Rich are Different Part VIII

Dinah goes back to live in Mallingham, at the start of the War. She has her son George with her, but her older children and Tony Sullivan are at school or college. She grieves for Steve, but is worried that Cornelius may have found the deeds to the house. However, she hopes that he will be tied to America, with war happening. She is good friends with her solicitor, Geoffrey Hurst who lives in Norfolk and was her admirer years ago -. She registers her boat with the government, in case it might be of use in the war. Then, after some months, Cornelius arrives in Mallingham. They talk and he tells her that he owns the house, but he would be prepared to bring her to America and set her up in business there, and he would manage to protect Mallingham if the Germans invade. She says the Germans wont be coming. However, she plays along with him and agrees to meet him in London in a day or so. She knows that he will ill treat her and that she cannot save Mallingham forever. Even if it survives the war, it may be commandeered by the Government and the post war world will not want great houses. She decides to destroy the house herself so that Cornelius cannot get his hands on it. She gets a call to say that the British army needs boats to rescue them from France, and she realises that this gives her a good excuse. So she leaves a radio on, which has a defective wire, and leaves Mallingham for the last time, to go away to sail off to France.