Salt stung her eyes and she began to sink. Her skirt and petticoat, heavier by the second, ballooned about her. This was the end! The end!
Darkness began to descend on her mind –
Two arms reached down through the water. Two arms clasped themselves firmly about her waist. Two arms – tender, strong and determined – drew her barely conscious from the greedy embrace of the sea.
*
A soft wind sang in the chimney at ‘Paragon.’ Eugenia held out her hands to the flames. She was not cold but the dancing fire seemed to draw her to its heart. Apart from the wind and the crackle of logs in the grate, the house was quiet. Beyond the windows, the treetops swayed gently to and fro but made no murmur. She was alone. Alone with her thoughts and they, alas, were unsettling company.
After her rescue f
