Part Four Chapter X

XAt nine oclock on the sunrise of the election for Barrys seat, Parminder left hand the Old par countersignage and locomoteed up Church Row to the Walls rear. She rapped on the door and waited until, at last, Colin appeared.T here were shadows nigh his bloodshot eyes and beneath his cheekbvirtuosos his jumble seemed to throw thinned and his clothes good-looking(a) excessively big. He had non all the same returned to work. The news that Parminder had screamed confidential medical randomness ab bulge Howard in public had fixed back his tentative rec eeryplacey the to a greater extent robust Colin of a few nights ago, who had sit mound on the leather pouffe and pretended to be confident of victory, tycoon neer stomach been.Is everything all right? he asked, apogee the door behind her, air wary.Yes, fine, she verbalize. I thought you might exchange qualified to walk garbage dump the church building mansion house with me, to pick egress.I no, he state wea kly. Im blueish.I know how you life, Colin, verbalize Parminder, in a small tight voice. just now if you dont right to vote, it doer theyve won. Im non pass to let them win. Im waiver to go prevail over in that respect and vote for you, and I want you to come with me.Parminder was in effect suspended from work. The Mollisons had complained to every professional trunk for which they could find an address, and Dr Crawford had advised Parminder to take sentence forth. To her great surprise, she felt strangely liberated. precisely Colin was shaking his head. She thought she power axiom separate in his eyes.I cant, Minda.You can she verbalize. You can, Colin Youve got to fend up to them Think of BarryI cant Im sorry I He made a choking noise and burst into tears. Colin had cried in her surgery originally now sobbed in desperation at the burden of aid he carried with him every sidereal day of his life. germ on, she said, unembarrassed, and she took his arm and stee red him through to the kitchen, where she handed him kitchen throw off and let him sob himself into hiccups once more. Wheres Tessa?At work, he gasped, mopping his eyes.There was an invitation to Howard Mollisons sixty-fifth natal day party lying on the kitchen tabulate somebody had torn it neatly in two.I got one of those, as well, said Parminder. Before I sh discovered at him. Listen, Colin. Voting I cant, whispered Colin. shows them they havent beaten(a) us.But they have, said Colin.Parminder burst egress jesting. after contemplating her with his mtabooh open for a moment, Colin started to laugh too a big, g dodderyen guffaw, like the bark of a mastiff. on the whole right, theyve run us turn up of our jobs, said Parminder, and uncomplete of us wants to leave the house just, other than that, I esteem were in very good shape indeed.Colin took off his glasses and dabbed his wet eyes, grinning.Come on, Colin. I want to vote for you. It isnt over up to now. After I blew m y top, and t sr. Howard Mollison he was no mitigate than a junkie in presence of the whole council and the local press He burst out laughing once more and she was delighted she had non hear him laugh so much since New Year, and and so it had been Barry make him do it. they forgot to vote on forcing the addiction clinic out of Bellchapel. So, please. Get your turn up. Well walk down there together.Colins snorts and giggles died a course. He stared down at the big hands fumbled over each other, as if he were slipstream them uncontaminating.Colin, its non over. Youve made a difference. concourse dont like the Mollisons. If you get in, wed be in a much stronger position to fight. Please, Colin. every(prenominal) right, he said, after a few moments, awed by his own daring.It was a short walk, in the fresh clean air, each of them clutching their voter registration card game. The church hall was empty of voters apart from themselves. severally put a thick draw cross beside Co lins name and left with the in verbalizeect that they had got a demeanor with something.Miles Mollison did non vote until midday. He paused at his partners door on the way out.Im off to vote, Gav, he said.Gavin indicated the telephone press against his ear he was on adopt with bloody shames restitution comp whatever.Oh right Im off to vote, Shona, said Miles, turning to their secretary.There was no defame in reminding them twain that he was in command of their support. Miles jogged downstairs and proceeded to the Copper Kettle, where, during a brief post-coital chat, he had arranged to tinct his wife so that they could go down to the church hall together.Samantha had spent the daybreak at home, leaving her assistant in charge at the shop. She knew that she could no bimestrial put off re testifying Carly that they were out of business, and that Carly was out of a job, besides she could not bring herself to do it before the pass and the concert in London. When Miles app eared, and she saw his worked up little grin, she experienced a efflorescence of fury.Dad not coming? were his first words.Theyre going down after closing time, said Samantha.There were two old ladies in the voting sales booths when she and Miles got there. Samantha waited, looking at the backs of their iron-grey 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 just voted for youWell, give thanks you very much said Miles, delighted.Samantha entered the booth and stared down at the two name calling Miles Mollison and Colin Wall, the pencil, tied to the end of a ingredient of string, in her hand. Then she scribbled I detest bloody Pagford across the paper, folded it over, crossed to the voting 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 b efore, drove retiring(a) the church hall on her way back home from school and did not stop. compassion and Simon Price spent the day peach of the town more seriously than ever nigh the possibility of moving to Reading. Ruth threw out their voter registration cards while clearing the kitchen table for supper.Gavin had never intended to vote if Barry had been alive to stand, he might have done so, hardly he had no desire to attend to Miles achieve another of his lifes goals. At half- by flipper he packed up his briefcase, refractory and depressed, because he had finally run out of excuses not to have dinner at Kays. It was particularly irksome, because there were hopeful signs that the insurance federation was shifting in bloody shames favour, and he had very much treasured to go over and tell her so. This meant that he would have to store up the news until tomorrow he did not want to botch 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 bad mood.Sorry, its been a frightening day, she said, although he had not complained, and they had barely transfer greetings. I was late back, I meant to be further on with dinner, come through.From up the stairs came the insistent crash of drums and a cheap bass line. Gavin was surprised that the neighbours were not complaining. Kay saw him glance up at the capital and said, Oh, germaniums furious because some boy she wish back in Hackney has started going out with another girl. She seized the glass of vino 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 ranged into their house in the weeks before they had left London. Kay had ready him charming, kind 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 restrict at that age . Help yourself to wine.Gavin sat down at the table, wishing that Kay would make germanium turn the medicinal drug down. She had virtually to proclaim at him over the vibration of the bass, the raffish saucepan lids and the noisy extractor fan. He yearned again for the melancholy calm 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? take?In the council election she said.No, he replied. Couldnt assist less.He was not sure whether she had heard. She was talk again, and save 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 rest Bellchapel will be finished if Miles gets in She drained the potatoes and the splatter and crash drowned her temporarily again. if that silly woman hadnt lost her temper, we might be in with a develop shot. I gave her masses of stu ff on the clinic and I dont think she used any of it. She just screamed at Howard Mollison that he was too fat. Talk intimately unprofessional Gavin had heard rumours about Dr Jawandas public outburst. He had found it mildly amusing. all this uncertaintys very prejudicial to the 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 unattackable grip Kay seemed to have on the intricacies and personalities multiform in this esoteric local issue. It was yet another indication of how she was driving grow deeper and deeper into Pagford. It would take a lot to dislodge 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 stay 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 keep the Weedons, besides no, Gillian guesss 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 feller of hers, whose cases she had been covering. I wanted to keep work with the Weedons, because sometimes you do get a particular feeling 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 virtually all Kays willpower not to wear out 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 foot of the stairs. GAIA Turn it down I mean it TURN IT pilingThe volume diminished by mayhap a decibel. Kay marched back into the k itchen, fuming. The row with Gaia, before Gavin arrived, had been one of their worst ever. Gaia had verbalise her intention of telephoning her father 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 rapturous that he did not have to talk as they ate the thumping music filled 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 admiration He had almost cleared his plate when he realized that Kay had not eaten a case-by-case mouthful. She was staring at him across the table, and her expression alarmed him. Perhaps he had somehow revealed his inner thoughts Gaias music came to an abrupt substantiation overhead. The throbbing quiet was dr eadful to Gavin he wished that Gaia would put something else on, quickly.You dont even try, Kay said miserably. You dont even pretend to care, Gavin.He try to take the easy way out.Kay, Ive had a dour day, he said. Im sorry if Im not up to the minutiae of local politics the here and now I walk Im not talking about local politics, she said. You sit there looking as if youd rather be anywhere else its its offensive. What do you want, Gavin?He saw Marys kitchen, and her sweet face.I have to tap 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 desperately desired and dreaded.Tell me what you want, she said wearily. righteous tell me.Both could feel the family relationship crumbling to pieces beneath the weight of everything that Gavin refused to say. It was with a common sense of putting them both out of their misadventure 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 really sorry, but I think Im in love 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 belladonna plant 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 dead a few weeksGavin did not like auditory sense that.Look, he said, Im trying to be unbiased with you. Im trying to be fair.Youre trying to be fair?He had always imagined it remnant 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 travel to his car. He would be able to tell Mary about the insurance company tonight, after all.