”
“I am freezing,” she complained, and he pulled her further out to the open sea.
“Give your body a moment to get used to it,” he said and put his arm around her waist.
“Colin, don’t go any further,” she said in a panicked voice, and he stopped.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take you too far. See if you can touch the bottom with your feet.”
She held onto his shoulders and tentatively stretched out her foot. She soon found that she was able to stand, with the water reaching her chin. Colin watched her with amusement, the water covering most of his naked chest.
“How do you like it?” He asked, not taking his eyes (or hands) off of her.
Elizabeth looked at the horizon, unable to find the words to describe how she felt. “It’s different. Where did you learn to swim?”
“At Norwich, when I was a boy.”
“Ah.”
They were both silent for a while. In the distance, a seagull called. Elizabeth’s brow was sweaty, but her body felt cool in the water.
