The Secret Mother. Lee Wilkinson
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all, it’s what I’m being paid for.’
‘At the moment you’re being paid to learn to swim.’ His tone was uncompromising. ‘If you want to stay in the shallow end and try another width or two before you get changed, I’ll be back shortly.’
Despite the painful memories that had crowded in, just that one awkward width had brought back all her old delight in the sport. She longed to try a really fast crawl, to feel again the marvellous sensation of cleaving effortlessly through the water.
Instead, she was doing graceful but slow widths when she heard a shout and, looking towards the diving basin, saw a young boy standing on the edge peering into the water.
It was clear that something was amiss. The blonde who had previously been supervising the youngsters was nowhere to be seen, and no one else was near.
Caroline completed the width at racing speed and, hauling herself out of the pool, ran to the boy. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s my brother...’ he blubbered. ‘She wouldn’t let him dive from the top board, so when she’d gone he sneaked back. I think he’s hurt himself, and I don’t swim too good...’ The words tumbled over each other.
Caroline took a deep breath and dived in, neatly and cleanly. A boy of about nine or ten was just struggling to the surface, choking and gasping.
Seizing hold of him, she instructed tersely, ‘Lie on your back.’
He obeyed, and with a hand beneath his chin she towed him to the side. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked, when she’d helped him out.
‘Just winded,’ he muttered. ‘But Mom will sure give me hell when she hears about it.’
‘Don’t you think you’ve earned a telling off? It was a silly thing to do. You could have been badly hurt.’
‘Guess so,’ he admitted ruefully.
Taking pity at his woebegone face, she added, ‘But I don’t suppose your mother will be angry for long. She’ll be only too pleased you’re all right.’
A couple of older boys appeared on the scene. ‘Hi, Vincy, you okay?’ one asked.
And then the other suggested, ‘Want to go down the flume?’
Seeing she was no longer needed, Caroline turned to make her way to the cabin where she’d left her clothes.
At first she could see no sign of Matthew, and she was just drawing a breath of relief when she noticed him standing on the balcony, his eyes fixed on her.
How long had he been there? If he’d seen what had happened he would know she’d lied about not being able to swim.
He descended the steps and came towards her with a long, somehow menacing stride. She was standing tense, waiting for the axe to fall, when he said casually, ‘At first I couldn’t see you. I thought you might have gone to get changed.’
Bending her head, so he wouldn’t see her face, she said, ‘I’m just on my way.’ Then she added hastily, ‘Is Caitlin all right?’
‘Happy as a sandboy. I asked her if she wanted to come and have lunch with us, but she preferred to stay and enjoy an indoor picnic with the others.’
‘Oh...’ Though part of her wanted to be alone with Matthew, she knew only too well how hazardous it could be, how many pitfalls she might encounter.
‘As we are on our own,’ Matthew went on smoothly, ‘I suggest we drive along the Skyline Parkway and do some sightseeing.’
‘Will we be able to?’
‘Oh, yes. There are quite a few houses up there, so it’s a road that’s usually kept ploughed. Though it’s not particularly high, you’ll find the views from the ridge breathtaking. We can stop on the way for a spot of lunch at Sky Windows.’
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