But he wasn’t. And he did notice things. The wife was in overdrive, Harrie was more worried than ever, while his son stayed out of the way as usual. Even Eileen Eckersley was in a state astutely described by Mother as ‘worse than Russia’. Mother was herself, but that was typical as she took everything in her stride even now, when her stride had become dependent on walking frames. There was a plot on. It was big enough to send Harrie pacing about in the copse at night, sufficiently momentous to cause loud clattering of dishes and some Irish jabbering in the kitchen, and it had affected Gus, who usually maintained a position of silent neutrality. His main concern continued to be the boy. There had been a degree of disappointment when Harriet had refused to attend university, but Benjamin was brilliant and could follow quite easily in the footsteps of Gus’s much-respected father. If Benjamin wasted his life, that would be a sin, indeed. But the lad had managed school, just about, and was now in possession of a full driving licence, so surely there was hope?
