"So there are," said June promptly. Her queer eyes twinkled as she looked at him. "Micky, would you like to be a perfect dear and come down in yours, and take us out? You can stay at the local inn and play the heavy swell----"
"That's a ripping idea," he said. He turned to Esther: "I'll come like a shot if I shan't be in the way," he added.
Esther smiled; she was surprised to find that the idea was not at all distasteful to her.
June had got into the carriage, and was busy arranging her various possessions.
"You'll be left behind, Esther," she said warningly.
He stood back as the train started; the last glimpse the two girls had of him was his radiantly smiling face.
"Do you know," said June, settling herself in a corner, "I believe I'm half in love with that man, after all. Isn't he just a dear?"
When the train drew into the little station at Enmore June looked at Esther with a sort of apprehension.
"It's a most awful one-eyed hole, you know," she said. "I do hope you won't be bored to death. It won't be so bad if Micky keeps his promise and comes down, but if he doesn't...."
"Don't you think he will?" Esther asked quickly.
"Oh, I dare say he will. I hope he will, I'm sure; somebody has got to amuse you while I go and see to my business."
"Can you? Well, it's more than I could when I used to stay down here. There's only a church and a village inn and a handful of cottages. My aunt has by far the most distinguished-looking house in the village, and I dare say you won't think much of that."
They were on the platform now, and June eyed their two suit-cases ruefully.
"We shall have to carry them," she said. "No porters or taxicabs here, my dear. Come along."
She grabbed her own, and Esther followed her out into the road.
It was cold but sunny, and the fresh air of the country was something quite different from the chilly, damp atmosphere they had left behind in London.
"It's lovely," she said. "Do you know"--she looked ahead of her down the winding road with a little frown--"I've got the sort of feeling that something is going to happen to me here."
"Goodness!" said June. "Don't you start having instincts too! It's bad enough for me to have them. What can happen to you, pray, unless you get melancholia or something?"