“Perhaps you have something else to do…” she said suddenly.
“Me? Of course not,” George said, over eager and almost shouting. “I—I’ve got nowhere to go. I just don’t go anywhere, that’s all. I—I don’t know where you’d like to go. Perhaps you’ll suggest something.”
“Where do you live?”
Astonished, George told her.
“Let’s go to your place,” she said. “I’m tired of the heat and the crowds.”
George could scarcely believe his ears.
“My place?” he repeated blankly. “Oh, you wouldn’t like that. I mean it’s only a room. It—it isn’t much. It’s not very comfortable.”
“It’s somewhere to sit, isn’t it?” she said, staring a little impatiently at him. “Or can’t you take women there?”
He hadn’t the faintest idea. It was something he had never contemplated doing. He had visions of Mrs Rhodes’ disapproving face, and he flinched away from the thought. Then he remembered once seeing one of the other boarders bring a lady visitor to his room. Of course, the visitor hadn’t been like Cora; but if one boarder could do it, wily couldn’t he? Besides, if they went at once, Mrs Rhodes would be in the basement having supper. She wouldn’t even see him.
“Oh, that’s all right,” he said eagerly. “Nothing like that. We can go if you would like to. It’s only the room isn’t much…”