“I need to make my will as soon as possible,” said Suzie. “Seeing what you had to put together will help me make my way through the jargon. It’s not something you consider when you’re young, is it? It seems so final.”
“In your job, it’s a good idea to get something in place,” said Gus. “Criminals carry weapons far more often than they did when I started in uniform. It only takes one idiot with a knife, or worse, to lash out when you’re responding to a shout. If there’s nothing on paper, it can cause grieving relatives extra headaches they could do without. Anyway, that’s enough of the morbid stuff for today. Let’s get outside and enjoy the sunshine.”
“Not that we’re relatives, but I take your point. An afternoon on the allotment it is,” said Suzie. “Shall we eat at the Lamb tonight?”
“That sounds like a plan. I have plenty of catching up to do on the allotment. We’ll aim to get into the pub by six, or half-past, and then get back here for an early night.”
“Easy, tiger,” said Suzie.
“It will be a busy day tomorrow,” said Gus. “I need to get a good night’s sleep.”
“You raise a girl’s hopes, then crush them, Gus Freeman.”
“I try my best,” said Gus.
They left the bungalow just before three o’clock and walked along the lane.
“Do you ever read your horoscope, Gus,” asked Suzie as they passed the Lamb.
“Not likely,” he’d replied. “Why take any notice of a comment that’s so general it’s bound to strike a chord with somebody, somewhere. Why do you ask?”
“Our baby will be born under the sign of Aquarius. Bob Marley was an Aquarian.”
“Marley? An interesting character. Perhaps we should call the little one Marley? It sounds gender-fluid. That’s all the rage, so they tell me.”
“Never in a million years,” said Suzie. “Anyway, Marley is a girl’s name. It comes from Old English and means ‘pleasant seaside meadow’. I read it in a magazine at the doctor's when I was there six weeks ago.”
“One additional fact every day is the high road to success,” said Gus. “Are names another thing I need to add to my mental list?”
“What list?” asked Suzie as they walked through the gates to the allotments.
“Things to do to the bungalow before the baby arrives,” said Gus. “I might need a bank loan.”
“This is a novel experience for both of us, Gus,” said Suzie, grabbing his hand. “We’ll sort it out, don’t fret.”
“Love will find a way,” laughed Gus.
“I see you two are in good humour,”
The disembodied voice belonged to Clemency Bentham, who emerged from her potting shed with a trowel in her hand and a battered floral sunhat perched on her head.
“Have you taken the day off, Reverend?” said Gus.
“Matins ended over two hours ago, Gus,” said Clemency. “Which you would know if you were a regular churchgoer. I celebrated Holy Communion earlier this morning, when you were still in bed, no doubt. So the rest of the day is mine.”
Suzie blushed, and Gus spotted it and grinned. Clemency caught the glance that passed between them.
“I tell Bert and Irene they’re in danger of becoming Darby and Joan these days,” said Clemency. “A couple who are content to spend their lives in quiet devotion. You two aren’t far behind.”
“I must protest, Reverend,” said Gus. “We’re not Darby and Joan. We‘re Ancient and Modern. I’m sure you must have heard the phrase in your line of work?”
“Here and there, Gus,” replied Clemency. “Bert Penman dropped by an hour ago, by the way. You missed him. He took one look at your patch of ground and shook his head. I had better let you and Suzie get stuck into knocking back it into shape.”
“You’re right, of course,” sighed Gus. “I can’t go gallivanting around mainland Europe on a Saturday and expect my allotment to tend itself. The next three hours will be a start. We plan on eating in the Lamb later. Will you and Brett be around this evening?”
“We will,” said Clemency, “although Bert and Irene have already cried off. There’s a series on TV that Irene’s keen on watching. Brett plans to record it, so we can watch it when we have time. He’s not that bothered about the content, but it gives him something to discuss with his grandfather.”
“Provided Bert doesn’t fall asleep in the middle of the programme after several pints of cider in the Lamb,” said Suzie.
“That’s a good point,” laughed Clemency. “You know we had to help him home the other night. Bert won’t admit it, but he was worried for Irene after that short spell in the hospital.”
The Reverend returned to her potting shed, and Gus retrieved tools from his shed so he and Suzie could start work.
“We’ll see you next door later,” said Clemency, her gardening done for the day. She scooted towards the gateway, clambered aboard her trusty steed, and guided the old bicycle along the lane.
Gus selected a bunch of carrots to harvest and tried to recall when he last watched a TV series. Something always got in the way of committing an hour or two at the same time every week. As for recording things to watch at a later date, Tess had coped with that. If he missed it, he missed it since Tess died. Just like in the old days when his parents first bought a television.
Anyway, life was too short to binge-watch a considerable number of episodes while the sun was shining.
“A penny for them, Gus,” said
