“I don’t need saving. But if you don’t let go, we’re both going to drown.”
A wave took that moment to crash over them, separating her from Oscar and sending her tumbling head over heels through the water. Just as her head broke the surface, a hand grabbed hold of her right arm and another hand grabbed hold of her left. Without the use of either arm, she began to sink but was hauled to the surface a moment later by someone who seemed intent on drowning her.
After expelling a mouthful of saltwater, she discovered Walter staring back at her, Clarence Higgenson bobbing in the sea beside him.
“Don’t fret, Miss Brinley. I’ve got you,” Clarence shouted, giving her a tug toward him, which sent her underwater again and caused water to go up her nose before her head broke the surface again.
“I’ve got her,” Walter countered.
“Neither of you need to get me,” she managed to get out before she spotted another wave about to crest overtop of them. “Duck.”
Unfortunately, as they ducked, neither gentleman released their hold on her, and finding herself suspended under the water the peculiar thought sprang to mind that she was in some odd version of tug-of-war, with one gentleman trying to swim with her to the left, while the other tried to swim to the right, which only resulted in them thrashing rather awkwardly about. By the time they kicked their way to the surface, she was almost out of air and not feeling charitable toward either gentleman.
“Let . . . go,” she demanded.
“Try to relax, Miss Brinley,” Clarence said, treading water beside her. “There’s no reason to put on a brave face or feel embarrassed you almost drowned. It was quite brave of you to go after Walter’s son when you’re not a good swimmer, but you’re impeding your rescue by talking so much.”
“Who said I’m not a good swimmer?”
“Mrs. Parker, right before she shouted that I needed to save you from a most unpleasant drowning.”
A watery snort was Gwendolyn’s first response to that before she turned to Walter, whose hair was covering most of his eyes but not covering his mouth, which to her vast annoyance was curved into a grin.
“This is not amusing,” she said, kicking her feet to remain afloat since the gentlemen were still holding fast to her arms.
“On the contrary, it’s humor at its finest since you attempted to save Oscar, who’s been swimming since he was three, who then fought you off, and then you found yourself in that same predicament.”
She stopped kicking, promptly sank, and then spit out another mouthful of water when the gentlemen hauled her above the waterline again. “Where is Oscar?”
“No need to worry,” Walter hastened to reassure her. “He swam past me as I was coming to your rescue and is already back on shore.” His eyes, oddly enough, began twinkling. “And while this hardly seems to be the moment to engage in conversation, I have a burning question I must ask.”
She blinked water out of her eyes. “You want to hold a conversation now, while we’re being buoyed about on the waves?”
“I know it’s hardly an ideal setting, but there are no ears to overhear what I’m about to ask you.”
“Mr. Higgenson has ears.”
Walter shot a glance to Clarence, who sent him a quirk of wet brows. “His ears aren’t the ones I’m worried about.”
Gwendolyn found herself sinking again, gave a kick of her legs, and then nodded. “Fine. Since it seems we’re not going to head for shore until you ask your question, ask away.”
“I knew underneath that intimidating demeanor of yours was a reasonable woman,” Walter began.
“I’m only reasonable when I’m not in danger of drowning, so please, get on with it before I sink again.”
It was less than amusing when Walter flashed her a smile. “You’re very prickly at times, but that was a good point, so tell me this. Do you believe Mrs. Parker deliberately misled Clarence—and myself, in turn, but only because I heard her calling out to Clarence that you couldn’t swim—or is there a remote possibility she really believed you were in danger of drowning?”
“You probably already know the answer to that.”
“Hmm” was all Walter said as he pulled her up and over a wave, Clarence going with them because he seemed intent on keeping hold of her other arm. “Should I assume she did that because of some harebrained notion that revolves around her matchmaking efforts?”
“Forgive me for interrupting,” Clarence said before Gwendolyn could respond, “but am I to understand that you, Miss Brinley, can swim and didn’t need rescuing?”
Gwendolyn nodded right as she took note of another wave about to crash over them. “Wave.”
Thankfully, both gentlemen had the presence of mind to finally release her, and not wanting to allow them another opportunity to unintentionally drown her, she darted off underwater. After riding a wave almost to the shoreline, she staggered to her feet, Walter joining her a second later. He took hold of her arm and steadied her before they moved through frothy surf swirling around their feet, Clarence materializing by her side before she made it to shore. He took hold of her other arm, quite as if he still wasn’t convinced she wasn’t in imminent danger of drowning.
Before she could shrug out of either gentleman’s hold, a rousing burst of applause erupted from the beach. Lifting her head, she discovered a crowd of Bailey’s Beach devotees cheering their departure from the water.
“Good show, Mr. Higgenson,” Mr. Russell Damrosch called.
“Excellent you were present today, Mr. Townsend,” another gentleman called.
“Is Miss Brinley alright?” Mrs. Parker shouted, catching Gwendolyn’s attention as well as a narrowing of an eye, something Mrs. Parker responded to by sending Gwendolyn a cheeky wink.
“That woman is a menace,” she muttered.
Clarence stopped walking. “You really weren’t in danger of drowning, were you?”
“I was only in danger of drowning after you and Mr. Townsend got ahold of me, Mr. Higgenson.”
“Please, call me Clarence. Formality seems somewhat absurd at this point.”
“And you must call me Walter as well,” Walter added.
She shoved a strand of dripping hair out of her eyes. “This is a very curious moment to be having this conversation, but fine. Since the two of you did almost drown me, I suppose it’s ridiculous to continue with expected decorum. You may both call me Gwendolyn, but you may not, as in ever, try to rescue me from drowning again.”
“But what if you’re actually drowning?” Clarence asked.
“I’ll take my chances.”
“Perfectly understandable,” Clarence said with a grin. “But since Walter and I seem to have been misled about the situation, would you like us to apprise the crowd still applauding us that we’re not heroes?”
Gwendolyn returned the grin. “I would hate to deprive either of you of your accolades, because you did have the best of intentions, even if you’d been misled by Mrs. Parker.” She leaned closer to Clarence. “However, because I’m willing to assume the unlikely role of damsel who was rescued from her distress to allow you your accolades, I will ask for something from you in return.”