of the two men next door, until he heard a car drive away. He straightened his aching back, and saw Alan Lester emerging from the school house gate, presumably on his way to fetch his own car from the corner of the playground, where it had stood all day in the shade of an elder bush which was so rampant that it could almost be called a tree.
Seeing Harold he came over to speak to him. Harold lowered his shears with relief.
'That's a job that's waiting for me at home,' he observed to Harold. 'I keep putting it off. I'm not all that fond of privet, it grows too fast.'
'My view entirely,' agreed Harold. 'Here, come in and have a drink before you go home. I'm stopping for a bit anyway.'
'Thank you,' said Alan, following his host to the open front door. 'It's hellishly hot today. The children have been drooping all over the place, and I don't blame them.'
Isobel was out, so the two men sat alone in the cool sitting-room. They both settled for Isobel's homemade lemonade, and the ice chinked comfortingly in the misted glasses.
'That was a friend of mine who was with me,' announced Alan. 'He's a local builder, Johnson by name. I came across him at Rotary, and he's having a look to see if we can enlarge one of the rooms without too much hassle and expense.'
So that's why I felt I knew him, Harold thought.
'So you really are going ahead—with buying the place next door?'
'Definitely. I should like to have everything signed and sealed before next term. I had great hopes of getting things done during the summer holidays, but I can see that's out of the question.'
'It's no good getting impatient in these affairs,' agreed Harold. 'Simply asking for a heart attack. I've yet to meet anyone who has got into his house at the date first given.'
They sipped their cool drinks in companionable silence. Outside, a blackbird scolded furiously. A child called to another. Someone was mowing a lawn across the green, and the curtains stirred in the light summer breeze.
'It's a very good place to live,' said Harold, at last. 'I'm sure you won't regret the move. The natives are friendly—I know from experience!'
'I've discovered that myself.'
'Will your wife mind uprooting herself? I always think the women have to do so much more in adapting to a different house.'
'I think a change is just what she needs at the moment. She's not been too well, and I shall be able to keep an eye on her more easily.'
'Nothing serious, I hope?'
'No, no. Nothing like that. But both children are at school all day, and I'm away from soon after eight until getting on for six some days. She gets rather lonely, I feel, and she's never been one to make a lot of friends'.
His voice trailed away. He turned his empty glass round and round, his eyes upon it. He looked very tired.
'Let me get you another,' said Harold rising.
Alan Lester came to with a start. 'No, many thanks. I must get back to my own privet hedge. I've held you up long enough.' He put his glass on the tray. 'And thank you again for that life-saver.'
Harold went to the gate with him. The scent from the lime trees filled the warm air. The statue of Nathaniel Patten hard by was throwing a sharp shadow across the grass. Some sparrows were busy in a dust bath at the edge of the road.
'Well, I'm sure you will find Thrush Green very welcoming,' he assured the headmaster. 'And it will be good to see the school house occupied again. We all miss Dorothy and Agnes. You and your wife should be very happy here.'
'I sincerely hope so,' replied Alan.
He was smiling as he said this, but Harold had the feeling that, despite the brave words and the bright smile, some small doubt was lingering.
What was it, Harold wondered, picking up his shears, that was worrying the poor chap?
***
At the Lovelocks' house, Violet had made little headway with her problem. She had expected either fierce denials and a frightening display of temper from her sister Bertha, or a complete collapse and confession accompanied by a
Seeing Harold he came over to speak to him. Harold lowered his shears with relief.
'That's a job that's waiting for me at home,' he observed to Harold. 'I keep putting it off. I'm not all that fond of privet, it grows too fast.'
'My view entirely,' agreed Harold. 'Here, come in and have a drink before you go home. I'm stopping for a bit anyway.'
'Thank you,' said Alan, following his host to the open front door. 'It's hellishly hot today. The children have been drooping all over the place, and I don't blame them.'
Isobel was out, so the two men sat alone in the cool sitting-room. They both settled for Isobel's homemade lemonade, and the ice chinked comfortingly in the misted glasses.
'That was a friend of mine who was with me,' announced Alan. 'He's a local builder, Johnson by name. I came across him at Rotary, and he's having a look to see if we can enlarge one of the rooms without too much hassle and expense.'
So that's why I felt I knew him, Harold thought.
'So you really are going ahead—with buying the place next door?'
'Definitely. I should like to have everything signed and sealed before next term. I had great hopes of getting things done during the summer holidays, but I can see that's out of the question.'
'It's no good getting impatient in these affairs,' agreed Harold. 'Simply asking for a heart attack. I've yet to meet anyone who has got into his house at the date first given.'
They sipped their cool drinks in companionable silence. Outside, a blackbird scolded furiously. A child called to another. Someone was mowing a lawn across the green, and the curtains stirred in the light summer breeze.
'It's a very good place to live,' said Harold, at last. 'I'm sure you won't regret the move. The natives are friendly—I know from experience!'
'I've discovered that myself.'
'Will your wife mind uprooting herself? I always think the women have to do so much more in adapting to a different house.'
'I think a change is just what she needs at the moment. She's not been too well, and I shall be able to keep an eye on her more easily.'
'Nothing serious, I hope?'
'No, no. Nothing like that. But both children are at school all day, and I'm away from soon after eight until getting on for six some days. She gets rather lonely, I feel, and she's never been one to make a lot of friends'.
His voice trailed away. He turned his empty glass round and round, his eyes upon it. He looked very tired.
'Let me get you another,' said Harold rising.
Alan Lester came to with a start. 'No, many thanks. I must get back to my own privet hedge. I've held you up long enough.' He put his glass on the tray. 'And thank you again for that life-saver.'
Harold went to the gate with him. The scent from the lime trees filled the warm air. The statue of Nathaniel Patten hard by was throwing a sharp shadow across the grass. Some sparrows were busy in a dust bath at the edge of the road.
'Well, I'm sure you will find Thrush Green very welcoming,' he assured the headmaster. 'And it will be good to see the school house occupied again. We all miss Dorothy and Agnes. You and your wife should be very happy here.'
'I sincerely hope so,' replied Alan.
He was smiling as he said this, but Harold had the feeling that, despite the brave words and the bright smile, some small doubt was lingering.
What was it, Harold wondered, picking up his shears, that was worrying the poor chap?
***
At the Lovelocks' house, Violet had made little headway with her problem. She had expected either fierce denials and a frightening display of temper from her sister Bertha, or a complete collapse and confession accompanied by a
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