Tommy didn't regret his choice of restaurant. The place was lovely; the food, excellent; the atmosphere, relaxed but not too casual. Above all, Barbara seemed to like it. She was a bit more talkative than usual – bless Dom Perignon who invented champagne – and she proved to be quite funny. It was nice to see her so relaxed and happy, it was so different from her usual snark. They talked a lot, laughed a lot. It amazed Tommy how things were so easy between them now after their tumultuous start as a team. When they finally left the restaurant the sun was almost set but the night was warm.

'It's a beautiful night,' Barbara said, 'not like the one when the coach broke down.; such a downpour, we were soaked through.'

'The walk under the rain wasn't pleasant but I have fond memories of that night.'

There was something in Tommy's voice that moved Barbara deeply or perhaps it was the way he was looking at her. She pulled on the bottom of the dress, uneasy.

'I don't know what's wrong with this dress, it can't stay into place.'

'I don't see what the problem is, Barbara. Your dress is beautiful and you look gorgeous in it.'

'Ta.'

A white patch on the canal caught her eyes; it was a couple of swans, majestically swimming along the bank.

'Do you want to walk?'

The question took Lynley by surprise but since a romantic walk by the banks at sunset had been his plan since the beginning he happily said yes.

They strolled along the canal amid the couples and the families who had gone there in search of a bit of calm at the heart of the city. They made way for a little boy riding his tricycle at full speed in the hope of catching up with his elder sister on her mountain bike and laughed when he finally decided to abandon his bike and run after his sister instead. They watched the sun disappear below the London skyline. They walked side by side, so close their hands sometimes brushed. Each time Tommy felt Barbara tense up slightly but each time she remained near him and never tried to put her hand out of reach. Encouraged by this observation he frankly reached out for her hand but couldn't take it for at the same time Barbara raised her arm and waved at someone.

'Hiya!'

Annoyed by the setback Tommy frowned at the two men who were approaching. To his utter disappointment he recognized Winston Nkata and Stuart Lafferty. In no time they had reached them.

'Having a romantic walk by the water?' Lafferty asked them, straight to the point.

'A digestive walk,' Barbara replied.

'Really? So you had dinner together? Things are becoming serious,' Lafferty quipped, giving Tommy a dig in the ribs. Tommy felt an irrepressible urge to punch the forensic surgeon but Barbara intervened first:

'Mind your own business, Stu, I'm not asking you if you're on a date with Winnie.'

'Because you know I'm not interested in men, Barbara, only women are worth my attention. And I must say you look fantastic in that dress; I'd love to have you on my arm. May I?'

He offered his arm to Barbara who, after a quick look at Tommy, accepted it.

'I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world,' he said as he started strolling with Barbara.

'You're a bore,' Tommy muttered into his beard.

Winston, who had overheard him, gave him a contrite smile.

'Sorry, mate. I never meant to interrupt…'cos we did interrupt, eh?'

'I'm not sure what you interrupted Winston, maybe you just prevented me from making a fool of myself,' Lynley groaned.

It didn't seem necessary to carry on pretending, not with Winston at least. He was a friend and Tommy knew Barbara and he were close.

'No, you weren't going to make a fool of yourself. Just look at her dress! Have you ever seen her so …'?

'Sexy?'

Winston laughed.

'I was going to say feminine but you're past that already, aren't you?'

'Way past, Winnie, way past.'

But Barbara and Stuart were coming back towards them.

'Stuart says there's a club nearby with great music,' Barbara enthused.

'That's where Winnie and I were going when we met you,' Lafferty explained. 'They play only rock'n'roll, and I mean the real stuff, direct from the 50's'.

'I'd like to go there, if you don't mind' Barbara pleaded Tommy.

This damn club and its damn music were going to ruin all his plans but how could he resist? He knew Barbara's love for old rock'n'roll and he suspected she didn't often have the occasion to enjoy herself.

'All right, but you save a dance for me.'

'I'm not going there to dance! I'm not good at dancing,' Barbara protested.

'We'll see to that in time.'

The club was a leap back in time. Everything in it reflected the 50's from the decoration to the clothes of the staff. Even the cocktails bore names like Clark Gable, Marylin Monroe, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. The little group settled at a table near the bar where a barmaid looking remotely like Grace Kelly took their orders. Needless to say Barbara ordered a Buddy Holly. A group of musicians were playing rock'n'roll classics at a deafening volume to the greatest pleasure of the couples on the dance floor.

'Not your kind of dance, I suppose,' Lafferty yelled at Lynley indicating a couple with a jerk of his head.

Tommy watched the couple as they did a groundflip.

'This is not my usual ballroom dancing but next time I'll be sure to ask the Duchess of Cornwall if she wants to have a go at it.'

'Come on, Barb, time to hit the dance floor,' Winston suddenly said.

He got up and extended his hand to Barbara.

'I don't dance, Winnie.'

'Do me a favour.'

Reluctantly she got up and followed Winston. After a short time, she was enjoying herself and didn't care about the other people in the club anymore.

Lynley and Lafferty invited two women and soon the four friends were dancing to the sound of the 50's.

When the lights dimmed it was the signal for the slow dance. Tommy excused himself from his partner and went to Barbara.

'Would you do me the honour?' he asked her.

She let Winston's hand and smiled at Tommy.

'Sure.'

Barbara felt her face become crimson and hot but she was incredibly happy. Tommy was holding her in a tight embrace and he slowly lead the dance. He was a head taller than her and his chin almost rested on her head. She smelled good; he didn't know her perfume – well, he didn't remember her ever wearing perfume – and he was immensely pleased that she had decided to wear perfume for him tonight. He held her closer and she slipped her hands around his waist. Her head was resting on his chest. She could feel his heart beating and she wished they could stay like this forever. When the music stopped they didn't let go of each other and simply waited for the next song to start. They danced together until closing time, ignoring the quietly ironic air of Lafferty and the huge grin on Winston's face.

They were among the last to leave the club. It was 5 o'clock in the morning and on that Sunday morning the city was still asleep. In the half-light that preceded dawn the only noise was the birdsong. As they waited for Barbara to come out of the Ladies, Tommy offered Winston a lift as Lafferty had left the club in the middle of the night with a petite brunette but he declined:

'Thanks but you know the saying: 'Two's company…''

'Three's a crowd.' Tommy completed.

'Yeah. I think a bit of privacy is what you need at the moment.'

'What I need is my bed,' said Barbara as she joined them,' and to be rid of that dress!'

The two men exchanged a stunned look and burst into laughter.

'What?' Barbara asked them, lost. She hadn't heard the beginning of the conversation and she couldn't understand the sudden hilarity of her friends. 'What did I say?'

'The dress…' was all Winston could say before another burst of laughter.

'Yeah, the dress, so what? It's clinging to my skin with sweat and it's not nice.'

'We'll take care of that,' Tommy said, wiping away some tears from his eyes.

Winston was splitting his sides with laughter.

'I told you Winnie you drank to many Elizabeth Taylors,' Barbara chastised him to no avail.

'So…sorry,' he stammered.

Finally after another fit of giggles, he managed to put himself together and bade good bye to Tommy and Barbara.

'See you on Monday!' Barbara cried after him.

'See ya and behave yourselves, guys!' he shouted back.

'He's such a brat sometimes,' Barbara complained to Tommy who simply smiled at her.

'Time to go,' he said.

'I suppose so.'

'I thought you were longing for your bed.'

'I am but I had one, no, the best night of my life. Thank you so much for this, sir.'

'Where's Tommy gone?' Lynley asked softly.

'Still in the club, I think, spinning his partner around.'

She offered him a small lopsided smile that was so sad it broke Tommy's heart. He put his arm around her shoulders and bent his head to be at level with her eyes.

'Don't be sad, Barbara; the night's not over yet.'

'The sun will prove you wrong in just a few minutes.'

'We'd better go then.'

'Where to?'

'You'll see.'

'Another surprise?'

'Yes, another one.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Sir, this is becoming ridiculous!'

'Just a few more steps, Havers.'

'Ah! I start complaining and it's goodbye Barbara, hello Havers!'

'You said this before.'

'Sorry if I'm repeating myself but I'm not particularly at my best wandering around blindfolded.'

'Here we are! Just in time.'

'Just in time for what?' she asked angrily.

'For that,' he whispered in her ear and took her blindfold away.

The view took Barbara's breath away.

'Oh my!'

They were on Primrose Hill and London was at their feet. The view had always been her favorite and she knew how much it meant for Tommy too. The sun was slowly rising and its first rays painted the city red and orange, putting it on fire.

'It's splendid.'

'I thought we could sit here and watch the sun rise over the city.'

'That's a wonderful idea.'

They sat on the bench, the very same bench on which she had found him two years ago after Helen's death. They watched the sun rise and the city come to life and it felt the most natural thing in the world, just the two of them in the still deserted park, an easy silence between them.

Barbara shivered and Tommy took off his jacket.

'Here, have my jacket.'

'Thanks.'

'I'm sorry I should have known you were going to be cold here after all the dancing.'

'I'm fine, honest. I'm happy to be here.'

'The last time we came it was just after Helen's death.'

'I remember.'

'I came here to hide from the world and you came and said it was all right to grieve but there was a world out there when I'd be ready. I'm ready, Barbara.'

'Glad to hear that.'

'I owe it to you… and to my love for you.'

His voice broke and she wasn't sure he'd just said he loved her but when she looked at him she saw it in his eyes.

'I never expected this to happen, Barbara. To be perfectly frank, for years I thought the idea of us being together, being an item, was so ludicrous it was laughable. I'm not laughing anymore. I love you, Barbara Havers, I love you and I want to be with you. I know you're going to say…'

'Yes.'

'Sorry?' he couldn't believe his ears.

'Yes, I said yes. I love you too.'

They stared at each other bewildered, Barbara by her boldness, Tommy by her answer.

'You love me too?'

'I thought it was obvious when we were dancing together. Actually I was terrified you'd find out and walk away.'

'Never. I simply dared not hope it was true. I needed to be sure it wasn't the champagne and the cocktails speaking.'

'Well, I reckon they helped,' she answered mischievously.

'Had I known, I would have made you drink before tonight.'

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. His kiss sent shivers down Barbara's spine. Tommy noticed her shivering but misinterpreted it.

'You're cold. Time to go back home and face the world together.'

'The world can wait for a couple of minutes, Tommy,' she replied in a husky voice and she drew him to her for a long and tender kiss.