First Among Equals

Simon increased his majority at Pucklebridge to 19,461, notching up another record after which he and Elizabeth spent the weekend in their cottage with the boys waiting for Mrs. Thatcher to select her team.

Simon was surprised when the Prime Minister phoned personally and asked if he could come up to see her in Downing Street: that was an honor usually afforded only to Cabinet ministers. He tried not to anticipate what she might have in mind.

He duly traveled up from the country and spent thirty minutes alone with the new Prime Minister. When he heard what Mrs. Thatcher wanted him to do he was touched that she had taken the trouble to see him in person. She knew that no member ever found it easy to accede to such a request but Simon accepted without hesitation. Mrs. Thatcher added that no announcement would be made until he had had time to talk his decision over with Elizabeth.

Simon thanked her and traveled back to his cottage in Pucklebridge. Elizabeth sat in silence as she listened to Simon’s account of his conversation with the Prime Minister.

“Oh, my God,” she said, when he had finished. “She’s offered you the chance to be a Minister of State, but in return we have no certainty of peace for the rest of our lives.”

“I can still say no,” Simon assured her.

“That would be the act of a coward,” said Elizabeth, “and you’ve never been that.”

“Then I’ll phone the Prime Minister and tell her I accept.”

“I ought to congratulate you,” she said. “But it never crossed my mind for one moment …”

Charles’s was one of the few Tory seats in which the majority went down. A missing wife is hard to explain especially when it is common knowledge that she is living with the former chairman of the adjoining constituency. Charles had faced a certain degree of embarrassment with his local committee and he made sure that the one woman who couldn’t keep her mouth shut was told his version of the story “in strictest confidence.” Any talk of removing him had died when it was rumored that Charles would stand as an independent candidate if replaced. When the vote was counted Sussex Downs still returned Charles to Westminster with a majority of 20,176. He sat alone in Eaton Square over the weekend, but no one contacted him. He read in the Monday Telegraph—how he missed The Times—the full composition of the new Tory team.

The only surprise was Simon Kerslake’s appointment as Minister of State for Northern Ireland.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“WELL, SAY SOMETHING.”

“Very flattering, Kate. What reason did you give for turning the offer down?” asked Raymond, who had been surprised to find her waiting for him at the flat.

“I didn’t need a reason.”

“How did they feel about that?”

“You don’t seem to understand. I accepted their offer.”

Raymond removed his glasses and tried to take in what Kate was saying. He steadied himself by holding on to the mantelpiece.

Kate continued. “I had to, darling.”

“Because the offer was too tempting?”

“No, you silly man. It had nothing to do with the offer as such, but it gives me the chance to stop letting my life drift. Can’t you see it was because of you?”

“Because of me you’re going to leave London and go back to New York.”

“To work in New York and start getting my life in perspective. Raymond, don’t you realize it’s been five years?”

“I know how long it is and how many times I’ve asked you to marry me.”

“We both know that isn’t the answer; Joyce can’t be brushed aside that easily. And it could even end up being the single reason you fail in your career.”

“We can overcome that problem, given time,” Raymond reasoned.

“That sounds fine now, until the party wins the next election and lesser men than you are offered the chance to shape future policy.”

“Can’t I do anything to make you change your mind?”

“Nothing, my darling. I’ve handed Chase my resignation and begin my new job with Chemical Bank in a month.”

“Only four weeks,” said Raymond.