Barrister Wig
The novel opens with Kate’s perspective on her career as a legal counsel since she was called to the Bar. She grapples with the fact that she has accrued years of experience but harbors impostor syndrome. As such, uses the pristine nature of her barrister wig to explain her inner feelings:
“My wig slumps on my desk where I have tossed it. A beached jellyfish. Out of court, I am careless with this crucial part of my wardrobe, showing it the opposite of what it should command: respect. Handmade from horsehair and worth nearly six hundred pounds, I want it to accrue the gravitas I sometimes fear I lack. For the hairline to yellow with perspiration, the tight, cream curls to relax. Nineteen years since being called to the Bar, my wig is still that of a conscientious new girl”
Eyes Tight Shut
Akin to any lawyer, Kate encounters instances of not winning a case and having a sense of failure. She has however found ways to cope without succumbing to tears or sadness upon losing a case. She describes the sensation of squeezing the eyes tight shut and the euphoric aftermath:
“But in the sanctity of my room I can occasionally let myself go, just a little, and so, for a minute, I put my head in my hands on my mahogany partner’s desk; squeeze my eyes tight shut; and press my knuckles in hard. I see stars: white pinpricks that break the darkness and shine as bright as the diamonds in the ring I bought for myself – for no one else was going to buy it for me. Better to see these than to succumb to tears.”
Nine Days Since
After the scandal breaks the Whitehouse family is in for a nightmare that they hope to get through. Over a week has passed without Sophie getting a decent sleep until the ninth day when she sleeps in. James notices the toll that the scandal has taken on her:
“It is the first time she has slept past five-thirty in all that time. He watches her, now, taking in her face, stripped of make-up, softened against the plump pillows. Her forehead is etched with lines and her tousled hair has a fine silver thread running from her temple. She still looks younger than forty-two but this past week has taken its toll.”
Members' Lobby
As a member of the Tory Party James has a lot of pressure with the scandal that he faces. The hallway in the Palace of Westminster has the statues of political figures who had believed in their ideologies. Therefore, James channels their self-belief despite their old brand of conservatism:
“The lobby is quiet and he stands in the calm of the antechamber, looking up at the bronze of Churchill, hands on hips, head jutting forward like a prize fighter. On the other side of the lobby is Mrs Thatcher, right hand raised, index finger poised, as if at the despatch box. His is a new brand of conservatism and yet he needs to channel their unwavering self-belief; to regain his chutzpah.”
