Page 65 of Don't Give A Damn About My Plaid Reputation
Spurred on by the chilling thought, Robena doubled over, waving her arms through the water in approximately the same place where she’d kicked Elspeth. Sure enough, her questing fingers snagged in what was either floating seaweed—Lochweed? Is that a thing?—or hair.
She tugged.
The angry squeal was audible even under water, and Robena knew she’d found Elspeth.
She pulled the girl toward her—hoping she wasn’t pulling them both deeper—and tried to ignore Elspeth’s squirming. Did the lassiereallywant to die? Was marriage to Kester such a horrible fate?
‘Twas about this time—time slowing down or not—that Robena realizedherlungs were starting to burn.Double-shite.As she closed the fingers of her left hand around what she hoped was the neckline of the lassie’s gown, Robena tipped her chin upward.
Or in the direction shehopedwas upward.
Was that…? Did the water become lighter up there? Sluggishly, she was able to glance below, where Elspeth fought her in the distant darkness. Aye, ‘twas darker down there, which meant….
What did it mean? Why wasn’t her brain working?
Air. Ye need air. Idiot.
Aye, and air was that way. Well, light was that way, so hopefully that way wasup, and air would be up there.
Aye. Aye, that made sense.
Now, to figure out how to swim.
Well…how hard could it be? Just sort of…kick? And she had one hand free, didn’t she?
Her limbs seemed to be working as slowly as her mind. But she kicked her booted feet as fast as she could—which admittedly likely wasn’t all that fast—and clawed at the water.
There. Was she moving?
Below her, Elspeth fought, her hands grasping at Robena’s wrist, and Robena had the thought the lassie was trying to get thembothkilled.
Well, forget that!Oneof us is marrying Kester!
Her.
‘Twas going to be her.
When her free arm broke the surface of the loch, Robena was so surprised she almost stopped kicking. But then Elspeth jerked once more, and she rememberedshewas desperate for air as well, so she fought her way the last foot upward.
When her chin left the water, she sucked in a giant gulp of air and yanked as hard as she dared on Elspeth.
The lassie’s head broke the surface of the water, but she didn’t inhale. Frantic, Robena tried to force the girl higher, thinking that might help. It did nothing except shoveherback under the water, and she came up spluttering, desperate, and confused as hell.
And then a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist.
“I’ve got ye, lass,” came Kester’s smooth vow. “Ye’re safe.”
Shewantedto turn in his arms and throw herself against him and sob helplessly in relief. But of course, she couldn’t, because then stupid Elspeth reallywoulddrown.
“I’ve got the lassie,” she gasped, trying to hold Elspeth upright. “She’s no’ breathing!”
“Grab her around the middle and squeeze,” he commanded.
Since he was being obliging by holding her afloat, Robena did as he ordered.
At the same moment she wrapped her arms around the girl’s chest, Kester hooked one arm underherarm and acrossherchest and began swimming. The jolting movement tightened her hold and—St. Kelsi, thank ye!—the girl jerked and began to retch.
As Kester pulled them both toward the place where the field sloped down to meet the loch, forming a little beach, Robena murmured soothingly to the girl. Elspeth coughed and spluttered, tears mixing with water from her adventure. Robenawantedto shake her and ask her how she could do something so stupid, but instead she promised over and over again that everything would be aright.
