It had been two months since they had left MI5 and Harry impatient as ever, had somehow imagined that their builders would finish the work on the house by the end of August. Until recently the concept of holidays had been alien to him so he was surprised to find that half the workforce, all whom had children of school age were downing tools and wouldn't be back until the end of the month. He had muttered and complained for the best part of a week and Ruth was getting really fed up.
'For goodness sake,' she said one morning when he was spitting cornflakes, 'we can still use the house. There's water in the bathroom the shower works and we have a perfectly comfortable bed. It really doesn't matter that the kitchen is only half finished we'll camp, it will be fun.'
Harry looked up at her smiling face which in truth was hard to resist, but he liked his home comforts and it was a very long time since he had been a boy scout. She probably had plans for the garden as well but she'd have to be a lot more persuasive to get him anywhere near a garden fork or a wheelbarrow. None the less, she was top of his list when it came to home comforts so it would be very churlish to say no. Come to think of it he'd he never seen her in a swimming costume either he thought which was doing wonders to improve his mood.
'OK,' he said earning himself a kiss we'd better go and pack.
Two hours later with Scarlet and Fidget safely in their carriers and Harry's luggage containing the minimum of working clothes, he was outside packing the car. The Range Rover that he had driven for the last 5 years had been traded in for a new model, a dog and cat took up as much room as children if not more he had said when they had discussed what to buy.
Ruth was bringing out more and more luggage and leaving it for him to load, garden tools being the latest things to be plonked at his feet. Whether he had time to hide them behind the hedge in the front garden before she got back he doubted, besides which they didn't do angst anymore and he had seen her shorts and swimming costume going into her case. Maybe a bit of light weeding wouldn't be so bad.
Luggage, pets and the contents of the fridge finally stowed they were on their way, grumpy Harry now smiling again. The prospect of a month in their soon to be new home stretching before them was surreal. They had no one to think about other than themselves and their pact not to discuss what may or may not be going on at Thames House had so far held firm. With the prediction of sunny weather throughout August and both of them dressed in shorts and casual clothes for the first time in years, what better place was there to be than beside the sea.
The builders had made a good fist of tidying up and at least the new fridge/freezer had been delivered. The bedroom was as they had left it and their new wardrobe and chest of drawers were ample for now. Considering how chaotic Ruth's desk used to be at work, she was remarkably organised around the house. Within an hour of them arriving and with their things unpacked, they were changed and ready for a walk on the beach. Ruth was worried about Fidget as cats were notoriously difficult to rehome, he would have to stay indoors for a few days.
Scarlet on the other hand was off like a shot. Free of her lead for the first time ever she was racing across the sand in pursuit of seagulls. The sky was clear and the miles of beach were relatively quiet considering that it was the height of summer. It was eight months since they had first been here and when Harry had first seen the house. Ruth was behind him and was splashing him as the tide ebbed and flowed beneath their feet. He turned to retaliate but she was giggling like a small child her face happy and relaxed as she dodged round him as he tried to grab her. If he died in that single moment, he would die a happy man. Holding out his arms in surrender she walked towards him, there was no one to see them so with hands either side of her face, he kissed her passionately.
They had brought food with them and neither of them wanted to go out on the first night. Theirs was still a relatively new relationship and having both spent years alone they were slowly learning how to live together in a way that suited them both. Sharing the cooking of dinner was something that they had done since they had retired and they were both determined to eat more healthily and get fitter. Takeaways they had agreed were a last resort when they were tired or as a treat but certainly not a regular occurrence as they had been for Harry for far too long. Another of their resolutions was to walk as much as possible no matter what the weather. Scarlet would benefit as well and there were so many places to discover and explore.
It was now 7pm and a beautiful evening. They still needed to buy garden furniture but had found an old bench in the shed and that would do in the short term, camping thought Harry had moved higher up fun his list. They had prepared a chicken salad with new potatoes and had a trifle that they had bought earlier in the week. Add to that a bottle of white wine and two very happy people and what more could you want, Ruth said. As they had so often done in the past they sat gazing at each other but this was different. There was no glass wall or passing colleagues interrupting their view. This wasn't a game anymore with one trying to outstare the other, this was real. They had no need to hide their feelings, something that had been cripplingly difficult for so many years.
'To us,' he said as they touched glasses.
Having washed up in their makeshift kitchen they were now in the sitting room. They had no TV to watch but had brought a small CD player and were now curled up on the settee and listening to music. Scarlet was out for the count, she had been since they got back from their walk. Fidget too seemed more relaxed now that the humans were sitting down. Both of them were trying hard not to fall asleep and both secretly thinking about the first night in their new bed. Harry however always the planner had also been thinking ahead towards the coming week, and it had nothing to do with gardening.
