It's not as though it's a particularly cold day, but the expression on both Malcolm and Jo's faces when they're loading their luggage and based on his own experience, is sufficient for Harry to know that a shock such as the one that Ruth has just had justifies putting the heater on, which mercifully by the time they reach the outskirts of London, not only sees her falling asleep but before they've had a chance to discuss a destination that Ros had described as far away from here as possible and in his case remembering the message on Ruth's phone needs to be the last place that Connie will consider them to be. All of which are heightening his desire to look towards the future and depending on how many days it takes for him to convince Ruth that it will take the earth to turn on its axis for her to be this frightened again, together with what Ros had implied, causes him to conclude with a few exceptions how it could be anywhere. Whilst at the same time taking into account that Catherine who is a seasoned traveller will almost certainly want to come and see them again as well as needing a base from time to time, but more importantly given their age is the promise that they made to visit Ruth's parents which as he himself likes driving means that distance won't be a problem, other than Scotland which he knows would be Malcolm's first choice as well as the South which despite having easy road and rail links, is in terms of its population far too overcrowded.
Only for the problem to be solved by Ruth herself, who by the time they stop in Warwick which comes under the umbrella of the Midlands, is not only awake but much calmer whereas he really does need a break. One during which they call Malcolm for no other reason than to thank him, before walking into a café which is a stone's throw from the castle to get something to eat and drink and is where having ordered, her expression changes as it does on the grid when she thinks she's found the solution but wants to weigh up the pro's and con's before verbalizing them, making him wish if only for a moment that their colleagues could see the light which has returned to her eyes. One which is maintained during the time it takes for them to order and then eat their sandwiches along with a warm drink, but given the current circumstances means that it isn't until they are back in the warmth of the car with their privacy guaranteed that she says, 'back in the day the subject of my dissertation was Offa,' which is something he didn't know but before he has the chance to say so adds, 'have you ever read, The Shropshire Lad by AE Houseman?' Which he hasn't.
The combination though is enough for him to reset his sat nav which providing there aren't any diversions will see them arriving in the heart of the Shropshire Hills, or more precisely in the small market town of Church Stretton in just less than two hours, although it's not until they cross the county border that she repeats what has kept her absorbed on her phone by saying, 'it says here that Shropshire is a county where little has changed, in as much as not only is it the largest inland county divided into two as in the North and South for demographic reasons, but has only three towns, two of which are small and is bordered on one side by Wales hence my reference to Offa but more significantly has a population that is outnumbered by livestock, which means where better is there to be until such a time that Connie has been found and dealt with?'
'I agree it sounds perfect,' he tells her,' leaving it at that because now isn't the time to tell her that this break isn't just as means to keep her safe, but with Ros's blessing is gateway to their retirement, for the simple reason that only when they arrive at their destination will he be able to judge her reaction or better still wants to wait until she says something that leads him to believe that she wishes they didn't have to go back to London, if for no other reason that he doesn't want to take anything for granted.
Something which throughout the entire time he had been married to Jane he now readily admits was what he'd done, as opposed to Ruth who in every sense of the word he wants to know he will never put his wishes before her own, are a combination of thoughts he maintains as they turn onto what are much quieter roads through countryside which is just the warm up act, whereas the hills even from a distance and more so when they are approaching Church Stretton itself are unlike any other he has seen in as much as despite their height and wrap around effect they are exactly as Ruth had described given the amount of sheep, with the plus that she puts her hand on his thigh which is a clear sign that she is finally relaxing.
Traffic lights, the first they have encountered for what has been the best part of an hour plus road signs which indicate that both Leominster and the city of Hereford are due south and Shrewsbury the County Town is to the north, are where by mutual agreement they off onto what is a single-track road with passing places in the direction of Hope Bowdler. A small hamlet of less than thirty houses, a church and a pub which when they park up are pleased to be told does have a vacancy in terms of a room for what Harry suggests will be a week.
The contrast being as chalk is to cheese on the day they had walked into the up market pub in the Cotswolds, an area which had screamed of wealth and pretension, as do the dimly lit corridors of the buildings in and around Thames House where he has spent the best part of twenty years and yes he has no objection to wearing a suit and tie if the occasion warrants it, but now when they are comfortable with each other in every sense of the word he can see a future mapped out where the mask he's worn for as long as he can remember will be replaced by something that is comfortable, or in Ruth's case would describe as cuddly. In the same way that their room which is cosy and the pub itself when they go down to dinner not surprisingly caters primarily for the walking fraternity given the number of pairs of boots that are lined up in the hall and the chatter that is emanating from the dining room, which when they walk in doesn't stop, other than from the table adjacent to theirs where the couple say, 'good evening,' before turning their attention back to their meal.
A gesture which causes Ruth to say, 'Malcolm would love this wouldn't he,' and for Harry to nod rather than to reply who knows he might get to come here if you agree with me. A sentiment which is retained until such a time when they go to bed in a room and where the only light is from a lamp someway down the street, leading to a conversation that is equally brief in that there is an unspoken acknowledgement that the stress of the past twelve hours has been replaced by the need to sleep, but not before saying, 'I love you.'
All of which they revisit in the morning in as much as the change of location and the days ahead will be theirs to enjoy in the knowledge that they can rely on Ros to do whatever is required and if Dolby does question his absence will be told about the direct threat to Ruth and is why unusually when he wakes up it is to hear Ruth making him a cup of coffee, when at home the roles are reversed. His smile, not that she can see it or god forbid will think him presumptuous because early morning sex with Ruth hadn't been an option when they'd had to go to work, never knowing in his case what horrors were waiting in the wings long before she'd walked into his life and turned it on its head, whereas now in the privacy of their room with no restraints on their time, the mere thought of something that is part and parcel of what they are is enough for him to believe that anything is possible.
The first of which, having enjoyed is putting it mildly, means that when they do eventually head downstairs imagining that they have missed breakfast, only to be told otherwise and to choose and enjoy, given that they are in a pub is a large and varied selection, makes sense when they remember the walking fraternity of the previous evening whose missing boots suggests that they are long gone, causes Ruth to say, 'I could get used to this,' and for Harry who still wants to choose his moment to tell her that it could start now to smile, determined that by the end of day he will.