Chapter Two
Phryne broke into a run, hampered only by the softness of the sand and the loose fit of her garments. Impatiently, she stopped, kicked off the sandals and dragged the dress over her head and flung it to the ground. She then started a full-on sprint to the water's edge.
Once she got there, though, she hesitated in internal debate. Instead of shouting at the other woman, she followed her at a normal pace, gradually catching up as her more encumbered quarry started to stumble through the shallows. By the time she was up to her waist, Phryne was swimming a steady breast stroke alongside her.
"Hello," she said in a calm, friendly style. "I'm Phryne. What's your name?"
"Go away," said the other woman harshly. Phryne could now see that she was quite young – certainly not yet twenty – and passably pretty, with long blond hair hanging loose around an oval face marred by tearstains.
"No, I'm not going to do that," said Phryne, gently. "I'm here to swim, so I'm going to carry on doing so."
The girl glanced at her, confused and angry. "Can't you just leave me alone?"
"Afraid not," said Phryne simply. "Sorry. It's just that if you carry on walking into the water wearing all those clothes, you'll probably end up sinking and drowning, which is going to be terribly embarrassing for me because I'll have to admit I watched you do it. I don't suppose you'd come back to the beach for a minute and chat about it?"
"No …." the girl muttered. "You don't understand. You couldn't possibly understand."
"Try me," offered Phryne. "I'm generally regarded as unshockable. It wouldn't be a man, would it, by any chance?"
The girl glared at her.
"I'll take that as a 'yes', then," remarked Phryne. "In that case, we're definitely going back to the shore, right now. Come on. There are a few men in this world who are worth a great deal of trouble but I can guarantee that the one that's brought you to a position waist-deep in sea water in that nice frock is not one of them."
She drew her feet under her, and stood. She held out her hand in a friendly way.
"Come on."
The girl hesitated, and took the hand offered, and they walked together back to the beach.
As they reached the sand again, Phryne took a sideways glance at her companion and decided to risk a further test.
"I don't know about you, but I'd love a cup of tea while we chat. My house is that one over there, can we go and get warm?"
Her reward was a vague nod, and so she grabbed her dress and slung it over her shoulder, pushing her feet into her sandals as though it was the most normal thing in the world for two women to wander the strand in St Kilda, one in a soaked dress and the other in nothing more than a swimsuit, holding hands.
Aunt Prudence would have a field day, she reflected wryly.
When they arrived at 221B the rest of the household was stirring, and the door was opened without her needing to ring the bell. There stood her new maid, Lin Soo, dressed in her smart uniform of black dress with mandarin collar.
"Good morning, Soo," said Phryne politely, with a slight wink to allay any concerns Soo was highly unlikely to have been entertaining at her mistress turning up with a half-soaked stranger in hand.
"My friend and I would like some tea, but first I think we both need a hot bath."
"Yes, Miss," said Soo with a smile. "Your bath is ready, and when I saw you approach, I took the liberty of running one also in the guest bathroom, in case it should be needed."
"Excellent, thank you," said Phryne warmly, and turned to her as-yet-nameless foundling.
"Soo is my maid, and will look after you. Soo, please find our guest a frock to put on while hers is laundered, and some shoes – I think Jane may be able to lend her something?"
Soo led the girl away, who now appeared to have entered an almost trance-like unresisting state. Phryne bathed herself and turned her wardrobe upside-down for the most unthreatening ensemble she could find.
Arrayed in blameless navy, she was seated at the dining table with a newspaper and a suitably prosaic cup of tea (oh, for a coffee!) before her when Soo brought the girl back downstairs, now dressed in one of Jane's plainer day-dresses and sandals, hair freshly and carefully washed.
Nodding dismissal to the maid, Phryne poured tea.
"Here you are … I'm sorry, I'm so silly, I still don't know your name! You must think me very strange."
The girl gave her a clear gaze.
"My name's Ellie, and the only strange thing is that you've been so kind, Miss. People aren't, usually."
Phryne shrugged. "I'm glad to have got you out of the water, that's all – especially if there was a man at the bottom of the problem."
She raised an eyebrow at Ellie. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes," said the girl bluntly. "I'm expecting."