pure and exhilarating about the Cotswolds, and of course the trees and flowers are more abundant.'
She stopped by a magnificent elder bush, its creamy flower-heads forming a mass of luminous fragrance. Nearby, a spray of early dog roses cascaded from the hedgetop towards the roadside ditch, and buttercups brightened the grass verge.
Agnes shared her delight, and remembered countless walks with her infants' class along this leafy lane. Somehow, in every season it had supplied them all with treasures. In spring, the first small violets appeared under the hedgerows, and in summer the children would return with sprays of honeysuckle or mauve pincushions of wild scabious in their hands. In the autumn, there were hazel-nuts, blackberries, hips and haws and all manner of bright berries to adorn the nature table, and even in the depths of winter some treasures could be gleaned; a glossy rook's feather, a bleached snail's shell, or a sprig of frost-rimed yew or holly.
The children's joy in these discoveries was echoed by little Miss Fogerty, reflecting as it did her own childhood memories of the Cotswold village not many miles from Thrush Green.
'Good to be back,' said Dorothy.
'Good to be back,' replied Agnes.
The days passed all too quickly for the visitors. There were so many friends to see, so much news to exchange.
Winnie Bailey, Ella Bembridge, Dotty Harmer and other Thrush Green friends invited the two ladies to their homes. Charles and Dimity Henstock gave a celebratory lunch party at Lulling Vicarage, and the Shoosmiths took them out to the neighbouring villages which their visitors had known so well.
Everything went smoothly until the day before the ladies were due to return, when Agnes started a feverish cold.
'I'm sure I shall be quite well tomorrow,' she assured her anxious hostess.
'In any case, you are to stay in bed,' said Isobel, 'and if you are still groggy in the morning you are staying here until you have recovered.'
Agnes became much agitated. 'Oh, I couldn't possibly. There are several things we must get back to do, and I don't want to impose on you any longer, Isobel dear.'
'The longer you can stay the better I shall like it,' Isobel assured her. 'Now lie down, and try to have a nap.'
Downstairs Dorothy was reading the paper, and looked up anxiously when Isobel reappeared.
'What do you think? Should we get Doctor Lovell to have a look at her?'
'Let's see how she is in the morning before we do that. Is it absolutely necessary for you to return tomorrow? We'd love to have you another day or so.'
'Absolutely necessary,' said Dorothy, with a return of her headmistressy manner. 'I have an old college friend coming to stay on Saturday, and must get things ready. She has been looking after her aged mother for years, and this is a rare break for her. I can't possibly put her off.'
'I can see that.'
'And then there's Teddy,' added Dorothy. 'I usually call in to see him after tea on Fridays.'
Teddy had been mentioned once or twice during the ladies' stay, but apart from the fact that he was a neighbour at Barton, Isobel knew little about him.
'Surely he would understand?' she said.
'Oh, he would understand,' replied Dorothy with vigour. 'There never was a more understanding man, but I should hate to disappoint him.'
'Well,' said Isobel briskly, 'I don't think we need to make any plans until we see how Agnes is in the morning. Would you like to come down to the greenhouse with me? I'm just going to do some watering.'
As it happened, the greenhouse was a very pleasant place to be, for although the sun still shone, as it had on most days of the ladies' visit to Thrush Green, the wind had veered to the north, and was already stripping some of the young leaves and blossom from the trees.
Agnes slept fitfully that night. Her throat was on fire, the glands behind her ears swollen, and she was feverishly hot. It was quite apparent, when morning came, that she was in no fit state to travel, even
She stopped by a magnificent elder bush, its creamy flower-heads forming a mass of luminous fragrance. Nearby, a spray of early dog roses cascaded from the hedgetop towards the roadside ditch, and buttercups brightened the grass verge.
Agnes shared her delight, and remembered countless walks with her infants' class along this leafy lane. Somehow, in every season it had supplied them all with treasures. In spring, the first small violets appeared under the hedgerows, and in summer the children would return with sprays of honeysuckle or mauve pincushions of wild scabious in their hands. In the autumn, there were hazel-nuts, blackberries, hips and haws and all manner of bright berries to adorn the nature table, and even in the depths of winter some treasures could be gleaned; a glossy rook's feather, a bleached snail's shell, or a sprig of frost-rimed yew or holly.
The children's joy in these discoveries was echoed by little Miss Fogerty, reflecting as it did her own childhood memories of the Cotswold village not many miles from Thrush Green.
'Good to be back,' said Dorothy.
'Good to be back,' replied Agnes.
The days passed all too quickly for the visitors. There were so many friends to see, so much news to exchange.
Winnie Bailey, Ella Bembridge, Dotty Harmer and other Thrush Green friends invited the two ladies to their homes. Charles and Dimity Henstock gave a celebratory lunch party at Lulling Vicarage, and the Shoosmiths took them out to the neighbouring villages which their visitors had known so well.
Everything went smoothly until the day before the ladies were due to return, when Agnes started a feverish cold.
'I'm sure I shall be quite well tomorrow,' she assured her anxious hostess.
'In any case, you are to stay in bed,' said Isobel, 'and if you are still groggy in the morning you are staying here until you have recovered.'
Agnes became much agitated. 'Oh, I couldn't possibly. There are several things we must get back to do, and I don't want to impose on you any longer, Isobel dear.'
'The longer you can stay the better I shall like it,' Isobel assured her. 'Now lie down, and try to have a nap.'
Downstairs Dorothy was reading the paper, and looked up anxiously when Isobel reappeared.
'What do you think? Should we get Doctor Lovell to have a look at her?'
'Let's see how she is in the morning before we do that. Is it absolutely necessary for you to return tomorrow? We'd love to have you another day or so.'
'Absolutely necessary,' said Dorothy, with a return of her headmistressy manner. 'I have an old college friend coming to stay on Saturday, and must get things ready. She has been looking after her aged mother for years, and this is a rare break for her. I can't possibly put her off.'
'I can see that.'
'And then there's Teddy,' added Dorothy. 'I usually call in to see him after tea on Fridays.'
Teddy had been mentioned once or twice during the ladies' stay, but apart from the fact that he was a neighbour at Barton, Isobel knew little about him.
'Surely he would understand?' she said.
'Oh, he would understand,' replied Dorothy with vigour. 'There never was a more understanding man, but I should hate to disappoint him.'
'Well,' said Isobel briskly, 'I don't think we need to make any plans until we see how Agnes is in the morning. Would you like to come down to the greenhouse with me? I'm just going to do some watering.'
As it happened, the greenhouse was a very pleasant place to be, for although the sun still shone, as it had on most days of the ladies' visit to Thrush Green, the wind had veered to the north, and was already stripping some of the young leaves and blossom from the trees.
Agnes slept fitfully that night. Her throat was on fire, the glands behind her ears swollen, and she was feverishly hot. It was quite apparent, when morning came, that she was in no fit state to travel, even
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