An Independent Woman. Бетти Нилс

only a garbled version of where they were going, spent a great part of their journey studying a map—a large, detailed one which the Professor had thoughtfully provided.

      Somewhere south of Amsterdam and not too far from Hilversum. And there were any number of lakes and no large towns until one reached Utrecht.

      Ruth said over her shoulder, ‘It’s really country, Julia.

      Gerard says we don’t need to go near a town unless we want to, although it’s such a small country there are lots of rural areas with only tiny villages.’

      It didn’t seem very rural when they landed at the Hoek and took to the motorway, for small towns followed each other in quick succession, but then Thomas turned into a minor road and Julia saw the Holland she had always pictured. Wide landscapes, villages encircling churches much too large for them, farms with vast barns and water meadows where cows wandered. And the further they drove the more remote it became. The land was flat, but now there were small copses and glimpses of water. Julia looked around her and sighed with pleasure. Maybe there were large towns nearby, and main roads, but here there was an age-old peace and quiet.

      Ruth, who had been chattering excitedly, had fallen silent and Thomas said, ‘See that church spire beyond those trees? Unless I’ve read the map wrongly, we’re here…’