Part Four Chapter X

XAt nine oclock on the morning of the election for Barrys seat, Parminder left the Old Vicarage and walked up perform Row to the W each(prenominal)s dramaturgy. She rapped on the admittance and waited until, at last, Colin appeared. in that location were shadows around his unhealthy eyes and beneath his cheekbones his skin seemed to drive home thinned and his clothes magnanimous as well humongous. He had non yet returned to work. The news that Parminder had screamed confidential medical exam information ab kayoed Howard in public had set back his provisionary rec all overy the more robust Colin of a few nights ago, who had sat on the leather pouffe and pret endinged to be confident of victory, might neer pay off been.Is allthing all right? he asked, closing the door subjugate her, looking wary.Yes, fine, she verbalise. I thought you might like to walk follow out the church hall with me, to voting.I no, he said weakly. Im sorry.I whop how you feel, Colin, said Par minder, in a small tight voice. But if you dont vote, it federal agency theyve won. Im non going to let them win. Im going to go have on that point and vote for you, and I want you to come with me.Parminder was effectively suspended from work. The Mollisons had complained to every professional body for which they could find an address, and Dr Crawford had advised Parminder to take time sour. To her swell surprise, she felt strangely liberated.But Colin was shaking his head. She thought she saw crying in his eyes.I cant, Minda.You can she said. You can, Colin Youve got to stand up to them Think of BarryI cant Im sorry I He made a choking perturbation and burst forth into tears. Colin had cried in her surgery before now sobbed in despondency at the burden of fear he carried with him every day of his life. derive on, she said, unembarrassed, and she took his arm and steered him through to the kitchen, where she handed him kitchen roll and let him sob himself into hiccups aga in. Wheres Tessa?At work, he gasped, mopping his eyes.There was an invitation to Howard Mollisons sixty-fifth birthday party falsehood on the kitchen mesa somebody had torn it neatly in two.I got one of those, as well, said Parminder. Before I shouted at him. Listen, Colin. Voting I cant, whispered Colin. shows them they havent beaten us.But they have, said Colin.Parminder burst out laughing. After contemplating her with his mouth open for a moment, Colin started to laugh too a big, booming guffaw, like the bark of a mastiff.All right, theyve hasten us out of our jobs, said Parminder, and neither of us wants to leave the dwelling phratry that, other than that, I think were in very good phase indeed.Colin took impinge on his glasses and dabbed his wet eyes, grinning.Come on, Colin. I want to vote for you. It isnt over yet. After I blew my top, and t archaic Howard Mollison he was no bust than a junkie in front of the whole council and the local press He burst out laughin g again and she was delighted she had not perceive him laugh so a good deal since New Year, and then it had been Barry making him do it. they forgot to vote on forcing the addiction clinic out of Bellchapel. So, please. Get your coat. Well walk megabucks there together.Colins snorts and giggles died away. He stared down at the big hands fumbled over each other, as if he were washing them sweet.Colin, its not over. Youve made a difference. People dont like the Mollisons. If you get in, wed be in a much stronger position to fight. Please, Colin.All right, he said, after a few moments, painful by his own daring.It was a short walk, in the fresh clean air, each of them clutching their voter registration cards. The church hall was empty of voters obscure from themselves. Each put a thick pencil cross beside Colins pee and left with the sense that they had got away with something.Miles Mollison did not vote until midday. He pa utilize at his partners door on the way out.Im off to vote, Gav, he said.Gavin indicated the telephone touch against his ear he was on hold with bloody shames insurance company.Oh right Im off to vote, Shona, said Miles, turning to their secretary.There was no harm in reminding them twain(prenominal) that he was in need of their support. Miles jogged downstairs and proceeded to the Copper Kettle, where, during a legal brief post-coital chat, he had arranged to meet his wife so that they could go down to the church hall together.Samantha had spent the morning at kinfolk, leaving her appurtenant in charge at the shop. She knew that she could no longer put off announceing Carly that they were out of business, and that Carly was out of a job, but she could not postulate herself to do it before the weekend and the concert in London. When Miles appeared, and she saw his ruttish little grin, she experienced a rush of fury.Dad not attack? were his first words.Theyre going down after closing time, said Samantha.There were two old lad ies in the voting booths when she and Miles got there. Samantha waited, looking at the backs of their iron-gray perms, their thick coats and their thicker ankles. That was how she would look one day. The more crooked of the two old women noticed Miles as they left, beamed, and said, Ive however voted for youWell, thank you very much said Miles, delighted.Samantha entered the booth and stared down at the two names Miles Mollison and Colin Wall, the pencil, tied to the end of a piece of string, in her hand. Then she scribbled I hate bloody Pagford across the paper, folded it over, crossed to the ballot box and dropped it, unsmiling, through the slot.Thanks, love, said Miles quietly, with a pat on her back.Tessa Wall, who had never failed to vote in an election before, drive past the church hall on her way back home from school and did not stop. ruth and Simon Price spent the day public lecture more seriously than ever close the possibility of moving to Reading. Ruth threw out th eir voter registration cards while clearing the kitchen confuse for supper.Gavin had never intended to vote if Barry had been alive to stand, he might have done so, but he had no desire to help Miles accomplish some other of his lifes goals. At half-past five he packed up his briefcase, irritable and depressed, because he had finally run out of saves not to have dinner at Kays. It was particularly irksome, because there were hopeful signs that the insurance company was teddy in Marys favour, and he had very much wanted to go over and tell her so. This meant that he would have to store up the news until tomor path he did not want to waste it on the telephone.When Kay opened the door to him, she launched at once into the rapid, quick-fire talk that usually meant she was in a sorry mood.Sorry, its been a dreadful day, she said, although he had not complained, and they had barely exchanged greetings. I was late back, I meant to be further on with dinner, come through.From upsta irs came the insistent crash of drums and a loud bass line. Gavin was surprised that the neighbours were not complaining. Kay saw him glance up at the ceiling and said, Oh, germaniums furious because some boy she want back in Hackney has started going out with another girl. She seized the glass of wine she was already drinking and took a big gulp. Her conscience had hurt her when she called Marco de Luca some boy. He had virtually moved into their house in the weeks before they had left London. Kay had found him charming, considerate and helpful. She would have liked a son like Marco.Shell live, said Kay, pushing the memories away, and she returned to the potatoes she was boiling. Shes sixteen. You bounce at that age. Help yourself to wine.Gavin sat down at the table, wishing that Kay would authorize Gaia turn the music down. She had virtually to shout at him over the quiver of the bass, the rattling saucepan lids and the noisy extractor fan. He yearned again for the melancholy settle down of Marys big kitchen, for Marys gratitude, her need for him.What? he said loudly, because he could tell that Kay had just asked him something.I said, did you vote?Vote?In the council election she said.No, he replied. Couldnt manage less.He was not sure whether she had heard. She was lecture again, and only when she turned to the table with knives and forks could he hear her clearly. absolutely disgusting, actually, that the parish is colluding with Aubrey Fawley. I expect Bellchapel will be finished if Miles gets in She drained the potatoes and the splatter and crash drowned her temporarily again. if that cockamamy woman hadnt lost her temper, we might be in with a better shot. I gave her masses of stuff on the clinic and I dont think she used any of it. She just screamed at Howard Mollison that he was too fat. Talk about unprofessional Gavin had heard rumours about Dr Jawandas public outburst. He had found it lightly amusing. all this uncertaintys very damaging to t he people who work at that clinic, not to mention the clients.But Gavin could muster neither pity nor indignation all he felt was dismay at the firm grip Kay seemed to have on the intricacies and individualalities involved in this esoteric local issue. It was yet another indication of how she was driving roots deeper and deeper into Pagford. It would take a lot to switch her now.He turned his head and gazed out of the window onto the overgrown garden beyond. He had offered to help Fergus with Marys garden this weekend. With luck, he thought, Mary would invite him to hindrance for dinner again, and if she did, he would skip Howard Mollisons sixty-fifth birthday party, to which Miles seemed to think he was looking forward with excitement. wanted to conserve the Weedons, but no, Gillian says we cant cherry-pick. Would you call that cherry-picking?Sorry, what? asked Gavin.Matties back, she said, and he had to struggle to recollect that this was a colleague of hers, whose cases she h ad been covering. I wanted to keep working with the Weedons, because sometimes you do get a particular jot for a family, but Gillian wont let me. Its crazy.You must be the only person in the world who ever wanted to keep the Weedons, said Gavin. From what Ive heard, anyway.It took nearly all Kays willpower not to snap at him. She pulled the salmon fillets she had been baking out of the oven. Gaias music was so loud that she could feel it vibrating through the tray, which she slammed down on the hob.Gaia she screamed, making Gavin jump as she strode past him to the metrical unit of the stairs. GAIA Turn it down I mean it TURN IT reduceThe volume diminished by maybe a decibel. Kay marched back into the kitchen, fuming. The row with Gaia, before Gavin arrived, had been one of their worst ever. Gaia had stated her intention of telephoning her arrest and asking to move in with him.Well, good luck with that Kay had shouted.But perhaps Brendan would say yes. He had left her when Gaia was only a calendar month old. Brendan was married now, with three other children. He had a huge house and a good job. What if he said yes?Gavin was glad that he did not have to talk as they ate the thumping music fill the silence, and he could think about Mary in peace. He would tell her tomorrow that the insurance company was making conciliatory noises, and receive her gratitude and appreciation He had almost cleared his plate when he realized that Kay had not eaten a single mouthful. She was staring at him across the table, and her expression dismay him. Perhaps he had somehow revealed his inner thoughts Gaias music came to an abrupt concur overhead. The throbbing quiet was dreadful to Gavin he wished that Gaia would put something else on, quickly.You dont blush try, Kay said miserably. You dont even pretend to care, Gavin.He attempted to take the wanton way out.Kay, Ive had a long day, he said. Im sorry if Im not up to the minutiae of local politics the second I walk Im no t talking about local politics, she said. You sit there looking as if youd or else be anywhere else its its offensive. What do you want, Gavin?He saw Marys kitchen, and her sweet face.I have to beg to see you, Kay said, and when you come round here you couldnt make it clearer that you dont want to come.She wanted him to say thats not true. The last point at which a denial might have counted slunk past. They were sliding, at increasing speed, towards that crisis which Gavin both urgently desired and dreaded.Tell me what you want, she said wearily. Just tell me. two could feel the relationship crumbling to pieces beneath the weight of everything that Gavin refused to say. It was with a sense of position them both out of their misery that he reached for words that he had not intended to speak aloud, perhaps ever, but which, in some way, seemed to excuse both of them.I didnt want this to happen, Gavin said earnestly. I didnt mean it to. Kay, Im in reality sorry, but I think Im in l ove with Mary Fairbrother.He saw from her expression that she had not been prepared for this.Mary Fairbrother? she repeated.I think, he said (and there was a bittersweet pleasure in talking about it, even though he knew he was wounding her he had not been able to say it to anyone else), its been there for a long time. I never acknowledged I mean, when Barry was alive Id never have I thought he was your best friend, whispered Kay.He was.Hes only been cold a few weeksGavin did not like hearing that.Look, he said, Im seek to be honest with you. Im trying to be decent.Youre trying to be fair?He had always imagined it ending in a blaze of fury, but she simply watched him putting on his coat with tears in her eyes.Im sorry, he said, and walked out of her house for the last time.On the pavement, he experienced a rush of elation, and hurried to his car. He would be able to tell Mary about the insurance company tonight, after all.