“He can go alone. I rather think Fred Mostyn will be here in a few days, and he will take me to places that Basil will not—innocent places enough, Ethel, so you need not look so shocked. Why do you not ask me to Rawdon Court?”
“Because I am only a guest there. I have no right to ask you.”
“I am sure if you told Squire Rawdon how fond you are of me, and how lonely I am, he would tell you to send for me.”
“I do not believe he would. He has old-fashioned ideas about newly married people. He would hardly think it possible that you would be willing to go anywhere without Basil—yet.”
“He could ask Basil too.”
“If Mr. Mostyn is coming home, he can ask you to Mostyn Hall. It is very near Rawdon Court.”
“Yes. Fred said as soon as he had possession of the Court he could put both places into a ring fence. Then he would live at the Court. If he asks us there next summer I shall be sure to beg an invitation for you also; so I think you might deserve it by getting me one now. I don’t want to go to Mostyn yet. Fred says it needs entire refurnishing, and if we come to the Court next summer, I have promised to give him my advice and help in making the place pretty and up to date. Have you seen Mostyn Hall?”
“I have passed it several times. It is a large, gloomy-looking place I was going to say haunted-looking. It stands in a grove of yew trees.”
“So you are not going to ask me to Rawdon Court?”
“I really cannot, Dora. It is not my house. I am only a guest there.”