Helen stood among the plants looking at Pearly close by on the lawn. She wore soiled gardening gloves and loosely clasped the hedge-clippers; Pearly still had the phone in his hand. They held each other’s gaze briefly, decided without speaking that it wasn’t the time or place to go any deeper into the difficult country of family relationships. There were unstated protocols in their marriage, as there are in all marriages, and they wouldn’t stand by their neighbour’s fence and dispute, just as they wouldn’t put each other down at a dinner party, or argue about expense in a clothing shop. Disunity was expressed only in private.

‘And there was a fire on their sightseeing launch,’ he said. ‘That won’t help things.’

‘What happened?’

‘A break-in at night. He didn’t say much.’

‘You should have asked,’ said Helen. ‘Shown more interest.’

‘Of course I showed interest.’

‘I’ll ring myself tonight.’ Criticism was implied in both the words and the tone. Pearly kept silent. ‘I’m finishing in a minute,’ Helen said. ‘I’m going to tidy myself up. Alison’s coming later to talk. We might go out for a drink together.’

When Alison came, she and Helen talked on the patio while Pearly washed both cars on the drive. ‘You can clean mine, too, while you’re at it,’ Alison called. He just squirted the hose in her direction then carried on. Later he joined them for coffee. ‘The hospital job will be fine in the meantime,’ Alison said. ‘Back into the swing of the nursing world until something comes up. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bay Medical Centre needs another charge nurse within a few months. That place just keeps mushrooming.’

‘I’m happy with part-time,’ said Helen. ‘I’m in no hurry.’

‘What sort of part-time, though, and what sort of work?’ asked Pearly. ‘It’s not a graveyard shift, is it?’

‘It’s two to six in the afternoons to cover that hectic time for everybody in the general wards,’ Alison said.

‘General dogsbody,’ said Helen without rancour and knowing the description inaccurate. She was looking over her tidy garden.

‘Every day? Weekends too?’ queried Pearly.

‘There’s flexibility,’ said Alison. ‘There’s two or three people involved at weekends.’

‘Thank God for that.’ But Pearly didn’t want to appear negative. When Alison was gone Helen might wish to return to the subject of his relationship with Kevin, and additional grievance was inadvisable. ‘It’s just that we wouldn’t want to be tied down every weekend and not be able to get away,’ said Pearly.

‘When do we ever get away?’ said Helen.

Let it go, Pearly. Let it go. ‘I won’t always be mayor,’ he said.

‘You’ll be on dinner duty,’ said Alison. ‘When Helen has this job, you’ll have to do the cooking and have something ready.’