Page 16 of The Duke of Ice
“Are you certain?” the viscount asked.
“I insist.” Nick offered a bland smile before taking himself away from the crowd. He found an outcropping of rock, an ideal spot above the deepest water of the lake. He’d considered camping there earlier, but it had been rather slick at that dark hour. Now, it was mostly dried out thanks to the sun.
Nick sat down on the rock and wished he’d grabbed one of the blankets the footmen had brought. The stone was rather hard and cold. Ah well, at least he was relatively alone. He cast his line and tried to relax. Just as he was beginning to feel comfortable, he saw a flash of color across the lake.Blast.The women of the house party had come to the lake.
A handful of boats bobbed around a small dock. Evidently, they’d come to row. There’d be absolutely no fishing now. At least not with any success. Who the hell had planned this activity?
Several of the gentlemen called out across the water. The women waved in response. Though he tried not to, Nick picked out Violet among the group. She was taller than most, her blond locks covered with a tall, dark green hat that made her even easier to spot. She wore a costume that was a bit reminiscent of a riding habit, with a buttoned coat and sleek velvet trim. She was stunning.
He turned his head to find the heron and was disappointed to see it had gone.Lucky bird,he mused.
He tried to ignore the women clambering into the boats, but it was rather distracting given the noise they were making. He watched as Violet got into a skiff with one of the young unmarried women he was trying to avoid. Hell, wasn’t he trying to avoid everyone?
Scowling to himself, he averted his gaze from the boats. The lake wasn’t terribly large, so it was only a matter of minutes before one of them rowed into his line of sight. He hoped they knew enough to stay well away from the fishing lines.
To hell with it.He wasn’t going to catch anything else today. He stood and reeled in his line. Then he heard the loud clack of two boats colliding. He looked up from his pole just as one boat capsized. His eye caught a tall, dark green hat just before the boat went over.
Tossing his pole aside, he didn’t think. He dove into the lake and swam like hell.
* * *
The skiff completely flipped over, not only plunging Violet into the lake but into darkness as the boat landed on top of her. It didn’t strike her, instead creating a void above the water. She heard a shriek—from a distance—and surmised that she was alone beneath the boat.
The water was cold and thick, sucking at her skirts. She worried she would be pulled under from the weight of her wet clothing. She knew how to swim, due to Uncle Bertrand’s lessons, much to her aunt’s horror.
Violet pushed at the boat but wasn’t able to flip it back. She’d have to duck under it. Sucking in a deep breath, she braced herself to submerge. Before she could go completely under, she realized her hat would pose a problem. Bobbing back up, she pulled the accessory from her head and tossed it aside. Taking another breath, she tried again, this time dropping beneath the surface.
As soon as she was underwater, she felt a moment’s panic. The weight around her legs seemed heavier. She pumped her arms, trying to propel herself clear of the boat.
Suddenly, someone clasped her bicep and pulled her to the surface. She inhaled sharply and opened her eyes, blinking rapidly against the moisture clinging to her lashes.
Her vision filled with a familiar visage: Nick.
His gray eyes had taken on the color of storm clouds, and his lips were pressed into a nearly nonexistent line. “Are you all right?”
“I think so.” She tried to regain her equilibrium, and her gaze caught a dark head bobbing beneath the water several feet away. “Miss Kingman.You must help her.” She looked pleadingly at Nick.
“I’m not letting you go.” He used his free arm to pull the boat—which had somehow been flipped back over, perhaps by him. “Can you hold on to this?”
Violet nodded. “Yes.” She reached for the edge and clasped it with both hands.
“Don’t pull on it,” he warned brusquely. “It will flip again. Just hold on enough to keep your head up. Can you do that?”
She nodded again as her teeth began to chatter with cold.
He left her then and struck out, swimming beautifully, his arms slicing through the water, toward Miss Kingman. He pulled her above the surface and began to drag her toward the dock. She worked to keep her head up as he swam.
When they were almost to the dock and Violet felt as if her entire body was encased in ice, a boat came toward her. “Nearly there, Lady Pendleton!”
The Duke of Romsey rowed toward her. He came alongside the boat she clung to, trapping her between the boats. He came off the seat and sat down in the middle of the boat. “We must be careful not to capsize. I’m going to lift you. But I need you to turn and let go of the boat.”
Violet knew she would drop like a stone as soon as she let go. “I’ll sink.”
“You won’t.” He grabbed the back of the neck of her gown, startling her. “I’ve got you. Ready?” At her nod, he said, “Let go!”
She did as he instructed and relinquished her grip. She tried to turn, but she could barely move her legs in the weight of her skirts. And she was so cold.
Nevertheless, she left the water as he pulled her up over the side of the boat. He dragged her inside, and she collapsed on top of him, her back to his front.
