“Right,” Laura laughed, “and there’s no one that can do it more expertly.”
Alone now, the girls went from one to another of their rooms enjoying everything. Even Grace, accustomed as she was to luxury, was greatly impressed. She had never been in a house like this before.
The rooms were big and spacious with heavy oaken furniture, thick rugs, tapestries, and beds so high that it was necessary to climb up a little ladder in order to get to them. Each room had big double windows opening out onto the patio.
Bess stood out on hers and looked down on the courtyard below where maids were already busy setting a table under a tree centuries old. “Do they ever serenade people here,” she directed her question toward those inside.
“I hear that they do, sometimes,” Nan called back. “But you have to wait for a clear night, with a sky that’s blue as blue can be, a moon big and silver, shining low over these pretty buildings, and stars that are bigger and closer to earth than any you have ever seen.”
“Why, Nan Sherwood,” Bess came into the room now. “Where did you learn all these things?”
“Oh,” Nan shrugged her shoulders, “this atmosphere gets into your blood and you just can’t help yourself. There is only one regret that I have.”
“And that?” Bess couldn’t imagine anyone having any regrets at this time. The world seemed just perfect to her now.
“That Rhoda isn’t here with us,” Nan replied promptly. She had been thinking of Rhoda a great deal in the past few days that had been such fun.
“I know,” Grace agreed with Nan softly. “I have been thinking of her too. We should be hearing from her now in a few days because in those last letters that we sent we told her to direct all future mail to this place.”