"'Monte Carlo is a long way off, and has a dreadful reputation,'
said Veronique; 'I shouldn't like to tell our-friends that we were
going to Monte Carlo. But I believe Roger usually goes to Dieppe
about this time of year, and some quite respectable English people
go there, and the journey wouldn't be expensive. If aunt could
stand the Channel crossing the change of scene might do her a lot
of good.'
"And that was how the fateful idea came to the Brimley Bomefields.
"From the very first set-off disaster hung over the expedition, as
they afterwards remembered. To begin with, all the Brimley
Bomefields were extremely unwell during the crossing, while the
aunt enjoyed the sea air and made friends with all manner of
strange travelling companions. Then, although it was many years
since she had been on the Continent, she had served a very
practical apprenticeship there as a paid companion, and her
knowledge of colloquial French beat theirs to a standstill. It
became increasingly difficult to keep under their collective wings
a person who knew what she wanted and was able to ask for it and
to see that she got it. Also, as far as Roger was concerned, they
drew Dieppe blank; it turned out that he was staying at Pourville,
a little watering-place a mile or two further west.
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