Jeers, tears and cheers on the ground at Marois HQ

The anticipation hardly had any time to build. It seemed as though supporters at the Parti Quebecois headquarters in Montreal were barely settled in before any hopes they may have had for a victory were crushed.

A convention room at an Old Montreal hotel was bathed in blue light, the stage adorned with more than 20 blue and white Quebec flags.

Tall, round bar tables and bar stools were scattered around the room, mostly unoccupied when news of the projected election results boomed in via French-language television broadcast.

The Liberals were going to form government. It was less than half an hour had since the polls had closed.

Some PQ supporters on the floor let out a “Booo,” a noise that would become familiar, gurgling up when the screen showed Liberal leader Philippe Couillard or one of his candidates on their way to winning a riding.

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Another 30 minutes passed and the reality became harsher still.

The Liberals won a majority — the coveted majority Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois was certain she could win when she called the snap election one long, tumultuous month ago.

As more bodies began to fill the warm room, the news was becoming even more bleak for Marois. Not only had so many Quebecers rejected her candidates, it was becoming clear she wouldn’t even be able to rely on her own constituents.

READ MORE: DECISION QUEBEC 2014, full election coverage

PQ supporters leaned against walls, sat slumped on stools and mindlessly rolled and unrolled small, plastic Quebec flags.

As the margin between confirmed seats for the PQ and Liberals continued to spread, one man staring up at the broadcast repeated out loud the numbers it seemed his eyes couldn’t believe.

There were times when even he would fall silent and little sound filled the room, save for the broadcast and some quiet conversation among companions.

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Then, with hundreds of eyes on the results, a cheer would break out, celebrating one of the few successful incumbents, or media mogul Pierre Karl Peladeau’s successful run.

Leading up to Monday’s vote, the polls indicated a majority was in Couillard’s reach. But perhaps, after the recent experiences with inaccurate polling in British Columbian and Albertan elections, some PQ supporters were holding out hope.

In Quebec’s case, however, the polls were right. Three hours after the voting stations closed, the Parti Quebecois had lost their power and their leader.

Some true believers were still easily rallied; calls from a handful of successful candidates in the room to promote Quebec values, or their mentions of Rene Levesque and predictions of one day taking back power elicited enthusiastic cheers.

But as Marois took the stage and reality set in, some had trouble keeping their eyes dry. When her short speech was wrapping up, she made it official: she was stepping down as leader.

More red eyes, more embraces. More heads slowly shaking.