Although she had gone under several times, Claire had kept on moving her arms and leg in the water and had managed to hold her own. As soon as Laura pulled the branch nearer to her, Claire grabbed for it and hung on tightly.
So did Laura, who needed to catch her breath and rest for a few minutes. When she had recouped, she dived underwater, went down to the bottom of the river bed and slowly came up, swam closer to Claire to see what had happened.
Laura was frightened when she saw that Claire’s foot was caught in a roll of wire netting, part of which had unravelled. Claire’s sneaker was wedged in, entangled with the loose part of the netting. Laura attempted to free her foot, but she could not; nor could she get the sneaker off, try though she did. She floated up to the surface, took several big gulps of air and rested her arms on the branch.
Peering into Claire’s worried face, she said, ‘I’ll have to go and get Tom to help me.’
‘Don’t leave me,’ Claire whispered tremulously, sounding more nervous than ever.
‘I have to. Just don’t let go of that branch,’ Laura instructed and swam across to the river bank.
After hauling herself up out of the water, the girl pulled on her jeans and sneakers, and set off across the meadow. She ran at a good speed, heading for the farm’s compound of buildings in search of Tom. When he was nowhere to be found, and knowing there was no time to waste, Laura dashed into his tool shed, found a pair of garden scissors and headed back to the river. After undressing once more, Laura dived into the river, and swam over to Claire who still clung to the tree branch, looking scared.
Showing Claire the garden scissors, Laura explained, ‘I can’t find Tom. I’m going down, I’m going to cut your sneaker off.’
Claire nodded. She was shaking uncontrollably and goose bumps had sprung up all over her body from being too long in the cold water. Laura dived down into the river, but it was hard for her to reach Claire’s foot at first, and she had to try from various angles. Finally, she managed to manoeuvre her right hand and the garden scissors underneath the wire netting. Her first attempt to release the trapped foot was to cut up the front of the laces. She succeeded, but Claire’s foot would not come out of the sneaker; after struggling for a few seconds longer Laura had to rise to the surface to breathe in air.
Within minutes she dived down again. This time she cut each side of the sneaker, tugged at Claire’s ankle and finally freed her foot. Filled with relief, Laura swam up, flopped against the tree branch, holding onto it and resting, breathing in large gulps of air.
‘I’m sorry,’ Claire whispered. ‘Are you all right, Laura?’
Nodding, Laura continued to rest for a minute or two. Then reaching for Claire, she towed her back to the bank and dragged her up onto the grassy slope.
Both girls were dripping wet and shaking with cold. Although Laura was exhausted, she wasted no time, pulling on her jeans and sneakers swiftly. Supporting each other they made their way back to the house.
Once they reached the back door which led into the kitchen, Laura stopped, and stared at Claire intently. ‘Before we go in tell me what happened. How did you get in the river?’
Claire nodded and pushed back her wet hair. Her freckles stood out like dark blotches on her ashen face. ‘I was picking wild flowers and got too near the edge of the river, Laura. I suddenly slipped and rolled down the bank into the water. I was scared and I panicked, floundered. I just don’t know how I drifted into the middle of the river.’
‘Gran says that part of the river is dangerous because there’s some sort of current out there. But come on, you’re shaking.’
‘So are you,’ Claire said, her teeth chattering.
Fenice was the first person they saw as they stepped into the big family kitchen.
The housekeeper, tall, red-haired and colourful in her white Austrian blouse and floral dirndl skirt, swung around from the stove as they entered. She gasped out loud at the sight of them.
‘Good Lord! What happened to you two?’ she cried rushing towards them. ‘A couple of drowned rats, that’s how you both look!’ She saw they were cold and shaking, most especially Claire, and drew her closer to the big kitchen stove where she was cooking breakfast. Glancing at Laura, Fenice added, ‘Get some big towels out of the linen press in the back hall, please, Laura. I’m afraid Claire’s a bit worse off than you.’
‘Yes, I know she is,’ Laura said and ran and did as Fenice asked. She returned with an armful of large towels.
‘Come on, Claire, wrap yourself in this and let’s get you upstairs. You too, Laura. What you both need is a hot shower immediately.’
‘What happened? What’s going on?’ Megan Valiant asked from the doorway of the dining room which led directly into the kitchen.
‘Claire was picking flowers and she fell into the deep part of the river near the meadow,’ Laura explained quickly.
‘I would have drowned if Laura hadn’t fished me out,’ Claire interjected. ‘I’m sorry, Grandma Megan, for making trouble.’
Megan Morgan Valiant held herself very still, remembering…remembering another child, her grandson…Mervyn, who had drowned in the lake in Connecticut. She felt a chill run through her. But at once she pushed aside her memories, and stared at Claire. She was puzzled by the girl’s apology and by the way in which she seemed to cower next to Laura, as if seeking protection.
Hurrying across to the two girls huddled together near the big range, Megan looked them over quickly and said in a brisk tone, ‘Neither of you seem to be too much the worse for wear, but you’d better go upstairs and have a shower, as Fenice suggested. And Fenice, please put the kettle on, I think the girls need something hot to drink. Grandpa Owen’s miner’s tea, that’ll do the trick.’
‘No sooner said than done, Mrs V.’ Fenice went to get the kettle, filled it with water at the sink and put it on the stove.
‘Come on, Claire,’ Laura said, shepherding her friend out of the kitchen.
Megan followed the two young girls, still pondering Claire’s demeanour. No wonder she seems frightened, Megan thought, she’s had a terrible scare. Falling into the river must have terrified her, since she can’t swim. It struck Megan that Claire might well be suffering from shock, and she wondered whether to call the doctor. Perhaps Claire ought to be taken over there to see him. Laura also looked pale, and she was shivering, but otherwise there didn’t seem to be too much wrong with her granddaughter.
Climbing the stairs behind them, Megan remarked, ‘I see you lost a sneaker, Claire.’
‘It’s in the river, Gran,’ Laura said, glancing over her shoulder.
‘I see. Never mind, we’ll drive over to Kent later and buy you another pair, Claire.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Claire answered rapidly. ‘I have my sandals with me.’
‘Sneakers are useful in the country, comfortable, and they’ll be a gift from me,’ Megan told her as they reached the landing at the top of the stairs. ‘Now, girls, into the shower both of you.’
Claire hurried off to the blue-and-white bedroom where she always stayed, and Laura went into hers.
Megan followed her granddaughter, and once she had closed the door behind them she said, ‘Out of those wet clothes at once and into the shower, Laura. Later you can tell me exactly what happened.’