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首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第21部分

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he bullied him a little in person whenever they met; taking pleasure in the conviction that he found her overwhelming; hard to handle。

‘So how are things going; these days;’ asked Maureen; ‘with his lady friend from London?’

‘She’s not in London any more; Mo。 She’s moved into Hope Street;’ said Miles。 ‘And if you ask me; he’s regretting he ever went near her。 You know Gavin。 Born with cold feet。’

Miles had been a few years above Gavin at school; and there was forever a trace of the sixth…form prefect in the way he spoke about his business partner。

‘Dark girl? Very short hair?’

‘That’s her;’ said Miles。 ‘Social worker。 Flat shoes。’

‘Then we’ve had her in the deli; haven’t we; How?’ said Maureen excitedly。 ‘I wouldn’t have had her down as much of a cook; though; not by the look of her。’

Roast loin of pork followed the soup。 With the connivance of Howard; Samantha was sliding gently towards contented drunkenness; but something in her was making forlorn protests; like a man swept out to sea。 She attempted to drown it in more wine。
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A pause rolled out across the table like a fresh tablecloth; pristine and expectant; and this time everybody seemed to know that it was for Howard to set out the new topic。 He ate for a while; big mouthfuls washed down with wine; apparently oblivious to their eyes upon him。 Finally; having cleared half his plate; he dabbed at his mouth with his napkin and spoke。

‘Yes; it will be interesting to see what happens on council now。’ He was forced to pause to suppress a powerful burp; for a moment he looked as if he might be sick。 He thumped his chest。 ‘Pardon me。 Yes。 It’ll be very interesting indeed。 With Fairbrother gone’ – business…like; Howard reverted to the form of the name he habitually used – ‘I can’t see his article for the paper ing off。 Unless Bends…Your…Ear takes it on; obviously;’ he added。

Howard had dubbed Parminder Jawanda ‘Bends…Your…Ear Bhutto’ after her first attendance as a parish councillor。 It was a popular joke among the anti…Fielders。

‘The look on her face;’ said Maureen; addressing Shirley。 ‘The look on her face; when we told her。 Well … I always thought … you know …’

Samantha pricked up her ears; but Maureen’s insinuation was surely laughable。 Parminder was married to the most gorgeous man in Pagford: Vikram; tall and well made; with an aquiline nose; eyes fringed with thick black lashes; and a lazy; knowing smile。 For years; Samantha had tossed back her hair and laughed more often than necessary whenever she paused in the street to pass the time of day with Vikram; who had the same kind of body Miles had had before he had given up rugby and bee soft and paunchy。

Samantha had heard somewhere; not long after they had bee her neighbours; that Vikram and Parminder had had an arranged marriage。 She had found this idea unspeakably erotic。 Imagine being ordered to marry Vikram; having to do it; she had wrought a little fantasy in which she was veiled and shown into a room; a virgin condemned to her fate … Imagine looking up; and knowing you were getting that … Not to mention the additional frisson of his job: that much responsibility would have given a much uglier man sex appeal … 

(Vikram had performed Howard’s quadruple bypass; seven years previously。 In consequence; Vikram could not enter Mollison and Lowe without being subjected to a barrage of jocular banter。

‘To the head of the queue; please; Mr Jawanda! Move aside; please; ladies – no; Mr Jawanda; I insist – this man saved my life; patched up the old ticker – what will it be; Mr Jawanda; sir?’

Howard always insisted that Vikram take free samples and a little extra of everything he bought。 In consequence; Samantha suspected; of these antics; Vikram almost never entered the delicatessen any more。)

She had lost the thread of the conversation; but it did not matter。 The others were still droning on about something that Barry Fairbrother had written to the local paper。
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‘… was going to have to talk to him about it;’ boomed Howard。 ‘It was a very underhand way of doing things。 Well; well; that’s water under the bridge now。

‘What we should be thinking about is who’s going to replace Fairbrother。 We shouldn’t underestimate Bends…Your…Ear; however upset she might be。 That would be a great mistake。 She’s probably trying to rustle up somebody already; so we ought to be thinking about a decent replacement ourselves。 Sooner rather than later。 Simple matter of good governance。’

‘What will that mean; exactly?’ Miles asked。 ‘An election?’

‘Possibly;’ said Howard; with a judicious air; ‘but I doubt it。 It’s only a casual vacancy。 If there isn’t enough interest in an election – though; as I say; we must not underestimate Bends…Your…Ear – but if she can’t raise nine people to propose a public vote; it’ll be a simple question of co…opting a new councillor。 In that case; we’d need nine members’ votes to get the co…option ratified。 Nine’s the quorum。 Three years of Fairbrother’s term of office left to run。 Worth it。 Could swing the whole thing; putting one of our side in; instead of Fairbrother。’

Howard drummed his thick fingers against the bowl of his wine glass; looking at his son across the table。 Both Shirley and Maureen were watching Miles too; and Miles; Samantha thought; was looking back at his father like a big fat Labrador; quivering in expectation of a treat。

A beat later than she would have done if she had been sober; Samantha realized what this was all about; and why a strangely celebratory air hung over the table。 Her intoxication had been liberating; but all of a sudden it was restrictive; for she was not sure that her tongue would be wholly biddable after more than a bottle of wine and a long stretch of silence。 She therefore thought the words; rather than speaking them aloud。

You’d better bloody well tell them you’ll need to discuss it with me first; Miles。

VII
Tessa Wall had not meant to stay long at Mary’s – she was never fortable about leaving her husband and Fats alone in the house together – but somehow her visit had stretched to a couple of hours。 The Fairbrothers’ house was overflowing with camp beds and sleeping bags; their extended family had closed in around the gaping vacuum left by death; but no amount of noise and activity could mask the chasm into which Barry had vanished。

Alone with her thoughts for the first time since their friend had died; Tessa retraced her steps down Church Row in the darkness; her feet aching; her cardigan inadequate protection against the cold。 The only noise was the clicking of the wooden beads around her neck; and the dim sounds of television sets in the houses she was passing。

Quite suddenly; Tessa thought: I wonder whether Barry knew。

It had never occurred to her before that her husband might have told Barry the great secret of her life; the rotten thing that lay buried at the heart of her marriage。 She and Colin never even discussed it (though a whiff of it tainted many a conversation; particularly lately … )。

Tonight; though; Tessa had thought she caught half a glance from Mary; at the mention of Fats … 

You’re exhausted; and you’re imagining things; Tessa told herself firmly。 Colin’s habits of secrecy were so strong; so deeply entrenched; that he would never have told; not even Barry; whom he idolized。 Tessa hated to think that Barry might have known … that his kindness towards Colin had been actuated by pity for what she; Tessa; had done … 

When she entered the sitting room; she found her husband sitting in front of the television; wearing his glasses; the news on in the background。 He had a sheaf of printed papers in his lap and a pen in his hand。 To Tessa’s relief; there was no sign of Fats。

‘How is she?’ Colin asked。

‘Well; you know … not great;’ said Tessa。 She sank into one of the old armchairs with a little moan of relief; and pulled off her worn…down shoes。 ‘But Barry’s brother’s being marvellous。’

‘In what way?’

‘Well … you know … helping。’

She closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose and her eyelids with her thumb and forefinger。

‘I always th
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