Page 5 of Shining Knight
Graham wondered if Knighton completely understood that their Aunt Hambridge was too old, too lazy or too tired—or, whatever the reason, was hardly fit to properly chaperone a young lady with so much energy. He lingered in the shadows and hid behind trees until he watched Eugenia sit down on a bench near the lake and begin to toss crumbs of bread to some eager ducks.
He relaxed and wondered why she had felt the need to slip by his house as though she were going to a clandestine meeting.
She began muttering to herself, which made him smile. He went as close as he dared and tried to eavesdrop but it appeared she did have the ability to speak somewhat quietly. Perhaps he was not being fair. Eugenia had made strides in being a lady, he thought, as he watched the serene beauty of her innocently tossing bread. But when she did have a lapse, it was always on a grand scale. Rowley had paid off several of the news-sheets during the past Season, in order to prevent some things from being printed, but Eugenia could not continue to escape—as witnessed by the cartoon that morning.
Two little boys and their nurse came close to where Eugenia sat on the bench. One was flying a kite, and the other was very interested in the ducks. Eugenia smiled at the child and handed some of her bread to him.
The nurse, seeing that one of her charges was safe enough for the moment, went off after the boy with the kite. Of course, that was when the other boy took alarm as the ducks begin giving chase… straight into the water.
Graham immediately ran after the boy, who seemed to sink straight down, but he need not have bothered. Eugenia was already in the water. The lake was not deep, but deep enough to cover the boy’s head, and it was covered with a disgusting layer of effluent, besides frigid.
Having been raised with brothers, of course she knew how to swim, and she emerged with the boy in her arms choking and spluttering water while crying for his nurse.
Waiting on the bank, Graham took the boy from her arms and walked to the bench with him. A crowd had gathered as if from nowhere. He looked about for the nurse, who finally seemed to realize something had gone amiss and ran back to comfort her charge.
He looked around for Eugenia, who was…why the devil was she still in the filthy water?
He hurried back over to her. “What are you doing in there? You will catch your death!” he scolded. Teeth chattering, she had her arms wrapped about her huddled and shivering body.
“Go away, you are drawing attention to me,” she snapped.
“Not until I help you out.”
“I am waiting for the crowd to leave,” she replied with an exasperated look that indicated he was lacking understanding.
“Oh. Oh.” At least she had had the wherewithal to realize she might be indecent. He began removing his coat. “Where is your maid?”
Eugenia had the ability to look guilty even while she was soaked through and shaking from cold. “She is visiting her beau.”
“Your maid will be lucky if she is alive when Rowley is finished with her.” He wrapped his coat around her and then pulled her from the water as onlookers gaped.
“How brave you were, rescuing that little boy,” he said, loudly enough for everyone to hear, while praying that no one of their acquaintance was nearby.
