Death of a Pilgrim by David Dickinson

Author:David Dickinson [Dickinson, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780334134
Publisher: Constable & Robinson
Published: 2011-12-19T17:15:34+00:00

Shortly before dinner Powerscourt found Lady Lucy standing on the little jetty where the rowing boats were tied up. She was staring intently down the river. She smiled at her husband. Powerscourt thought she looked very beautiful this evening.

‘Francis, my love,’ she said, ‘I’ve been wondering about that rowing boat. What would happen if you gave it a push from here? Would it float away downstream? Or would it just go round and round?’

‘I don’t know, to be honest, Lucy. Tell you what, why don’t we try it? You sit in this one here and I’ll give it a good push. Let’s hope the hotelkeeper can’t see us or he’ll think another of these boats is being stolen.’

Powerscourt handed Lady Lucy into the vessel. She settled herself gracefully into the centre of the craft. Powerscourt bent down and untied the rope. Then he gave the rowing boat his best shove and sent it out into the river. After a few moments it lost momentum and drifted back into the side. Lady Lucy rowed herself back.

‘I thought that would happen,’ she said, looking up at Powerscourt from the middle of the boat. ‘My grandfather told me all about currents in rivers when I was a little girl in Scotland. I can’t have been more than six or seven at the time. He was very good to me, my grandfather, he always talked to me as if I were a grown-up. I think you should try wading out into the river, Francis, and giving me a good shove into the middle of the current.’

Powerscourt gazed rather sadly at his shoes and his trousers, come to adorn the valley of the Lot from the tailors of Jermyn Street in London. He waded out into the centre of the river where the current was strongest. After his strongest push, Lady Lucy floated away.

Powerscourt watched her go. ‘Willows whiten, aspens quiver,’ he whispered,

‘Little breezes dusk and shiver

Through the wave that runs for ever

By the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot.’

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.