The Piano Man Project Page 0,108

Steve,’ Hal said.

A mile or so away in The Cock Inn, the Sunday afternoon drinkers watched Honey’s impassioned plea go out live on the news and to the last man, they stood up and raised their glasses.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

By three o’clock, Nell had given up trying to count the newcomers or marshal them into position. The pavement was packed, the grass was covered, and the road itself was three or four deep with people sitting on the tarmac. Strangers happily fastened themselves onto the human chain in any way they could; Honey had even seen a gaggle of little girls tying Old Don’s wheelchair back to the railings with daisy chains after he’d appeared on the TV. Tash winked at her as she clicked away with her iPhone, recording the day for them all to look back on when it was over. She wasn’t the only photographer there by a long way. The press were all over the protest in earnest now it had made the national news, snapping pictures and interviewing as many of the protesters as they could. Every once in a while the radio blasted out a country hit especially for Robin and the parole boys, and they’d lead the crowd in a heel-clicking line dance to keep the morale sky-high. It was unfortunate for Christopher that he was chained up right next to them and thus found himself regularly hauled to his feet and forced to half-heartedly dance, all arms and legs, rather like an outraged puppet on a string.

The kitchen played its part valiantly too, ordering in more supplies from a local supermarket who delivered within half an hour once they realised that they’d get a boatload of feel-good free publicity when their vans arrived in the street. They even threw in freebies; sweets and biscuits that lent the whole affair a ‘picnic in the park’ atmosphere, regardless of the fact that it wasn’t the warmest of days. It was good-natured, and as the TV station ran the story regularly across the day, their numbers continued to swell.

‘I think we might have to start turning people away soon,’ Nell worried.

‘No bloody way,’ Tash said. ‘We’ll just go around the corner and start filling the next street when this one’s chocka.’

Honey shook her head. ‘I just can’t believe it’s turned out like this. It’s huge!’

‘Fucking gargantuan,’ Tash nodded sagely. ‘And we met Troy Masters.’

They looked up as someone picked their way through the crowds.

‘Nell!’

Nell’s face broke into a big smile when she saw her husband.

‘Simon, you made it. I knew you would.’ Honey was surprised when Simon pulled Nell into his arms and placed a lingering kiss on her mouth until she pushed him away, laughing.

Tash made heaving motions behind them. ‘Get a room, kids.’

‘There’s no handcuffs left, Simon,’ Honey smiled warmly at him and leaned in to peck him on the cheek. He glanced at Nell, and a private look passed between them before he reached into his pocket and withdrew a pair of silver ones.

‘No need. I’ve come prepared,’ he said, and had the good grace to go slightly red-cheeked. In the whole time Honey had known Nell’s husband she’d never before thought him impish, but in that moment, being led away by his wife with his handcuffs and his schoolboy embarrassment, it was the only way to describe him. Honey could only wonder at how it might feel to be with someone who understood you as innately as Simon understood Nell, someone who celebrated your strengths and encouraged you to be more than you imagined you could be.

Tash had drifted away and was caught up in conversation, so Honey wound her way between people until she made it to Mimi and Lucille. Dropping gratefully into Billy’s empty seat between them, she looked from one perfectly lipsticked sister to the other.

‘How do you two still look as fresh as daisies when I look as if I’ve run a marathon?’ she grumbled, pulling out her hairband and re-tying it more securely.

‘Because we’ve just sat here while you’ve done all the hard work, dear,’ Lucille smiled, patting her knee.

‘Some people would call that plain lazy,’ Honey laughed. ‘How’s the ankle bearing up, Mimi?’

Mimi waved the question away airily. ‘I ploughed fields when I was twenty-one and still managed to jitterbug with the GIs in the evening. My ankle is perfectly fine, thank you very much.’

‘She asked Nikki for an extra painkiller earlier. I heard her,’ Lucille supplied, and Mimi shot her a look. There had been the