AIKEN, JOAN - BLACK HEARTS IN BATTERSEA by hearts in battersea.txt black

Author:hearts in battersea.txt black [black, hearts in battersea.txt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

‘All right, your Grace!’ shouted Simon pulling off his shirt. ‘We’re coming!’

Half the students of the Academy dived joyfully off the bank and swam to the rescue, delighted at such a diversion, and this was just as well for next minute the barge filled up completely, turned on its side, and precipitated the three passengers into the water. The Duchess would undoubtedly have sunk had not, by great good fortune, her voluminous skirts and petticoats filled with air for a few moments so that she floated on the surface like a bubble while Sophie supported her.

‘Dammit!’ gasped the Duke.’ I can’t swim either, come to think! I never - aaaargh -‘ He disappeared in a welter of bubbles, but luckily Gus and Pothers, forging through the water like porpoises, both reached the spot at that instant and were able to dive and grab him. Meanwhile, Simon, Sophie, and half a dozen other students managed to land the Duchess while others swam after the barge and steered it to a sandspit on the far side of Chelsea Bridge.

Dr Furneaux, meanwhile, after wringing his hands and whiskers alternately, when he saw that the rescue was safely under way, had very sensibly organized some more students into building up a fine blaze from the embers of the noon fire so that the victims of the wreck could warm themselves immediately. The setting sun and the huge bonfire threw a red light over the strange scene; steam rose in clouds from those who had been immersed, while others ran to and fro fetching more branches.

‘By Jove!’ said the Duke, as he stood steaming and emptying water out of his diamond-buckled shoes. ‘What a scrape, eh? I fancied my number was up that time - so it would have been too, if it weren’t for your plucky lads, Furneaux! Much obliged to ‘ee all!’ ‘Indeed, yes!’ The Duchess smiled round warmly upon the dripping assembled students. She looked much less bedraggled than anybody, as the upper part of her body

had never been submerged, thanks to the speed with which she had been towed to land.’ You are a set of brave, good souls. You must all come to dinner at the Castle as soon as possible.’

Dr Furneaux beamed with pride and affection for his students. ‘Yes, yes,’ he said, ‘zey are a set of brave garcons when it comes to a tight pinch - it is only ze hard work zey do not always enjoys.’

‘What happened to the barge?’ Simon asked Sophie as they stood drying themselves. ‘How did it come to sink?’

‘Nobody knows exactly,’ she answered. ‘It was certainly all right when we reached Hampton Court. But on the way home it seemed to move heavily in the water, and when we had gone a certain way - I do not know where we were -‘

‘Mortlake, or thereabouts,’ the Duke put in.

‘It seemed to be sinking lower and lower, and suddenly her Grace gave a scream - we were all on deck, but she

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