But then her head whipped around sharply, her eyes spotting Lady Mulberry out on the shore, wildly flinging her arms about. “It appears we are being summoned,” she shrugged, watching Lady Mulberry become more theatrical by the second.
The driver, seeing no reason to ignore a lady of her position, changed their course and drove the boat into the pier where Lady Mulberry was patrolling and fidgeting in.
As the distance between her and the boat lessened, she placed both hands on her hips and let out a theatrical sigh. “Well, this is simply rude. Off gallivanting without me!”
Norman crossed his arms. “Grandmother, the boats are filled to capacity. If you get in, we will be overfilled.”
“Oh, nonsense. I am not some great lummox of a man; my weight is nothing.” Not waiting for a response, she hitched up her skirts and got into the boat, rocking it alarmingly in the process. Kitty held on to the side as a jet of water splashed over the edge, dampening her hem. Jane let out a small shriek and grabbed Kitty’s arm.
“Lady Mulberry,” Norman said gruffly. “I warn you?—”
“Oh, good heavens, cease being so theatrical, darling,” she jeered, fending him away. “If you were that concerned about the boat sinking, you should not have agreed.”
“There was no agreeing,” he muttered under his breath, causing Kitty to smirk.
Just as they were preparing to push off again, a voice shouted from the dock. “Grandmother! You can’t possibly be leaving me behind!”
Everyone turned to see Eleanor standing on the water’s edge, panting and holding onto her skirts. “I want to ride on the boat too, but I don’t have a chaperone. Grandmother, please come along!”
Lady Mulberry groaned out loud, swaying on her feet, lips pursed in doubt.
Jane cocked an eyebrow. “Well?”
Lady Mulberry scowled at her but finally exhaled and walked towards the dock. “Very well,” she declared. “But you all owe me for my sacrifices.”
With exaggerated elegance, she prepared to step off the boat, but the moment her foot left the wood, the boat wobbled dangerously.
In a split second, balance was lost, and everyone lurched sideways with a collective gasp, as the vessel tipped violently.
Kitty didn’t have time to even notice what was happening before icy water shut in over her head, stifling the breath from her lungs. She broke surface with a splutter, slapping at the lake’s scummy top, her hair dripping and stuck to her cheeks.
Jane was thrashing in to her left, spluttering, and Norman, still calm, was already making for the shore, his face twisted into a mixture of exasperation and amusement.
Richard emerged from the lake like a disgruntled sea creature, his boots squelching with every step as water cascaded from his waistcoat. The once-pristine cravat now hung limp around his neck, dripping onto the dock with rhythmic splats.
“I maintain,” he announced, wringing out his sleeve with dignity, “that this constitutes attempted patricide.”
Jane, still waist-deep in the shallows, pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh as she accepted his outstretched hand. “Oh, do be serious—you needed the cooling off.”
“What I need,” Richard grumbled, hauling her onto the planks with unnecessary vigor, “is a daughter less prone to marine warfare and a suitor who doesn’t encourage it.” He shot a glare at Norman, who was extending his hand to pull Kitty out of the water.
Lady Mulberry, meanwhile, shrieked as if she’d been pitched into the Styx. “Oh! Oh, it’s a complete disaster! My dress—my hat! My boots are ruined!”
“They’re only boots,” Norman answered dryly, leading Kitty’s hand to the water’s edge.
“They’re embroidered satin, Norman! Embroidered!”
Kitty paddled out to the dock, kicking off her shoes, which were of no use to her in the water. When she reached the shore, she hauled herself up onto the grass and sat back, panting for breath.
Norman came out of the water, already shaking his head. “Get inside before you all catch a chill. You need to change.”
Lady Mulberry simply complained and grumbled about her “tragic fate” as they entered the house, but Kitty didn’t hear her either, as she was too busy peeling off her drenched clothes from her body while she hurried to her room.
Without a second thought, she peeled off her drenched clothes, twisting the water from her chemise before grabbing a dry set from her drawer. Just as she was about to slip her dry clothes on, the door flew open.
She held her breath and wrapped herself in the cloth, head jerking in the direction of the intruder. Her breathing caught. “Your Grace!” she stuttered. “Get out!”
He did not. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, gaze slow and deliberate as it swept over her bare shoulders and the damp chemise clinging to her curves.
