Polls Apart by Clare Stephen-Johnston Read Free Book Online Page B

through the night before that she had convinced him they could come through this together. Before they switched the light out to go to sleep he had stroked her arm and said: “We’ll come out fighting tomorrow, Anna. We’re a winning team and it’ll take more than a shoddy little tabloid tale to finish us.”
    He’d got up at five thirty that morning and kissed her softly on the cheek as she lay dozing. She’d heard him confidently bidding the press pack outside a good morning before getting into his car and speeding off to the party HQ . Anna had told herself how lucky she was to be married to such a loyal man yet, just a few hours later, he’d betrayed her without so much as a goodbye.
    Her mobile rang on the coffee table in front of her and she saw Joy’s name flash up on the screen.
    “Hello,” she answered.
    “Anna, I just saw Richard’s speech,” Joy said breathlessly like she was running to get somewhere. “I’m on my way over to pick you up.”
    “Where are we going?” replied Anna with the meekness and uncertainty of a small child.
    “You can’t stay where you are, Anna. You’ll be hounded. We need to get you somewhere safe and quiet where you can think things through. Do you have anywhere in mind?”
    Anna went quiet for a moment as she tried to think of a place she’d feel secure – and comfortable. Then it came to her. “I want to go to Libby’s,” she said. “I need to be with my sister.”

4
Lloyd Thrown Out of Marital Home, Claim Friends
T uesday 31 st March, 2009 , UK Newswire – The actress wife of SDP leader Richard Williams was forced to leave their home to save her husband’s political career, according to tabloid reports.
    In a speech on Monday, Williams said Anna Lloyd had “decided she would like to withdraw from the glare of the cameras”, but unnamed friends of the actress claim the announcement was made out of the blue and against her wishes.
    Williams was forced to make an announcement on the state of his marriage after allegations were printed in a Sunday newspaper claiming Lloyd had previously worked as a professional escort.
    The story came just days after Prime Minister Kelvin Davis announced a general election would be held on Wednesday, 6 th May. The newspaper claimed that Lloyd worked for the Mademoiselles escort agency in 1994 for a period of six months.
    SDP spokesperson Henry Morton denied Lloyd had been forced into a separation saying her move from the marital home in the Highgate area of London had been a “joint decision”.
    He added: “As Richard Williams stated on Monday, Anna was very upset over recent newspaper allegations and decided she wanted a period of privacy away from the public spotlight. Richard supported her wishes and she was in no way forced to move out of their home.”
    When pressed on whether Lloyd’s move constituted an official separation, Morton said: “This is simply a practical solution which allows Anna some time away from the cameras whilst Richard gets on with the important job of winning the next general election – a task he is absolutely committed to carrying out for the people of this country.”
    Marie Simpson was quietly enjoying picking her way through her tuna and bean salad when she became aware of an unsettling presence nearing behind. Although Damian liked to creep up behind his staff and catch them unawares, he was rarely successful in his efforts because of his involuntary throat-clearing habit. Marie heard the familiar rasping sound from around ten paces away so made sure she shut down her Yahoo mail page before Damian rounded the corner to her desk. The Sunday Echo office was mainly open plan but Marie sat in a corner of the newsroom with several other reporters, all separated by annoying and ineffective partitions which didn’t offer any privacy and meant you had to stand up to speak to your workmates.
    She swiveled around in her chair just in time to catch Damian’s furtive glare as he approached. Marie