The Girl From Over the Sea Read Online Free Page A

It ’ s cold, cold. Give me Bondi Beach any day, ’ she muttered.
    The wind was certainly colder than Lesley had thought. She turned to look away from the sea. Trevendone village and Manor must be somewhere on their right behind that clump of trees in the far distance. She changed her mind about going there this morning. It was too far.
    ‘ Let ’ s go down on the beach, ’ she suggested now. ‘ We might get more shelter from this east wind and we can walk quite a distance on the sands now the tide is out. ’
    ‘ Goodo, ’ said Rick. ‘ Anywhere where it ’ s warmer. Rita, your face is blue and your nose is like a little red button. ’
    ‘ You don ’ t look all that glamorous yourself, ’ his sister retorted.
    ‘ Stop being childish, both of you, ’ Lesley ordered. ‘ Come on, there must be a way down, but don ’ t go too near the cliff edge. ’
    The twins followed her glumly, but she was glad they had stopped quarrelling. The sooner she got them to Trevendone Manor with their own people, the better.
    The descent to the beach wasn ’ t easy, but the two were surefooted, though Lesley, who had no head for heights, followed them more slowly, sighing with relief when she reached the bottom.
    ‘ You look pretty green now, Les, ’ the boy said critically. ‘ I still have the feeling that the lot of us might have been better staying put in New South Wales. ’
    ‘ We couldn ’ t. Do I have to remind you? ’ Lesley asked shortly. ‘ Where ’ s Dingo? ’
    ‘ He ’ s in the top class of the climbing school, ’ Rick chuckled. ‘ Didn ’ t you see him scooting down that path—if you can call it that. He was down ages before Rita and me. ’
    ‘ You said it would be warmer down here, ’ complained Rita. ‘ Ugh, this wind !’
    It was cold, but Lesley wasn ’ t going to admit it. ‘ Let ’ s have a race along the beach, ’ she suggested. ‘ This afternoon, we ’ ll go for a run to Trevendone. I ’ m disappointed we couldn ’ t see it from the cliffs just now. It must be beyond that headland which the sea is just clearing. Let ’ s go !’
    She began to run with quick lithe steps across the sands. The twins might have the edge on her when it came to heights, but not on the level. She threw them a backward glance. ‘ Come on! ’ she exhorted, racing towards the sea.
    Rick caught the excitement, gave a shout to which his twin responded with a shrill scream and they raced after the older girl. The occasion was too much for the mongrel pup, Dingo. He too took up the chase, barking hysterically as they all ran first to the edge of the waves and then towards the rocky point where a sandy passage had just been uncovered by the retreating tide.
    Now Lesley paused to let the twins catch up with her; the dog leaping at each one in turn and still barking. ‘ Stop it, yellow dog !’ Rick commanded, and threw a pebble towards the sea.
    ‘ Don ’ t encourage him to get wet ,’ Lesley warned, ‘ or we shall have a real performance drying him .’
    Dingo, who didn ’ t have a great deal of sense, had enough to pretend to hurl himself after the stone but come to a sudden halt directly his feet began to get wet.
    For a few minutes they walked along soberly and then as the wind whipped around them again, Leslie said, ‘ Look, we ’ ll just run to the point and turn back. I ’ ll give you a start and race you . ’
    The twins could never resist a challenge and in a second they were away with shouts and screams, the dog Dingo barking madly first at their rear and then well ahead of them as Lesley caught up and passed them.
    Now, like the dog, she felt intoxicated with the keen air and her own throbbing vitality. The twins were pounding behind, wasting breath and energy with their screams and shouts, which maddened the excited puppy even more.
    And so they arrived at the sandy passage between the rocks and the waves just at the moment when a rider came from the beach at the other side. Fortunately his