“What?”

“The boat is sinking.”

“What?”

She pushed herself to her knees on the plank seat, and Anthony could see that a portion of her skirts was already wet. “The water’s coming in quickly.”

“Can you bail it out?”

“With what?” she asked, moving to one side.

“Row ashore,” he snapped. “Quickly!”

She took hold of the oars and attempted to maneuver the boat around so that she could row, but one of the oars became entangled in a lily pad.

Anthony took a step forward, ignoring the way his slippers sank into the mud. From his vantage on the bank, he could see how quickly the boat was lowering in the water, the bow less than inch from the surface. “Anna, I’m going to—”

The bow dipped beneath the water. Anna gave a startled yelp as it tilted quickly to one side. “Oh dear!” she gasped, dropping the oars and scrambling to the high end of the boat.

“Stop that!” Anthony snapped. But it was too late. The small skiff flipped over, its sole occupant tumbling with it. Before Anthony’s horrified gaze, his new governess disappeared beneath the water with an ear-piercing shriek.

“She said she can swim,” said a voice behind Anthony. The children had gathered on the bank and stood not two paces behind him.

The water churned as Miss Thraxton surfaced briefly, then disappeared once more, her wet skirts pulling her under. Anthony muttered a curse, kicked off his tasseled slippers, and yanked off his coat.

“Maybe she’s swimming under water?” Elizabeth offered.

Desford shot her a disgusted glance. Even he knew better than that.

The earl apparently thought the same, for he didn’t answer. He was already marching into the water, tossing his coat aside and muttering the whole while. “Damn that interfering woman! I warned her—” He dove beneath the surface.

Elizabeth stared at the spot where he disappeared. “I think he’s angry at Miss Thraxton.”

“I wouldn’t be happy about having to swim. It’s cold,” Desford said, trying to sound calm when his throat was curiously tight. “Just like a girl, to get into trouble doing the simplest thing.”

Elizabeth jutted her chin. “Miss Thraxton was trying to find the earl’s shoes, which we lost.”

“We didn’t lose his shoes,” Selena said, frowning in indignation. “I knew ’xactly where they were.” She looked at the pond with a speculative air. “Miss Thraxton probably has them with her now.”

Desford blew out his breath, his chest aching as the seconds passed. “Miss Thraxton is not getting the shoes. She’s drowning because her skirts are holding her down.”

Selena looked startled. “Will she die?”

“No,” Desford replied almost fiercely. His stomach hardened into a knot. He hadn’t meant for Miss Thraxton to be dunked in the water, but Greyley. Who would have known the governess would strike out on the pond without anyone with her?

The water by the boat churned. A red swath of hair appeared at the surface, followed by Miss Thraxton’s pale face. She gasped loudly as she broke free, a strand of lily pad tangled in her hair and dangling across her face.