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Authors: Michael Innes
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for professional purposes and in quest of ‘copy’, Bobby was reviving an acquaintance with uncomplicated types. ‘Jolly good!’ Finn said – perhaps a little overdoing things. ‘I don’t a bit mind a ghost.’
‘I’m so glad. But I may just mention that the bathroom is a modern addition, and the ghost never enters it. If the ghost turns tedious, you just go and have another bath.’
‘Yes, I see.’ Finn sounded puzzled rather than suspicious, so that Judith took an honest vow not to make further fun of him.
‘You’re in splendid time for dinner,’ she said. ‘Bobby will steer you round, and bring you down for drinks.’
‘Oh, thanks most awfully!’ They were now in the hall, which Finn was surveying with large rather than merely civil admiration. ‘I say, jolly fine! Marvellous base for operations – eh, Bobby?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Bobby Appleby appeared to feel – very properly – that this naïve remark called for explanation. ‘As I was saying, Mummy, it’s odd Finn’s never been to Dream before. He has a lot of friends in these parts, and we’re going to look them up. Not close by, actually, but on the other side of the downs. People we haven’t met, I think, since we moved into the old home. But you must know all about them. The Ashmores at King’s Yatter. And I suppose the other Ashmores – the ones at Abbot’s Yatter – as well.’
7
‘Finn has rung up one of his pals,’ Bobby Appleby announced an hour later. He had come downstairs before his friend, evidently with the very proper aim of putting his parents a little more in the picture. ‘Giles.’
‘I don’t think I know anybody called Giles in these parts,’ Appleby said. ‘But no doubt your mother does.’
‘No, no, Dad. Not Dash Giles Esquire. Giles Ashmore, the son and heir of the King’s Yatter lot. Finn and this Giles were after the same girl. Name of Robina.’
‘I don’t believe it. No girl with a name like Robina could possibly have two suitors simultaneously.’
‘Well, this one had – and it seems to be Giles Ashmore who has got away with her. But of course it brought Finn and Giles together.’
‘How very odd!’ Appleby turned to Judith. ‘Competition in that sphere is commonly regarded as divisive, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Not at all.’ Bobby seemed to judge it unnecessary to give his mother time to reply. Although essentially a modest youth, he was inclined to regard himself as the family’s authority on human relationships. ‘One gets terribly thick with a chap who wants the same girl. As a matter of fact, Finn wants to give this Giles a bit of a leg up. That’s partly why he’s come down to Dream.’
‘I see.’ Appleby provided his son with a glass of sherry. ‘A leg up with Robina?’
‘No, not exactly with Robina. As a matter of fact, Finn seems rather to have stopped talking about her. Giles is in some sort of family scrape or difficulty, and Finn thinks it would be decent to lend a hand.’
‘Your father,’ Judith said, ‘also has benevolent impulses towards an Ashmore. But an older one. By the way, your friend doesn’t happen to have invited Mr Giles Ashmore to dinner? I ought perhaps just to know.’
‘Of course not!’ Bobby appeared decently astonished. ‘Only to drive across and drop in afterwards. I suppose all those Ashmores are old family friends.’
‘Before the Flood,’ Judith said, ‘your great-uncle Everard knew them all. And of course we’ll be glad to see the young man. As a matter of fact, I think your father has some notion of extending his acquaintance among the whole Ashmore tribe.’
‘Then he can begin with this one.’ Bobby glanced curiously at his father; he was a young man whose mind was readily prompted to speculation. ‘Wasn’t that Colonel Pride who was here when Finn and I arrived?’
‘It was Tommy,’ Appleby said. ‘In future when you meet him you will address him as “Tommy” and not as “Sir”. But you will
‘I’m so glad. But I may just mention that the bathroom is a modern addition, and the ghost never enters it. If the ghost turns tedious, you just go and have another bath.’
‘Yes, I see.’ Finn sounded puzzled rather than suspicious, so that Judith took an honest vow not to make further fun of him.
‘You’re in splendid time for dinner,’ she said. ‘Bobby will steer you round, and bring you down for drinks.’
‘Oh, thanks most awfully!’ They were now in the hall, which Finn was surveying with large rather than merely civil admiration. ‘I say, jolly fine! Marvellous base for operations – eh, Bobby?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Bobby Appleby appeared to feel – very properly – that this naïve remark called for explanation. ‘As I was saying, Mummy, it’s odd Finn’s never been to Dream before. He has a lot of friends in these parts, and we’re going to look them up. Not close by, actually, but on the other side of the downs. People we haven’t met, I think, since we moved into the old home. But you must know all about them. The Ashmores at King’s Yatter. And I suppose the other Ashmores – the ones at Abbot’s Yatter – as well.’
7
‘Finn has rung up one of his pals,’ Bobby Appleby announced an hour later. He had come downstairs before his friend, evidently with the very proper aim of putting his parents a little more in the picture. ‘Giles.’
‘I don’t think I know anybody called Giles in these parts,’ Appleby said. ‘But no doubt your mother does.’
‘No, no, Dad. Not Dash Giles Esquire. Giles Ashmore, the son and heir of the King’s Yatter lot. Finn and this Giles were after the same girl. Name of Robina.’
‘I don’t believe it. No girl with a name like Robina could possibly have two suitors simultaneously.’
‘Well, this one had – and it seems to be Giles Ashmore who has got away with her. But of course it brought Finn and Giles together.’
‘How very odd!’ Appleby turned to Judith. ‘Competition in that sphere is commonly regarded as divisive, wouldn’t you say?’
‘Not at all.’ Bobby seemed to judge it unnecessary to give his mother time to reply. Although essentially a modest youth, he was inclined to regard himself as the family’s authority on human relationships. ‘One gets terribly thick with a chap who wants the same girl. As a matter of fact, Finn wants to give this Giles a bit of a leg up. That’s partly why he’s come down to Dream.’
‘I see.’ Appleby provided his son with a glass of sherry. ‘A leg up with Robina?’
‘No, not exactly with Robina. As a matter of fact, Finn seems rather to have stopped talking about her. Giles is in some sort of family scrape or difficulty, and Finn thinks it would be decent to lend a hand.’
‘Your father,’ Judith said, ‘also has benevolent impulses towards an Ashmore. But an older one. By the way, your friend doesn’t happen to have invited Mr Giles Ashmore to dinner? I ought perhaps just to know.’
‘Of course not!’ Bobby appeared decently astonished. ‘Only to drive across and drop in afterwards. I suppose all those Ashmores are old family friends.’
‘Before the Flood,’ Judith said, ‘your great-uncle Everard knew them all. And of course we’ll be glad to see the young man. As a matter of fact, I think your father has some notion of extending his acquaintance among the whole Ashmore tribe.’
‘Then he can begin with this one.’ Bobby glanced curiously at his father; he was a young man whose mind was readily prompted to speculation. ‘Wasn’t that Colonel Pride who was here when Finn and I arrived?’
‘It was Tommy,’ Appleby said. ‘In future when you meet him you will address him as “Tommy” and not as “Sir”. But you will
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