“Look at her! Her father floated with the fish in the Thames, and now we have the Quinten duckling!”
Madeline wiped her eyes, trying her best to see more of the silhouettes of dresses and hats behind Rose. She probably should not have bothered.
“I think that is enough,” Lady Esther whispered, her amusement finally deflated. She took a few tentative steps toward the bank. “You have sent the message loud and clear, Rose. Her dress is ruined. But I do not believe you want her to catch her death.”
“Ah, do not be tedious, Esther!” Rose snapped. “It was just a bit of fun.”
To Madeline’s horror, she saw some gentlemen slowing down their horses. They must have noticed what was happening.
“It is no longer fun,” a young woman Madeline did not know added. “You went too far!”
“What? It is not as if something happened to her. It would help to remind her to stay in her place!”
“We need to leave,” Miss Anne said, looking pale as she looked left and right.
Rose finally understood how serious the situation was. Soon, the young ladies hurried to leave not only Madeline alone but also the tent entirely.
Somehow, Madeline recovered from the shock, trying to regain control of herself. Gasping for air, she swam to the nearest shore of the lake and reached for a branch to pull her toward the bank. The water was cold, but her humiliation ran so hot it dispelled all the chill.
Then, something hit her on her forehead. Another one came, making her realize that they were crusts of bread.
Oh, Lord. Now they are throwing food at me?
“I got a big duck, Alexander!” a child’s voice cheered.
Madeline froze where she was, her hand still gripping a muddy root. She looked up, expecting Rose and the rest of her supposed friends to look down on her. Instead, she saw two small figures, a boy and a girl, watching her with wide, curious eyes.
“Oh!” the girl exclaimed, her face looking apologetic. “You are not a duck, after all! I am so sorry, Miss. My brother wagered on who could catch a duck first.”
Madeline finally rose, although bogged down by her dress. She let out a shuddering breath, her smiles from earlier completely wiped from her face.
“I... I am not a duck. Unfortunately, also not a swan,” she mumbled.
“You look a little like a frog,” the boy, Alexander, said as he looked at her with a funny expression.
“Where is your governess?” Madeline demanded, as she attempted to wring as much water from her dress as she could. “Where are your parents?”
“Our mother abandoned us,” Alexander revealed, his lower lip wobbling slightly. “That is what Papa said.”
“Goodness! Did she leave you here?” Madeline was horrified.
“No, what my brother means... We are here for the ducks,” the girl explained, poking her brother in the arm as if she would rather not hear anything sad coming from him at this moment. “We hid in the carriage to follow our papa to see where he was going, but we lost him after arriving at the park.”
Madeline squinted her eyes at the two. Their clothes looked fine and expensive, but the coats were buttoned incorrectly, as if they had no one truly to care for them. Some children ended up with providers rather than carers.
“So, you are lost?” she asked.
The two nodded solemnly.
“Do not worry. I have a carriage,” Madeline offered, pointing at where it was waiting for her, together with other coaches. “I can take you home if you would give us directions. You will be safe with me.”
“You are quite kind for a lady who was just in the water,” Alexander declared, his eyes brightening.
“And for someone who got hit with bread,” his sister added.
“Are you a frog that turned into a princess?” asked the boy.
Madeline could not help but laugh. “You could say that I am a princess who turned into a frog. Now, follow me.”
