Free A Tale of Two Families by Dodie Smith

got quite to like his squashy bed.)He felt sure his daily walks in the country air were healthy – if none too safe: no pavements, and cars came so quickly and rarely sounded their horns; also he could have done with more houses. On London walks he had found it interesting to notice when house property changed hands and to investigate, when possible, what price had been paid. But what really counted now was the pleasure of seeing George every evening. And May’s cooking was splendid – though he wasn’t nowadays particularly interested in food; old age, no doubt. Probably old age, too, accounted for his aversion to his bathroom. Baths had become a duty rather than a pleasure. Well, wisest to take each day as it came along – which, anyway, one had to.
    Hugh and Corinna, on their first weekend, approved of everything but with less exuberance than their parents could have wished. Hugh realised that a little more excitement would be welcome and gave Corinna the hint. ‘We must churn it up a bit – and tell Prue and Dickon to, when they come at Easter.’
    ‘I doubt if they’ll oblige,’ said Corinna. ‘Were we as superior as they are, when we were their age?’
    ‘I fear we’re still pretty superior, from our youthful parents’ point of view. Let’s show some bright-eyed enthusiasm.’
    On their second weekend Hugh and Corinna were there when the Vicar called. May, at first, had feared an influx of callers but Sarah Strange had reassured her. ‘There’s no one in the village who’s likely to call except the Vicar – and he’s a very harmless old bachelor.’
    Harmless or not, May decided he must be made to understand that none of them were churchgoers. She had just broken this news to him – after a compensating good tea – when Hugh, feeling sorry for the deflated old gentleman, said he would come to church on Easter Sunday. May was not pleased.
    ‘It’s the thin edge of the wedge,’ she protested to Hugh, after the Vicar had gone.
    ‘But darling Aunt May, he didn’t do any wedging. I offered.’
    ‘Very, very unwise – and when I’d extricated us all so tactfully. And I did say he could count on us to subscribe, and send things to bazaars and jumble sales and whatnot.’
    Corinna said, ‘I must say I was surprised at you, Hugh. It was almost hypocritical, seeing how you feel about religion. Your disapproval is – well, positively religious.’
    ‘It won’t harm us to expose ourselves to it just for once, in a nice old country church.’
    ‘Us? You can count me out.’
    He looked at her in surprise. ‘Are you really cross?’
    She was and she wondered why; then knew. She felt she couldn’t bear it if Hugh got any gooder. Then she noticed his anxious eyes and relented. Church wouldn’t affect him, one way or the other. And she liked him for being kind to the old Vicar. ‘No, of course I’m not cross,’ she assured him. ‘And I’d better come with you – to make sure you don’t get roped in to teach at Sunday School or something frightful. We’ll get Sarah to take us with her.’
    Sarah, more than willing to be friends with every member of both families, showed particular eagerness to be friends with Hugh and Corinna. They decided she was starved for youthful company and were particularly nice to her; though a couple of times, when they saw her striding across the park towards the Dower House, they slipped out and went for a walk on their own. That is, they began to walk on their own but Sarah seemed to know by instinct where they had gone and came after them. The second time she did this it occurred to Hugh that she was like a dog able to follow one’s trail. He remarked on this to Corinna, after they had separated from Sarah, adding, ‘Bonnieused to do that, remember? It was a good thing she had to go to the country, really.’
    ‘She didn’t have to go. You sent her.’
    ‘It was the right thing to do.’
    Corinna opened her mouth to speak, then stopped herself. She had been