Mr. Chartwell Read Online Free Page B

remembering this, Esther’s heart burst like an egg yolk. Her hands opened in surrender:
Trust me, Beth, I annoy myself
.
    Seeing she was forgiven, Beth immediately pushed Esther’s nose up with a finger. “Darling Es, we just want you to meet another nice man and fall in love and have lots of little piglets.”
    Esther pushed Beth’s finger away. “I’m not ready yet. Maybe in a little while I’ll be able to—”
    But being forgiven, Beth cut her off, catching her with an elbow. “In a little while?
Tchk
. I’ve heard that one before.”
    She fetched a lipstick from a pocket and applied it flawlessly. Snatching Esther’s notebook, she carefully blotted her lips on the page and presented it to her.
    “Beth!” Esther looked at the red mouth across her notes.
    Over at the window the library clerk was pointing outLambeth Palace to the man. He asked some questions to the back of her blouse and she rotated to indicate with air-hostess arms a row of shelves. A friendly grin abandoned him at the window. He stared after her with restrained apprehension. He consulted the thick orienteering booklet given to new members of staff. The sound of ransacked paper became faster and ended as he flipped to read the index.
    Esther was still staring at Beth’s paper kiss.
    “Bup, bup, bup!” said Beth as Esther began to complain, a finger in the air. “Now, there’s your—”
    She was interrupted, the man appearing next to them. “Ah, hello.” He touched the knot of his tie. “Hello, I wonder if you could help me.”
    “This your first day here?” asked Beth. It was and she whistled. “Good luck, you’ll need it.” Outrageous, as it was only a library. “And let me guess, you want to find the loos.”
    He knocked his eyes to the side. “Um … yes.”
    Beth told him, drawing a map in the air with helpful landmarks.
    “Right,” said the man. “Right, thanks.”
    “I could show you, if that’s easier,” said Esther.
    He smiled at her, liking her soft, sleepy-toned voice. “No, I’ll probably manage. Thank you, though.”
    He started to leave, then turned at the doorway. “My name’s Mark Corkbowl, by the way.” He added as a useless explanation, “Just, ah … just so you know my name.”
    “Good to meet you, Corkbowl,” answered Beth.
    “You can call me Mark if you …”
    Beth didn’t hear him. “Come and find me if you need anything, Corkbowl.”
    “Or call me Corkbowl,” he said quietly. “Corkbowl is fine.” He gave them a wave, trying to be the casual man. He walked off, magnificently anti-casual.
    Beth grinned at his retreating figure before reaching over to give the notebook a few rapping taps. “There’s your first kiss for free, Es. Now you have to start collecting others, otherwise your membership will expire.”
    “Will do, Beth.” Esther tore off the page, putting it to one side. “I just need to meet someone who makes me want to be a member.”
    Beth slipped from the desk, giving Esther a chipper wink as she left. “Michael would want you to find someone and kiss them. If he was here he would order you to immediately.”
    If he was here
, thought Esther as she balled Beth’s kiss and threw it in the bin,
if he was bloody here then I wouldn’t need to
.

CHAPTER 6
    2.30 p.m
.
    “B efore we start, thank you all for coming today,” said the prime minister. “It’s a busy Wednesday afternoon and I don’t want to keep you long.”
    A chorus of agreement was followed by the sound of everyone around the large U-shaped table sipping coffee simultaneously. They were gathered in one of the committee rooms that ran off Committee Corridor, situated roughly above the Commons library and sharing a view of the Thames. With wood panelling and Pugin wallpaper, the room was elaborate and stately.
    After a suitable pause, Douglas-Home said, “As you know, we are here to discuss briefly the resignation from Parliament of our much-tried and never-bettered colleague, member for Woodford,