The two girls hopped off the train in Cannanore, booked-in at the "Beach" Hotel, had dinner, and trotted round (as one does) to the Club next door. One lone woman would have raised eyebrows: two were perfectly acceptable. There they added greatly to the Gaiety of the Nations - in particular to my little group of RAF officers, which formed most of the junior membership of the Club, and into which they were promptly assimilated. (Finders, Keepers).
I do not remember the Friend much. I've forgotten her name, or what she looked like. She seemed a pleasant young woman, and behaved impeccably, earning much silent approval as she always addressed our Colonel as "Sir". What I do remember about her was the small Pomeranian she'd brought with her. About the size of a Jack Russell, it was of a similar (choleric) temperament. Fiercely protective of its mistress, this sagacious beast could easily divine the intentions of the young gentlemen who clustered around her. To echo Bertie Wooster (?) in his misuse of Holy Writ: "
It Biteth like the Serpent !"
But it did not stay long, returning to Bangalore with its mistress after a week or two. For it was becoming obvious that June no longer needed moral support. She had settled in comfortably at the hotel, found congenial non-judgmental friends (us!) and was Doing Quite Nicely, thank you - with me !
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