require. ”
“ What time would you like your supper? ” she asked. “ We don ’ t have dinner here. ”
He glanced at his watch.
“ In half an hour if that ’ s convenient, please, ” he replied briskly.
“ Well, I don ’ t know if Nonie —” she began doubtfully. “ Anyway, I’ll send up some whisky to be going on with. ”
His eyebrows lifted again.
“ Is that included in the terms? ” he enquired.
“ Naturally. ”
He shook his head.
“ You ’ ll never make a guest house pay, ” he said.
“ Well —” She edged towards the door. “ If there ’ s nothing more I ’ ll say goodnight. ”
He glanced across at her. The whole conversation was utterly ridiculous. How could he deal sensibly with this half-drowned, touchy young creature? Oh, well, he was very tired. Tomorrow he could sort things out. There must be someone responsible running the house.
“ Goodnight, ” he said more gently. “ And in case you think my insistence on solitude ungracious, I must tell you that I ’ ve come here to work on a book. ”
He was unprepared for Sarah ’ s groan of dismay .
“ Golly, another! ” she exclaimed.
He looked enquiring and slightly surprised.
“ Have you any objection? ” he asked mildly.
“ No—no, of course not. It ’ s only—well, the other lodg—guest—writes wee tales for little people. We ’ ve suffered a lot—finding local color, you know. ”
“ I see. ” He smiled faintly. “ Well , my book ’ s quite different. It won ’ t trouble you at all and it wouldn ’ t interest you, anyway. Goodnight. ”
“ Goodnight, ” she said again and went downstairs to order Nolan to stoke the furnace properly for the morning baths or she would cut his heart out.
CHAPTER FOUR
Nonie took his supper upstairs and his breakfast the next morning. Kathy, who was a little alarmed at Sarah ’ s description of the new guest, decided to keep out of sight until she could meet him with the full support of her family. Sarah ’ s “ Well, that ’ s one brow you won ’ t smooth without getting your fingers rapped ” had not been encouraging. Danny, who was hopping with curiosity, was obliged to go to school without catching a glimpse of the stranger, and it was Mary from the village who answered the nursery bell when it rang at ten o ’ clock precisely.
“ Would you be wantin ’ anythin? ” she asked, eyeing the new boarder with interest.
“ Only to let someone know I ’ m ready to have my room done now, ” he replied. “ Is that your job? ”
“ Sure, it ’ s a n nyone ’ s job, ” she answered cheerfully, and at his look of surprise, explained further: “ I do Master Danny ’ s room, he being at school, and Miss Dearlove ’ s, and Miss Emma gives a hand with a duster, and Miss Sarah, too, when she ’ s not in the stables. Miss Dearlove makes her own bed, but she ’ s cranky, that one. ”
It sounded altogether too social, and he said firmly: “ Well, I would be obliged if you would attend to mine at this hour every morning. ”
Her fine eyes opened widely.
“ Och, the rooms are done anny time. Will I wisk it around a bit now I ’ m here? ”
“ Er—yes, if you please. I ’ ll come back in half an hour. ”
She regarded his retreating back with growing respect. He was not the sort the Miss Kellys had at all.
He turned at the door.
“ Please don ’ t touch those cases of records, ” he said. “ I ’ ll dust them myself. ”
“ Yes, sor, ” she said, impressed.
It was Miss Dearlove who took it upon herself to do the honors of Dun Rury. She had been waiting in her room ever since breakfast to listen for sounds from the nursery opposite which would mean he was coming out, and when she was sure he was going downstairs, she caught up one of her many scarves and followed him. He heard her jingling bangles behind him and turned just as she cleared her throat to address him.
“ Mr. Flint, I believe? ” she said, beaming down on him.
“
“ What time would you like your supper? ” she asked. “ We don ’ t have dinner here. ”
He glanced at his watch.
“ In half an hour if that ’ s convenient, please, ” he replied briskly.
“ Well, I don ’ t know if Nonie —” she began doubtfully. “ Anyway, I’ll send up some whisky to be going on with. ”
His eyebrows lifted again.
“ Is that included in the terms? ” he enquired.
“ Naturally. ”
He shook his head.
“ You ’ ll never make a guest house pay, ” he said.
“ Well —” She edged towards the door. “ If there ’ s nothing more I ’ ll say goodnight. ”
He glanced across at her. The whole conversation was utterly ridiculous. How could he deal sensibly with this half-drowned, touchy young creature? Oh, well, he was very tired. Tomorrow he could sort things out. There must be someone responsible running the house.
“ Goodnight, ” he said more gently. “ And in case you think my insistence on solitude ungracious, I must tell you that I ’ ve come here to work on a book. ”
He was unprepared for Sarah ’ s groan of dismay .
“ Golly, another! ” she exclaimed.
He looked enquiring and slightly surprised.
“ Have you any objection? ” he asked mildly.
“ No—no, of course not. It ’ s only—well, the other lodg—guest—writes wee tales for little people. We ’ ve suffered a lot—finding local color, you know. ”
“ I see. ” He smiled faintly. “ Well , my book ’ s quite different. It won ’ t trouble you at all and it wouldn ’ t interest you, anyway. Goodnight. ”
“ Goodnight, ” she said again and went downstairs to order Nolan to stoke the furnace properly for the morning baths or she would cut his heart out.
CHAPTER FOUR
Nonie took his supper upstairs and his breakfast the next morning. Kathy, who was a little alarmed at Sarah ’ s description of the new guest, decided to keep out of sight until she could meet him with the full support of her family. Sarah ’ s “ Well, that ’ s one brow you won ’ t smooth without getting your fingers rapped ” had not been encouraging. Danny, who was hopping with curiosity, was obliged to go to school without catching a glimpse of the stranger, and it was Mary from the village who answered the nursery bell when it rang at ten o ’ clock precisely.
“ Would you be wantin ’ anythin? ” she asked, eyeing the new boarder with interest.
“ Only to let someone know I ’ m ready to have my room done now, ” he replied. “ Is that your job? ”
“ Sure, it ’ s a n nyone ’ s job, ” she answered cheerfully, and at his look of surprise, explained further: “ I do Master Danny ’ s room, he being at school, and Miss Dearlove ’ s, and Miss Emma gives a hand with a duster, and Miss Sarah, too, when she ’ s not in the stables. Miss Dearlove makes her own bed, but she ’ s cranky, that one. ”
It sounded altogether too social, and he said firmly: “ Well, I would be obliged if you would attend to mine at this hour every morning. ”
Her fine eyes opened widely.
“ Och, the rooms are done anny time. Will I wisk it around a bit now I ’ m here? ”
“ Er—yes, if you please. I ’ ll come back in half an hour. ”
She regarded his retreating back with growing respect. He was not the sort the Miss Kellys had at all.
He turned at the door.
“ Please don ’ t touch those cases of records, ” he said. “ I ’ ll dust them myself. ”
“ Yes, sor, ” she said, impressed.
It was Miss Dearlove who took it upon herself to do the honors of Dun Rury. She had been waiting in her room ever since breakfast to listen for sounds from the nursery opposite which would mean he was coming out, and when she was sure he was going downstairs, she caught up one of her many scarves and followed him. He heard her jingling bangles behind him and turned just as she cleared her throat to address him.
“ Mr. Flint, I believe? ” she said, beaming down on him.
“
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