drowned them. The realization left her numb, as cold and unfeeling as the river beneath her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized what a sight she must be, sitting on a ruined buggy in the middle of a river in naught but her wet underthings. It would certainly be the talk of Oxford if someone found her.
She put her hand against the cold metal, intending to push herself back on her feet. Her palm slipped, and she found herself lying on her side. A breath of wind made her shiver. She needed to get up, to go back into town for help, and she would. Just not yet.
"Hallo! Are you all right up there?"
Victoria's eyes snapped open. Where was she?
"Miss? Can you hear me?"
Maybe they were talking to her. It would be polite to answer. She opened her mouth to speak, but she could only produce a hoarse croak. Stiff with cold, her arms creaked in protest as she forced herself upright. Blinking away the haze of sleep, she looked around for the speaker.
There, on the riverbank: a shadow was holding a lantern in one hand. The yellow light sent a thrill of fear through her body, and her eyes snapped wide open. Her legs were under her in an instant, ready to fight, ready to run.
"You're awake," the shadow said. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Victoria swallowed. The monsters hadn't talked to her before. "Um..." she managed, her voice thin.
"I'm sorry?"
"There was an accident," she said.
"I can bloody well see that," the man said. "Are you all right?"
She felt along her own body, hands burning with the cold. "I think so. A bit chilly, though." She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly remembering that she had left her dress on the riverbank.
"What's your name?"
"Victoria." Was that all of it? "Victoria Dawes."
"Henry's girl?" The shadow lifted its lantern higher, letting her see the outline of its face. "It's me, Edward Brown. Do you remember me?"
"I can't see you," she replied, "and anyway, my father's dead."
The lantern twitched to one side. "I beg your pardon?"
"Yes, he and my mother both," Victoria heard herself say the words, but she couldn't understand what they meant. "They drowned."
"Here?" The shadow named Edward pointed toward the half-sunken buggy. "Are they still inside?"
"Yes. I tried to pull them out, but I couldn't. I never was a very good swimmer, and it's so cold."
"Good heavens," Edward said. "Did this just happen?"
Victoria's forehead wrinkled. "Not too long ago. I've been here for a little while." Her voice sounded dull and leaden in her ears.
"Can you come down? You must be frozen half to death."
"I'll try." She stood up. The buggy shifted beneath her, and she nearly fell.
"For God's sake, do be careful," Edward said. "Here, let me help you." The shadow's feet splashed into the shallow water. It came on until the water rose to its waist, then held out a hand. "Climb on down, my dear. I'll help you back home."
"That would be nice," Victoria said, grabbing ahold of a wheel and lowering herself down. "I think I'd like to sit by the fire for a moment."
"You can do just that, I promise. We'll make one nice and big for you."
Victoria gasped as she lowered a leg into the water. The touch of the icy river jolted her out of her stupor. Sud denly, she could feel her parents' hands reaching out for her from inside the buggy. They needed her help, and she was just going to leave them behind.
"Oh my God! They're still in there!" She pounded on the side of the buggy and heard a knock in reply. "Did you hear that?"
"That was just the echo, love."
She stared at him. Had there been an echo before? She couldn't remember. But if there hadn't been one, her parents must really be dead. Now she was alone in the world: no parents, no husband, no siblings. Only a few family friends who certainly couldn't take her in. How would she make her way?
What strength she had left abandoned her, and her legs threatened to drop her down into the inky water. Maybe it would be better that way. She could join her
She put her hand against the cold metal, intending to push herself back on her feet. Her palm slipped, and she found herself lying on her side. A breath of wind made her shiver. She needed to get up, to go back into town for help, and she would. Just not yet.
"Hallo! Are you all right up there?"
Victoria's eyes snapped open. Where was she?
"Miss? Can you hear me?"
Maybe they were talking to her. It would be polite to answer. She opened her mouth to speak, but she could only produce a hoarse croak. Stiff with cold, her arms creaked in protest as she forced herself upright. Blinking away the haze of sleep, she looked around for the speaker.
There, on the riverbank: a shadow was holding a lantern in one hand. The yellow light sent a thrill of fear through her body, and her eyes snapped wide open. Her legs were under her in an instant, ready to fight, ready to run.
"You're awake," the shadow said. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Victoria swallowed. The monsters hadn't talked to her before. "Um..." she managed, her voice thin.
"I'm sorry?"
"There was an accident," she said.
"I can bloody well see that," the man said. "Are you all right?"
She felt along her own body, hands burning with the cold. "I think so. A bit chilly, though." She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly remembering that she had left her dress on the riverbank.
"What's your name?"
"Victoria." Was that all of it? "Victoria Dawes."
"Henry's girl?" The shadow lifted its lantern higher, letting her see the outline of its face. "It's me, Edward Brown. Do you remember me?"
"I can't see you," she replied, "and anyway, my father's dead."
The lantern twitched to one side. "I beg your pardon?"
"Yes, he and my mother both," Victoria heard herself say the words, but she couldn't understand what they meant. "They drowned."
"Here?" The shadow named Edward pointed toward the half-sunken buggy. "Are they still inside?"
"Yes. I tried to pull them out, but I couldn't. I never was a very good swimmer, and it's so cold."
"Good heavens," Edward said. "Did this just happen?"
Victoria's forehead wrinkled. "Not too long ago. I've been here for a little while." Her voice sounded dull and leaden in her ears.
"Can you come down? You must be frozen half to death."
"I'll try." She stood up. The buggy shifted beneath her, and she nearly fell.
"For God's sake, do be careful," Edward said. "Here, let me help you." The shadow's feet splashed into the shallow water. It came on until the water rose to its waist, then held out a hand. "Climb on down, my dear. I'll help you back home."
"That would be nice," Victoria said, grabbing ahold of a wheel and lowering herself down. "I think I'd like to sit by the fire for a moment."
"You can do just that, I promise. We'll make one nice and big for you."
Victoria gasped as she lowered a leg into the water. The touch of the icy river jolted her out of her stupor. Sud denly, she could feel her parents' hands reaching out for her from inside the buggy. They needed her help, and she was just going to leave them behind.
"Oh my God! They're still in there!" She pounded on the side of the buggy and heard a knock in reply. "Did you hear that?"
"That was just the echo, love."
She stared at him. Had there been an echo before? She couldn't remember. But if there hadn't been one, her parents must really be dead. Now she was alone in the world: no parents, no husband, no siblings. Only a few family friends who certainly couldn't take her in. How would she make her way?
What strength she had left abandoned her, and her legs threatened to drop her down into the inky water. Maybe it would be better that way. She could join her
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