'Won't Rose be coming?'
Nicole slipped down by his bed.
'It's going to be lovely in America,' she said gently.
There will be bright lights at night-time, not like the black-out we have here.
There is no bombing, nor firing guns at people from the air.
There will be plenty to eat, and nice, sweet'things like we all used to have.
You will live at a place called "Coates Harbor" on Long Island, where Madame Costello has a great big house in the country.
And there is a pony for you to ride, and dogs to make friends with, like we all used to have before the war when we had food for dogs.
And you will learn to sail a boat, and to swim and dive like the English and Americans do, and to catch fish for pleasure.
And you will feel quite safe then, because there is no war in America.'
Pierre stared up at her.
'Will you be coming with me to America?'
She said quietly: 'No, Pierre.
I must stay here.'
The corners of his mouth dropped.
'I don't want to go alone.'
Howard said: 'Perhaps Rose's father will want her to go too.
Then she would go with you.
You'd like that, wouldn't you?'
Sheila said: 'May Ronnie and I go, Mr Howard?
Can we all go with Pierre?'
He said: 'I'll have to see about that.
Your Aunt Margaret may want you in England.'
Ronnie said: 'If she doesn't want us, may we go to Coates Harbor with Pierre?'
'Yes,' he said.
'If she wants you out of England you can all go to Coates Harbor together.'
'Coo,' said the little boy, unfeelingly.
'I do hope she doesn't want us.'
After a time they got the children settled down to sleep; they went downstairs again and out into the garden until supper was ready.
The old man said: 'You know a good deal about my daughter's house in America, mademoiselle.'
She smiled.
'John used to tell me about it,' she said.
'He had been out there, had he not, monsieur?'
He nodded.
'He was out there with Enid for a time in 1938.
He thought a great deal of her husband, Costello.'
She said: 'He told me all about it very early one morning, when we could not sleep.
John loved America.
He was amateur, you understand - he loved their technique.'
Not for the first time the old man wondered doubtfully about the nature of that week in Paris.
He said absently: 'He enjoyed that visit very much.'
He roused himself. 'I am a little worried about Pierre,' he said.
'I had not thought of sending anybody over with him to America.'
She nodded.
'He is sensitive, that one.
He will be lonely and unhappy at first, but he will get over it.
If Rose could go too it would be all right.'
He faced her.
'Why not go yourself?' he suggested.
'That would be best of all.'