Dry Bones Read Free

in Dorchester the other day – all pink tulle and feathers and the size of a dustbin lid.’
    His imagination failed him. The major’s wife’s hats were usually the sensible country kind, made to withstand the elements and to stay in place in gale force winds.
    â€˜It could be just a small wedding.’
    â€˜No chance of that. Everybody will expect to be invited. Ruth’s the squiress.’
    â€˜
Everybody
?’
    â€˜
Everybody
. And we haven’t had a decent wedding in years so it’ll be a good excuse to tog up. I hope you can still get into your morning suit, Hugh.’
    â€˜I doubt it.’
    He had no idea even where it was – probably among the things he’d consigned to the cottage loft. The last time he had worn morning dress had been at Marcus’s and Susan’s wedding, when Laura had still been alive. He could remember singing
Love Divine, all loves excelling
and praying to God that, for his son’s sake, Susan wouldn’t grow into anything resembling her mother.
    â€˜By the way, Naomi, there was something I wanted to ask you.’
    â€˜Fire away.’
    â€˜It’s something I’ve been thinking about . . . but I wanted to ask your opinion first.’
    â€˜Well, spit it out, Hugh. I’m all ears.’
    â€˜Would you have any objection if I bought a garden shed – to go where the old privy was? I don’t think you’d be able to see it from your side.’
    â€˜Of course I wouldn’t object. Men seem to love sheds. I’ve never quite understood why, but I expect it’s because it’s somewhere to go and get away from women. Cecil always used to disappear for hours in his. He had rows of old jam jars on shelves, full of nails and nuts and bolts and screws. Dozens of spanners and hammers and saws and all the rest. I don’t think he ever actually
used
any of them.’
    There were times when he felt a sneaking sympathy for Naomi’s late husband.
    He said stiffly, ‘As a matter of fact, I do need somewhere to put the garden tools and the lawnmower.’
    She cackled at him. ‘I was only teasing, Hugh. By all means, have your shed. Have you found one yet? Some of them are simply hideous – more like Swiss chalets.’
    â€˜There’s a place outside Dorchester that makes and delivers sheds. All sizes and perfectly plain. It’ll need putting together, of course.’
    â€˜Well, Jacob can do that for you. And he could start your sundowner terrace at the same time.’
    The terrace had been Naomi’s bright idea and the old flagstones that he had tracked down at the local reclamation place on her recommendation, had been stacked ready by the back door since early January.
    â€˜No rush.’
    â€˜Summer will be here before we know it.’
    She would keep coming back to the subject again like a dog to a well-chewed bone. He wondered why on earth he had gone along with the idea in the first place. He slid a little further beneath the eiderdown and closed his eyes again. Naomi took the hint.
    â€˜Well, I’ll be off, Hugh. Thanks for the drink. Hope you feel better soon.’ At the door she delivered her parting shot. ‘I’ll put the chicken soup in your fridge. Be sure and have it soon. It’ll do you good.’
    He kept his eyes shut.
    Tom Harvey called the next day. He let himself in at the front door which the Colonel had left unlocked and came upstairs.
    â€˜Naomi told me you’re not feeling too well, Colonel. I’ve come to have a look at you, if you don’t mind.’
    â€˜No need for that, Tom.’
    â€˜It won’t take a moment. Flu can be a nasty thing. People think of it as a kind of bad cold, but it’s not like that at all. Specially as you get older. Better safe than sorry.’
    He wondered how many GPs were left who still made house calls and took so much trouble. All in all, he thought, as the young doctor reached for