RFC decline the implied suggestion. Not frostily. Indeed she indicated that it might be warmly received on some future occasion. However the indicated timescale and the articulate exposition of current impediments were such as to leave me feeling that a different woman might have issued a less firm rejection by exclaiming "No, never!"

Death is stalking me,
I wake this morning,
And feel him a day closer

You bridle your lust for life,
Pulling back on the reins,
You teach it patience
Train it to wait.

How can this be?
Does death stalk only me?

As they say in Yorkshire "Its being so cheerful as keeps us going.".