“I am sure that you must miss your family terribly. How about I do you a favour and expedite your union with them?” Barbara laughed maniacally. She had a craziness in her eyes that Sophia had never witnessed before.
“Stop this,” Sophia pleaded as she tried to free herself from Barbara’s grasp, but her movements were limited as the fear of falling into the water loomed large over her head.
“Stop it I shall.” Barbara gave one final smirk before pushing Sophia into the body of water.
A scream ripped through Sophia’s throat as she fell into the water, her arms flailing around helplessly.
It was just like her nightmares. Swimming to safety was not a possibility as Barbara guarded the banks of the lake, eager to push Sophia back. The water swirled around her as Sophia found her resolve weakening by the second, and her body became limp due to the coldness of the water.
Sophia was certain that this was the end. She was going to drown to death. Just like her nightmares had foreshadowed. Just like she should have, all those years ago.
Duncan knew that trouble was brewing nearby when he saw a carriage he did not recognize parked outside of Kerling Estate.
“Who do you work for?” the Duke demanded from the driver as Jacob and he stepped foot outside of their own carriage.
“Your Grace,” the driver scrambled to his feet as soon as he realized who was standing before him.
“I asked you a question,” the Duke barked, his patience running thin.
“L-Lady Barbara, Your Grace…”
Jacob and Duncan exchanged a worried look. “I knew her visit could not have been innocent today. She was trying to scout for Sophia’s whereabouts,” Duncan spat and then frantically ran towards the door.
He was just about to barge in when Jacob called out to him.
“Duncan, they are out there by the lake,” Jacob informed him, pointing north. “I see two female figures from the distance.”
“The lake?” Adrenaline pumped into his veins, and he was certain that Barbara must have tricked Sophia into going near the water.
He ran as fast as his legs allowed him. Even though he had been weakened by his illness, it did not matter to him now as his body used up his last strength to push through. As he raced towards them, he noticed that Barbara was holding onto Sophia while the latter protested.
He cursed under his breath, anger filling every pore of his being. A loud splash of water was heard, and panic soared inside of him as he realized that Barbara had pushed Sophia into the freezing cold water of the lake.
“Sophia!” he yelled out, causing Barbara to jump in surprise.
“Y-Your Grace.” Barbara’s voice was coming out in tremors.
He pushed her to the side, and his eyes widened with horror as he saw Sophia struggling in the water. Without bothering to undress, he dove straight into the icy depths of the lake.
The shock of the cold water was immediate, but it did not stop him from swimming towards Sophia. Her head had disappeared under the water now. He reached his hands into the water to grab what he could of her, pulling her up against his shoulder.
Once she was above the surface, Duncan wrapped his arms around her and began to drag her out with him.
“You are okay; you are okay,” he repeated to her, feeling her cold flesh in his hands as he swam to the lake shore. “I am here now.”
Sophia was not responding, causing him to panic even further. He dragged her out of the water and settled her down on the ground. Both of them were gasping for breath as they clung onto each other.
“Duncan…” Her voice was weak as she looked up at him with hooded eyelids.
“You are safe now,” he told her, rubbing the side of her arms in a desperate attempt to warm her up.
Barbara, who had witnessed the entire scene unfold, chose this moment to make her get away. She began to run towards the direction where her carriage was parked, but she did not manage to get too far as Jacob took hold of her.
“Where do you think you are going?”
Duncan was still busy trying to warm Sophia up when his brother tossed his jacket over to him.
“Here, put this around her,” he suggested.
