AN: As promised, albeit a little late – an epilogue! Thanks a million to everyone who took the time to review this story...
"What have you got in this box, Ruth – rocks?"
She laughed and turned as Harry entered the study, bearing the last box of her things. "Books," she explained, as though the answer was obvious, removing the box from his arms. He grunted with relief and stretched, wincing slightly as his back clicked. Ruth deposited the box on the already overflowing desk, and grasped Harry's hand. "I think all this lot can wait until later," she informed him slyly.
Harry raised his eyebrows in interest. "Later?" he echoed lightly, running his thumb over Ruth's new wedding ring. She nodded and rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Mmm," she replied as they broke apart. "Much later." Gently, she led them out of the room...
"Hey, Beth, has Ruth mentioned anything to you about selling her house?" asked Dimitri, frowning down at his newspaper, half a slice of toast hanging from his mouth. Beth frowned deeply and rose from her chair.
"No. Why?" Dimitri shoved the paper into her hands, and jabbed his finger at one of the housing ads on the page he was reading. "That's Ruth's house, isn't it?" he demanded, biting into the toast. Beth rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's bestial eating habits and looked closer at the indicated article. After a moment, her eyes widened.
"Yes," she breathed in disbelief. Why would Ruth be selling her house? She paused, and then her eyes widened further, if that was possible. Grinning, she tugged the paper out of Dimitri's hands and slapped her hand with it. Then, still smiling, she left the kitchen. Dimitri could hear her whistling all the way down the hall. "Where are you going?" he asked, rather disappointed that his news seemed to have destroyed any possibility of returning Beth to his bed, at least for the moment.
Beth, picking up the phone, tutted loudly. "Calling Alec, idiot. He's won the book!"
Dimitri's brow furrowed in confusion. But, just as Beth began to gabble excitedly to Alec on the other end of the phone, his face cleared. A wicked grin spread across his features. "Good on them!" he chuckled under his breath, shaking his head in wonderment.
