again. I have a weekend pass. I'll pick you up at your house tomorrow night. Around six-thirty?"
"I'll be waiting!" Wild with excitement she hesitated, wanting desperately to seal their date with a hug. She was disappointed when he gave her a brief nod and hurried off, leaving her no choice but to follow more slowly.
By the time she reached the back door and climbed the stairs, he had disappeared into his quarters. She would just have to wait until tomorrow night now. That was twowhole days to get through. How in the world was she going to wait that long?
Hugging herself, she wandered down the great hall, knowing that nothing mattered anymore except the fact that Sam had asked her out again, and that she was going to spend a whole evening with him in North Horsham, cuddling up with him in the back seat of the pictures. It was a dream come true. At last.
When Elizabeth returned to the house with the dogs it was to find the kitchen door securely locked. Wondering why Violet hadn't mentioned she was going out, Elizabeth made her way around to the front door, the dogs at her heels, hoping that someone was around to let her in.
Martin was probably sound asleep in his room, and wouldn't hear the bell ring. Polly was in the office, but if she had shut the door she wouldn't hear it either. That left Sadie, who could be anywhere in the depths of the manor too far from the door to hear the bell.
Just as soon as she could afford it, Elizabeth promised herself, she would have an electric bell system installed in the manor, so that anyone anywhere in the house could hear when someone was at the front door. Goodness knows how many visitors they missed because of the old-fashioned bell pull.
It was all very well to want to keep the traditions and trappings of the Manor House the way they had always been, but modem technology certainly had its advantages.
Sighing heavily, Elizabeth tugged on the bell rope. She could barely hear the muffled jangle of the bell on the other side of the solid oak door. Gracie wandered down the steps again, and George chased after her, ignoring Elizabeth's commands to stay.
It took her a few minutes to corral both dogs and urge them back up the steps. The door still hadn't been opened. She waited until her patience gave out, then tugged on the rope again with both hands. Not that it made the bell ring any louder, but it made her feel better.
The dogs looked longingly down the steps, tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths, and she sternly ordered them to stay put. Again she waited. If Martin had heard the bell, it would take him several minutes to climb the stairs to the hallway. She would just have to be patient a few minutes longer.
Marge Gunther puffed and panted as she reached the top of the hill. Time was running out, and she still hadn't got half the things on her list. It didn't look as if she was going to win any prizes.
Throwing caution to the winds, she plunked herself down on the wooden bench that sat close to the railings at the edge of the cliffs. Might as well catch her breath. No sense in killing herself for a packet of lemonade powder and a bottle of lavender water, though the nylons would have been nice.
She was just a few minutes away from the Manor House now. Still time to go up there and ask for donations, and get back to the village in time for tea. Going downhill was faster. In the old days she could run up and down this hill in a matter of minutes. Now she was lucky to make it up here at all.
The view was nice from this spot. Long sandy beaches, completely deserted, the sweep of chalky cliffs around the cove, and little fluffy white caps on the waves. Far out to sea she could see the gray smudge of a ship, and for a moment wished she was on it, on her way to America.They had no bombs in America. Or land mines on the beaches. Not like here. It had been so long since she'd sat on the sand warming herself in the sun. So long since the kids had run back and forth, in and out
"I'll be waiting!" Wild with excitement she hesitated, wanting desperately to seal their date with a hug. She was disappointed when he gave her a brief nod and hurried off, leaving her no choice but to follow more slowly.
By the time she reached the back door and climbed the stairs, he had disappeared into his quarters. She would just have to wait until tomorrow night now. That was twowhole days to get through. How in the world was she going to wait that long?
Hugging herself, she wandered down the great hall, knowing that nothing mattered anymore except the fact that Sam had asked her out again, and that she was going to spend a whole evening with him in North Horsham, cuddling up with him in the back seat of the pictures. It was a dream come true. At last.
When Elizabeth returned to the house with the dogs it was to find the kitchen door securely locked. Wondering why Violet hadn't mentioned she was going out, Elizabeth made her way around to the front door, the dogs at her heels, hoping that someone was around to let her in.
Martin was probably sound asleep in his room, and wouldn't hear the bell ring. Polly was in the office, but if she had shut the door she wouldn't hear it either. That left Sadie, who could be anywhere in the depths of the manor too far from the door to hear the bell.
Just as soon as she could afford it, Elizabeth promised herself, she would have an electric bell system installed in the manor, so that anyone anywhere in the house could hear when someone was at the front door. Goodness knows how many visitors they missed because of the old-fashioned bell pull.
It was all very well to want to keep the traditions and trappings of the Manor House the way they had always been, but modem technology certainly had its advantages.
Sighing heavily, Elizabeth tugged on the bell rope. She could barely hear the muffled jangle of the bell on the other side of the solid oak door. Gracie wandered down the steps again, and George chased after her, ignoring Elizabeth's commands to stay.
It took her a few minutes to corral both dogs and urge them back up the steps. The door still hadn't been opened. She waited until her patience gave out, then tugged on the rope again with both hands. Not that it made the bell ring any louder, but it made her feel better.
The dogs looked longingly down the steps, tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths, and she sternly ordered them to stay put. Again she waited. If Martin had heard the bell, it would take him several minutes to climb the stairs to the hallway. She would just have to be patient a few minutes longer.
Marge Gunther puffed and panted as she reached the top of the hill. Time was running out, and she still hadn't got half the things on her list. It didn't look as if she was going to win any prizes.
Throwing caution to the winds, she plunked herself down on the wooden bench that sat close to the railings at the edge of the cliffs. Might as well catch her breath. No sense in killing herself for a packet of lemonade powder and a bottle of lavender water, though the nylons would have been nice.
She was just a few minutes away from the Manor House now. Still time to go up there and ask for donations, and get back to the village in time for tea. Going downhill was faster. In the old days she could run up and down this hill in a matter of minutes. Now she was lucky to make it up here at all.
The view was nice from this spot. Long sandy beaches, completely deserted, the sweep of chalky cliffs around the cove, and little fluffy white caps on the waves. Far out to sea she could see the gray smudge of a ship, and for a moment wished she was on it, on her way to America.They had no bombs in America. Or land mines on the beaches. Not like here. It had been so long since she'd sat on the sand warming herself in the sun. So long since the kids had run back and forth, in and out
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