“You better catch us.” Christopher laughed, herding the two boys together.
Frances found herself getting caught up in the game soon after. It wasfun,she had to admit that.
They were far from the garden now, having run all the way over to the river banks. Edwin stuck out his tongue at Frances, urging her to catch him.
She ran towards him, so caught up in the game that she did not notice the edge of the riverbank. Within a second, she slipped and fell into the water with a splash.
“Frances!”
The cold shock took her breath away, and she struggled to find her footing, splashing around in the water.
Without wasting another second, Christopher dove in after her, reaching her in a few swift strokes. “I’ve got you,” he said, his voice calm and reassuring as he helped her to the surface.
She grabbed onto him tightly, her heart racing from what had just taken place.
“You really ought to be more careful.” Christopher’s tone was protective as he set her down on the ground. He removed his jacket and placed it around her arms. “We should get you dry.”
He noticed that she was shivering and immediately began to rub her arms above the fabric of his jacket. She blushed at the contact, but their moment was short-lived as she finally noticed the twins watching them with horror, their small bodies trembling with fear.
“Are you alright?” Ernest asked, his voice quivering.
Frances knelt down and hugged them both tightly. “I’m fine, my dears. Just a little wet,” she soothed, trying to sound cheerful despite her shock.
Christopher placed a reassuring hand on their shoulders.“Everything’s alright. It was just an accident,” he said gently. “See? Frances is perfectly fine.”
The boys looked at Frances, who nodded and gave them a warm smile. Slowly, their fear began to ebb away.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” Frances said, kissing the tops of their heads.
Ernest and Edwin clung to her for a moment longer before finally letting go.
“We were just worried,” Edwin said quietly.
“I know,” Frances replied softly. “But I’m alright, and so are you.”
Christopher helped her to her feet, his eyes filled with concern. “You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold.”
Frances nodded, feeling a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. “Thank you, Christopher. For…”
Saving my life?
Surely, she would not have drowned, but if he had not been there to pull her out of the water, she would have fallen sick due to the lengthened exposure to the cold water. She was not the best swimmer either, so perhaps drowning was not too far of a possibility either.
“No need to worry about it,” he assured her.
The commotion had alerted the staff that was nearby, and Christopher instructed them to safely escort the twins inside the estate.
He did not let go of Frances, however, and insisted on being the one to take her inside.
“I feel quite clumsy,” she admitted once he led her into her room.
It was at that moment that she finally got the opportunity to look at him properly. He was equally as soaked as her. But since he had given her his jacket, he was left in only a thin cotton shirt that clung to his body.
Her eyes widened as she took note of his strong, muscular physique.
“Oh…”she murmured before she could control herself.
She tried to avert her eyes, but her cheeks flushed with a deep crimson.
