AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We tested it. It exploded.”
Her face paled beneath her golden freckles. “Was anyone hurt?”
“Was there a loud boom?” asked Michel.
“Very loud,” said Edgar, “but no one was hurt. My engineer thought I needed a holiday, so I jumped in a carriage, stayed overnight at the inn in Wickford, and here I am.” He grinned at the children. “Are you having fun?”
Adele bounced on her heels. “We’re glad you came, Father. We have so much to show you. Just today we’ve already found sea urchins, and sea stars and semi-precious stones—”
“And we built sand castles and rolled in the sand and Miss Perkins said we could eat oysters tonight,” said Michel in a rush.
“They have sand in their ears, I’m afraid,” said Mari.
“We have sandeverywhere,” answered Michel proudly, shaking one of his legs and watching the sand pour out of the leg of his trousers.
Edgar laughed to see them so happy and excited. He mussed Michel’s hair. “I brought you something.”
“What is it?” asked Michel.
Edgar walked back to the rock outcropping and retrieved the kite he’d brought. “This is the same kind of kite that I used to fly here, on this very beach, when I was your age.” He held up the green kite he’d purchased from Lumley’s on his way out of London.
“It’s a beauty,” said Michel, touching the green silk stretched across the lightweight wood frame.
“What shape is a kite, children?” asked Mari.
Adele frowned. “It’s not a diamond. Which means it’s not a rhombus.”
“Very good,” said Edgar, impressed.
“It looks like the same shape as the scales on Trix’s back,” observed Michel.
“Quite right.” Mari nodded. “It’s a quadrilateral but the equal-length sides are adjacent. When we return to London we’ll take the kite’s measurements.”
“For now, why don’t we just go fly it?” suggested Edgar, with a grin.
Mari smiled. “A splendid idea.”
“Now then.” Edgar handed the spool of twine to Michel. “Stand with your back to the wind.” He positioned his shoulders. “Hold it by the bridle point.” He demonstrated and Michel followed. “Now let out the line!”
The kite caught in the wind, lifting easily, and Edgar showed Michel how to pull on the line to make the kite climb higher.
They all walked along the beach, the kite soaring and dipping ahead of them.
A strange feeling soared inside Edgar. Something simple and effortless.
He was happy, he realized.
He hadn’t been happy in a very long time.
He walked ahead, with Michel and the kite, but he was as connected to Mari as if they stood hand in hand, breathing in the same rhythmic cycle. “What’s this?” he asked, glancing down at the crooked letters scrawled across the damp sand. “Edgar and Mari.” With a wavering heart drawn around the whole thing.
Mari caught up, wiping at the letters with the toe of her boot. “It’s nothing. The children wanted to know our names.”
“I drew the heart,” called Michel over his shoulder as he tripped along the beach behind the kite.
Edgar caught up with him. “Why did you draw the heart?”
Mari and Adele fell behind, examining something in a tide pool.
