ted until they arrived and then we left。’
‘Well； it was very lucky for Mary that you were there；’ said Shirley。 ‘Dad wants another word； Miles； I’ll put him on。 Speak later。’
‘“Speak later；”’ Samantha mouthed at the kettle； waggling her head。 Her distorted reflection was puffy after their sleepless night； her chestnut…brown eyes bloodshot。 In her haste to witness the telling of Howard； Samantha had carelessly rubbed fake tanning lotion into the rims。
‘Why don’t you and Sam e over this evening？’ Howard was booming。 ‘No； hang on – Mum’s reminded me we’re playing bridge with the Bulgens。 e over tomorrow。 For dinner。 ’Bout seven。’
‘Maybe；’ said Miles； glancing at Samantha。 ‘I’ll have to see what Sam’s got on。’
She did not indicate whether or not she wanted to go。 A strange sense of anti…climax filled the kitchen as Miles hung up。
‘They can’t believe it；’ he said； as if she hadn’t heard everything。
They ate their toast and drank fresh mugs of coffee in silence。 Some of Samantha’s irritability lifted as she chewed。 She remembered how she had woken with a jerk in their dark bedroom in the early hours； and had been absurdly relieved and grateful to feel Miles beside her； big and paunchy； smelling of vetiver and old sweat。 Then she imagined telling customers at the shop about how a man had dropped dead in front of her； and about the mercy dash to hospital。 She thought of ways to describe various aspects of the journey； and of the climactic scene with the doctor。 The youth of that self…possessed woman had made the whole thing seem worse。 They ought to give the job of breaking the news to someone older。 Then； with a further lift of her spirits； she recollected that she had an appointment with the Champêtre sales rep tomorrow； he had been pleasantly flirty on the telephone。
‘I’d better get moving；’ said Miles； and he drained his coffee mug； his eyes on the brightening sky beyond the window。 He heaved a deep sigh and patted his wife on her shoulder as he passed on the way to the dishwasher with his empty plate and mug。
‘Christ； it puts everything in perspective； though； doesn’t it； eh？’
Shaking his close…cropped； greying head； he left the kitchen。
Samantha sometimes found Miles absurd and； increasingly； dull。 Every now and then； though； she enjoyed his pomposity in precisely the same spirit as she liked； on formal occasions； to wear a hat。 It was appropriate； after all； to be solemn and a little worthy this morning。 She finished her toast and cleared away her breakfast things； mentally refining the story she planned to tell her assistant。
II
‘Barry Fairbrother’s dead；’ panted Ruth Price。
She had almost run up the chilly garden path so as to have a few more minutes with her husband before he left for work。 She didn’t stop in the porch to take off her coat but； still muffled and gloved； burst into the kitchen where Simon and their teenage sons were eating breakfast。
Her husband froze； a piece of toast halfway to his lips； then lowered it with theatrical slowness。 The two boys； both in school uniform； looked from one parent to the other； mildly interested。
‘An aneurysm； they think；’ said Ruth； still a little breathless as she tweaked off her gloves finger by finger； unwinding her scarf and unbuttoning her coat。 A thin dark woman with heavy； mournful eyes； the stark blue nurse’s uniform suited her。 ‘He collapsed at the golf club – Sam and Miles Mollison brought him in – and then Colin and Tessa Wall came …’
She darted out to the porch to hang up her things； and was back in time to answer Simon’s shouted question。
‘What’s ananeurysm？’
‘An。 Aneurysm。 A burst artery in the brain。’
She flitted over to the kettle； switched it on； then began to sweep crumbs from the work surface around the toaster； talking all the while。
‘He’ll have had a massive cerebral haemorrhage。 His poor； poor wife … she’s absolutely devastated …’
Momentarily stricken； Ruth gazed out of her kitchen window over the crisp whiteness of her frost…crusted lawn； at the abbey across the valley； stark and skeletal against the pale pink and grey sky； and the panoramic view that was the glory of Hilltop House。 Pagford； which by night was no more than a cluster of twinkling lights in a dark hollow far below； was emerging into chilly sunlight。 Ruth saw none of it： her mind was still at the hospital； watching Mary emerge from the room where Barry lay； all futile aids to life removed。 Ruth Price’s pity flowed most freely and sincerely for those whom she believed to be like herself。 ‘No； no； no； no；’ Mary had moaned； and that instinctive denial had reverberated inside Ruth； because she had been afforded a glimpse of herself in an identical situation …
Hardly able to bear the thought； she turned to look at Simon。 His light…brown hair was still thick； his frame was almost as wiry as it had been in his twenties and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes were merely attractive； but Ruth’s return to nursing after a long break had confronted her anew with the million and one ways the human body could malfunction。 She had had more detachment when she was young； now she realized how lucky they all were to be alive。
‘Couldn’t they do anything for him？’ asked Simon。 ‘Couldn’t they plug it up？’
He sounded frustrated； as though the medical profession had； yet again； bungled the business by refusing to do the simple and obvious thing。
Andrew thrilled with savage pleasure。 He had noticed lately that his father had developed a habit of countering his mother’s use of medical terms with crude； ignorant suggestions。 Cerebral haemorrhage。 Plug it up。 His mother didn’t realize what his father was up to。 She never did。 Andrew ate his Weetabix and burned with hatred。
‘It was too late to do anything by the time they got him out to us；’ said Ruth； dropping teabags into the pot。 ‘He died in the ambulance； right before they arrived。’
‘Bloody hell；’ said Simon。 ‘What was he； forty？’
But Ruth was distracted。
‘Paul； your hair’s pletely matted at the back。 Have you brushed it at all？’
She pulled a hairbrush from her handbag and pushed it into her younger son’s hand。
‘No warning signs or anything？’ asked Simon； as Paul dragged the brush through the thick mop of his hair。
‘He’d had a bad headache for a couple of days； apparently。’
‘Ah；’ said Simon； chewing toast。 ‘And he ignored it？’
‘Oh； yes； he didn’t think anything of it。’
Simon swallowed。
‘Goes to show； doesn’t it？’ he said portentously。 ‘Got to watch yourself。’
That’s wise； thought Andrew； with furious contempt； that’s profound。 So it was Barry Fairbrother’s own fault his brain had burst open。 You self…satisfied fucker； Andrew told his father； loudly； inside his own head。
Simon pointed his knife at his elder son and said； ‘Oh； and by the way。 He’s going to be getting a job。 Old Pizza Face there。’
Startled； Ruth turned from her husband to her son。 Andrew’s acne stood out； livid and shiny； from his empurpling cheek； as he stared down into his bowl of beige mush。
‘Yeah；’ said Simon。 ‘Lazy little shit’s going to start earning some money。 If he wants to smoke； he can pay for it out of his own wages。 No more pocket money。’
‘Andrew！’ wailed Ruth。 ‘You haven’t been—？’
‘Oh； yes； he has。 I caught him in the woodshed；’ said Simon； his expression a distillation of spite。
‘Andrew！’
‘No more money from us。 You want fags； you buy ’em；’ said Simon。
‘But we said；’ whimpered Ruth； ‘we said； with his exams ing—’
‘Judging by the way he fucked up his mocks； we’ll be lucky if he gets any qualifications。 He can get himself out to McDonald’s early； get some experience；’ said Simon； standing up and pushing in his chair； relishing the sight of Andrew’s hanging head； the dark pimpled edge of his face。 ‘Because we’re not supporting you through any resits； pal。 It’s now or never。’
‘Oh； Simon；’ said Ruth reproachfully。
‘What？’
Simon took two stamping steps towards his wife。 Ruth shrank back against the sink。 The pink plastic brush fell out of Paul’s hand。
‘I’m not going to fund the little fucker’s filthy habit！ Fucking cheek of him； puffing away in my fucking shed！’
Simon hit himself on the chest on the word ‘my’； the dull thunk made Ruth wince。
‘I was bringing home a salary when I was that spotty little shit’s age。 If he wants fags； he can pay for them himself； all right？ All right？’
He had thrust his face to within six inches of Ruth’s。
‘Yes； Simon；’ she said very quietly。
Andrew’s bowels seemed to have bee liquid。 He had made a vow to himself not ten days previously： had the moment arrived so soon？ But his father stepped away from his mother and marched out of the kitchen towards the porch。 Ruth； Andrew and Paul remained quite still； they might have promised not to move in his absence。
‘Did you fill up the tank？’ Simon shouted； as he always did when she had been working a night shift。
‘Yes；’ Ruth called back； striving for brightness； for normality。
The front door rattled and slammed。
Ruth busied herself with the teapot； waiting for the billowing atmosphere to shrink back to its usual proportions。 Only when Andrew was about to leave the room to clean his teeth did she speak。
‘He worries about you； Andrew。 About your health。’
Like fuck he does； the cunt。
Inside his head； Andrew matched Simon obscenity for obscenity。 Inside his head； he could take Simon in a fair fight。
Aloud； to his mother； he said； ‘Yeah。 Right。’
III
Evertree Crescent was a sickle moon of 1930s bungalows； which lay two minutes from Pagford’s main square。 In number thirty…six； a house tenanted longer than any other in the street； Shirley Mollison sat； propped up against her pillows； sipping the tea that her husband had brought her。 The reflection facing her in the mirrored doors of the built…in wardrobe had a misty quality； due partly to the fact that she was not wearing glasses； and partly to the soft glow cast over the room by her rose…patterned curtains。 In this flattering； hazy light； the dimpled pink and white face beneath the short silver hair was cherubic。
The bedroom was just