'Andrew my solicitor has a half hour slot available at ten which was when we were planning to be at yours,' says Harry with a modicum of panic in his voice as he hands Ruth her customary mug of tea in bed. Because the commitments were stacking up whilst the days were seemingly shorter than they had been when he had been at work, which if it continues like this means that the deadline of New Years Day when they are planning on going home is looking less and less likely. The concept of retirement or in other words time not mattering and staying calm, from a man who used to arrive on the grid when it was dark and if not stay there well into the evening continue to work when he got home, Ruth ignores in favour of persuading him to get back into bed and if not make love until they climax, take it as far as they can without losing control in case Wes makes an appearance. The first of which they fail as she knew they would and wanted and the second is irrelevant because not only is the morning their best time but at just gone six after a very late night it is unlikely that Wes will wake up.

Which means that when they finally surface an hour later having fallen asleep afterwards and despite it still being dark, a much calmer Harry is more than ready to listen to her suggestion that he drops her and Wes off at hers before he goes to his meeting with Andrew and, because there is very little other than some clothes, a few of books and a photograph album from her childhood that she wants to take back to France, not only will she have boxed them up by the time he gets back but there will be plenty of time for them to do so something else with Wes in the afternoon.

.

The short term something when Harry returns two hours later, is that Ruth has explained to a questioning Wes that the reason they both have a house in London and one in France, without the appetiser that Uncle Harry and Daddy had to pretend she was dead rather than spend the rest of her life in prison to achieve it, or that they had come to find her, is because when Uncle Harry made the decision to retire they wanted to live somewhere quieter. The last of which is almost certainly true and combined with some pictures on her laptop of various rural and coastal locations which Wes is gazing at in the same way that she does, not only makes Harry smile but determines that not only Malcolm but both Adam and Wes or Wes on his own as he is now will, despite the rules dictating otherwise continue to be part of their lives wherever they choose to set up home. None of which he concedes would have been possible had he not chosen to ignore Ruth's plea to him on the day she had sailed away whereas now the something wonderful is gift wrapped to be opened every morning when he opens his eyes.

Which is not a million miles away from what Ruth who is plating up the sandwiches they made before they had left has been thinking. Having remembered that the last time Harry had been in her kitchen was on the day she had called him having seen Maudsley jump in front of the train. How quickly he had arrived and made her tea. That the conversation had been stilted but at the same time had an intimacy they had both clung to, ending all too quickly when he had been called away. The horrors of the days which had followed and what they had both believed had been their one and only kiss.

Thoughts which she dismisses as being pointless and a step backwards when Harry says, 'Andrew says that the house market slows down at this time of year so we need to be patient, but not to delay looking because given where both our houses are his estimate is in weeks rather than months. But either way he is going to take care of everything at this end, which means that we won't have to come back.'

.

A further and very welcome boost at a time when they are still debating what to do in the afternoon comes when Malcolm who has taken up Ros's offer to spend some time with them rings the doorbell.

'Has he been on the London Eye and would he like to? Are two entirely different questions, although both have the same answer. However, when compared to spending an afternoon rearranging the desks on the grid for what he sees as no reason whatsoever and after a monologue from Wes which suggests that he has been having a lovely time, plus a nerve steadying cup of tea he agrees, if only because he is interested in seeing how the relaxed couple he had witnessed in France are coping with a child that is a miniature Adam in every sense of the word. The first example of which comes when they are standing on the platform waiting for the train and Harry who had supposedly struggled to form a relationship with his own children seems perfectly at ease with one who never seems to stop talking. His conclusion being that if you find the right person, something he himself has never achieved, that life goes blissfully on from one day to another whatever or whoever it throws at you.

Not that he has time to ponder the question further or does he ask Harry who to his certain knowledge used to drive or be driven everywhere why they are using public transport, because after what feels like no time at all they emerge from Waterloo Station with no more than a hundred metres from the tourist attraction in question. A structure that had he been asked to name would have been called The Metal Terrorist, but again he keeps the thought to himself as he does the contents of his stomach when in no time at all the ground is disappearing under their feet. That and not wanting to ruin the experience for Ruth who is obviously enjoying pointing out landmarks to Wes.

Instead, he turns to Harry and says, 'I'm not sure I want to be part of the new order although I do feel as though I ought to stay put for a while and support Adam.'

'Adam won't thank you for staying if you're hearts not in it, I mean look at me I've been gone for less than a month and taken the best analyst the service has ever had with me and what difference has it made?'

None whatsoever, other than to those of us who have appreciated your determination to do the right thing and sometimes under immense pressure to do otherwise, is true enough but Malcolm chooses not to say so, or does Harry tell him that he has added Malcolm's fear of heights to his Ruth gets seasick so my days of driving are guaranteed list.

Instead making do with a look of recognition before Harry says, 'we won't be moving from where we are until after Easter and even when we do you will always be welcome Malcolm.'

'And in the short term?'

'Stay for dinner tonight which Ruth and I will cook at mine, since she's packed what she wants to take with her and if she raises the question as to what if anything we are going to do tomorrow, you know why my answer will be vague.'

'The surprise night out which I presume means that you'll book a taxi?'

'Already done Malcolm.'