How To Catch Crabs by Carlton Demelza

Author:Carlton, Demelza
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Demelza Carlton
Published: 2015-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

Eighteen

Mr Hertz and his wife led the way along the reef, splashing through the water in their sandals and socks. The footwear was just the beginning of their matching attire – they both wore near-identical shorts and shirts, which the other three wives described in hissing whispers as showing a scandalous amount of leg. No more than our bathing suits, but the fact that Mrs Hertz's shorts were not a bathing suit seemed to be the problem.

Then they noticed Giorgio's chivalrous arm hooked through mine and the whispers transferred to a different target.

Their venomous looks only served to harden my resolve. They didn't dare risk the reef, secure in their ankle-deep paddling, so the shipwreck became a sanctuary from vicious rumours. All I had to do was reach it.

What I'd thought was a flat path turned out to be as rocky and uneven as the cliffs above. I hopped from raised bit to rock, stretching over the rock pools that would soak my shoes and socks to the ankle, for I followed Maria's advice and kept both on my feet. A wise choice, I felt, as the sharp rocks grated against the bottom of my rubber soles.

More than once, I was forced to tighten my grip on Giorgio's warm, tanned arm to stop myself from falling face or bottom first into a pool. I expected such sun-browned skin to be coarse, but the downy hairs on his arms softened the contact. Every minute I touched him reminded me more forcefully that this wasn't one of my brothers. He was far more courteous and uncomplaining than any of them would be. Grudgingly, I admitted that Dominic had been right in saying this was too dangerous for me. But I didn't dare back down in front of Giorgio, so I plodded on.

The reef angled westward, so the strong southerly breeze no longer impeded our progress but tried to blow us off the coral instead. The wind whipped up the waves so the spray carried all the way to us on the inner edge of the reef. Flying spray salted my lips, then dampened my dress until it was so soaked it clung to my legs at every step. Now I envied Mrs Hertz her practical shorts. Or the men, who wore theirs without societal scorn.

Despite the lowering tide, more water washed over the reef here, and I slipped far more frequently than before. A shout ahead of me drew my eyes to the Hertzes, but they'd disappeared in a cloud of spray on a particularly narrow stretch of reef. My heart leaped into my throat as I waited for the air to clear, permitting me to see that the couple were soaked but safe. I breathed a sigh of relief and inched further from the breaking waves as I followed their steps through the foaming, knee-deep water.

"Welcome to the Windsor!" a voice roared on the wind and I glanced up to see that the Hertzes had reached the wreck and we only had a little further to go.

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