首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第19章

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s　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　thought　he　seemed　a　bit　unreliable；’　said　Colin’s　voice。

‘Really？’　said　Tessa；　from　the　depths　of　her　voluntary　darkness。

‘Yes。　Remember　when　he　said　he’d　e　and　referee　for　that　game　against　Paxton　High？　And　he　cancelled　with　about　half　an　hour’s　notice　and　Bateman　had　to　do　it　instead？’

Tessa　fought　down　an　impulse　to　snap。　Colin　had　a　habit　of　making　sweeping　judgements　based　on　first　impressions；　on　single　actions。　He　never　seemed　to　grasp　the　immense　mutability　of　human　nature；　nor　to　appreciate　that　behind　every　nondescript　face　lay　a　wild　and　unique　hinterland　like　his　own。

‘Well；　he’s　being　lovely　with　the　kids；’　said　Tessa　carefully。　‘I’ve　got　to　go　to　bed。’
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She　did　not　move；　but　sat　concentrating　on　the　separate　aches　in　different　parts　of　her　body：　in　her　feet；　her　lower　back；　her　shoulders。

‘Tess；　I’ve　been　thinking。’

‘Hmm？’

Glasses　shrank　Colin’s　eyes　to　mole…like　proportions；　so　that　the　high；　balding　knobbly　forehead　seemed　even　more　pronounced。

‘Everything　Barry　was　trying　to　do　on　the　Parish　Council。　Everything　he　was　fighting　for。　The　Fields。　The　addiction　clinic。　I’ve　been　thinking　about　it　all　day。’　He　drew　a　deep　inward　breath。　‘I’ve　pretty　much　decided　that　I’m　going　to　take　over　for　him。’

Misgivings　crashed　over　Tessa；　pinning　her　to　her　chair；　rendering　her　momentarily　speechless。　She　struggled　to　keep　her　expression　professionally　neutral。

‘I’m　sure　it’s　what　Barry　would　have　wanted；’　said　Colin。　His　strange　excitement　was　tinged　with　defensiveness。

Never；　said　Tessa’s　most　honest　self；　never　for　a　second　would　Barry　have　wanted　you　to　do　this。　He　would　have　known　you　are　the　very　last　person　who　ought　to　do　it。

‘Gosh；’　she　said。　‘Well。　I　know　Barry　was　very　…　but　it　would　be　a　huge　mitment；　Colin。　And　it’s　not　as　though　Parminder’s　gone。　She’s　still　there；　and　she’ll　still　be　trying　to　do　everything　Barry　wanted。’

I　should　have　phoned　Parminder；　thought　Tessa　as　she　said　it；　with　a　guilty　bump　in　her　stomach。　Oh；　God；　why　didn’t　I　think　to　call　Parminder？

‘But　she’ll　need　support；　she’ll　never　be　able　to　stand　up　to　them　all　on　her　own；’　said　Colin。　‘And　I　guarantee　Howard　Mollison　will　be　lining　up　some　puppet　to　replace　Barry　right　now。　He’s　probably　already—’

‘Oh；　Colin—’

‘I　bet　he　has！　You　know　what　he’s　like！’

The　papers　in　Colin’s　lap　fell；　disregarded；　in　a　smooth　white　waterfall　onto　the　floor。

‘I　want　to　do　this　for　Barry。　I’ll　take　over　where　he　left　off。　I’ll　make　sure　everything　he　worked　for　doesn’t　go　up　in　smoke。　I　know　the　arguments。　He　always　said　he　got　opportunities　he’d　never　have　had　otherwise；　and　look　how　much　he　gave　back　to　the　munity。　I’m　definitely　going　to　stand。　I’m　going　to　look　into　what　I’ve　got　to　do；　tomorrow。’

‘All　right；’　said　Tessa。　Years　of　experience　had　taught　her　that　Colin　ought　not　to　be　opposed　in　the　first　throes　of　his　enthusiasm；　or　it　would　simply　entrench　him　in　his　determination　to　proceed。　Those　same　years　had