to get him into his shoes, and Terri lost her temper and slapped him. She wished she could go to the shop alone, but the social workers did not like you leaving kids behind in the house, even though you could get things done much quicker without them.
'Where's Krystal?' wailed Robbie, as she manhandled him out of the door. 'I wan' Krystal!'
'I dunno where the little tart is,' snapped Terri, dragging him along the road.
Obbo was on the corner beside the supermarket, talking to two men. When he saw her he raised a hand in greeting, and his two companions walked away.
''Ow's Ter?' he said.
'N'bad,' she lied. 'Robbie, leggo.'
He was digging his fingers so tightly into her thin leg that it hurt.
'Listen,' said Obbo, 'couldja keep a bit more stuff for me fer a bit?'
'Kinda stuff?' asked Terri, prising Robbie off her leg and holding his hand instead.
'Coupla bags o' stuff,' said Obbo. 'Really help me out, Ter.'
''Ow long for?'
'Few days. Bring it round this evenin'. Will yeh?'
Terri thought of Krystal, and what she would say if she knew.
'Yeah, go on then,' said Terri.
She remembered something else, and pulled Tessa's watch out of her pocket. 'Gonna sell this, whaddaya reckon?'
'Not bad,' said Obbo, weighing it in his hand. 'I'll give yeh twenty for it. Bring it over tonight?'
Terri had thought the watch might be worth more, but she did not like to challenge him.
'Yeah, all righ' then.'
She took a few steps towards the supermarket entrance, hand in hand with Robbie, but then turned abruptly.
'I ain' usin' though,' she said. 'So don' bring ...'
'Still on the mixture?' he said, grinning at her through his thick glasses. 'Bellchapel's done for, mind. All in the paper.'
'Yeah,' she said miserably, and she tugged Robbie towards the entrance of the supermarket. 'I know.'
I ain't going to Pagford, she thought, as she picked biscuits off the shelf. I ain't going there.
She was almost inured to constant criticism and assessment, to the sideways glance of passers-by, to abuse from the neighbours, but she was not going to go all the way to that smug little town to get double helpings; to travel back in time, once a week, to the place where Nana Cath had said she would keep her, but let her go. She would have to pass that pretty little school that had sent horrible letters home about Krystal, saying that her clothes were too small and too dirty, that her behaviour was unacceptable. She was afraid of long-forgotten relatives emerging from Hope Street, as they squabbled over Nana Cath's house, and of what Cheryl would say, if she knew that Terri had entered into voluntary dealings with the Paki bitch who had killed Nana Cath. Another mark against her, in the family that despised her.
'They ain't making me go to fuckin' Pagford,' Terri muttered aloud, pulling Robbie towards the checkout.
Part Five Chapter II
II
'Brace yourself,' teased Howard Mollison at midday on Saturday. 'Mum's about to post the results on the website. Want to wait and see it made public or shall I tell you now?'
Miles turned away instinctively from Samantha, who was sitting opposite him at the island in the middle of the kitchen. They were having a last coffee before she and Libby set off for the station and the concert in London. With the handset pressed tightly to his ear, he said, 'Go on.'
'You won. Comfortably. Pretty much two to one over Wall.'
Miles grinned at the kitchen door.
'OK,' he said, keeping his voice as steady as he could. 'Good to know.'
'Hang on,' said Howard. 'Mum wants a word.'
'Well done, darling,' said Shirley gleefully. 'Absolutely wonderful news. I knew you'd do it.'
'Thanks, Mum,' said Miles.
Those two words told Samantha everything, but she had resolved not to be scornful or sarcastic. Her band T-shirt was packed; she had had her hair done and she had bought new heels. She could hardly wait to leave.
'Parish Councillor Mollison then, is it?' she said, when he had hung up.
'That's right,' he said a little warily.
'Congratulations,' she said. 'It's going to be a real celebration tonight, then. I'm sorry I'm missing it, actually,' she lied, out of excitement at her imminent escape. Touched, Miles leaned forward and squeezed her hand.
Libby appeared in the kitchen in tears. She was clutching her mobile in her hand.
'What?' said Samantha, startled.
'Please will you call Harriet's mum?'
'Why?'
'Please will you?'
'But why, Libby?'
'Because she wants to talk to you, because,' Libby wiped her eyes and nose on the back of her hand, 'Harriet and I've had