If Jacob looked up and out across into the water he would see a very wet Alexandra looking at him in surprise.

Alex had been at the beach, having stunk out of the house. Father and the witch had taken the youngest children and had gone a trip to the next town over for the week. Alexandra had been banned from going after her last outburst at the dinner table, although that had been her plan the whole time. The ladies-maids had gone with the rest of her family leaving the head of the house in charge of Alex, and the old bat wouldn't notice she was gone unless she was late for dinner.

Going for a swim hadn't been her plan at all, she simply had stepped in to cool down her feet. Then a wave had come and seeped her in, and Alex decided to go with it. She wasn't sure how far down the beach she now was, and had been very surprised to hear a shriek, even more so to see a man bringing himself into an upright position.