The clock in his car shows 7:28pm when Ben pulls up outside the Barnabys' house. He has changed out of his suit into jeans and pullover, knowing formal attire isn't required on these occasions. It's not the first time he's been invited to his boss's house, but this time he has a bad feeling about the evening ahead.

He takes a deep breath and gets out of his car.

Joyce Barnaby answers his ring at the door. "Hello Ben. I'm glad you could make it." She ushers him in. "Tom's in the living room, why don't you join him? Dinner will be a couple more minutes."

He smiles at her politely. "Thanks for the invitation, Mrs. Barnaby."

"You're very welcome, Ben." She gently shoves him in the direction of the living room and calls over his shoulder. "Tom? Ben is here!"

"Ah, Jones, come on in. Anything to drink?" Tom Barnaby gets up from the couch he's been sitting on.

"No, thank you. I'm fine. And I'm driving anyway."

"All right. Take a seat."

Ben does and an uncomfortable silence fills the room. Usually they easily chat about anything that comes to their minds, but today neither of the men seems to be able to come up with a topic.

Finally, Ben clears his voice. "I suppose Mrs. Barnaby told you about our chat the other day?"

"Oh yes. Yes, she did."

Ben nods, trying to read the expression on his boss's face. "I didn't know you hadn't told her..."

"No, you wouldn't have known."

"I'm sorry she heard it from me."

Tom shrugs. "Well, it all worked out, so..." He doesn't finish the sentence and silence falls once again.

"Does Cully know?" Ben asks after a while.

"Cully? Why?"

"She occasionally sends me an email and I don't want to spill anything to her I shouldn't."

"Oh, does she? I didn't know that. And no, she doesn't know. At least I think she doesn't, unless Joyce called her and told her."

"I'll not mention it then."

"I'd appreciate it."

"Right."

Again the silence stretches out between them until Joyce calls from the kitchen.

"Tom?"

"Yes, love?"

"Can you lend me a hand, please?"

"I'll be right there!" He gets up from the couch and turns to Ben. "I suppose that means dinner will be ready any minute now."

Ben simply nods.

In the kitchen Joyce points to the cupboard. "Set the table, please?"

Tom turns to the cupboard and opens the doors. Before he can even take some plates out, Joyce comes up behind him.

"Did you speak to him?" Her voice is hushed.

"Of course I spoke to him. It'd be rude not to say a word to him all the time you keep us waiting." He turns to her, three plates now in his hands.

"Oh, Tom. You know exactly what I mean."

Tom walks past her and begins to set the table. "For heaven's sake, will you finally let it go? He's just doing his job. There is nothing to talk about."

Joyce is back at the stove now, tasting the sauce before she throws her husband an accusing look. "You can't be serious, Tom."

Before Tom can answer, Ben appears in the doorway. "Anything I can help with?"

Joyce's expression immediately changes back to a smile. "You really don't have to, Ben, you're our guest tonight."

Tom apparently thinks different and passes some cutlery from a drawer on to Ben. "Let him make himself useful, Joyce."

"Tom!"

"I'm glad to help, Mrs. Barnaby."Ben takes the cutlery. "I was getting a bit bored on my own anyway," he adds with a sheepish smile.

Tom offers Joyce a triumphant look behind Ben's back.

A couple of minutes later, they're all seated at the table, enjoying the roast. Food seems to pour oil on troubled water as for the first time of the evening, the silence doesn't feel cold and hostile. Both Ben and Tom praise the roast and Joyce seems happy enough to watch the two men tuck into the meal.

Slowly, small talk evolves, starting with safe topics like the weather or the new play Cully just got a part in.

"That was the best roast I've had in a long time, Mrs. Barnaby," Ben says when his plate is empty.

"Thank you, Ben. It was the least I could do to thank you for taking such good care of Tom."

Tom rolls his eyes, unseen by Joyce but right in Ben's line of vision and Ben can't help but chuckle. That, of course, makes Joyce turn to her husband, who looks totally innocent again by now.

"I totally agree with Ben, the roast was wonderful, love."

Joyce looks at him for a couple more seconds before turning back to Ben, who dutifully wiped the grin off his face again. "Oh, Ben. I think Tom wanted to tell you something. Didn't you, Tom?"

Tom didn't, that much is obvious from the pained expression on his face. But he quickly recovers. "Yes, you're right, love. I did."

Ben looks from Tom to Joyce and back to Tom. If he didn't dread this change of topic so much, the situation would be quite amusing.

"Well, go on then, I'll get the pudding."

"Oh, let me do that for you." Tom is on the verge of getting up, but Joyce is quicker and keeps him on his chair by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll get the pudding, you," she gives Tom a stern look, "talk."

When her back is turned to the two men, Ben tries hard not to feel pity for his boss. The older man's unease is obvious.

"Yes," Tom says, just to stall time, "what I meant to say is..."

"Sir, there's no need... ," Ben starts, his pity for his boss getting the better of him, but Joyce interrupts him.

"There is, Ben. Let him finish."

Tom sits a bit straighter in his chair. "What I meant to say is, I'm glad my first impression of you was correct."

Ben tries not to laugh out loud. He had known where this would be going, it had been obvious from everything that had happened the last days. And this statement offered to him now seems such a typical way for Tom Barnaby to make a compliment. "So am I, Sir," he offers in return and suddenly their understanding is there again. This one sentence by Tom Barnaby set everything right, they both know it when their eyes meet.

Joyce returns to the table. She hasn't seen the silent communication that passed between the two men. "Tom!" She starts but then she, too, notices the change in the atmosphere and shakes her head, smiling. "You two totally deserve each other."

Again, Tom and Ben exchange a knowing glance. "You are right as always, love."

Quite a while later, Ben says his good byes to his hosts. Joyce hugs him, Tom claps him on the back and they all smile at each other.

Tom puts his arm around Joyce's shoulders when they watch Ben walk to his car and drive off.
"I still think all of this was totally unnecessary," Tom says casually and it earns him a playful slap on his arm from Joyce.

"Sometimes you're terrible, Tom Barnaby."

He bends over to kiss her.

Back home, Ben sends the shortest text of his life to Gail. ":)"