首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第66部分

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deserved。

Shirley　continued　to　feel　nothing　but　defiant　admiration　for　the　Ghost。　His　accusations　had　exposed　the　truth　about　people　whom　she　disliked　and　despised；　people　who　were　destructive　and　wrong…headed。　She　was　sure　that　the　electorate　of　Pagford　would　see　things　her　way　and　vote　for　Miles；　rather　than　that　disgusting　man；　Colin　Wall。

‘When　shall　we　go　and　vote？’　Shirley　asked　Howard；　re…entering　the　room　with　the　tinkling　tea　tray；　and　pointedly　ignoring　Maureen　（for　it　was　their　son　whose　name　they　would　tick　on　the　ballot）。

But　to　her　intense　irritation；　Howard　suggested　that　all　three　of　them　go　after　closing　time。

Miles　Mollison　was　quite　as　concerned　as　his　father　that　the　unprecedented　ill…humour　surrounding　next　day’s　vote　would　affect　his　electoral　chances。　That　very　morning　he　had　entered　the　newsagent’s　behind　the　Square　and　caught　a　snatch　of　conversation　between　the　woman　behind　the　till　and　her　elderly　customer。

‘…　Mollison’s　always　thought　he　was　king　of　Pagford；’　the　old　man　was　saying；　oblivious　to　the　wooden　expression　on　the　shopkeeper’s　face。　‘I　liked　Barry　Fairbrother。　Tragedy；　that　was。　Tragedy。　The　Mollison　boy　did　our　wills　and　I　thought　he　was　very　pleased　with　himself。’

Miles　had　lost　his　nerve　at　that　and　slipped　back　out　of　the　shop；　his　face　glowing　like　a　schoolboy’s。　He　wondered　whether　the　well…spoken　old　man　was　the　originator　of　that　anonymous　letter。　Miles’　fortable　belief　in　his　own　likeability　was　shaken；　and　he　kept　trying　to　imagine　how　it　would　feel　if　nobody　voted　for　him　the　following　day。

As　he　undressed　for　bed　that　night；　he　watched　his　silent　wife’s　reflection　in　the　dressing…table　mirror。　For　days；　Samantha　had　been　nothing　but　sarcastic　if　he　mentioned　the　election。　He　could　have　done　with　some　support；　some　fort；　this　evening。　He　also　felt　randy。　It　had　been　a　long　time。　Thinking　back；　he　supposed　that　it　had　been　the　night　before　Barry　Fairbrother　dropped　dead。　She　had　been　a　little　bit　drunk。　It　often　took　a　little　bit　of　drink；　these　days。

‘How　was　work？’　he　asked；　watching　her　undo　her　bra　in　the　mirror。

Samantha　did　not　answer　immediately。　She　rubbed　the　deep　red　grooves　in　the　flesh　beneath　her　arms　left　by　the　tight　bra；　then　said；　without　looking　at　Miles；　‘I’ve　been　meaning　to　talk　to　you　about　that；　actually。’
Ｚei8。电子书
She　hated　having　to　say　it。　She　had　been　trying　to　avoid　doing　so　for　several　weeks。

‘Roy　thinks　I　ought　to　close　the　shop。　It’s　not　doing　well。’

Exactly　how　badly　the　shop　was　doing　would　be　a　shock　to　Miles。　It　had　been　a　shock　to　her；　when　her　accountant　had　laid　out　the　position　in　the　baldest　terms。　She　had　both　known　and　not　known。　It　was　strange　how　your　brain　could　know　what　your　heart　refused　to　accept。

‘Oh；’　said　Miles。　‘But　you’d　keep　the　website？’

‘Yeah；’　she　said。　‘We’d　keep　the　website。’

‘Well；　that’s　good；’　said　Miles　encouragingly。　He　waited　for　almost　a　minute；　out　of　respect　for　the　death　of　her　shop。　Then　he　said；　‘I　don’t　suppose　you　saw　the　Gazette　today？’

She　reached　over　for　the　nightdress　on　her　pillow　and　he　had　a　satisfying　glimpse　of　her　breasts。　Sex　would　definitely　help　relax　him。

‘It’s　a　real　shame；　Sam；’　he　said；　crawling　across　the　bed　behind　her；　and　waiting　to　put　his　arms　around　her　as　she　wriggled　into　the　nightdress。　‘About　the　shop。　It　was　a　great　little　place。　And　you’ve　had　it；　what　–　ten　years？’

‘Fourteen；’　said　Samantha。

She　knew　what　he　wanted。　She　considered　telling　him　to　go　and　screw　himself；　and　decamping　to　the　spare　room；　but　the　trouble　was　that　there　would　then　be　a　row　and　an　atmosphere；　and　what　she　wanted　more　than　anything　in　the　world　was　to　be　able　to　head　off　to　London　with　Libby　in　two　days’　time；　wearing　the　T…shirts　that　she　had　bought　them　both；　and　to　be　within　close　proximity　of　Jake　and　his　band　mates　for　a　whole　evening。　This　excursion　constituted　the　entire　sum　of　Samantha’s　current　happiness。　What　was　more；　sex　might　assuage　Miles’　continuing　annoyance　that　she　was　missing　Howard’s　birthday　party。

So　she　let　him　embrace　and　then　kiss　her。　She　closed　her　eyes；　climbed　on　top　of　him；　and　imagined　herself　riding　Jake　on　a　deserted　white　beach；　nieen　years　old　to　his　twenty…one。　She　came　while　imagining　Miles　watching　them；　furiously；　through　binoculars；　from　a　distant　pedalo。

X
At　nine　o’clock　on　the　morning　of　the　election　for　Barry’s　seat；　Parminder　left　the　Old　Vicarage　and　walked　up　Church　Row　to　the　Walls’　house。　She　rapped　on　the　door　and　waited　until；　at　last；　Colin　appeared。

There　were　shadows　around　his　bloodshot　eyes　and　beneath　his　cheekbones；　his　skin　seemed　to　have　thinned　and　his　clothes　grown　too　big。　He　had　not　yet　returned　to　work。　The　news　that　Parminder　had　screamed　confidential　medical　information　about　Howard　in　public　had　set　back　his　tentative　recovery；　the　more　robust　Colin　of　a　few　nights　ago；　who　had　sat　on　the　leather　pouffe　and　pretended　to　be　confident　of　victory；　might　never　have　been。

‘Is　everything　all　right？’　he　asked；　closing　the　door　behind　her；　looking　wary。

‘Yes；　fine；’　she　said。　‘I　thought　you　might　like　to　walk　down　the　church　hall　with　me；　to　vote。’

‘I　–　no；’　he　said　weakly。　‘I’m　sorry。’

‘I　know　how　you　feel；　Colin；’　said　Parminder；　in　a　small　tight　voice。　‘But　if　you　don’t　vote；　it　means　they’ve　won。　I’m　not　going　to　let　them　win。　I’m　going　to　go　down　there　and　vote　for　you；　and　I　want　you　to　e　with　me。’

Parminder　was　effectively　suspended　from　work。　The　Mollisons　had　plained　to　every　professional　body　for　which　they　could　find　an　address；　and　Dr　Crawford　had　advised　Parminder　to　take　time　off。　To　her　great　surprise；　she　felt　strangely　liberated。

But　Colin　was　shaking　his　head。　She　thought　she　saw　tears　in　his　eyes。

‘I　can’t；　Minda。’

‘You　can！’　she　said。　‘You　can；　Colin！　You’ve　got　to　stand　up　to　them！　Think　of　Barry！’

‘I　can’t　–　I’m　sorry　–　I　…’

He　made　a　choking　noise　and　burst　into　tears。　Colin　had　cried　in　her　surgery　before　now；　sobbed　in　desperation　at　the　burden　of　fear　he　carried　with　him　every　day　of　his　life。

‘e　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　again。　‘Where’s　Tessa？’

‘At　work；’　he　gasped；　mopping　his　eyes。

There　was　an　invitation　to　Howard　Mollison’s　sixty…fifth　birthday　party　lying　on　the　kitchen　table；　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　can’t；’　whispered　Colin。

‘—shows　them　they　haven’t　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；　they’ve　run　us　out　of　our　jobs；’　said　Parminder；　‘and　neither　of　us　wants　to　leave　the　house　but；　other　than　that；　I　think　we’re　in　very　good　shape　indeed。’

Colin　took　off　his　glasses　and　dabbed　his　wet　eyes；　grinning。

‘e　on；　Colin。　I　want　to　vote　for　you。　It　isn’t　over　yet。　After　I　blew　my　top；　and　told　Howard　Mollison　he　was　no　better　than　a　junkie　in　front　of　the　whole　council　and　the　local　press—’

He　burst　out　laughing　again　and　she　was　delighted；　she　had　not　heard　him　laugh　so　much　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。　We’ll　walk　down　there　together。’

Colin’s　snorts　and　giggles　died　away。　He　stared　down　at　the　big　hands　fumbled　over　each　other；　as　if　he　were　washing　them　clean。

‘Colin；　it’s　not　over。　You’ve　made　a　difference。　People　don’t　like　the　Mollisons。　If　you　get　in；　we’d　be　in　a　much　stronger　position　to　fight。　Please；　Colin。’

‘All　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　cards。　The　church　hall　was　empty　of　voters　apart　from　themselves。　Each　put　a　thick　pencil　cross　beside　Colin’s　name　and　left　with　the　sense　that　they　had　got　away　with　something。

Miles　Mollison　did　not　vote　until　midday。　He　paused　at　his　partner’s　door　on　the　way　out。

‘I’m　off　to　vote；　Gav；’　he　said。

Gavin　indicated　the　telephone　pressed　against　his　ear；　he　was　on　hold　with　Mary’s　insurance　pany。

‘Oh　–　right　–　I’m　off　to　vote；　Shona；’　said　Miles；　turning　to　their　secretary。

There　was　no　harm　in　reminding　them　both　that　he　was　in　need　of　their　support。　Miles　jogged　downstairs　and　proceeded　to　the　Copper　Kettle；　where；　during　a　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　home；　leaving　her　assistant　in　charge　at　the　shop。　She　knew　that　she　could　no　longer　put　off　telling　Carly　that　they　were　out　of　business；　and　that　Carly　was　out　of　a　job；　but　she　could　not　bring　herself　to　do　it　before　the　weekend　and　the　concert　in　London。　When　Miles　appeared；　and　she　saw　his　excited　little　grin；　she　experienced　a　rush　of　fury。

‘Dad　not　ing？’　were　his　first　words。

‘They’re　going　down　after　closing　time；’　said　Samantha。

There　were　two　old　ladies　in　the　voting　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；　‘I’ve　just　voted　for　you！’

‘Well；　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；　drove　past　the　church　hall　on　her　way　back　home　from　school　and　did　not　stop。　Ruth　and　Simon　Price　spent　the　day　talking　more　seriously　than　ever　about　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；　but　he　had　no　desire　to　help　Miles　achieve　another　of　his　life’s　goals。　At　half…past　five　he　packed　up　his　briefcase；　irritable　and　depressed；　because　he　had　finally　run　out　of　excuses　not　to　have　dinner　at　Kay’s。　It　was　particularly　irksome；　because　there　were　hopeful　signs　that　the　insurance　pany　was　shifting　in　Mary’s　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　tomorrow；　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　bad　mood。

‘Sorry；　it’s　been　a　dreadful　day；’　she　said；　although　he　had　not　plained；　and