Waking from what Harry now knows has been a nightmare, to find almost the entire the duvet on his side of the bed which is the reason that he is sweating profusely, he practically falls out of bed such is his concern that Ruth has quite likely frozen to death. As to the details of what has caused him to have such a restless night, other than in some way shape or form Lucas had been involved he has no idea or has the energy to contemplate. Unlike his former self who would have put it down to consuming too much whisky in the company of someone so far removed from Ruth as to be thought tacky. Which is why after a silent apology to her sleeping form and after he covers her up, he closes the bedroom door and heads into the bathroom for a desperately needed pee. That done and having washed his hands and donned his dressing gown, his next priority is go downstairs in search of something to clear his head. First things first he tells himself, filling the kettle and reaching up for the jar of coffee and a mug before opening the fridge door for the milk, whilst all the time trying to be as quiet as he can. Until finally with a reviving mug of coffee in his hand he wanders over to the window and pulls back the curtains. At what is just gone six, he knows that unless the security lights come on, his chances of seeing anything for at least another hour apart from the rows of lights which he knows are from oil tankers on the horizon is virtually nil. His comfort coming as it always does these days from the dark, no longer a source of horror and with it the thought of another day with Jacob and their change of plan which is to spend the morning having a conversation about his and the garden in general. The first of which will be full of fun and the second providing the information that he has been assured has been posted marked priority, will see Ruth going into raptures.
Apart from being vaguely aware that at some time Harry had climbed out of bed and pulled the duvet back over her, the similarity in their sleep patterns has been as chalk is to cheese. Which means that unlike him Ruth has slept a relaxed and dreamless sleep. So when she eventually wakes up, not only is it light but she assumes that the reason Harry suggested that they to park the visit to Tot's Town in favour of staying at home, is due to what is happening on the grid. In the same way that she knows that the moment Harry hears her moving about upstairs he will make a pot of tea and given what time it is, will have rung Sally to confirm that as they need to call in at the shop, they will pick Jacob up at nine rather than her having to bring him to them.
Which makes Harry what? Predictable not only sounds boring but implies he is someone who planned his retirement down to the finest detail. Which given their history and the fact that she spent two long years in Cyprus is the opposite of what happened. No, this newly invented Harry is a constant in that he sticks to the life plan that they have set themselves, only tweaking it from time to time and always with a good motive in mind.
.
'Be a good boy for Harry and Ruth, Mummy will see you later,' Sally tells Jacob. Having told Ruth that she has no idea what time she will be back and if it overruns into the evening can he can stay with them overnight? And by doing so, unknowingly side tracks Ruth if only temporarily from realising that this is one of those times when Harry has a surprise up his sleeve. One which gains momentum when they are walking back down the lane and after a toot of warning the post van pulls up alongside.
'This one needs a signature,' says their very cheerful postman,' handing Harry a large envelope which he passes to Ruth while he signs. Only to be told that, 'he has known Sally since school days and this little monkey since the day he was born.'
'Pat,' says Jacob, holding up his teddy bear like a trophy. Which handily prevents Ruth from asking Harry the obvious question as to the contents of the envelope. Whilst raising the question as to whether the postman or the teddy bear are called Pat or both? Or if Jacob has seen the programme and thinks that somewhere in the back of his van there is a black and white cat?
Only one of which is answered by Patrick as he introduces himself before he drives off. With the added nugget that if he cares about Sally as much as his expression suggests, he could be another source of friendship.
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Any further thoughts or conversation are curtained by the need to have breakfast. Which again plays into Harry's hands because Ruth is busy buttering and cutting Jacob's toast into fingers to go with the fresh eggs that they bought at the shop. Which means that she is sufficiently occupied, not to doubt that his explanation when he is making them all a drink, that the envelope which is lying unopened on the side table contains nothing more than regular correspondence from their solicitor relating to the sale of both their houses.
Until breakfast is over and she is kneeling in front of Jacob pulling on warmer pair of socks because they are going outside, when she realises that Harry's non-committal expression has turned into a broad smile.
Had they been on their own Ruth would no doubt have responded by telling him that he never ceases to amaze her. But with Jacob watching and listening, when Harry says, 'I know you want to try and recreate the original garden, so I asked our solicitor to apply to the land registry on our behalf,' she limits her response to smiling back. Only to find that the extent of what is in the envelope far exceeds what she understood him to mean which was that there would be sketches of the garden itself and whatever buildings might have been there, when he says, 'based on what Alan told me, it seems that up until a hundred and fifty years ago, the house had been passed down through several generations of the same family. After that some of the land was sold off to a neighbouring farmer, which suggests it was then that the idea of growing flowers in addition to fruit and veg came in. The plans certainly suggest that was the case. That and somewhere amongst the paperwork there is a list of the plants, shrubs and trees that were grown at that time. Almost all of which he assures me are still available at a nursery which has been in the same family for four generations.'
'When?'
'When did I ask Alan or when did I come up with the idea?'
'Both.'
'I rang him a couple of weeks ago when you and Jacob were in the swimming pool. But the idea came to me as long ago as the day when we were breaking our backs uncovering paths and cutting down brambles with Malcolm and Caroline. The day you discovered the flowerbed bed where you and Caroline planted the roses.'
Any further discussion or Ruth desire to fling herself into Harry's arms are cut short when, 'are there any children in the pictures?' asks Jacob who has been waiting patiently for her to put his wellies on.
'I'm sure there were children who lived here, so why don't we ask Ruth to open the envelope and put the plans on table by the window so that we can all look at them,' says Harry. The reality that Jacob needs to be entertained in a way that he understands, taking precedence. A thought that they eventually take out into the garden along with the pictures that Jacob has drawn of a hen house a pigsty, assorted fruit trees and enough children to fill a playground. Until the light begins to fail which coincides with Sally arriving to take Jacob home.
.
Which means that when Alec calls to say that Lucas is refusing to respond to any questions. That he insists the only person he will speak to is Harry. Harry's response is that at nine o'clock on a cold November evening after what has been a long day, Lucas will have to wait.