Sprung a Leak

Prompt: Mildred Allard and Lee Rabinovitz meet on a lake. One of them is pretending to be someone else. Write their story.

Source: creativewritingprompts.com

Response: Sprung a Leak

Lee could feel the individual muscles of his arms moving as he rowed. It made him smile, then strain, as he pulled another stroke. His shirt sleeve tightened across his bicep with a gentle cut and he smiled again.

The sun beat down, stirring the cool air with long, blazing fingers; bouncing star-shaped balls of light from the lake's undulating surface.

He took a deep, nourishing breath of the heavy air. That's when he was jolted from his seat.

Turning, Lee came face-to-face with Mildred Allard. She had been rowing herself across the lake in the opposite direction, her sleeves rolled up and her legs braced against the sides of the boat in the most improper way, her parasol tucked under her seat.

She had not been noticing the weather or the sensation of rowing - Mildred was hiding. She had hoped to find a safe, quiet spot on the lake's opposite bank to cower in for a while until her school mistress stopped looking for her.

Lee was instantly stuck by the soft features of the girl before him. He thought she must be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen - it so distracted him that he was not even concerned with any damage done to his boat.

Mildred was instantly struck by Lee's simple look and strong, lean body. He would know a hiding place, she was sure - a place far too earthy for her mistress to ever suspect. She tucked a dark curl behind her ear, highly conscious of the sweat beading her brow.

"Are you all right?" Lee finally asked.

"I am fine, thank you," she replied.

"I am Lee Rabinovitz - I live on the manor grounds." He held out a hand to her.

"Mildred Allard." She decided against telling him she went to St. Joan's - it could only cause complications.

Lee thought that the girl's name sounded somewhat familiar, but he put the thought from his mind. He would do whatever the lovely Mildred Allard asked of him.

Mildred smiled and fluttered her eyelashes a little. "I am so sorry - I ought to be more careful."

Lee, of course, protested that assertion and put himself at blame. They spoke and Mildred moved closer and Lee fell into her warm brown eyes. Neither of them noticed that Lee's sturdy boat had sprung a leak - too intent on their own motivations.