Venetian Moon by Clarissa Ross

Author:Clarissa Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, classic
Publisher: Crimson Romance, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.
Published: 2013-09-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“THE SLUICE gates!” Eric cried. “Someone has opened them!”

“We’re lost!” Kingston shouted in dismay.

“Come on!” Eric roughly seized Betsy as she stood there frozen by the sight of the growing mountain of advancing sea water coming down on them.

Kingston was already scrambling in the direction of the steps, his top hat gone, his coat streaming behind him as he raced with a speed hardly believable in one of his temperament.

Eric stopped trying to force her along and lifted her up and carried her toward the steps in his arms. He was not able to make the same speed as Kingston with her as a burden. He had only gone a step or two when the water was at his ankles, then at his knees, the roaring horrendous now. And by the time he staggered to the bottom of the steps, the water was waist-high on him.

“Give me your hands, girl!” Kingston cried, bending over from a higher step to catch her hands.

She obeyed him without a word. Passed from one man to the other, she hardly realized what was happening. Then a soaked Eric was clambering up the steps behind her and urging her and Kingston on.

“Hurry!” he cried. ‘The water is gaining force all the time! It will soon be catching up with us!”

Her fear of the steps without a railing was now behind her. She was terrified of a far worse fate — that of being drowned in the yawning area of the yard! Kingston was literally clawing his way up the steps to freedom.

Sobbing and gasping, she followed the actor with Eric’s encouraging cries coming from behind her. They finally reached the safety of the grassy area by the steps. All three of them collapsed on the ground there while they gazed down at the yard now almost completely filled with ocean water.

Kingston gasped. “The mad blighter tried to drown us!”

“He did!” Betsy sobbed in agreement.

“I know,” Eric placated them. “This has been no accident, but we dare not accuse him openly. It would do no good in any case!”

“You’re going to let him get away with it?” Betsy asked in dismay.

“It is the political thing to do at the moment,” Eric said grimly. “One day I will hope to bring Monsieur Bartel to task for what he’s done!”

The bearded man was running across the grass to join them with some of his workers following on his heels. He looked shocked as he reached the spot where they were resting. “My good people, I do not know what to say,” he said in consternation.

Eric smiled wryly and got to his feet. “Someone made a bad error.”

“A ghastly mistake!” Pierre Bartel apologized. “I do not know how to explain.”

“You might try!” Betsy said as Eric and Kingston helped her up.

Pierre Bartel removed his top hat and mopped his brow with a large white handkerchief. “It is like a bad dream! I had an inspiration when I came up here. I decided to show you how the yards flood when the sluice gates are opened.

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