‘Exactly. I will fund them all. If you wish to organise a trip, contact me, and I will pay for the entire expedition.’
‘What?’
Aleksey stood up. ‘I have been to Lofotr. You should go to Lindholm Høje in Denmark—it is where all good Vikings went to die. Thank you for the book. I look forward to hearing from you soon.’
His exit was slightly marred by banging his head on the low lintel of the cottage, but perhaps not. He couldn’t imagine a tiny man getting away with such farcical hubris.
Except, where his family was concerned, this arrogance wasn’t excessive or exaggerated at all: he meant every word of it.
* * *
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ben was leaning on the car, tapping his feet to some tune in his own head, as Aleksey came down the drive. He looked up. ‘What kept you?’
‘I thought it best to put the offer in writing.’
‘Huh. I’m starving. Shall we go find some lunch?’
‘Good idea.’
Ben pulled out his phone and started to check for a good local pub. He laughed. ‘There’s one here. We could walk.’
They didn’t though. They drove the few hundred yards and pulled up in front of a long, low, thatched white building. It was busy, which was always a good sign.
They went in, waited for a table to come free with some drinks at the bar and then sat and ordered. There was a huge log fire at one end of the room, which was welcome, as the place had flagged stone floors and cold stone walls. They both ordered local mackerel.
Ben stretched out his legs under the table, just resting his booted foot against his. ‘He’s probably read it all already. Did you see his face?’
Aleksey smiled.
‘How old do you think he is?’
‘I have no idea. Twenty-seven?’
Ben snorted. ‘Right. Peyton. Did you get his inside leg measurement while you were about it?’
‘I can calculate that at a glance with any man.’ This was a little provocative, but Ben had a pint of beer in front of him, so was probably feeling mellow.
‘He’s young to be a professor, isn’t he?—even an associate one. I must remember to tell Tim. Maybe he knows him.’
‘The number of professors Timothy Watson knows has declined dramatically recently. He could do with a few new friends.’
‘He really liked Harry.’
‘What’s not to like?’
‘Well, meeting the father-in-law. Can’t be easy.’
Aleksey shuddered. ‘Too gay.’
Ben gave him a familiar look of disbelief mingled with disapproval but their food arrived so he was prevented from actually calling him out on this. When the server had left, around a mouthful, he asked deceptively casually, ‘Why do you always introduce me as your colleague?’
Aleksey, glasses perched on the end of his nose, carefully inspecting the fish for bones, murmured sarcastically, ‘Oh, this is going to be good.’
‘Occasionally you vary it to business partner.’
‘No, I have shortened it to partner in case you have not noticed.’
