First Among Equals (5 page)

As soon as
Kerslake had left the Hamptons he jumped into a taxi and returned immediately
to the Commons. He found Reoinald Maudling in the members’ dining room. Fie
waited until Maudling had finished his rneal before asking if they could have a
few moments alone. The tall, shambling Maudling was not altogether certain of
the name of the new member. Had he seen him just roaming around the building,
he would have assumed that, with such looks, lie was a television newscaster
covering the Leadership contest. He leaned over and invited Simon to join him
for a drink in his office.

Maudling
listened intently to all that the enthusiastic young man had to say and
accepted the judgment of the wellinformed member without question. It was
agreed that Simon should try to counter the Hampton campaign and report back
his results twice a week.

While Hampton
could call on all the powers and influence of his Etonian background, Kerslake
weighed up the advantages and disadvantages of his competition in a manner that
would have impressed a Harvard Busi35 ness School graduate. He did not own a
palatial home in Eaton Square in which Turners and Holbeins were to be found on
the walls, not in books. He also lacked a glamorous socicty wife – though he
hoped that would not be the case for much longer. He had no money to speak of,
but he had scraped together enough from his employment at BBC to move from his
tiny flat in Earl’s Court to a small house on the corner of Beaufort Street in
Chelsea.

Lavinia now
stayed the night more often, but he hadn’t been able to convince her to reside
there on a more permanent basis.

“You don’t have
enough closet space for my shoes,” she once told him.

It didn’t stop
Simon from enjoying her company and remaining aware of her feel for politics.
Over dinner the night he had seen Maudling she demanded to know, “But why do
you support Reggie Maudling?”

“Reggie has a
great deal more experience of government than Heath, and in anv case he’s more
caring about those around him.”

“But Daddy says
Heath is so much more professional
,,”
said Lavinia.

“That may be
the case, but the British have always preferred good amateurs to run their
government,” said Simon
..

And no better
examnle of that than your father, Simon thought to himself.

“If you believe
all that stuff about amateurs, why bother to become so involved yourself?”

Simon
considered the question for some time before taking a sip of wine.

“Because,
frankly, I don’t come from the sort of background that automatically
commands,
the center of the Tory stage.”

“True,” said
Lavinia, grinning. “But I do.”

Simon spent the
following days trying to work out the certain Maudling and certain Heath
supporters, although many members claimed to favor both candidates, according
to who asked them.

These he listed
as doubtfuls. When Enoch Powell threw his cap into the ring, Simon could not
find a single new member other than Alec Pimkin who openly supported him.

Simon made no
attempt to influence Pimkin’s vote. The small rotund figure could be observed
waddling between the members’ bar and the dining room rather than the chamber
and the library.

He would have
undoubtedly considered Simon “below his station.”

Even if he had
not been voting for Powell, it was no secret that he was slightly in awe of his
old school chum Charles Hampton, and Simon would find himself third in line.
That left forty members from the new intake
who
still
had to be followed up.

Simon estimated
twelve certain Heath, eleven certain Maudling and one Powell, leaving sixteen
undecided. As the day of the election drew nearer it became obvious that few of
the remaining sixteen actually knew
either candidate well,
and
that most were still not sure f6i whom they should vote.

Because Simon
could not invite them all to his small house on the comer of Beaufort Street,
he would have to go to them. During the last six weeks of the race he
accompanied his chosen Leader to twenty-three new members’ constituencies, from
Bodmin to Glasgow, from Penrith to Great Yarmouth, briefing Maudling
studiously, before every meeting.

Gradually it
became obvious that Charles Hampton and Simon Kerslake were the chosen
lieutenants among the new Tory intake. Some members resented the whispered confidences
at the Eaton Square cocktail parties, or the discovery that Simon Kerslake had
visited their constituencies, while others were simply envious of the reward
that would inevitably be heaped on the victor.

On July 22,
1965, Sir Alec Douglas-Home made his formal announcement of resignation to the
1922 Committee, comprised of all the Tory backbenchers.

The date chosen
for the Party Leadership election was just five days away. Charles and Simon
began avoiding each other, and Fiona started referring to Kerslake, first in
private, then in public, as “that pushy self-made man.”‘ She stopped using the
expression when Alec Pimkin asked in
afl
innocence
whether she was referring to Edward Heath.

On the morning
of the secret ballot both Simon and Charles voted early and spent the rest of
the day pacing the corridors of the Commons trying to assess the result. By
lunchtime they were both outwardly exuberant, while inwardly despondent.

At two-fifteen
they were seated in the large committee room to hear the chairman of the 1922
Committee make the historic announcement:

“The result of
the election for Leader of the Conservative Parliamentary Party is as follows:

EDWARD HEATH 150 votes

REG1NAL.D MAUDLING 133 votes

ENOCH POWELL 15
votes

Charles and
Fiona opened a bottle of Krug while Simon took Lavinia to the Old Vic to see
The Royal Hunt of the Sun.

He slept the
entire way through Robert Stephens’ brilliant performance before being driven
home in silence by Lavinia.

“Well, I must
say you were exciting company tonight,” she said.

“I am sorry,
but I’ll promise to make up for it in the near future,” said Simon. “Let’s have
dinner at Annabel’s on...” Simon hesitated w”Monday. Let’s make it a special
occasion.”

Lavinia smiled
for the first time that night.

When Edward
Heath announced his Shadow Govermnent team, Reggie Maudling was named Deputy
Leader. Charles Hampton received an invitation tojoin the Shadow Environment
team as its junior spokesman.

He was the
first of the new intake to be given frontbench responsibilities.

Simon Kerslake
received a handwritten letter from Reggie Maudling thanking him for his valiant
efforts.

I
T TOOK SIMON AL LEAST A WEEK to stop sulking over Heath’s
election,
and by then he had decided on a definite course of
action for the future. Having checked the Whip’s office carefully for the
Monday voting schedule, and seen there were no votes expected after six
o’clock, he booked a table at Annabel’s for ten. Louis promised him an alcove
table hidden discreetly from the dance floor.

On Monday
morning Simon perused the shop windows in Bond Street before emerging from
Cartier’s with a small blue leather box which he placed in the pocket of his
jacket. Simon returned to the Commons unable to concentrate fully on the orders
of the day, he left the Commons a little after seven to return to Beaufort
Street. On arrival home he watched the early evening news before washing his
hair and taking a shower. He shaved for a second time that day, removed the
pins from an evening dress shirt that had never been taken from its wrapper and
laid out his dinner jacket.

At nine o’clock
he transferred the little box from his coat pocket to his dinner jacket,
checked his bow tie, and as he left, he double-locked the front door of his
little house.

When he reached
Chelsea Square a few minutes later he parked his MGB outside Number 4 and once
again the omniscient butler ushered him through. Simon could hear Lavinia’s
high tones coming from the drawing room, but it was not until he walked in that
he realized it was her father she was addressing.

“Hello, Simon.”

“Good evening,”
Simon said, before kissing Lavinia gently on the cheek.

She was dressed
in a long green chiffon pown that left her creamy white shoulders bare.

“Daddy thinks he can help with Ted Heath,” were Lavinia”s opening words.

“What do you
mean?” asked Simon, puzzled.

“Well,” began
Sir Rufus, “you might not have backed our new Leader in his struggle, but I
did, and although I say it m, self, I still have a fair bit of influence with
him.” Y

Simon accepted
the sweet sherry Lavinia thrust into his hand.

“I’m having
lunch with Mr. Heath tomorrow and thought I’d put in a word on your behalf.”

“That’s very
kind of you,” said Simon, still hating the fact that contacts seemed more
important than ability.

“Not at all,
old boy. To be honest, I almost look upon you as one of the family nowadays,”
added Sir Rufus, grinning.

Simon nervously
touched the little box in his inside pocket.

“Isn’t that
super of Daddy?” said Lavinia.

“It certainly
is,” said Simon.

“That’s settled
then,” said Lavinia. “So let’s be off to Annabel’s.”

“Fine by nie,”
said Simon. “I have a table booked for ten o’clock,” he added, checking his
watch.

“Is the place
any good?” inquired Sir Rufus.

“It”s super,
Daddy,” declared Lavinia, “you should try it sometime.-

“Those damn
clubs never last. If it’s still around this time next year I’ll consider
joining.”

“Perhaps you
won’t be around this time next year, Daddy,” said Lavinia, giggling.

Simon tried not
to laugh.

“If she had
spoken to me like that a few years ago, I’d have put her over my knee,” he
informed Simon.

This time Simon
forced a laugh.

“Come on,
Simon,” said Lavinia, “or we’ll be late.
Night-night, Daddy.”

Lavinia gave
her father a peck on the cheek. Simon shook hands with Sir Rufus rather
formally before escorting Lavinia to his car.

“Isn’t that
wonderful news?” she said as Simon turned the ignition key.

“Oh, yes,” said
Simon, guiding the car into the Fulham Road.
“Very kind of
your father.”
A few spots of rain iriade
him
turn on the windshield wipers.

“Mummy thinks
you ought to be made a Shadow Spokesman.”

“Not a hope,”
said Simon.

“Don’t be such
a pessimist,” said Lavinia.

“With my family
behind you anything could happen.”

Sirnon felt a
little sick.

“Arid Mummy
knows all the influential women in the party.”

Simon had a
feeling that was no longer going to be quite so important with a bachelor in
command.

Simon swung the
car into Belgrave Square and on up toward Hyde Park Corner.

“Arid did I
tell you about the Hunt Ball next month? Absolutely everyone is expected to be
there, I mean everyone.”

“No, you didn’t
mention it,” said Simon, who had never admitted to Lavinia that he couldn’t
stand Hunt Balls.

Simon saw the
cat run out in front of the doubledecker bus and threw on his brakes just in
time. “Phew, that was close,” he said. But a moment later Lavinia screamed.
Simon turned to see a trickle of blood running down her forehead-

“Oh, God, I’m
bleeding. Get me to a hospital,” she said, and began to sob.

Simon drove
quickly on to St. George’s Hospital on the corner ol’Hyde Park and leaped out,
leaving his car on a double yellow line. He ran around to the passenger side
and helped Lavinia out, guiding her slowly to the emergency entrance. Although
blood was still trickling down Lavinia’s face, the cut above her eyebrow didn’t
look all that deep to Simon. He took off his dinnerjacket and put.
it
over her bare shoulders, doing everything he could to
comfort her, but she continued to shake.

It must have
been the fact that Simon was in evening clothes that made the duty nurse move a
little more quickly than usual. They were ushered through to a doctor only a
few minutes after arrival.

“It’s all ever
my beautiful dress,” said Lavinia between sobs.

“The stain will
wash out,” said the doctor matterof-factlY.

“But will I be
left with a scar for the rest of my life?” asked Lavinia.

Simon watched
with silent admiration. She was completely in control of everything around her.

“Good heavens,
no,” replied the doctor,

“
it’s
only a flesh wound. It won’t even require stitches. The
most you might experience is a small headache.”
Thedoctordamped
the blood away before cleaning the wound.

“There will be
no sign of the cut after a couple of weeks.”

“Are you
certain?” demanded Lavinia.

Simon couldn’t
take his eyes off her.

“Absolutely
certain,” said the doctor, finally placing a small piece of adhesive across the
wound. “Perhaps it would be wise for you to go home and change your dress if
You
are still planning to go out to dinner.”

“Of course, Dr.
Drummond,” said Simon, checking the name on the little lapel badge. “I’ll see
she’s taken care of.”

Simon thanked
the doctor and then helped Lavinia to the car before driving her back to
Chelsea Square. Lavinia didn’t stop whimpering all the way home, and she didn’t
notice that Simon hardly spoke. Lady MaxwellHarrington put her daughter to bed
as soon as Simon had told her what had happened.

When mother and
daughter disappeared upstairs, Simon returned to Beaufort Street. He removed
the little box from his blood-stained dinner jacket and placed it by the side
of his bed. He opened it and studied the sapphirc set in a circle of small
diamonds. He was now certain of the hand he wanted to see
wear
the ring.