Being a pragmatist, he understood the tension between economic decisions and political ones; but his abiding political passion was to try to bring a balance to the opposing forces of public healthcare and economic reality. He was a believer in balancing the books but also had enough compassion and sense of social justice to know that sometimes human considerations had to come first. Asking this question in such a public forum, hopefully making himself known to the Department of Health and Social Care, with a view to representing his party on a committee within it, was a decent first step for someone who hadn’t been in the post that long. He recalled what one of the more senior ministers had warned him and the new intake at the last orientation session, that to be seen as too assertive too quickly could be a bad thing; that there was no room in politics for ‘rock stars or crusaders’, but Charlie put that warning aside for the moment. He didn’t feel as though he was overstepping his mark, yet. But after Wednesday, who knew?

Across the village, Holly contemplated the shadows of her leaded windows that were playing over her bedroom ceiling as her curtains flapped in the morning breeze. She should be fast asleep, after the day and night she’d had with Charlie, but she felt alive, buzzing with anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see him again. Last night had felt so incredible; they’d unleashed something together that she imagined she’d never want to be without. The sensations of his hands and mouth on her had awakened a desire stronger than anything she’d ever experienced before, and their lovemaking had been exquisite. Who’d have thought the local MP would have so much passion in him?

The ping of her mobile phone brought her somewhat reluctantly out of this daydream, and she reached for it where it lay on her bedside table. Expecting it to be from Charlie, she was tickled to see a message from Rachel.

Hope you made a night of it! Here’s that picture I took of you and C before it all got too messy. Xxx