He put his foot on the accelerator and whirled up the drive to come to a stop in front of Pook's Hill.
Before he had switched off the engine, the front door opened and Germaine appeared.
"Heavens!" she exclaimed, "you're back early. Have you changed your mind again?"
"Yep," Winnie said. "I decided to come back home, after all."
She smiled. "I'm glad," she told him. "I couldn't make out why you were so keen to go back to Hartford so soon after you got out. You come on in, darling, and Myrtle and I will take care of you. Gracious! There's blood on your cheek. Did you hurt yourself?"
Her voice was warm and loving and made my hair rise slightly. If he tried any monkey-business with her, I'd rip his throat out. I growled.
"Oh, good!" she laughed. "You got Ponto. Did he have a nice honeymoon, poor darling? Is Dalrymple satisfied? Would you like to put in for one of the pups?"
I growled again.
She laughed. "Oh, Winnie, he looks so shattered. He—what did happen to your head, darling?"
He grinned. "We almost had an accident. I was headed towards the Parkway when a car backed out. We bumped into an apple-tree. No harm done but I was knocked out for a few minutes and I guess it must have shaken me up."