Charlie laughed, breaking the palpable tension. ‘Well, if you insist, I’m not going to argue.’
Hand in hand, both weak with relief that, for the moment at least, they could acknowledge what still existed between them, they headed off to bed.
51
It was only on Sunday morning that Holly remembered Rachel had been going to pop over on Saturday night after she’d got back from the hospital. Grabbing her phone from the bedside table, she swiped guiltily, wondering if she’d been so caught up in kissing Charlie, and what had happened after the kisses, that she hadn’t heard her sister knocking at the door.
As it was, Rachel had sent an apologetic text at around ten o’clock the previous night saying that she’d got home after their mother had relieved her at the hospital, had a bath and then crashed out. Holly texted back a quick reply, then turned to where Charlie was still dozing in the bed next to her.
‘Come on, sleepyhead! Some of us have jobs to go to.’ She ran a hand down Charlie’s bicep, tangling his fingers in her own and placing a kiss on his shoulder. Last night had been magical: exactly what they both needed. She tried not to let the worries and doubts creep in again as the daylight was creeping through the gap in the curtains.
Charlie groaned. ‘Do we have to move just yet?’
‘I do, I’m afraid – the shop won’t open itself, and besides, I only open for a couple of hours on a Sunday. You can have a lie-in if you want.’ Holly gasped as Charlie rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. She was left in no doubt as to what he intended to spend his lie-in doing, if she could be convinced to stay in bed with him. ‘Later,’ she said playfully, kissing him and then breaking free. ‘I’ve been playing hooky from ComIncense enough lately.’ She wriggled out of bed and headed for the shower, even though other parts of her were definitely wanting to stay in bed, wrapped around Charlie. ‘And you’ve got a speech to finish, remember?’ She looked playfully over her shoulder at him and grinned. ‘If you get up now, you can share a shower with me.’
‘That’s an offer I can’t refuse!’ Charlie said, jumping out of bed and following in Holly’s wake.
Holly had a busy morning at the shop, and was pleased to note that the continuing warm weather meant more tourist footfall, despite the lack of progress on the motorway junction. Lots of people now seemed to visit by train, so perhaps the road building wouldn’t become necessary in the longer term, after all. Charlie popped down from time to time, to try out various excerpts of the speech on her, and she was honest in the feedback she gave him. He was a good speaker but occasionally had the tendency to overdo the mannered hand gestures that a lot of current politicians favoured.
‘Just put your left hand in your pocket, or something,’ she chided as he repeated the hands open, palms outwards gesture once again. ‘You look as though you’re going to break into song.’
Charlie swatted her playfully with the notes he’d brought down with him. ‘Remember that in the chamber, it’s a bit like being onstage in the round – people see you as much as hear you, so I do have to make the body language count as well.’
‘That’s all well and good, but you’re making me dizzy with all the perfect posturing!’ She leaned up on tiptoe and kissed him briefly. ‘Go and practice in front of the mirror, or something.’
As she came back down to her feet, she suddenly became aware of a presence other than herself and Charlie in the shop, and it was one, instinctively, she didn’t like.
‘How cosy,’ Miles Fairbother’s voice cut through their good mood like a knife through lard.
Holly was instinctively on her guard and drew breath to retort, but Charlie, who was still holding her hand, squeezed it gently, as if in warning.
‘Hello, Miles,’ he said softly. ‘What can we do for you?’
‘Your office said I could find you here,’ Miles said. ‘I’ve been trying to reach you to let you know something. I assume you don’t mind if she listens in, too?’ He gestured to Holly dismissively, who tried not to bristle.
‘And what would that be?’ Charlie still had hold of Holly’s hand, but he stepped a little closer to her protectively at the perceived dismissal.
‘As of the next parliamentary session, Fairbrothers will be withdrawing their support for your office and any future election campaigns,’ Miles announced, evidently taking great satisfaction in breaking the news. ‘I feel that your… associations with certain other interests in the constituency are not in line with the values we at Fairbrothers support.’
‘And what would those be, Miles?’ Charlie’s voice was calm, although Holly winced as he squeezed her hand a little more tightly.
‘Oh, I’m sure you know,’ Miles replied, a deceptively light tone in his voice. ‘While you and your, er, friend, might be more progressive in your attitudes to showing yourself canoodling on social media, and playing the politics of emotion rather than economics, I feel that our aims are, at best, incompatible.’
Charlie shook his head. ‘You surprise me, Miles. From what I understand, you’re not above a bit of behaviour unbecoming to the party yourself, at least if the saga over the premises you’re standing in is anything to go by. Don’t you think it’s about time you called it quits and crawled back to the rock you live under?’
‘I beg your pardon?’ Miles’ eyes began to protrude at Charlie’s forthright tone. ‘Have you forgotten I was one of the local party’s biggest donors? You need me.’
‘Really?’ Charlie said innocently. ‘You see, I rather think that you just told me you were withdrawing support for me and my office. So, actually, if I was to tell you to shove your overpriced gluten-free bread rolls up your arse, there would be very little you could do about it.’
Miles’ jaw dropped. ‘Well, I think we know where we both stand, then.’ He looked from Charlie to Holly. ‘Your predecessor was a much better MP, you know. Was far more aligned with tradition, and the importance of it. I’m surprised you can call yourself a party member with the way you’ve been making decisions since you got in. Mark my words, you’d better enjoy it while you can, because you’ll soon lose that cosy majority without me and my like behind you.’
‘Frankly, Miles, I’d rather not have you behind me, if you’re planning on stabbing me in the back.’ Charlie’s tone hardened. ‘And you couldn’t get much more offensive than that non-story you leaked to AllFeed, could you?’
‘You can’t prove anything,’ Miles said, his tone unconcerned. ‘That could have come from anyone.’
‘True, but it’s rather a coincidence that you’re withdrawing funding now, having allegedly tried to discredit me personally and politically, isn’t it? And all because I wasn’t prepared to be in your pocket like Hugo Fitzgerald was.’
‘More lies and slander,’ Miles retorted, but there was an edge of steel to his voice.
‘Maybe not, but I think we all know where we stand.’ Charlie’s said, staring evenly at Miles. ‘And if that’s all you have to say, I suggest you stop harassing Holly in, what I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you, is actually her shop.’