I heard the ocean before I saw it. Seagulls cawed left and right, even swooping over our heads. One nearly snatched my bonnet and I cried out in delight. How exciting! I'd always hated the thing anyway.
Untying the ribbon from around my neck, I also removed the horrible shoes and peeled off my stockings. I handled the whole bundle to my scandalized older brother.
"What on earth are you doing?!"
"Enjoying myself," I retorted. "Sweet Percy, watch my things for me, I'm going to go wade in the ocean!"
"Catherine!" he called out but made no move to stop me.
Perhaps he was curious about what I would do. Or he felt guilty about my wings being clipped in the near future by our mother. Whatever the reason, he let me go.
I undid the pins in my hair and let the waist-length locks fly free around my head in the ocean breeze. The salty air smelled fantastic to me after being stuck in that carriage with the ice people.
