‘There’s hundreds, and more coming in all the time because the museum’s put out a call for shots of the town, especially before 1914. It’s fascinating what turns up.’ Jill was drawn into the room by her enthusiasm and began to explain the recording process. She was a tall, slim woman who kept her hair very short despite her large ears. Pearly recalled that someone had told him that years before she’d had an affair with a local policeman, but Rob had forgiven her. Pearly quite liked her and appreciated her volunteer work. As she talked, Pearly looked about the room and out into the section with its trim lawn and disciplined azaleas. On the way from the front door he had glimpsed a kitchen successfully renovated: mottled marble surfaces, eye-level oven, island bench. He calculated a property value. Jill would be okay if Rob didn’t make it, and there would be investments surely, because Rob had been an engineer.

At one point when his wife was speaking, Rob gradually opened his mouth, and Pearly expected a contribution to her explanation of the museum’s project, but Rob just held the large, oval gape for a time, like a goldfish, and then slowly closed it again, all quite unselfconsciously. Perhaps, however, it was some marital signal, for Jill broke off and offered to make coffee or tea. Pearly accepted, and while she was in the kitchen he and Rob talked of the growing indifference of so many younger people to what the council and local organisations were trying to achieve. Pearly repeated some of the observations made not long before by Philip, without acknowledging the source. During the conversation Rob’s voice became slower and lower, despite the subject being dear to him, and Pearly was relieved when Jill returned. He didn’t stay much longer, and as Jill accompanied him to the door she said, ‘And he did appreciate the council letter came. We know you were behind it.’ She and Pearly stood without talking for a moment, then she returned to what was important. ‘Well, there you are. It’s in the spleen too, you see. That’s the trouble. It’s extra tricky in the spleen.’ She met his eye briefly, then turned away, the sun making a pink translucence of one large ear for an instant.