Chapter 45
"Roger, I was thinking you might probably want the cottage for the honeymoon." Titty said her voice changed and somehow tinny over the telephone line.
"We don't actually, but thank you if you're offering. We're spending it in London."
"Oh."
"But look, if you really aren't going to be using it yourselves just after the wedding…."
"Only for the Saturday night. Edward will have to be back for school on Monday morning."
"I've asked Pete to be my best man, and Jonnatt's will let him have a week off."
"And Vi? And Joe and Mary too? The cottage would be perfect for them to spend a week in and there's no-one Dick and Dot would rather trust with Scarab."
"Jonnatt's won't let Pete and Joe have time off at the same time, and Mary can't get the time off at all. Not until November."
"So it will just be Pete and Vi then? I'll write to them and offer this evening. Look, there's the pips. Love from all of us. Bye. Look, take Rowan to see the Wallace collection."
Titty's surprise had been perceptible even over the telephone. It was understandable enough, given Rowan's competence and enthusiasm for outdoor activities. London wouldn't be Roger's ideal holiday choice for more than a night or two. But Rowan had after all been brought up in London, and he knew she hankered to see buildings instead of field. There was the festival of Britain stuff to see of course, and bookshops (He smiled remembering the day in Oxford.) and she had rather shyly admitted to missing art galleries. "Not that's I'm artistic." She had said hurriedly. "I don't think you have to be able to draw the stuff to look at it." He had replied.
WALLIS COLLECTION Roger wrote down on a piece of paper. He must find out what it was a collection of, and where it was. He found a very small quantity of art galleries and museums was quite enough for his own tastes, but if Rowan wanted him to walk round every gallery and museum in London with her, he would.