me 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； plus； the constrictive symmetry of a foursome had been broken up。
‘How are you？’ he said quietly。 ‘I was going to give you a ring； actually … there’ve been developments with the insurance …’
‘Haven’t we got any nibbles； Sam？’ asked Miles。
Samantha walked from the room； seething at Miles。 The smell of scorched meat met her as she opened the kitchen door。
‘Oh shit； shit； shit …’
She had pletely forgotten the casserole； which had dried out。 Desiccated chunks of meat and vegetables sat； forlorn survivors of the catastrophe； on the singed bottom of the pot。 Samantha sloshed in wine and stock； chiselling the adhering bits off the pan with her spoon； stirring vigorously； sweating in the heat。 Miles’ high…pitched laugh rang out from the sitting room。 Samantha put on long…stemmed broccoli to steam； drained her glass of wine； ripped open a bag of tortilla chips and a tub of hummus； and upended them into bowls。
Mary and Gavin were still conversing quietly on the sofa when she returned to the sitting room； while Miles was showing Kay a framed aerial photograph of Pagford； and giving her a lesson in the town’s history。 Samantha set down the bowls on the coffee table； poured herself another drink and settled into the armchair； making no effort to join either conversation。 It was awfully unfortable to have Mary there； with her grief hanging so heavily around her she might as well have walked in trailing a shroud。 Surely； though； she would leave before dinner。
Gavin was determined that Mary should stay。 As they discussed the latest developments in their ongoing battle with the insurance pany； he felt much more relaxed and in control than he usually did in Miles and Samantha’s presence。 Nobody was chipping away at him； or patronizing him； and Miles was absolving him temporarily of all responsibility for Kay。
‘… and just here； just out of sight；’ Miles was saying； pointing to a spot two inches past the frame of the picture； ‘you’ve got Sweetlove House； the Fawley place。 Big Queen Anne manor house； dormers； stone quoins … stunning； you should visit； it’s open to the public on Sundays in the summer。 Important family locally； the Fawleys。’
‘Stone quoins？’ ‘Important family； locally？’ God； you are an arse； Miles。
Samantha hoisted herself out of her armchair and returned to the kitchen。 Though the casserole was watery； the burnt flavour dominated。 The broccoli was flaccid and tasteless； the mashed potato cool and dry。 Past caring； she decanted it all into dishes and slammed it down on the circular dining…room table。
‘Dinner’s ready！’ she called at the sitting…room door。
‘Oh； I must go；’ said Mary； jumping up。 ‘I didn’t mean—’
‘No； no； no！’ said Gavin； in a tone that Kay had never heard before： kindly and cajoling。 ‘It’ll do you good to eat – kids’ll be all right for an hour。’
Miles added his support and Mary looked uncertainly towards Samantha； who was forced to add her voice to theirs； then dashed back through into the dining room to lay another setting。
She invited Mary to sit between Gavin and Miles； because placing her next to a woman seemed to emphasize her husband’s absence。 Kay and Miles had moved on to discussing social work。
‘I don’t envy you；’ he said； serving Kay a large ladle full of casserole； Samantha could see black； scorched flecks in the sauce spreading across the white plate。 ‘Bloody difficult job。’
‘Well； we’re perennially under…resourced；’ said Kay； ‘but it can be satisfying； especially when you can feel you’re making a difference。’
And she thought of the Weedons。 Terri’s urine sample had tested negative at the clinic yesterday and Robbie had had a full week in nursery。 The recollection cheered her； counterbalancing her slight irritation that Gavin’s attention was still focused entirely on Mary； that he was doing nothing to help ease her conversation with his friends。
‘You’ve got a daughter； haven’t you； Kay？’
‘That’s right： Gaia。 She’s sixteen。’
‘Same age as Lexie； we should get them together；’ said Miles。
‘Divorced？’ asked Samantha delicately。
‘No；’ said Kay。 ‘We weren’t married。 He was a university boyfriend and we split up not long after she was born。’
‘Yeah； Miles and I had barely left university ourselves；’ said Samantha。
Kay did not know whether Samantha meant to draw a distinction between herself； who had married the big smug father of her children； and Kay； who had been left … not that Samantha could know that Brendan had left her …
‘Gaia’s taken a Saturday job with your father； actually；’ Kay told Miles。 ‘At the new café。’
Miles was delighted。 He took enormous pleasure in the idea that he and Howard were so much part of the fabric of the place that everybody in Pagford was connected to them； whether as friend or client； customer or employee。 Gavin； who was chewing and chewing on a bit of rubbery meat that was refusing to yield to his teeth； experienced a further lowering in the pit of his stomach。 It was news to him that Gaia had taken a job with Miles’ father。 Somehow he had forgotten that Kay possessed in Gaia another powerful device for anchoring herself to Pagford。 When not in the immediate vicinity of her slamming doors； her vicious looks and caustic asides； Gavin tended to forget that Gaia had any independent existence at all； that she was not simply part of the unfortable backdrop of stale sheets； bad cooking and festering grudges against which his relationship with Kay staggered on。
‘Does Gaia like Pagford？’ Samantha asked。
‘Well； it’s a bit quiet pared to Hackney；’ said Kay； ‘but she’s settling in well。’
She took a large gulp of wine to wash out her mouth after disgorging the enormous lie。 There had been yet another row before leaving tonight。
（‘What’s the matter with you？’ Kay had asked； while Gaia sat at the kitchen table； hunched over her laptop； wearing a dressing gown over her clothes。 Four or five boxes of dialogue were open on the screen。 Kay knew that Gaia was municating online with the friends she had left behind in Ha