Free Harbinger of Spring by Hilda Pressley

like. But opening the door to you wouldn ’ t be any disturbance. ’
    ‘ No ? Well, I ’ ll put it through the letter-box all the same. ’
    There was something odd about his voice and manner. It was more than likely that he disapproved of Des ’ s mode of dress, too. Perhaps he was rather over-dressed for the country. She supposed country people were more conservative in their mode of dress. Certainly Hugh and Ted were—even young Peter.
    Sara walked with Desmond up the short path to the front door. She expected him to make some comment about the house before they reached the door, but he stepped inside without saying anything at all. The fact troubled her until she remembered that houses, flats or any other kind of dwelling were all the same to him. If they were dry and warm that was all that mattered. She turned to close the front door and saw Hugh had moved his dinghy out of line with the front windows of the house. Apparently he did not wish in any way to seem intrusive. Did he imagine she and Des required all that much privacy?
    After inviting Des to make himself at home in the sitting room, Sara went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. There she changed her mind about a decision she had made earlier on. Des would be more at his ease eating baked beans and spaghetti served on the kitchen table than he would be in the dining room having a three - course lunch. She did not mind simple eating, and he was her guest, also they would be eating in some style in the evening.
    He came into the kitchen as she was at the stove and settled on one chair with his feet on the other. He gave a large yawn.
    ‘ Not a bad pad. Dead, though. Nothing to see out of the windows except trees and water. ’
    ‘ Yes, I find it rather quiet, though I expect that ’ s a thing which could grow on you after a while. ’
    ‘ I wouldn ’ t give it a chance to grow on me. A few days of this would drive me up the wall. ’ He paused.
    ‘ Do you actually have to live here to fulfil the terms of the will? Couldn ’ t you get around it by staying long weekends? ’
    ‘ I ’ m not sure what is legally meant by taking up residence, but— ’
    ‘ See another lawyer. I ’ll bet if you even leave a couple of suitcases here, that would make it legal. ’
    ‘ I was going to say I wouldn ’ t break faith with my aunt. ’
    ‘ Break faith! Why, you didn ’ t even know the old girl. ’
    ‘ Just the same— ’
    He got up and stared out of the window. Then he turned restlessly.
    ‘ Got a transistor anywhere? ’
    ‘ No, but there ’ s television in the sitting room. There might be something to interest you on that. ’
    He grunted. ‘ You know what that is on Saturday afternoons—Grandstand !’
    ‘ Well, lunch will be ready in a few minutes. If you want something to do, see to the table. ’
    As they were eating lunch, he brought up again the subject of opening a boutique in Norwich.
    ‘ Would you be willing to stay here and manage it ? ’ she asked, knowing full well what his answer would be.
    ‘ Me stay out in the sticks ? ’ He looked genuinely shocked. ‘ I wouldn ’ t even begin to think about it. ’
    ‘ Then why should you think I ’ d want to? ’
    He shrugged. ‘ You ’ re a girl. Girls are different. They ’ re more ... more ...’
    ‘ Adaptable? Is that the word you want? ’
    ‘ Sort of. They ’ re not in business for the whole of their lives like a man is. I mean most of them get married and— ’
    ‘ And until they get married it ’ s all right to push them around and cajole them into doing jobs they don ’ t want to do. ’
    ‘ Who ’ s pushing you around? You ’ re talking like a suffragette. ’
    Sara laughed. ‘ Perhaps I am one. It must be in the blood. My aunt was. But let ’ s drop the subject of opening up in Norwich. This girl you ’ ve engaged—what is she like? ’
    ‘ About twenty, tall, long-haired, blonde, good figure and a snazzy dresser. ’
    ‘ How much experience of the business