“Oh, I won’t,” she assured him.
“Then I won’t,” said Oliver.
And that is why Justin never knew.
CHAPTER XVII
Travelling north, they travelled backwards from early summer, through late and middle spring, and came to their own hill-top at last, to find the roads still grey and wrinkled with winter mud, and only the beeches green, for Brackenhurst was always three weeks behind the rest of Kent. Laura settled down with touching good faith to enjoy her spring all over again and more completely than before, because Oliver was left behind in Italy and could not interrupt. She actually believed, you see, that life will give you the same good gift twice over. Oh, of course, she did not expect to see so much of Justin now that she was at home.... Importantly she acknowledged her duties, her social and parochial duties, to Gran’papa and Aunt Adela and Brackenhurst.... And Justin would be going to business.... She was vague about his income and responsibilities, but she took it for granted that his days would be fully employed.
They were, but not as she expected. Aunt Adela was quite horrified when Laura’s notions were accidentally conveyed to her.
“Oh no, my dear, why shouldn’t he? Oh, of course old Mr. Cloud used to go up two or three times a week. His hobby—there was no real necessity. Besides, it’s been a company for years now. Mrs. Gedge told me so. Mrs. Gedge has shares. And Mrs. Cloud has money of her own as well. What should Justin Cloud go to business for?”
What indeed? Laura was only too pleased to find that Justin would have time on his hands. Firmly she suppressed the conviction of her industrious forebears, the inherited conviction that a man who did not begin work at nine in the morning and return worn out at half-past six, was somehow cheating the universe. And, since there was no need for Justin to work, set herself to help him to play.
But there again they differed.