neighbours seemed the best way out.â
But not as close as being with her in the same apartment. She seemed to hear warning bells. He was making it sound like building something more permanent between them, but at the same time it was a physical distancing. Wasnât it?
âI like having you drop in,â she told him.
âBut I need somewhere permanent as well. If I give up in Pimlico, this would suit me well. The Prof isnât asking its full value. A snip, you might say. And who knows, you might get to like seeing me on an almost daily basis. As a run-up to taking me on as a full-time husband.â
She couldnât suppress a smile. âInfiltration?â âSomething like that. I shall go on proposing, of course, if I see any signs of your relenting.â
âAh, that reminds me,â she said brightly, glad of a sideways shift of subject. âWeâve been sent a wedding invitation by Paula Musto. Itâs for next Saturday. Short notice, owing to Angus getting special leave from duty in Kosovo. Theyâre taking a four day honeymoon in Scotland, then he has to go back and finish his commitment out there.â
âSo heâs pulled it off at last! Thereâs hope for me yet.â
âWe donât have to act like lemmings,â she said sharply and caught the flicker of some emotion cross Maxâs face. âIâm sorry, sorry, sorry. You know how it is. Itâs just the idea of marriage, being hobbled; the sameness, the dreariness that must inevitably creep in with familiarity. I donât want that ever to happen to us.â
He stood there considering her, his head tilted to one side. Then with an index finger he pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose in the familiar way. And just then she felt familiar wasnât such a bad thing. Quite endearing, really.
âYouâve witnessed too many bad alliances,â he said sombrely. âI have too, but I believe we could make something good out of it. However, I see that nowâs not the right moment to start asking you again. Meanwhile, how do you feel about my taking on this flat? As a half-measure.â
âYou must do as you wish,â she granted ruefully âAs you said, youâre sometimes allowed to make decisions of your own.â
âBut your reaction is part of what I have to take into account.â
Up until then they hadnât touched. Now she rose and went across to him, put her arms round his neck and kissed his cheek. âI canât imagine anyone Iâd rather have living next door.â
This was his cue for kissing her more thoroughly. From which he finally extricated himself, took a deep breath and demanded in mock-husbandly tones, âSo, whereâs me dinner?â
Back in her own apartment, while she dealt with the steaks heâd left in her fridge, and Max dribbled vinaigrette into tossed salad, she explained what had taken her into work on a Sunday.
âTomorrow,â she added, âDI Salmonâs back from leave and the reign of terror will recommence. Meanwhile weâre free to make hay or whatever. Thatâs my life. So how was your week?â
Settling to an evening of quiet companionship began to lessen her unease. Nothing appeared to have changed. Max was his normal gently droll self delivering anecdotes of newspaper life in the city, and if the alarm bells still sounded they seemed to have become less urgent and more distant.
She had as good as told him to go ahead with his plans to move in next door. If it meant that her own apartment threatened to become sadly empty, at least it wasnât immediate. He was here now and would be staying on tonight. She switched off all interest in the job to concentrate on the present.
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DS Beaumont was shrugging on his jacket to take the dog for its evening walk â euphemism for a pint at the local. When the mobile phone buzzed in his pocket he knew in his bones it was