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　was　no　time　for　a　half…smoked　stub）；　which　gave　him　an　excuse　to　remain　stationary　while　he　watched　her　walk　away　into　the　lengthening　shadows。

‘Why　do　they　call　him　“Peanut”；　that　boy？’　Gaia　asked　Sukhvinder；　once　they　were　out　of　earshot　of　Andrew。

‘He’s　allergic；’　said　Sukhvinder。　She　was　horrified　at　the　prospect　of　telling　Parminder　what　she　had　done。　Her　voice　sounded　like　somebody　else’s。　‘He　nearly　died　at　St　Thomas’s；　somebody　gave　him　one　hidden　in　a　marshmallow。’

‘Oh；’　said　Gaia。　‘I　thought　it　might　be　because　he　had　a　tiny　dick。’

She　laughed；　and　so　did　Sukhvinder；　forcing　herself；　as　though　jokes　about　penises　were　all　she　heard；　day　in；　day　out。

Andrew　saw　them　both　glance　back　at　him　as　they　laughed；　and　knew　that　they　were　talking　about　him。　The　giggling　might　be　a　hopeful　sign；　he　knew　that　much　about　girls；　anyway。　Grinning　at　nothing　but　the　cooling　air；　he　walked　off；　school　bag　over　his　shoulder；　cigarette　in　his　hand；　across　the　Square　towards　Church　Row；　and　thence　to　forty　minutes　of　steep　climbing　up　out　of　town　to　Hilltop　House。

The　hedgerows　were　ghostly　pale　with　white　blossom　in　the　dusk；　blackthorn　blooming　on　either　side　of　him；　celandine　fringing　the　lane　with　tiny；　glossy　heart…shaped　leaves。　The　smell　of　the　flowers；　the　deep　pleasure　of　the　cigarette　and　the　promise　of　weekends　with　Gaia；　everything　blended　together　into　a　glorious　symphony　of　elation　and　beauty　as　Andrew　puffed　up　the　hill。　The　next　time　Simon　said　‘got　a　job；　Pizza　Face？’　he　would　be　able　to　say　‘yes’。　He　was　going　to　be　Gaia　Bawden’s　weekend　workmate。

And；　to　cap　it　all；　he　knew　at　last　exactly　how　he　might　plunge　an　anonymous　dagger　straight　between　his　father’s　shoulder　blades。

VII
Once　the　first　impulse　of　spite　had　worn　off；　Samantha　bitterly　regretted　inviting　Gavin　and　Kay　to　dinner。　She　spent　Friday　morning　joking　with　her　assistant　about　the　dreadful　evening　she　was　bound　to　have；　but　her　mood　plummeted　once　she　had　left　Carly　in　charge　of　Over　the　Shoulder　Boulder　Holders　（a　name　that　had　made　Howard　laugh　so　hard　the　first　time　he　had　heard　it　that　it　had　brought　on　an　asthma　attack；　and　which　made　Shirley　scowl　whenever　it　was　spoken　in　her　presence）。　Driving　back　to　Pagford　ahead　of　the　rush　hour；　so　that　she　could　shop　for　ingredients　and　start　cooking；　Samantha　tried　to　cheer　herself　up　by　thinking　of　nasty　questions　to　ask　Gavin。　Perhaps　she　might　wonder　aloud　why　Kay　had　not　moved　in　with　him：　that　would　be　a　good　one。

Walking　home　from　the　Square　with　bulging　Mollison　and　Lowe　carrier　bags　in　each　hand；　she　came　across　Mary　Fairbrother　beside　the　cash…point　machine　in　the　wall　of　Barry’s　bank。

‘Mary；　hi　…　how　are　you？’

Mary　was　thin　and　pale；　with　grey　patches　around　her　eyes。　Their　conversation　was　stilted　and　strange。　They　had　not　spoken　since　the　journey　in　the　ambulance；　barring　brief；　awkward　condolences　at　the　funeral。

‘I’ve　been　meaning　to　drop　in；’　Mary　said；　‘you　were　so　kind　–　and　I　wanted　to　thank　Miles—’

‘No　need；’　Samantha　said　awkwardly。

‘Oh；　but　I’d　like—’

‘Oh；　but　then；　please　do—’

After　Mary　had　walked　away；　Samantha　had　the　awful　feeling　that　she　might　have　given　the　impression　that　that　evening　would　be　a　perfect　time　for　Mary　to　e　round。

Once　home；　she　dropped　the　bags　in　the　hall　and　telephoned　Miles　at　work　to　tell　him　what　she　had　done；　but　he　displayed　an　infuriating　equanimity　about　the　prospect　of　adding　a　newly　widowed　woman　to　their　foursome。

‘I　can’t　see　what　the　problem　is；　really；’　he　said。　‘Nice　for　Mary　to　get　out。’

‘But　I　didn’t　say　we　were　having　Gavin　and　Kay　over—’

‘Mary　likes　Gav；’　said　Miles。　‘I　wouldn’t　worry　about　it。’

He　was；　Samantha　thought；　being　deliberately　obtuse；　no　doubt　in　retaliation　for　her　refusal　to　go　to　Sweetlove　House。　After　she　had　hung　up；　she　wondered　whether　to　call　Mary　to　tell　her　not　to　e　that　evening；　but　she　was　afraid　of　sounding　rude；　and　settled　for　hoping　that　Mary　would　find　herself　unequal　to　calling　in　after　all。

Stalking　into　the　sitting　room；　she　put　on　Libby’s　boy　band　DVD　at　full　volume　so　that　she　would　be　able　to　hear　it　in　the　kitchen；　then　carried　the　bags　through　and　set　to　work　preparing　a　casserole　and　her　fall…back　pudding；　Mississippi　mud　pie。　She　would　have　liked　to　buy　one　of　Mollison　and　Lowe’s　large　gateaux；　to　save　herself　some　work；　but　it　would　have　got　straight　back　to　Shirley；　who　frequently　intimated　that　Samantha　was　over…reliant　on　frozen　food　and　ready　meals。

Samantha　knew　the　boy　band　DVD　so　well　by　now　that　she　was　able　to　visualize　the　images　matching　the　music　blaring　through　to　the　kitchen。　Several　times　that　week；　while　Miles　was　upstairs　in　his　home　study　or　on　the　telephone　to　Howard；　she　had　watched　it　again。　When　she　heard　the　opening　bars　of　the　track　where　the　muscular　boy　walked；　with　his　shirt　flapping　open；　along　the　beach；　she　went　through　to　watch　in　her　apron；　absent…mindedly　sucking　her　chocolatey　fingers。

She　had　planned　on　having　a　long　shower　while　Miles　laid　the　table；　forgetting　that　he　would　be　late　home；　because　he　had　to　drive　into　Yarvil　to　pick　up　the　girls　from　St　Anne’s。　When　Samantha　realized　why　he　had　not　returned；　and　that　their　daughters　would　be　with　him　when　he　did；　she　had　to　fly　around　to　organize　the　dining　room　herself；　then　find　something　to　feed　Lexie　and　Libby　before　the　guests　arrived。　Miles　found　his　wife　in　her　work　clothes　at　half…past　seven；　sweaty；　cross　and　inclined　to　blame　him　for　what　had　been　her　own　idea。

Fourteen…year…old　Libby　marched　into　the　sitting　room　without　greeting　Samantha　and　removed　the　disc　from　the　DVD　player。

‘Oh；　good；　I　was　wondering　what　I’d　done　with　that；’　she　said。　‘Why’s　the　TV　on？　Have　you　been　playing　it？’

Sometimes；　Samantha　thought　that　her　younger　daughter　had　a　look　of　Shirley　about　her。

‘I　was　watching　the　news；　Libby。　I　haven’t　got　time　to　watch　DVDs。　e　through；　your　pizza’s　ready。　We’ve　got　people　ing　round。’

‘Frozen　pizza　again？’

‘Miles！　I　need　to　change。　Can　you　mash　the　potatoes　for　me？　Miles？’

But　he　had　disappeared　upstairs；　so　Samantha　pounded　the　potatoes　herself；　while　her　daughters　ate　at　the　island　in　the　middle　of　the　kitchen。　Libby　had　propped　the　DVD　cover　against　her　glass　of　Diet　Pepsi；　and　was　ogling　it。
。　
‘Mikey’s　so　lush；’　she　said；　with　a　carnal　groan　that　took　Samantha　aback；　but　the　muscular　boy　was　called　Jake。　Samantha　was　glad　they　did　not　like　the　same　one。

Loud　and　confident　Lexie　was　jabbering　about　school；　a　machine…gun　torrent　of　information　about　girls　whom　Samantha　did　not　know；　with　whose　antics　and　feuds　and　regroupings　she　could　not　keep　up。

‘All　right；　you　two；　I’ve　got　to　change。　Clear　away　when　you’re　done；　all　right？’

She　turned　down　the　heat　under　the　casserole　and　hurried　upstairs。　Miles　was　buttoning　up　his　shirt　in　the　bedroom；　watching　himself　in　the　wardrobe　mirror。　The　whole　room　smelt　of　soap　and　aftershave。

‘Everything　under　control；　hon？’

‘Yes；　thanks。　So　glad　you’ve　had　time　to　shower；’　spat　Samantha；　pulling　out　her　favourite　long　skirt　and　top；　slamming　the　wardrobe　door。

‘You　could　have　one　now。’

‘They’ll　be　here　in　ten　minutes；　I　won’t　have　time　to　dry　my　hair　and　put　on　make…up。’　She　kicked　off　her　shoes；　one　of　them　hit　the　radiator　with　a　loud　clang。　‘When　you’ve　finished　preening；　could　you　please　go　downstairs　and　sort　out　drinks？’

After　Miles　had　left　the　room；　she　tried　to　untangle　her　thick　hair　and　repair　her　make…up。　She　looked　awful。　Only　when　she　had　changed　did　she　realize　that　she　was　wearing　the　wrong　bra　for　her　clinging　top。　After　a　frantic　search；　she　remembered　that　the　right　one　was　drying　in　the　utility　room；　she　hurried　out　onto　the　landing　but　the　doorbell　rang。　Swearing；　she　scuttled　back　to　the　bedroom。　The　boy　band’s　music　was　blaring　out　of　Libby’s　room。

Gavin　and　Kay　had　arrived　on　the　dot　of　eight　because　Gavin　was　afraid　of　what　Samantha　might　say　if　they　turned　up　late；　he　could　imagine　her　suggesting　that　they　had　lost　track　of　time　because　they　were　shagging　or　that　they　must　have　had　a　row。　She　seemed　to　think　that　one　of　the　perks　of　marriage　was　that　it　gave　you　rights　of　ment　and　intrusion　over　single　people’s　love　lives。　She　also　thought　that　her　crass；　uninhibited　way　of　talking；　especially　when　drunk；　constituted　trenchant　humour。

‘Hello…ello…ello；’　said　Miles；　moving　back　to　let　Gavin　and　Kay　inside。　‘e　in；　e　in。　Wele　to　Casa　Mollison。’

He　kissed　Kay　on　both　cheeks　and　relieved　her　of　the　chocolates　she　was　holding。

‘For　us？　Thanks　very　much。　Lovely　to　meet　you　properly　at　last。　Gav’s　been　keeping　you　under　wraps　for　far　too　long。’

Miles　shook　the　wine　out　of　Gavin’s　hand；　then　clapped　him　on　the　back；　which　Gavin　resented。

‘e　on　through；　Sam’ll　be　down　in　a　mo。　What’ll　you　have　to　drink？’

Kay　would　ordinarily　have　found　Miles　rather　smooth　and　over…familiar；　but　she　was　determined　to　suspend　judgement。　Couples　had　to　mix　with　each　other’s　circles；　and　manage　to　get　along　in　them。　This　evening　represented　significant　progress　in　her　quest　to　infiltrate　the　layers　of　his　life　to　which　Gavin　had　never　admitted　her；　and　she　wanted　to　show　him　that　she　was　at　home　in　the　Mollisons’　big；　smug　house；　that　there　was　no　need　to　exclude　her　any　more。　So　she　smiled　at　Miles；　asked　for　a　red　wine；　and　admired　the　spacious　room　with　its　stripped　pine　floorboards；　its　over…cushioned　sofa　and　its　framed　prints。

‘Been　here　for；　ooh；　getting　on　for　fourteen　years；’　said　Miles；　busy　with　the　corkscrew。　‘You’re　down　in　Hope　Street；　aren’t　you？　Nice　little　houses；　some　great　fixer…upper　opportunities　down　there。’

Samantha　appeared；　smiling　without　warmth。　Kay；　who　had　previously　seen　her　only　in　an　overcoat；　noted　the　tightness　of　her　orange　top；　beneath　which　every　detail　of　her　lacy　bra　was　clearly　visible。　Her　face　was　even　darker　than　her　leathery　chest；　her　eye　make…up　was　thick　and　unflattering　and　her　jangling　gold　earrings　and　high…heeled　golden　mules　were；　in　Kay’s　opinion；　tarty。　Samantha　struck　her　as　the　kind　of　woman　who　would　have　raucous　girls’　nights　out；　and　find　stripograms　hilarious；　and　flirt　drunkenly　with　everyone　else’s　partner　at　parties。

‘Hi　there；’　said　Samantha。　She　kissed　Gavin　and　smiled　at　Kay。　‘Great；　you’ve　got　drinks。　I’ll　have　the　same　as　Kay；　Miles。’

She　turned　away　to　sit　down；　having　already　taken　stock　of　the　other　woman’s　appearance：　Kay　was　small…breasted　and　heavy…hipped；　and　had　certainly　chosen　her　black　trousers　to　minimize　the　size　of　her　bottom。　She　would　have　done　better；　in　Samantha’s　opinion；　to　wear　heels；　given　the　shortness　of　her　legs。　Her　face　was　attractive　enough；　with　even…toned　olive　skin；　large　dark　eyes　and　a　generous　mouth；　but　the　closely　cropped　boy’s　hair　and　the　resolutely　flat　shoes　were　undoubtedly　pointers　to　certain　sacrosanct　Beliefs。　Gavin　had　done　it　again：　he　had　gone　and　picked　another　humourless；　domineering　woman　who　would　make　his　life　a　misery。

‘So！’　said　Samantha　brightly；　raising　her　glass。　‘Gavin…and…Kay！’

She　saw；　with　satisfaction；　Gavin’s　hangdog　wince　of　a　smile；　but　before　she　could　make　him　squirm　more　or　weasel　private　information　out　of　them　both　to　dangle　over　Shirley’s　and　Maureen’s　heads；　the　doorbell　rang　again。

Mary　appeared　fragile　and　angular；　especially　beside　Miles；　who　ushered　her　into　the　room。　Her　T…shirt　hung　from　protruding　collarbones。

‘Oh；’　she　said；　ing　to　a　startled　halt　on　the　threshold。　‘I　didn’t　realize　you　were　having—’

‘Gavin　and　Kay　just　dropped　in；’　said　Samantha　a　little　wildly。　‘e　in；　Mary；　please　…　have　a　drink　…’

‘Mary；　this　is　Kay；’　said　Miles。　‘Kay；　this　is　Mary　Fairbrother。’

‘Oh；’　said　Kay；　thrown；　she　had　thought　that　it　would　only　be　the　four　of　them。　‘Yes；　hello。’

Gavin；　who　could　tell　that　Mary　had　not　meant　to　drop　in　on　a　dinner　party　and　was　on　the　point　of　walking　straight　back　out　again；　patted　the　sofa　beside　him；　Mary　sat　down　with　a　weak　smile。　He　was　overjoyed　to　see　her。　Here　was　his　buffer；　even　Samantha　must　realize　that　her　particular　brand　of　prurience　would　be　inappropriate　in　front　of　a　bereaved　woman；　p