The remaining days until the holiday pass peacefully, solitary pursuits a welcome respite to a former storeman, jaded from two years spent in the company of dolly-bird shop assistants prattling incessantly about boyfriends, hair colour and the latest fashion. Terry the butcher was pleasant enough, but rarely spoke of anything other than cuts of meat, while the supermarket manager only addresses his staff when he has something to complain about.
Apart from gardening, Rob uses the time to hone his kitchen skills, making bread for the first time in years, an accomplishment gained a decade earlier in the commercial kitchen of a psychiatric hospital as part of occupational therapy. He also makes marmalade using the large bag of oranges Ivy’s brother, Jack brought around late one afternoon. Jac
