“Any timepiece. They’re so intricate. Beautiful inside.”
“Go to Gren…it…hmm…to see?”
“Greenwich?”
“Yes.”
“Say it.”
River took a deep breath. “Let’s go…to…Greenwich…tomorrow to…see clocks.”
“Wow. Well done!”
“We can go?”
“We could get the train from Sevenoaks. I can park there. Not the Aston. You’d need your mask all the time. Or a scarf.”
“Okay.”
Newt smiled at him. River was pleased he’d found something that Newt wanted to do.
“Already been?” River asked.
“No. You?”
“Once. I was eight. School.”
“A school trip?”
River nodded.
“We never went anywhere interesting like that.”
“Not…inter…esting.”
Newt laughed. “Eight’s young to be interested in clocks. So what would you like to eat tonight?”
“Thai.”
“I’ve never had Thai food.”
How had Newt never had Thai food?
“Is it hard to cook? Shall we call in at a supermarket?”
They passed an Aldi on the way back from Dymchurch and River went in with him, mask in place. He’d never been in an Aldi. Newt googled a few recipes and read the names of the dishes out to River. It took them a while, but they got all the ingredients they needed for a massaman chicken curry and bought a packet of coconut rice to share between them.
“Want to drive back?” Newt asked.
“No. Talk.”
“You can’t drive and talk at the same time?”
“Yes, but…”
Newt drove. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Why don’t…family?” River knew that wasn’t right but he figured Newt would know what he meant.
