Another moment or two
Barbara wondered how Lady Asherton had mustered up such kind farewells as she and her boss were leaving. This was the second time they had uncovered someone close to her ladyship as a murderer. First her beloved Dr. Trennarrow, and now her friend Sarah Keach. And both dying from suicide. Barbara thought she was very brave, and that her warmth and affection were real. But she was sure that this death had stirred up painful memories of the loss of her lover. The death of Sarah Keach had come with the revelations that the woman was a pretender as well as a cold-hearted killer. Even so, Lady Asherton had thought of her as a friend. It had to be a loss.
As she waited in the car for Lynley to say his goodbyes to his mother and sister, Barbara thought of what a time this had been – the retreat, which did so much for her, and then the visit to Howenstowe, working alongside her boss again,. Her professional detachment came to the fore, so she put the murders aside. She even allowed herself a faint smile, deciding not to fasten her seat belt, knowing that Tommy wouldn't be able to resist reminding her. She nestled into the all-too-familiar seat in his "classic" car. She'd never admit to him how comfortable and close to happy she felt in that car. It shut out the world, just the two of them together. The stuff of her secret fantasies.
She had tried to maintain her sense of humor as she watched her boss tentatively flirting with the undeniably lovely Lady Keach, who was flirting openly with him. But though she tried to ignore her other feelings, she was, without a doubt, annoyed. Not jealous, of course not. She wouldn't allow herself such a feeling. She just thought he shouldn't be diverted from going after his wife. Nor about exploring the nuances of the murder he was trying to solve. This "lady" was of the horse world which Barbara insisted was at the core of the case, even when Tommy disagreed. And she was right, he had to admit it.
Farewells over, Lynley got into the car, and as expected, reminded Barbara, "seat belt". She complied, and off they drove. They talked only a bit about the case, both dealing with their grief over the death of the local copper, a man they'd come to like and respect.
"Barbara", he said, changing the subject. "Could you tell me about the retreat?"
"Oh, sir, it was wonderful, from start to finish," she enthused. "I had a massage every day, something I'd never had before. So relaxing, so satisfying. I mean, I don't think anyone had touched my body like that since I was a baby. My mum didn't go in for touching, rubbing my back or anything." She suddenly flushed, realizing that she'd revealed more than she'd intended. But she went on. "The aikido was incredible; you saw some of that."
"I certainly did," he said with a chuckle, "very formidable."
"And the food was great, healthy, I guess, but delicious. Local seafood and veggies. And I took long walks along the coast, something you know about." He nodded, smiling. "Just so different from everyday life in London and the Met. As I said, wonderful. If I can't get anyone to shoot me again, I'll try saving up for another go at it."
"An idea for a gift, "he said, and before she could object, he mused, "Remember, we had talked about you being stronger, somehow, after that horror in the pub? Now you seem much more comfortable in your own skin. At peace with yourself."
"Yeah," she said, nodding, "I do feel that. Very different from the uptight, angry bitch I was when we started working together,"
"I realized pretty quickly that when you got your head out of your arse, you were smart and quite open to considering other points of view," he said, stealing a quick glance at her.
: Your point of view, you mean!" she retorted. "You were the first officer I'd worked with that seemed to know that I was smart. All the others treated me like…..well, you know about that. But we work pretty well together, don't we, sir?"
"And we have since that first case. And we've become good friends, haven't we?"
"Hmm," she acknowledged.
"Good enough so that I can tell you how adorable you look these days?"
She sat upright and glared at him. "What? Where do you get off saying a thing like that?"
"Hey, Barbara," he said with a grin, "All I mean is that you look very pretty, I like your hair this way, and your confidence kind of illuminates you. Very attractive."
"Well how would you like it, sir, if I said you were very good-looking?" she hissed.
Still grinning, he said, "I think I'd say that I'm glad you finally noticed."
She kept glaring, until suddenly they both burst into laughter. Tensions, such as they were, thawed, and the drive back to London continued with an easy, comfortable silence.