《首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)》第120章

she　was　determined　to　cling　to　the　post　of　administrator。
‘If　Miles　is　elected—’　Shirley　began；　but　Maureen　interrupted；　in　her　deep　voice。　‘Let’s　hope　it　hasn’t　hurt　him；　this　nasty　stuff。　Let’s　hope　there　isn’t　a　backlash　against　him。’
‘People　will　know　Miles　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；’　said　Shirley　coolly。
‘Will　they；　though？’　said　Maureen；　and　Shirley　simply　hated　her。　How　dare　she　sit　in　Shirley’s　lounge　and　contradict　her？　And　what　was　worse；　Howard　was　nodding　his　agreement　with　Maureen。
‘That’s　my　worry；’　he　said；　‘and　we　need　Miles　more　than　ever　now。　Get　some　cohesion　back　on　the　council。　After　Bends…Your…Ear　said　what　she　said　–　after　all　the　uproar　–　we　didn’t　even　take　the　vote　on　Bellchapel。　We　need　Miles。’
Shirley　had　already　walked　out　of　the　room　in　silent　protest　at　Howard’s　siding　with　Maureen。　She　busied　herself　with　the　teacups　in　the　kitchen；　silently　fuming；　wondering　why　she　did　not　set　out　only　two　cups　to　give　Maureen　the　hint　that　she　so　richly　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