“Yes, and it seems to vanish into space between the trees.”
“As I must,” said North. “I have paid you an unwarrantable visitation, and I shall only just get home now before lighting-up time.”
“You will come again?” said Ruth as they went down the garden. “I want to show you the site for my cottages. I think it is the right one.”
“Cottages?”
“Yes, I am going to build three. My lawyer tells me it is economically an unsound investment. My conscience tells me it has got to be done, if I am to enjoy Thorpe properly. Two couples are waiting to be married until the cottages are ready, and one man is working here and his wife living in London because there is no possible place for them. I am giving him a room here at present.”
North raised his eyebrows.
“Do you take in anybody promiscuously who comes along?” he asked.
“Well, this man went through four years of the war. Was a sergeant, and holds the Mons Medal and the D.C.M. He is a painter by trade, and worked for Baxter, who is putting up a billiard-room and a garage at Mentmore Court.”
“Mentmore Court?” North looked across at the big white house on the hill. “Why, there is a billiard-room and a garage there already.”
“I believe they are turning the existing billiard-room into a winter garden, or something of that sort. And they have six cars, so the present garage is not big enough.”