Free Matilda's Freedom by Tea Cooper

locked in his study or with his mother. Matilda would have happily spent more time in Kit’s easy company, but she had to continually remind herself of her position within the household.
    ‘I am indescribably hot,’ Beth complained, wiping the palm of her hand across her forehead.
    Hannah tossed her head. ‘I expect it is because you insisted on dressing in those ridiculous breeches all day. You would be much cooler in a dress.’
    ‘Nonsense.’ Beth lifted herself from her seat on the veranda and stood next to her sister’s chair, tilting her chin. ‘You wear breeches.’
    ‘I admit I do wear them now for riding. I can see the sense in it, but I do not lounge around all day in men’s clothing. Ladies’ attire is cooler.’
    Beth stepped closer and ran her finger across her sister’s damp forehead. ‘You are just as hot as I am,’ she said triumphantly. ‘It has nothing to do with clothing, just the temperature,’
    ‘Stop complaining. There’s not very much either of us can do about it, other than go and lie down in a shady room.’
    Matilda agreed with Hannah—the heat was getting to them all. The unexpected burst of warmth lay trapped in the valley; it was still and humid, and felt more like the middle of summer. If she had been at home, she would have sneaked away to the bend in the river for a swim, or maybe caught a fish or two and brought it home to cook over the fire with her father. Then they’d sit in the cool of the evening and eat on the veranda in peace and quiet and with comfortable company. No stuffy drawing room, napkins or silverware.
    ‘Why don’t we go down to the creek for a swim?’ The words were out of her mouth before she’d thought of the consequences, and it was too late to take them back.
    ‘A swim?’ Beth’s voice reached a ridiculously high pitch as she leaped to her feet, the nagging annoyance of the heat forgotten in her excitement. ‘I’ve never been swimming!’ She jumped up and down in front of her sister. ‘Come on, Hannah. What do you think? Just imagine the cool water. Oh! It would be bliss.’
    ‘I don’t think Mother or Kit would allow it,’ said Hannah.
    ‘Well, we don’t have to tell them. We can just go down there.’ Beth’s hands landed on her hips. ‘We don’t have to swim properly, just paddle our feet in the water. Oh, Hannah, come on. It will be fun.’
    Temptation blossomed in Hannah’s eyes and in the half-hidden grin on her face. ‘We mustn’t tell Mama, or Kit.’
    ‘In that case I don’t think we should go,’ Matilda said, striving to be responsible.
    ‘Mama is resting and would hate it if we disturbed her, and Kit is locked in his study with his accounts.’ Beth jiggled around on the sandstone veranda, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ‘We could tell them afterwards, and then we wouldn’t have been irresponsible.’
    The hopeful look on Beth’s face proved to be Matilda’s undoing. After all, Kit had told her she was accountable for the girls’ wellbeing during the day.
    She made a snap decision. ‘We’ll ride over to the creek. We won’t swim, but we will dangle our feet in the water and see if we can find a suitable swimming hole for another time.’
    Feeling pleased with her sensible compromise, she stood up and brushed her damp hands on her breeches. ‘Hannah, you’ll need to go and change if you would like to come with us. You’ll chafe your legs if you ride astride in a dress.’
    ‘Of course I’m coming with you.’ Hannah flew through the doors and headed for the bedroom she and Beth shared. ‘I’ll see you in the stables.’
    ‘Jimmy?’
    ‘Yes, Miss Matilda. I’m here.’
    ‘We’re going down to the creek to see if we can find a suitable swimming hole, so we need you to resaddle the horses. I was also wondering if you had any stockmen’s hats around that we could borrow. The girls need to keep their faces out of the sun.’
    He crooked his finger and led Matilda around to the tack room. Then he