Lords, Ladies and Babies by unknow

Lords, Ladies and Babies by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER THIRTEEN

C ole’s words filled her with hope. A feeling that carried her through the night and into the next morning. From that hope, grew joy when she learned they’d be wed within a fortnight. Her uncle had been able to secure the license for their nuptials.

So when Anne, bounding with enthusiasm, asked if they could celebrate with a picnic in the park, Mary agreed. The child had slept fitfully with Mary in the bed across the room and all around, it seemed like a day for celebration.

Cole had gone out for the morning, but she left a note on his desk, that they’d journeyed to the nearby park with a picnic lunch. She invited him to join them if he was able.

Setting out, they made their way to a perfect picnic spot next to a large pond with several rowboats parked on a pier. Anne clapped with delight. “Can we take one for a row?”

Mary smiled as she turned back to the basket. “In a bit. First let’s get our picnic set up.” Much of London would journey out to walk or ride in parks such as these, but many would wait until the afternoon. It was still early yet and only a few others graced the paths at this time of the morning. “We’ll set up in the shade of that tree so that we might spend the day if we’d like. I brought some paint supplies and—” She stopped as she heard the scrape of wood against wood.

Anne had traversed the dock and was pushing off the pier in her little boat. “Anne,” Mary called sharply. “Come back at once.”

Anne tried to maneuver the oar but it slipped in the lock. The boat drifted out further from the pier as she struggled to gain control of the small boat. “I can’t get it to work.”

Mary started down the path to the pier. “Take a deep breath and then pull the oar closer to your body.”

But as the girl fumbled again, she let go of one of the oars and it promptly slipped into the lake. “Oh,” Anne cried, immediately reaching for the oar. “Let me just.”

“No,” Mary called. “Don’t.” but it was too late. The boat tipped and Anne toppled into the water, the boat landing upside down on top of her. Mary gasped and then, not sure what else to do, dove into the water. Thank goodness, summers spent in the country meant she could swim and her light summer fashions didn’t drag her down. With sure strokes she made her way to the boat diving under the water to find Anne in its murky depths. She crested once, panicking when she couldn’t see the child but then a piece of fabric on the water’s surface caught her attention. Anne was under the overturned boat.

Diving back in, she pushed to the rowboat, coming up and out of the water in the dark of the little boat. Anne was barely conscious, her hand loosely holding the oar as she moaned softly.



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