Such imagery was reminiscent of a couple deep in the throes of passionate love.
Howard Coleman stood by the railing, staring as the boat carrying Madeleine and Rusell Henris slowly drifted away, and only then did he seem to lose some of his strength. He took two steps back and sat on a stone bench nearby.
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An hour had passed when Madeleine and Andrew Henris returned from their boat ride and stepped onto the arch bridge.
Madeleine was wearing high heels, and she had been walking throughout the Summer Palace visit, which had grown tiring over time. The bridge had an incline, and due to the age of the Summer Palace's construction, some areas were uneven. Not paying attention for a moment, Madeleine accidentally twisted her ankle.
Howard was about ten meters behind Madeleine. At the instant her body tilted, he instinctively stepped forward, but after taking just three steps, he saw that Andrew had steadied her with both hands.