By the time that Adam manages to convince the Foreign Secretary that Harry never switches his phone off, which means that the reason he can't get through to him is down to a weak signal, and that any chance of resurrecting the second week of the conference is about as likely as The Archbishop of Canterbury announcing that he no longer believes in God, they are climbing out of a military jeep in the carpark of the hotel.

That Adam let himself believe that Allan's arrogance would somehow diminish rather than increase, is now making him wish he'd insisted he let the medics examine him, when he'd been telling them to keep their bloody hands to themselves. Whilst only managing to reign in his temper, by mentally reciting Harry's long held conviction that politicians who achieve high office, with of course the odd exception, get there by deceiving the electorate into thinking that they'll honour they're pre-election promises. Which means that by the time they reach the foyer, not only is he barely holding it together, but he has a dilemma on his hands. Either to walk away and let him get on with it, whatever it happens to be, or what he knows is his duty as a member of the British Security Services, which will be to keep an eye the man who he's certain won't be pleased to find himself sharing the dining room with people he perceives to be mere mortals. The walking wounded from the train, who unlike Allan, have been falling over themselves with gratitude towards him and Ros.

While Adam is struggling with his conscience, Ros who has been there for a good while longer, has come to an altogether different conclusion. Not that she's not one hundred percent in agreement with Adam, that Allan is well overdue a painful realignment of his nose. One which she's more than happy to inflict. But she sees this as an opportunity, not only to use him to their advantage, but in doing so, to prove to Harry that she's done enough to suggest that her temporary transfer should be made permanent. And if that means she has to forgo a pleasant evening with Adam by offering to have dinner with Allan, during which time she plans to tell him that the reason she and Adam, along with Harry and Ruth relocated to the village had been due to a prolonged power outage followed by the news of the avalanche, she'll do it. Despite it being an outright lie.

The following morning.

With the ball now firmly in their court, because Allan had accepted what Ros had told him as the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth, a much calmer Adam rings Harry. During what is a conversation with both Ruth and Ros listening in, they devise a plan which they hope will not only maintain their advantage, but increase it. Starting with an invitation to coffee on their patch so to speak and having got him there, not only shock him to the point where he won't procrastinate or suggest that Harry's hunch isn't worth that paper it's written on, as opposed to giving Harry the green light to dig deeper. A plan which to achieve their aim, requires a reluctant Ruth to step out of her comfort zone.

If Allan is thinking that when Harry opens the front door, dressed casually as opposed to wearing a suit and tie, having spent two days and more importantly nights with Ruth in the house on their own, has the appearance of someone who believes he's on holiday, he doesn't show it. Or does he say anything other than 'thank you' when Ruth who in addition to feeling far from confident, is grateful that unlike Ros who would have done this stark naked, she only has to walk into the room carrying a tray of coffee and a smile which will melt Allan's heart. After which and before before she loses her nerve and in a voice which sounds as though she means it, she asks him 'if he's feeling better after a good night's sleep?'

The only suggestion that Allan might be feeling less than comfortable by her undivided attention, in what is unquestionably a scene of domesticity and in which Harry is clearly the other half, is when Ruth, who by now Ros has accepted is a better spook than she'd imagined her to be and how the hell she'd ever thought that Harry and Ruth were anything less than perfectly matched in every possible way, she has no idea, leans in and without saying anything, is clearly trying to tempt Allan into taking a biscuit to accompany his coffee.

In the same way that, never once doubted her ability thinks Adam, when Allan weakens and takes a chocolate digestive. Whilst Harry who had seen the look of horror on her face, when Adam had been telling been her what he wanted her to do, is wondering how this once mercurial woman, who had frustrated him to the point where he'd almost given up on there ever being a them, despite his mistakes and indiscretions of which there have been many, is proving yet again, that she loves him with a passion that matches his own.

Unfortunately, he also knows this isn't the moment to be fantasising about what might or might happen after Allan goes back to the hotel. Or beyond what he now believes will be a life where every morning when he opens his eyes, Ruth will be lying in bed beside him. Because first and foremost he needs him to answer a question and the only way to achieve that, is to ask it in such a way that Allan won't feel pressurized. Which again has been orchestrated in advance so in a voice which is in keeping with the way that he speaks to his staff on the grid when he's under pressure, he suggests that 'they're running out of milk.'

To which Adam replies, 'as Ros and I spent the best part of yesterday holed up on a military base, if you can spare us for an hour or so Harry, we'll go.'

.

Whether it's the reduction in their numbers or not and despite him not liking the man, Harry can't help but accept that Allan does look dead on his feet and as such will benefit from sitting in a more comfortable chair, so nods in the direction of the sofa and the two chairs which are positioned in front of the open fire. Whilst in the background, the sound of Ruth pottering about in the kitchen could he thinks if they weren't here, turn this an ordinary Friday morning. When she's preparing lunch for maybe a neighbour or a friend. The strength of his desire to achieve this and as soon as they get back to London, distracting him again.

Only to be brought back from his daydream, when Allan clears his throat, before looking him straight in the eye and saying, 'am I right in assuming the reason I'm here, is that you want to ask me something Harry and not because you're concerned about my wellbeing or the standard of service at the hotel?' Because as much as I've enjoyed sharing coffee and biscuits with your team, I have a meeting with my French counterpart in an hour's time.'

'It is Foreign Secretary,' although in my defence he thinks, but opts instead for, 'I need you cast you mind back to a year ago and to the date when this conference was arranged.'

Cue Ruth, who comes back into the room and sits down on the sofa, as close to Harry as she feels is appropriate. The levity now gone. What remains of the morning, hanging on what happens in the next few minutes and the morale support which she knows Harry will only accept from her, crucial given what he's about to tell Allan. The characters may change, but the script never does. Or the emotion which Harry will do his best to hide. This death which occurred so long ago, no less raw than those they have mourned together during the time that she's known him.

'What you're not probably aware of Foreign Secretary, is that just over twenty years ago I was deployed within a mile of here in my role as an army officer. The nature of our work was deemed to be secret and it worked. As it still does, in that nobody knows that the hotel you are staying in, doubles as a location for secret meetings. It all went to plan, in fact I'd go as far as to say that we were enjoying the challenge, despite the freezing cold conditions. Until two days before we were due to fly home, my closest friend fell, was pushed or jumped into a ravine when the rest of us were in bed. And as if that wasn't bad enough, to this day I still don't know which if any of those is true, although I like to believe it was an accident. In the same way that despite there being a thorough investigation by the authorities at the time, the verdict at the inquest was one of misadventure. That I find myself back here all these years later, I hope you can understand is not only unsettling, but has led me to wonder if perhaps there's more to my being here than just a coincidence?'

'I'm sorry Harry, I really am, but I don't see how I can help, other than to get one of my staff to check back over the records,' was more than Harry expected given their performance. But Allan was also missing the point and with it came his last throw of the dice. Helping him was that Ruth had moved to within inches of where he was sitting, which even though he didn't dare reach out and touch her, he could at least see her out of the corner of his eye.

'In the circumstances and I wouldn't be asking, had the person who died not been one of the most level headed people I've known. But I'm hoping that you'll agree to one of my staff going through the records. He'll be very discreet I promise you.'

'And if I were amongst those who are currently hospitalised Harry, would you have done it without seeking my permission?'

'I would yes.'

'Your honesty, not something which goes hand in hand with your line of work and I'm sure you think the same of me does you credit. So, yes Harry, go ahead and do it but on one condition. I need your assurance that if your operative gets caught, there won't be a trail that leads back to me.'

'You have it.' Harry told him.