Lady Emily was thrust out into the air and fell in the river, with such a splash that it cascaded back onto the people watching at the riverbank. She disappeared under the water surface, vanishing completely from view.
Lady Emily!
Chapter Eight
Emily was struggling to swim. She could barely understand what had happened. One second, she had been standing on the very edge of the riverbank, with her toes on the precipice of where the grass met the water, the next she had felt a harsh push in her back, and she was forced into the water, dropping into an abruptly deep section, and plunging into the depths.
She kicked out in the water, swimming to the surface, finding as her head broke the surface that her reticule was gone, and her body was soddened with water. Her auburn hair appeared darker now, stuck to her neck in tendrils with sections falling out of the updo. She had to cough a few times to free her lungs of water, looking up in time to see her family all staring down at her with fear, thrusting hands in her direction to help her out.
The whole crowd were abuzz, calling out in wonder at what had happened and shouting for her to be pulled back out.
“Get her out of there!”
“Did she slip?”
“Who is it?”
“Emily!” That was her father’s voice. She looked up to see Archibald pushing to the front of the rest, reaching out toward her. She tried reaching up to take his hand, but she could not make her gloved fingers meet his. With the sailing boats in the water bobbing past, they created waves, dragging her further back into the river.
It was an impossible task. Each time she tried to swim forward, the water pulled on her gown, like it had fingers, tugging at the hem of her dress. Her whole body felt heavier than usual, and she was beginning to be swept downward, with each breath she took, she began to swallow more and more water.
“Emily!”
“Someone has to do something!” That was Grace’s voice. Emily could just about see Grace trying to push past curious onlookers, before another face appeared. It was Lord Tattershall’s, and he made no hesitation in thrusting gentlemen out of the way.
He threw off his jacket and his top hat, tossing them to Julia to hold onto before he strode straight out into the water.
“What are you doing?” Emily cried, then choked on water again, stopping her from asking him anymore.
“Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing,” he said with a smile as he reached her in the water.
I was pushed. I am sure of it!
Yet she could not utter the words now. She was too busy thinking of the way Lord Tattershall reached out to her, taking her hands in his and pulling her toward him.
“Can you put your feet on the ground now?” he asked.
“No!” she spluttered the words. Much shorter than him, even at this depth, she could not touch the riverbed.
“Then forgive me, Lady Emily, but I am about to be very improper indeed.”
“What do you mean – oh my goodness!” she said in surprise as one of his arms reached around her back and the other slipped under the water, hooking under her knees. Emily was lifted easily into his grasp as he turned and walked her back out of the river.
“Put your arms around my neck,” he pleaded, never once taking his gaze off her. Emily did not have the words to respond. Her heartbeat was going too fast from how closely he was holding her. She was thinking of the pressure of those fingers against her, not only startled he could lift her so easily, but that he had willingly strode into the water to do so.
“Emily! Dearest.” That was her mother’s voice, urging her to look away as Lord Tattershall walked her back onto dry land, with the water running off the two of them in rivulets. “What happened?”
“She’s soaked to the bone,” Archibald said, reaching their side and ushering the curious gazers of the crowd away. “We need to get her out of here. Into some dry clothes at once.”
“My carriage is nearby,” Lord Tattershall spoke first, and decisively. “Good lord, some of the people here have no propriety in them,” he muttered, nodding his head at the others in the crowd. “Why did they not try to help?”
“Not everyone can swim,” Emily said quietly, trying to explain their actions away.
“That is no excuse to have left you in the water, Lady Emily.” He spoke firmly, turning his gaze on her. Emily felt she could have been in one of her novels, pulled out of the water by her hero.
He is not my hero. He is not mine to keep.
Yet in that moment, Lord Tattershall felt everything to her. Not only had he pulled her out of the water the very moment she feared she would drown, with the water pulling her gown further into its depths, but he did not seem to be in a hurry to let her go. He was holding on tightly to her, in a way she did not doubt would start whispers.
