Adam could still remember the day when Harry had poached him from six. To sort out what he'd described at the time as the Tom Quinn affair. Possibly not the wisest thing to have said, which had been highlighted by the resentment that had been directed at him from some of Tom's colleagues. Something that had made it all the more difficult for him to get them to accept him as their new Section Chief. Ruth, Harry and Malcolm being the exceptions.
The arrival of Ros and her prickly attitude, is causing him to revisit those days and tread equally carefully. If for no other reason than until Harry's return, despite by her own admission of not being a team player, Ros is essential to the grid running in a way that will maintain the high standards that Harry demands.
That he's nominally in charge because one of them has to be, Ros has accepted. That she's happy to attend meetings, while he steers the ship from behind Harry's desk is a bonus. Reporting back in a way to suggest that they are just muddling along, when although neither of them have done anything more than imagine where it might lead, there is a definite mutual attraction. One that is creating feelings, which if he lets them develop to the point where he can no longer control what his body is suggesting, will mean that keeping her in the dark about things that don't concern her, will become a problem.
Highlighted this morning as he watches her disappearing through the pods for her meeting with the Home Secretary, while he will be occupied by something that has no bearing on the future security of the nation. Although why it feels as though it does, he's still not sure.
Because it's the day of the auction, an event that he and Malcolm are going to watch and in Malcolm's case is going to do their master's bidding. After what had been a surprise phone call the previous evening. The first time that he'd heard from Harry since he and Ruth had gone on what had been described as an extended break.
Just as well then that would be terrorists are behaving in a way that gives him no cause to think that either he or Malcolm will be required to make an appearance. That and because their close colleagues, accept that Malcolm is someone who is a good sounding board and just as Harry insists when they disappear in the direction of the Cricketers, unexplained meetings are not something to be questioned.
Zaf's nod of recognition as he passes his desk, with nothing more than a mug of coffee to look forward too and with his fingers very firmly crossed, takes him past where Colin is working his way through a list of data, that had Ruth been there, she'd have been checking. Eventually reaching the archives which are tucked away at the end of the corridor and where Malcolm has already logged on.
Where, 'have you thought want might happen if they don't get this house?' he asks Malcolm. As the picture on the screen changes to reveal what is described as a hidden gem in a quiet location.
.
Malcolm who is concentrating on a last-minute text that has arrived from Harry. A simple 'Thank you' followed by H&R Their initials rather than their names linked together. is the confirmation that Harry hasn't changed his mind.
Deciding that Adam will find out sooner rather than later what the message is telling him and the only reason that Harry hasn't said anything, is that he wants Adam to concentrate on the job. Unlike his role which is to provide whatever they need, when they need it, which in most cases means that he's locked in a room devising ways to spy on people without actually being there.
He knows that Harry who had seen his marriage to Jane crumble and his relationship with his children dissolve when he'd distanced himself in an attempt to protect them, won't let it happen again. That he's more than aware that if he and Ruth are openly together, which in the current circumstances will involve them walking onto the grid every morning, will leave her vulnerable. More importantly, he's watched Harry's priorities change. Ruth, now streets ahead of protecting his country, has brought out another side of Harry. One that might have been a slow burner, but now has an undisputed destination. One that will not only have a huge impact on the grid, but MI5 as a whole.
Which summed up, means that Adam will have to find a way to work with Ros in a way that has yet to be decided.
And is the reason why, 'I'm more interested in what will happen if they do.' He tells Adam by way of a carrot.
That Adam doesn't understand, doesn't mean it will be breaking a confidence he decides. Like one of those, 'I've started so I'll finish' questions in Mastermind from the quizmaster and in this case makes him the contestant.
'Let's just say I can see a vacancy coming up. One that you and Ros will be contesting.'
'Harry leave MI5?'
'Ask yourself the question Adam, why when we had three days off, did Harry and Ruth get three months? He trusts you Adam and he's giving you the chance to prove to yourself that you can run this section. That and because he's made his decision. He just wants to get on with his life.'
He watches as Adam absorbs what he's said, before his younger colleague asks, 'do you think he's told Ruth?'
'As well as I know Harry and Ruth, what they do or don't talk about or do in private, I tend not to think about. But in this case, I'm pretty sure that he hasn't. That's not to say that if I had to put any money on it, if today goes as planned, I'd say you'll be the second person that he tells.'
'One hell of a Christmas present for Ruth.'
'And for you?'
'As much as I'm flattered, I'll need time to think about it.'
.
Alice was looking after Scarlet. They'd left Beer as soon as they'd had breakfast. With a suitcase packed and with the promise that they'd be back either later in the day or sometime tomorrow. It had been Harry's suggestion that they have a better look around Ottery. Close enough but not too close that they'd be tempted to go to the auction.
After an hour of what had been pottering, 'shall we?' Harry suggested, nodding in the direction of the church, which from the foundations to its peak, had been built to be a scaled down version of Exeter Cathedral.
A church which today was playing host to a Christmas Market, the proceeds of which were being donated to local children's charities said the posters on every lamp post that they'd passed. Proving that even here, in what was an affluent county, that there were families who were facing a less than happy Christmas.
A feeling that was heightened as soon as they stepped inside, where a mother and baby group were appealing for donations, for what one of their members told them were going to be food parcels that they were going to be distributed to the needy.
His contribution made, Harry steered Ruth in the direction of what on a Sunday was the table where the prayer books were handed out, but today had been transformed to accommodate warm drinks and mince pies.
'Sit anywhere you like,' said an equally helpful lady, nodding in the direction of the pews. The coffee already warming their hands.
.
Which when they sat down, gave Ruth a few precious moments to forget what was happening along the road and what that might mean, instead reflecting on a time when Devon and all it had offered had been her world. The stain glass windows which had been means of distracting herself when her parents had taken her to the cathedral. The choir, even though the music today was piped, evoking memories that were just as vivid, if not more so. In a building where she'd fallen in love with choral music and had made the decision to sing herself. Before her parent's marriage had broken up, before Peter had killed himself. A dark time that she'd waited so long to talk about and now could, with the man who was sitting alongside her. Harry who loved her, as much for her frailties as he did her strengths and by his own admission, would walk on hot coals if it made her happy. A thought that saw her edging closer to him and covering his hand with hers.
Harry's memories, equally poignant, were of a much more recent event. In a church whose structure was as chalk was from cheese. On the day of Danny's funeral when he and Ruth had sat side by side. As close as was acceptable without actually touching. Something now that Ruth had moved, was deepening his memories. Of the day when he'd not only acknowledged that he was in love with his analyst, but had told her he needed her. A need which had been two- fold, one of which he'd forced himself to ignore as they'd struggled to deal with the threat of further bombings, Juliet's unwelcome return, Fiona's death and his recent suspension.
Past tense he told himself, smiling at Ruth with none of the inhibitions he'd felt on that day, leaning in and saying 'come on.'
A feeling that only deepened as they followed the one-way system which was designed to help people to look at the various stalls without bumping into each other. Where the stall holders were selling everything from local food and drink, to elaborate Christmas decorations and would be presents. Something that he hadn't yet purchased for Ruth. Ruth who didn't do elaborate or fancy, which was one of the things that had drawn him to her in the first place, who'd said that being with him was enough. Well bugger that, came with a silent apology given where they were, but not without revisiting the warm feeling that had swept throughout his body when she'd said it.
Because providing there wasn't a hiccup at the auction and even if there was, he was going to book them into a hotel for the night and then tomorrow they'd talk about the not so small subject of him buying her a present.
.
Back in Harry's office, having shaken Malcolm's hand, Adam had been trying and failing to get a response from either Harry's or Ruth's phones. Had he known that they were in church so had switched their phones off, he wouldn't have been using language that was matching Harry's thoughts about Ruth refusing to let him buy her a present.
Or have responded to Ros who having bowled back in and was looking at a smiling Malcolm, in a way to suggest that she was holding back from saying whose been sitting in my chair then, by getting in first and saying 'just a minute Ros, whatever it is will have to wait.'
Having already asked Malcolm to keep trying and that if he didn't get a response in the next half an hour, he was going to collect Wes from school and hot tail it down to Devon himself.
A conversation that wouldn't have happened, if the sale of Brookfield gone through during timeframe which had been set. Brought forward, because two other houses had been withdrawn in the run up to the sale starting and those which had followed had been sold to the first bidder.
Not so the house in question although to Malcolm's relief, he'd managed to buy a house that he'd never seen other than in a photograph, with some money to spare according to what Harry had described as their approximate limit. Which hadn't been very helpful, but he'd taken to mean, 'just buy it Malcolm and we'll sort it out later.'
Now imagining and thinking ahead to Christmas, down a winding lane, in a certain part of Devon, where there would be a celebration to rival any other.