he is accustomed to you both.’
They nodded solemnly. ‘We will do that, won’t we Tom? Are you going now? Your carriage isn’t ready yet.’
‘I have decided not to leave until Sultan is sound. I’m going down to the lake, would you like to come with me? I notice that there is a rowing boat and punt in the boathouse. I thought we could try one out together. But first you must inform your nursemaid. Remember, you must never go near the water on your own, even when you can both swim properly.’
They trotted off obediently and he heard them talking to the nursemaid, moments later they reappeared with her. ‘I beg your pardon, my lord, but are you quite sure you want to go boating with these two little rascals?’
‘I am quite sure, thank you. However, it might be wise if you accompanied us just in case you are needed.’
The girl looked relieved to be included in this jaunt and he didn’t blame her. He was probably the last person she would wish to trust her precious charges with. He glanced at his smart apparel. ‘Boys, I think we need to change into something that won’t matter if it gets wet. If I remember correctly, the last time I was in a boat I returned extremely damp.’
There was no argument on this point and they scampered off to change leaving him to follow at a more stately pace. The boys would wait on the terrace if they were ready before him and vice versa. Ellis, his valet, wisely made no comment when he was asked to find garments that would not be ruined if immersed in lake water.
His appearance on the terrace in bare feet and shirtsleeves sent the children into fits of giggles. Immediately they sat down and stripped off their own stockings, boots and waistcoats. ‘Now, lads, are you ready for your adventure?’
They frolicked around him like a pair of overeager puppies, asking innumerable questions for which there were no sensible answers. What had possessed him to suggest this activity? He would have been better off taking them for a sedate walk through the woods.
It was cool and dark inside the boathouse, but light enough to see that the punt looked in better shape than the rowing boat. ‘Right, the punt it is. Jump in, boys – no – let me rephrase that. Climb in very carefully, I have no wish for you to fall out so early in this escapade.’
He steadied the punt with one hand and with the other carefully guided each child into the centre of the boat where they sat, quivering with excitement, on the slightly damp, and mouldy, plush cushions.
Tom screwed up his face in puzzlement. ‘How does this boat go, sir? Where are the sticky out things you have to pull and push to make it move?’
Gideon held up the punt pole. ‘There are no oars, young man, I stand on this flat piece here and push us along with the pole.’ They both looked unconvinced at his explanation. ‘You will understand once we are under way. Hold tight, I cannot use it in here, I must move the punt out of the boathouse and then climb in myself.’
After a great deal of shoving and pushing he eventually succeeded in his task and carefully placed the long pole along the edge of the punt and scrambled onto the small, wooden deck at the stern of the boat.
The boys were sitting facing him and so far were quite dry. He doubted that would last for much longer as he had not propelled a punt since his time at Oxford – and even then he had been the least proficient of his cronies.
‘Right, I think we are finally ready to attempt to cross the lake. We must brave the shark infested waters and pray we reach the island before we are capsized and eaten.’
He expected them to join in the play acting but for some extraordinary reason the boys believed what he said, even though they had been swimming quite safely in the water just the day before.
Before he could prevent it both of them jumped to their feet and attempted to climb onto the bank. The punt rocked alarmingly and the gap between the side and the bank got wider.
They nodded solemnly. ‘We will do that, won’t we Tom? Are you going now? Your carriage isn’t ready yet.’
‘I have decided not to leave until Sultan is sound. I’m going down to the lake, would you like to come with me? I notice that there is a rowing boat and punt in the boathouse. I thought we could try one out together. But first you must inform your nursemaid. Remember, you must never go near the water on your own, even when you can both swim properly.’
They trotted off obediently and he heard them talking to the nursemaid, moments later they reappeared with her. ‘I beg your pardon, my lord, but are you quite sure you want to go boating with these two little rascals?’
‘I am quite sure, thank you. However, it might be wise if you accompanied us just in case you are needed.’
The girl looked relieved to be included in this jaunt and he didn’t blame her. He was probably the last person she would wish to trust her precious charges with. He glanced at his smart apparel. ‘Boys, I think we need to change into something that won’t matter if it gets wet. If I remember correctly, the last time I was in a boat I returned extremely damp.’
There was no argument on this point and they scampered off to change leaving him to follow at a more stately pace. The boys would wait on the terrace if they were ready before him and vice versa. Ellis, his valet, wisely made no comment when he was asked to find garments that would not be ruined if immersed in lake water.
His appearance on the terrace in bare feet and shirtsleeves sent the children into fits of giggles. Immediately they sat down and stripped off their own stockings, boots and waistcoats. ‘Now, lads, are you ready for your adventure?’
They frolicked around him like a pair of overeager puppies, asking innumerable questions for which there were no sensible answers. What had possessed him to suggest this activity? He would have been better off taking them for a sedate walk through the woods.
It was cool and dark inside the boathouse, but light enough to see that the punt looked in better shape than the rowing boat. ‘Right, the punt it is. Jump in, boys – no – let me rephrase that. Climb in very carefully, I have no wish for you to fall out so early in this escapade.’
He steadied the punt with one hand and with the other carefully guided each child into the centre of the boat where they sat, quivering with excitement, on the slightly damp, and mouldy, plush cushions.
Tom screwed up his face in puzzlement. ‘How does this boat go, sir? Where are the sticky out things you have to pull and push to make it move?’
Gideon held up the punt pole. ‘There are no oars, young man, I stand on this flat piece here and push us along with the pole.’ They both looked unconvinced at his explanation. ‘You will understand once we are under way. Hold tight, I cannot use it in here, I must move the punt out of the boathouse and then climb in myself.’
After a great deal of shoving and pushing he eventually succeeded in his task and carefully placed the long pole along the edge of the punt and scrambled onto the small, wooden deck at the stern of the boat.
The boys were sitting facing him and so far were quite dry. He doubted that would last for much longer as he had not propelled a punt since his time at Oxford – and even then he had been the least proficient of his cronies.
‘Right, I think we are finally ready to attempt to cross the lake. We must brave the shark infested waters and pray we reach the island before we are capsized and eaten.’
He expected them to join in the play acting but for some extraordinary reason the boys believed what he said, even though they had been swimming quite safely in the water just the day before.
Before he could prevent it both of them jumped to their feet and attempted to climb onto the bank. The punt rocked alarmingly and the gap between the side and the bank got wider.
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