Chapter 2
Chapter Two
“I think someone is heading this way!” Ava whispered urgently.
Sariah told herself not to look in the direction Ava’s gaze had wandered, but she could not resist the temptation to do so.
She turned her head and indeed, it did seem as though three gentlemen were striding in their direction.
They seemed handsome enough and certainly carried themselves with enough arrogance to fill a London ballroom, but it was their lax state of dress that made her brow lift curiously.
They were completely at ease, unconcerned that they were not completely presentable to approach a lady.
She wanted to applaud their daring, but her focus found itself drifting past the trio and rising farther along the embankment.
That was where her gaze finally paused.
This man was not like the others. He held himself aloof, choosing to remain as a lone wolf among the rest of his pack.
She was curious why that was, because something told her that his heart was not otherwise engaged, and likely never would be.
His light hair was tousled in the mild wind and he lounged upon the grass as if he were posing for an illicit portrait.
He was too far away for her to see much about his expression, but something told her he was unamused with the day, more concerned about his own personal desires than anything that might be taking place around him.
He was like a fallen angel, descended upon the earth for a brief time, allowing his magnificence to touch those around him.
Very interesting, indeed.
“Delightful day for a swim, is it not?”
Sariah barely engaged with what one of the men said as the trio finally reached them.
She was too intent on finding a way to approach the enigmatic Adonis resting on his palace of nature.
“Excuse me,” she murmured, not bothering to wonder if she had interrupted anyone or not as she disengaged herself from the rest of her group and headed for the pond.
There was starting to be quite a crowd gathering to enjoy the refreshing water and Sariah yearned to join in the merriment. But first, she had a Greek God to conquer.
She was careful to make her way around the water’s edge and act as though she had no particular destination in mind, while edging steadily closer to her Adonis.
She dared not lift her gaze and make direct eye contact for he would surely see through her intent.
She must take it slow and easy, for although he appeared calm and composed, she was not na?ve enough to believe that he wasn’t a dangerous threat.
Thankfully, she appreciated a good risk. It was the main reason she was there after all.
Unable to withstand the suspense any longer, Sariah finally glanced up and met the eyes of her quarry.
His focus was riveted on her.
She sucked in a breath, feeling as though her stays were suddenly too constricting.
“Look out!”
The warning came a split second too late.
Sariah turned her head toward the cautionary just as a young man came barreling in her direction.
He was running backwards at a full hilt, attempting to catch a ball flying through the air.
But neither of them was prepared for the abrupt collision.
They collided in an uncomfortable tangle, and while the assailant appeared to recover himself just in time, Sariah was not so fortunate.
Thrown off balance, she fell backward into the pond with a large splash, the water closing in on her from all sides.
Sariah tried not to panic as she struggled to gain her footing beneath her.
She had heard that the pond wasn’t particularly deep but neither did she account for the hindrance of skirts with extra material bunching about her legs and making it difficult to tread water.
Adding to that, her insistence that her maid should lace her stays tighter than usual, suddenly made it harder to breathe.
This could turn out to be a rather different day than she’d originally planned.
Quite despairing, indeed.
Struggling to remain calm and not panic, Sariah realized that she was beginning to fight a losing battle.
There were too many obstacles working against her.
She sliced her arms through the water, thinking that she could possibly just swim to a shallower section, but that was proving to be an impossible feat.
Her vision started to blur and what had turned out to be an exciting, fun-filled day was turning out to be one of horror. While she didn’t wish to die to get out of an unwanted marriage, it appeared that fate had other ideas.
She dared to open her mouth in a last attempt to call for help, but it did nothing except hasten the nightmare that was swiftly starting to descend upon her.
This was it.
The game was over before it had even begun.
Reed saw the tragic occurrence take place and sat up straighter as the woman went careening into the pond.
No one else seemed to take notice of the accident—but he had.
He sat poised, ready to spring into action, but he waited to see if she could handle herself.
She did not seem like a wilting wallflower who stood along the edges of a ballroom, waiting to be rescued.
He could sense strength and resilience in her.
And yet, she did not resurface.
Uttering a curse, Reed got up and moved closer to the water’s edge. There, he managed to glimpse the floating outline of a lady’s dress beneath the gentle waves.
She was not moving.
A sense of panic shot through him, the kind that he hadn’t experienced in many years.
He dove into the water and quickly wrapped his arms around her prone form.
He hastily climbed the stone steps and laid her upon the bank.
By this time, a sense of urgency had rippled through the crowd as spectators close by began to realize what had happened.
It would not be the first time that a tragedy had struck the pool, over time gaining it the pseudonym of the Perilous Pond.
It did not take long before a crowd began to gather around the woman lying still on the grass. She was not breathing.
Reed removed her sodden, straw bonnet and tossed it carelessly to the side. There was no saving it after this anyway. He moved a few wet strands of hair away from her face and he noticed how remarkably lovely she was up close.
He swiftly put those thoughts aside, however, as he focused on the urgency at hand. “I need a knife!” he shouted.
He rolled her onto her side and ripped her pink dress down to her waist. Another tragedy, but it must be done to prevent a larger one.
Someone offered a dagger in his line of sight and he took it without hesitation.
Several onlookers watched collectively as he sliced neatly through her back lacing stays.
Once the constriction had been released, she immediately inhaled a large gasp of air and began coughing up mouthfuls of water.
Reed didn’t realize he’d been holding his own breath until it finally expelled from his lungs in a relieved exhale, just as the crowd began to applaud his efforts.
“You saved her life!” someone proclaimed.
“A true English hero!” another announced.
The other two women he’d noticed standing with his dark-haired angel rushed over and bent down to inspect their friend. “Sariah!” the blonde said urgently. “Can you hear me?”
“I am not deaf,” she returned evenly. Thankfully, the crowd had begun to disperse now that the excitement was over.
Reed waited patiently for her to regain her surroundings. He was also pleasantly surprised to find that her eyes were a unique amber shade. Very striking, indeed.
As she moved to sit upright, she glanced down and saw that the front of her gown was no longer in place, but around her midsection in a miserable wad of pink.
With wide-eyed alarm, she quickly held the front of her ruined stays in place to keep her modesty in check.
“Was it necessary to destroy my clothes?” she snapped.
“Or not offer me your coat for propriety’s sake? ”
It took a moment for Reed to discern that she was addressing him. He should have known she was part of the nobility. That high handed demeanor could belong to no other.
What a pity.
He got to his feet and offered a mocking bow. “Forgive me for inconveniencing you, my lady.” He spread his arms wide. “As far as a jacket, I fear I did not think to grab it when I was saving your life.”
She blinked, as if just now comprehending the danger she had faced, but Reed noticed that it did not ease her sharp tongue. “While I do appreciate your assistance, sir, I would like to know how I am supposed to make myself presentable. A lady’s reputation is paramount, if you did not know.”
“And yet,” he drawled, mockery lacing his tone. “You are at a public swimming location without a proper chaperone, are you not?”
Her mouth immediately fell open, yet, no sound emerged—-at first. However, her silence was soon overcome by her anger.
With a disgruntled frown she said, “I shall not expect someone of your ruthless male understanding to sympathize with the sort of scrutiny that ladies must endure in society. I can assure you it is much more than you can ever hope to withstand.”
He crossed his arms, still dripping from his recent dip in the pond, which was starting to turn into something of an inconvenience.
He never imagined that he would gain a set down for his first heroic act.
Perhaps it was a good thing he hadn’t yet decided to completely disregard his disparaging ways.
“Then it is a good thing I am not inclined to acquiesce to society’s demands. ”