《首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)》第125章

she　was　not　going　to　go　all　the　way　to　that　smug　little　town　to　get　double　helpings；　to　travel　back　in　time；　once　a　week；　to　the　place　where　Nana　Cath　had　said　she　would　keep　her；　but　let　her　go。　She　would　have　to　pass　that　pretty　little　school　that　had　sent　horrible　letters　home　about　Krystal；　saying　that　her　clothes　were　too　small　and　too　dirty；　that　her　behaviour　was　unacceptable。　She　was　afraid　of　long…forgotten　relatives　emerging　from　Hope　Street；　as　they　squabbled　over　Nana　Cath’s　house；　and　of　what　Cheryl　would　say；　if　she　knew　that　Terri　had　entered　into　voluntary　dealings　with　the　Paki　bitch　who　had　killed　Nana　Cath。　Another　mark　against　her；　in　the　family　that　despised　her。
‘They　ain’t　making　me　go　to　fuckin’　Pagford；’　Terri　muttered　aloud；　pulling　Robbie　towards　the　checkout。
II
‘Brace　yourself；’　teased　Howard　Mollison　at　midday　on　Saturday。　‘Mum’s　about　to　post　the　results　on　the　website。　Want　to　wait　and　see　it　made　public　or　shall　I　tell　you　now？’
Miles　turned　away　instinctively　from　Samantha；　who　was　sitting　opposite　him　at　the　island　in　the　middle　of　the　kitchen。　They　were　having　a　last　coffee　before　she　and　Libby　set　off　for　the　station　and　the　concert　in　London。　With　the　handset　pressed　tightly　to　his　ear；　he　said；　‘Go　on。’
‘You　won。　fortably。　Pretty　much　two　to　one　over　Wall。’
Miles　grinned　at　the　kitchen　door。
‘OK；’　he　said；　keeping　his　voice　as　steady　as　he　could。　‘Good　to　know。’
‘Hang　on；’　said　Howard。　‘Mum　wants　a　word。’
‘Well　done；　darling；’　said　Shirley　gleefully。　‘Absolutely　wonderful　news。　I　knew　you’d　do　it。’
‘Thanks；　Mum；’　said　Miles。
Those　two　words　told　Samantha　everything；　but　she　had　resolved　not　to　be　scornful　or　sarcastic。　Her　band　T…shirt　was　packed；　she　had　had　her　hair　done　and　she　had　bought　new　heels。　She　could　hardly　wait　to　leave。
‘Parish　Councillor　Mollison　then；　is　it？’　she　said；　when　he　had　hung　up。
‘That’s　right；’　he　said　a　little　warily。
‘Congratulations；’　she　said。　‘It’s　going　to　be　a　real　celebration　tonight；　then。　I’m　sorry　I’m　missing　it；　actually；’　she　lied；　out　of　excitement　at　her　imminent　escape。　Touched；　Miles　leaned　forward　and　squeezed　her　hand。
Libby　appeared　in　the　kitchen　in　tears。　She　was　clutching　her　mobile　in　her　hand。
‘What？’　said　Samantha；　startled。
‘Please　will　you　call　Harriet’s　mum？’
‘Why？’
‘Please　will　you？’
‘But　why；　Libby？’
‘Because　she　wants　to　talk　to　you；　because；’　Libby　wiped　her　eyes　and　nose　on　the　back　of　her　hand；　‘Harriet　and　I’ve　had　a　big　row。　Please　will　you　call　her？’
Samantha　took　the　telephone　through　to　the　sitting　room。　She　had　only　the　haziest　idea　who　this　woman　was。　Since　the　girls　had　started　at　boarding　school　she　had　virtually　no　contact　with　their　friends’　parents。
‘I’m　so　desperately　sorry　to　do　this；’　said　Harriet’s　mother。　‘I　told　Harriet　I’d　speak　to　you；　because　I’ve　been　telling　her　it’s　not　that　Libby　doesn’t　want　her　to　go　…　you　know　how　close　they　are；　and　I　hate　seeing　them　like　this　…’
Samantha　checked　her　watch。　They　needed　to　leave　in　ten　minutes　at　the　latest。
‘Harriet’s　got　it　into　her　head　that　Libby　had　a　spare　ticket；　but　didn’t　want　to　take　her。　I’ve　told　her　it’s　not　true　–　you’re　taking　the　ticket　because　you　don’t　want　Libby　going　alone；　aren’t　you？’
‘Well；　naturally；’　said　Samantha；　‘she　can’t　go　alone。’
‘I　knew　it；’　said　the　other　woman。　She　sounded　strangely　triumphant。　‘And　I　absolutely　understand　your　protectiveness；　and　I　would　never　suggest　it　if　I　didn’t　think　it　would　save　you　an　awful　lot　of　bother。　It’s　just　that　the　girls　are　so　close　–　and　Harriet’s　absolutely　wild　about　this　silly　group　–　and　I　think；　from　what　Libby’s　just　told　Harriet　on　the　phone；　that　Libby’s　really　desperate　for　her　to　go　too。　I　totally　understand　why　you　want　to　keep　an　eye　on　Libby；　but　the　thing　is；　my　sister’s　taking　her　two　girls；　so　there　would　be　an　adult　there　with　them。　I　could　drive　Libby　and　Harriet　up　together　this　afternoon；　we’d　meet　up　with　the　others　outside　the　stadium　and　we　could　all　stay　overnight　at　my　sister’s　place。　I　absolutely　guarantee　that　my　sister　or　I　will　be　with　Libby　at　all　times。’
‘Oh　…　that’s　so　kind。　But　my　friend；’　said　Samantha；　with　a　strange　ringing　in　her　ears；　‘is　expecting　us；　you　see　…’
‘But　if　you　still　wanted　to　go　and　visit　your　friend　…　all　I’m　saying　is　there’s　really　no　need　for　you　to　attend；　is　there；　if　somebody　else　is　with　the　girls？　…　And　Harriet’s　absolutely　desperate　–　really　desperate　–　I　wasn’t　going　to　get　involved；　but　now　it’s　putting　a　strain　on　their　friendship　…’
Then；　on　a　less　gushing　note；　‘We’d　buy　the　ticket　from　you；　of　course。’
There　was　nowhere　to　go；　nowhere　to　hide。
‘Oh；’　said　Samantha。　‘Yes。　I　just　thought　it　might　be　nice　to　go　with　her—’
‘They’d　much　prefer　to　be　with　each　other；’　said　Harriet’s　mother　firmly。　‘And　you　won’t　have　to　crouch　down　and　hide　among　all　the　little　teenyboppers；　ha　ha　–　it’s　all　right　for　my　sister；　she’s　only　five　foot　two。’
III
To　Gavin’s　disappointment；　it　seemed　that　he　would　have　to　attend　Howard　Mollison’s　birthday　party　after　all。　If　Mary；　a　client　of　the　firm　and　the　widow　of　his　best　friend；　had　asked　him　to　stay　for　dinner；　he　would　have　considered　himself　more　than　justified　in　skipping　it　…　but　Mary　had　not　asked　him　to　stay。　She　had　family　visiting；　and　she　had　been　oddly　flustered　when　he　had　turned　up。
She　doesn’t　want　them　to　know；　he　thought；　taking　fort　in　her　self…consciousness　as　she　ushered　him　towards　the　door。
He　drove　back　to　the　Smithy；　replaying　his　conversation　with　Kay　in　his　mind。
I　thought　he　was　your　best　friend。　He’s　only　been　dead　a　few　weeks！
Yeah；　and　I　was　looking　after　her　for　Barry；　he　retorted　in　his　head；　which　is　what　he’d　have　wanted。　Neither　of　us　expected　this　to　happen。　Barry’s　dead。　It　can’t　hurt　him　now。
Alone　in　the　Smithy　he　looked　out　a　clean　suit　for　the　party；　because　the　invitation　said　‘formal’；　and　tried　to　imagine　gossipy　little　Pagford　relishing　the　story　of　Gavin　and　Mary。
So　what？　he　thought；　staggered