On board in as much as Malcolm was still reeling from what had happened, once he'd left Harry's knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep, he'd gone back to the grid and after a lot of searching via channels which meant that nobody would be able to trace it back to him he'd found the list of three, all of whom were women from different backgrounds combined the with details as to where they worked, only one of which was a currently an analyst at GCHQ.
Backing up a copy, one which was only retrievable in the sense that he'd labelled it shopping list for the weekend and would take a genius to even find it never mind open it without their fingers seriously being burned or even amputated, after which he'd headed home with something close to a smile in as much as whoever it was that hadn't wanted Harry to make a decision in advance of the interviews had failed, not only giving them a head start when it came to getting the analyst who would best fit the profile they needed, but would be accepted by the team without reservation.
.
Leaving at what had been a reasonable hour given how little sleep he'd had, Ros had been right he'd concluded suggesting that the break would do him good, before arriving after what had been a pleasant if somewhat lengthy drive, Harry having dropped him off on the other side of town, leaving him to make his own way to the hotel whilst the man himself having booked in and ordered a pot of coffee and a copy of one of the broadsheets settled himself down in his room and waited for Malcolm, or Harold Williams an analyst with the Welsh Tourist Board, complete with the accent to prove it to arrive.
Which when he does, minus the accent that he'd used in reception and having locked the door of his own room, taken the lift two floors down to where Harry who is in room seven, produces his laptop and says, 'bearing in mind that we'll be sitting at separate tables this evening and I'm here in an advisory capacity only, whilst I was unpacking I took the liberty in as much as in advance of you seeing the list and having assessed each of the applicants current postings and their suitability I believe that Ruth Evershed who actually works at GCHQ and has done since she qualified with First Class Degree in Classics from Oxford, speaks multiple languages and to be honest looks and I know it shouldn't matter, to be the polar opposite of Connie is the candidate we should consider.
An opinion which the following morning having had what was a more than adequate breakfast, again sitting on the other side of the restaurant from Harry, before walking across town to clear his head into what in all honesty was an imposing building with his ID in his pocket should they demand it, only to find himself ushered into what by the lesser mortals such as Ruth is a room called the waste of space, a title which could equally be applied to Dolby's Office at Thames House, where he pours himself yet another cup of coffee, available presumably on offer to ease the blow to those who won't be offered the job, before crossing the room and introducing himself to a smiling face which contains the bluest pair or eyes that he has ever seen. Only to discover that like him, not only does she know who he is but has the courage to suggest that she has proof positive that she is worthy of being offered the post, which leaves him in the hope that she gets it, because after years without Colin he has the feeling that working with her will bring back some of the joy.
Joy which is short lived when he discovers that he is first on the list to be grilled, until Harry who give him his due makes a good fist of appearing to be interested as he rambles on about the numerous holiday sites that he visits, comparing their suitability with the number of tourists per capita as well as the miles he has to drive in advance of him passing the information on to his head of department.
In contrast to Ruth, who is forced is how she feels to watch the second contender, a computer programmer with one of the larger water companies and the third who by her body language suggest that she's sure she's going to get the job before she is herself is called in, but more than that is able to convince Harry that Malcolm was right, by proving without doubt that she alone had been instrumental in preventing what at the time had the potential to be one of the most devastating losses of life on mainland Britain by following her instincts which had led her to conclude that it was a group of at the time unknown terrorists who had been planning to bomb various sites across the UK simultaneously, giving Harry not only the chance to offer her the job without opposition or needing to use his casting vote, but privately once the room had emptied an invitation to join him and Malcolm for dinner at their hotel that evening.
An evening during which as the time had gone on and before they had said their combined goodnights and I'll see you in the mornings, had lead Harry to wonder if it would be considered inappropriate at some time in the future to ask Ruth out to dinner on their own, having already accepted that she would need to return to Cheltenham to close the door on her life there whilst his currently priority had been to arrange accommodation for her in London. Something which he again left to Malcolm who suggested a property he had recently upgraded in terms of safety and its condition when an overseas diplomat had visited, with the bonus that it was within walking distance of Thames house and from where he was going to suggest that Jo picked her up and brought her onto the grid.
In advance of which and with a smile he had been struggling to hide and in complete contrast to the drive down, with their new analyst sitting beside him Harry was in no hurry when it came to the return journey.