‘I didn’t want to wake you. I’m going for a walk.’
‘Oh I’d love to come too—wait five minutes——’
‘But I want to go very quick, and as far as I can before lunch.’
‘Don’t let’s come back to lunch, then we needn’t hurry. I’ll be down in five seconds.’
And he heard sounds of hasty moving about the room.
He sat down on the verandah-step and lit his pipe. Well, it couldn’t be helped; he must wait till to-morrow for his exercise.
She wasn’t five seconds but twenty-five minutes, but when she did come down in a broad-brimmed hat that shaded her face, and smiled her sweet smile at him and slipped her hand through his arm, he cheerfully gave up the idea of fierce solitary exercise and was glad she was there. His darling. His Catherine. His dream of happiness come true. His astonishing angel-wife.
‘Let’s stay out all day,’ she said, as they walked up the road, again in the direction of Blackgang but at a moderate pace that would never, he knew, however long it went on, get a drop of the sweat he craved for out of him.
‘But we haven’t brought food.’
‘We’ll get the hotel at Blackgang to cut us some sandwiches and take them with us. Oh Chris, isn’t it a gorgeous day! Did you ever know anything like it? Oh, I’m so happy. By the way—good morning.’