"Yes. We lunched there with Lord Saltash before he left. It's a horribly grim place. I didn't like it much."
"It's a magnificent place!" said Bunny stoutly. "It's completely thrown away on Charlie of course, but I love every stone of it."
"What a pity it doesn't belong to you!" commented Sheila. "I wonder where you will live when you are married."
Bunny flushed a little. "We're not marrying at present, but I'm hoping to stick to my job when we do."
"Oh, are you? Does Miss Larpent like that idea?" Faint surprise sounded in Sheila's tone.
"I don't know why she shouldn't," said Bunny, quick to detect it. "She's keen on the country, keen on riding and so on. She'd hate to live in town."
"Would she?" said Sheila, with a hint of incredulity.
Bunny turned on her. "Why do you say that? She's very young, hardly more than a kid. She doesn't care for people and towns. Why should she?"
He put the question almost indignantly, and Sheila smiled at him pacifically. "I don't know in the least why she should. I only had a sort of idea that she might. She is very pretty, isn't she? And pretty girls don't generally care to be buried before they have had their fling—not always then."
"Oh, you think she doesn't get any fun!" said Bunny, still somewhat resentful.