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.'He said, 'Never mind, it was a kindly thought.But that devastation hashaunted me ever since I was able to buy this back.I had that chap out herewithin a month of arriving, Valancy, for his advice.I've got the plan hedrew me.I'll show it to you when I get hold of this man Westerby.He mayhave to stay here.I expect he's got to get a good head of steam up before hestarts.What fun.Much more exciting than modern front-end loaders withscoops and drags.' He smiled at her.'Valancy, no more writing today.Allhands on getting the secondary growth away from round those stumps.We're well ahead, anyway.I'll revel in enjoying the fruits of my brainwork.'His aunt said, 'Good idea, you'll need Bill and Rod to get the ivy off fromround them.'Godfrey frowned.'But that'll come out with the stumps.'She shook her head.'He was telling us the toughest job Hoick ever struckwas at a country manse where a fifty-year-old macrocarpa hedge had to bepulled out.All went well till they struck a corner where ivy had grown into it.He put in a terrific effort and the big steam-engine lifted its front rollersin the air like a dog begging, and crashed down.He had to pay for repairingthe bitumen on the Main South Road.You'll have to loosen the ivy first.Doyou two good to be outside,' she added.'Valancy worked far too hard toprove herself to you, and you've driven yourself to endurance levels the lasteighteen months and for long enough before.Certainly you look better thanyou did nine months ago, but you need to.'His tone was short.'That wasn't overwork and you know it, Aunt Helen.''Sure I know it, but you've still some way to go.You did too much after it onyour lone.I'd like to see you back to your old personality come February.''Come February? What's so important about February? What bee have yougot in your bonnet now?'She chuckled, though Valancy could have sworn it was an effort, as if shewas trying to minimise the importance to cover up a slip.'Just an idea I had.Let it go-'Fortunately he was so full of the idea of getting the steam-engine out he didlet it go.He crossed to the kitchen phone.He turned from it jubilant.'He's going to run out to look at it this afternoon.Says the job could take several days and they'd be glad of quarters here.Good job I knew what weight that bridge is allowed.Look, I've got the planup aloft.I'll get it.'Valancy couldn't believe it when she saw not only a plan to scale, with thekinds of trees all numbered and with a key to the numbers at the foot, but anextra sketch, large, of the dream homestead garden, done by the man who'dillustrated the book on tree-planting.There was a magnificent shelter-belt ofmacrocarpas, gums, Douglas firs, spruce, larch, oaks, hawthorns, limes andchestnuts, all kinds of poplars, silver birch, beech.A wide bed for a herbaceous border followed the curve of the drive and hadflowers sketched in, from delphiniums and Canterbury Bells down topansies and thrift, and in a vast lawn provision for shrubs, rose- beds, plots of annuals, and even a fernery, which Helen had insisted upon, hollowed outlike a sunken garden, with rough river-stones winding in and out of it forpaths.Valancy was caught up in the enchantment of it.'Oh, 1 can see it so vividlyin my mind's eye that I can smell the pungency of the pines and gums, seeautumn turning the poplars to living gold, hear the bees among thehollyhocks and rhododendrons.see those ferns and mosses silver withdew.And you've got thousands of ferns in your own bush.'Her eyes mirrored the mental pictures.He looked away, said, 'Let's hope thatthe trees will soften the outlines of this house.It's so uncompromisinglyrectangular.The windows stare out like uncaring eyes.Oh, too fanciful, Iknow, but the second Carmichael married a woman who wanted a grandhouse, which to her meant size and solidity, not beauty of line andarchitecture.I don't think there's much we can do to improve it.'Valancy said slowly, 'I know what you mean.The inside is lovely, thosearches and ceilings, but the little annexe I have is far lovelier than thehouse.Nevertheless' she stopped dead.'Go on, don't be tantalising! If you've some idea, let's have it.'She shook her head.'It's not for me to suggest anything to do with thehouse.It's different with the garden, you've already planned it.'At that moment Aunt Helen disappeared.Godfrey said, 'Why not?'Her tone was a little reluctant.'This is your dream for posterity, isn't it?You spoke, down at the shore, of winning it back for the Carmichaels, foryour sons, and your sons' sons.That means a wife, and it would be a wife'splace to suggest things to soften the outlines, not a secretary's.'He went across to the window, drummed his fingers on the sill.Then heturned, and said, 'A figure of speech.We say those things.What about you?When you lost Justin did you automatically stop thinking you'd havechildren some day? Was it as final as that?' Oddly, it didn't make her wince.She was surprised, though, to hear herselflaugh.'Evidently not, because the other day there was a little boy calledMichael in a book I was reading and I found myself thinking "I'd love awee boy called Michael" and wondered if it's ever possible to preserve thatas a name and not have it shortened to Mike.'He chuckled.'At school I was always Mike.The kids -- ked at shorteningGodfrey.Much easier to shout "Run for it, Mike!" on the cricket field, than"Run for it, Godfrey!" Look, Miss Adam-Smith, you're sidetracking me' headded.'You were about to suggest house improvements.''Was I? I thought I'd decided against it.'I shall choke it out of you if you don't tell me! Don't be mean.It could havebeen somebody's prerogative months ago.She forfeited that when shewouldn't believe me.There.satisfied? Would your ideas be within myfinancial bounds?''You'd better aim at another serial! Though some of this could be donereasonably.You've got some of Beverley Nichols' books on your shelves.Idon't think this one is there: Merry Hall.It was a square Georgian house.Hethought the windows looked blank.They should have had small-panedwindows, not big ones.Oh, I know they've harder to clean, but they give ahouse such an air.He changed his, and it made all the difference.If youadded shutters too it would break the lines.Have them curved at the top.'Add an arch at one side, with creepers.Not ivy; it's too destructive, butsmall-leaved Virginia creeper and a wistaria, and then, on the other side, asyou could afford it, a conservatory.Does that sound old- fashioned? It'sbeen haunting me.With a slanting roof and double glass doors facing thefront with a curved fanlight over them, and another fanlight, also curved,over that slab of a front entrance.'The eyebrows shot up, the grey eyes gleamed.Godfrey seized a writing padout of Aunt Helen's kitchen drawer, and a ballpoint, and began to rough inthe outline of that house that was too tall for its width.Valancy watchedfascinated as it grew beneath his fingers, the curves and trellises she'd dreamed in her own mind
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