‘They’re so thin,’ she protested to Alejandro.
‘Raimundo don’t feed them. They live on hares and badgers they catch out in the pampas.’
Perdita didn’t think she could eat another thing, but the figs in syrup that followed were so delicious she was soon piling on great dollops of cream.
‘Angel is stupid,’ went on Alejandro. ‘The rest of us in Argentina ’ave forgiven you for the Falklands War.’
‘Oh good,’ said Perdita, brightening up. ‘Why is that?’
‘Because of Benny Hill,’ said Alejandro. ‘We love heem, and all those lovely girls with no clothes on. I love Eenglish programmes,
‘And you can point out all the ponies you’ve just showed me who allegedly played in it,’ said Ricky drily.
Alejandro giggled. ‘Some was previous year.’
‘Our doctor has tiny plane that was conscripted during the Malvinas War,’ said Claudia. ‘The military say they want to fly rockets on it, but when they see ’ow small it was, it didn’t get called up.’
‘All the food parcels people sent us from abroad was stolen by the post office,’ said Alejandro.
What heavenly people, thought Perdita. They’re so merry and funny.
The spear-shaped leaves of the gum tree were dappling their faces as the sun moved towards the Andes. A dragonfly was bombing the table. Luke pointed out a stork, black and white between the silver trunks. Beyond, the pampas seemed to swim in the midday heat.
‘Ow long are you weeth us, Reeky?’ asked Claudia, who’d had a secret crush on him in the old days and was appalled to see how grey and tense he looked.
‘Probably the day after tomorrow.’
‘But you said you’d stay a week,’ said Perdita in horror.
‘Where are you going next?’ asked Luke.
‘Palm Springs.’
‘That’s great,’ said Luke. ‘My half-sister Bibi’s out there. Working in LA. You must call her. She doesn’t get out enough. She’s on a zero handicap, but she’d play super if she played more.’
‘Who’s your patron now, Reeky?’ asked Alejandro.
‘Dancer Maitland,’ chipped in Perdita proudly.
Alejandro nearly fell off his seat. All the Mendoza children were roused out of their pallid apathy.
‘You get his autograph?’
‘You send us records?’
‘He numero uno this week.’
‘Is he nice? Please breeng ’im ’ere.’
‘He’s a sweet man,’ admitted Ricky. ‘But he’s very busy, and has difficulty even finding time to stick and ball. You stupid bitch,’ he murmured furiously under his breath to Perdita, ‘now Alejandro’ll quadruple his prices.’
‘Please stay, Reeky,’ pleaded Claudia. ‘You need a holiday. Let us pamper you.’
‘Let them pampas you,’ said Perdita bitterly.
She loves him, thought Luke. Perdita was very pale now, her skin the parchment colour of her white-blond mane. She’ll be like a little palomino when she turns brown, he thought.
‘Have a siesta,’ Claudia urged her as they’d finished coffee.
‘No, I want to look at the ponies with Ricky,’ said Perdita, frantic not to miss a minute.
‘Just for an hour. We all do,’ said Claudia soothingly.
Upstairs, feeling utterly suicidal, Perdita looked round her tiny bare room. The only furniture was a wardrobe, a chest of drawers with no lining paper, a straight-backed wooden chair and a narrow single bed with a carved headboard. There was an overhead light with no lampshade and a bedside lamp on the floor which didn’t work. The only colour came from a picture of a gaucho cracking a whip, a tiny red mat and a shocking pink counterpane. She ought to unpack, but she only got as far as getting out Ricky’s photograph in its blue silk frame and putting it beside the bed. The thought of all those blonde movie stars in Palm Springs pursuing him made her feel quite sick. She’d gone off Luke since he suggested Ricky ring his sister.
She’d just lie on the bed for a minute. Did she imagine it or did a head of bronze curls pop round the door, and were a pair of peacock-blue eyes gazing at her with implacable hatred? Then the door slammed shut and next moment she was asleep.
24
Waking the next morning, she was outraged that they’d left her to sleep. Luke and Alejandro’s three eldest sons had won their match. The teachers had suddenly ended their strike, and the four youngest children had gone back to school. Ricky, exhausted but elated after haggling all night with Alejandro, had bought eight horses.
Perdita, not in the best mood after a cold shower, found him having breakfast.
‘You promised to wake me.’
‘You needed sleep.’
He poured her some black coffee. Sulkily she added milk and buttered a croissant.
‘Nice family,’ said Ricky.
‘Very,’ said Perdita. ‘I’m not sure about that Angel. He looks as though he wants to Exocet me.’
‘Luke’ll look after you,’ said Ricky. ‘Look, I’m leaving at teatime – catching the eight o’clock flight.’
‘You can’t,’ said Perdita hysterically.
‘I’ve got the horses I need. Luke’s going to get them into America. From there we’ll fly them to England.’
‘But why so early, for Christ’s sake?’
‘Alejandro’s got business in Buenos Aires. He’s giving me a lift to the airport.’
Whatever Alejandro’s business was in BA, it necessitated a silk shirt, light grey trousers, a jacket hanging from a coathanger in the back of the car, his Herbert Johnson cap and about fifteen pints of Aramis.
Perdita cried unashamedly after they left, fleeing to her bare room and hurling herself down on the pink counterpane. Half an hour later there was a knock on the door.
‘Bugger off,’ she howled.
It was Luke. ‘Poor baby. Feeling homesick?’
‘No, Ricky sick,’ sobbed Perdita. ‘I can’t live without him.’
Luke sat down on the bed and put a huge arm round her.
‘You’ll see him in less than three months.’
‘That’s a whole school term. I don’t
‘Isn’t Ricky kind of old to play Florizel?’ asked Luke.
‘Not having a father, I’m only attracted to older men,’ said Perdita.
‘I used to hero-worship the guy when he played for my father,’ said Luke. ‘He was awesome. I watched him yesterday. He’ll be as good as ever when his elbow heals. He must go to ten.’
‘All he’s interested in is getting bloody Chessie back.’
‘She’s not bloody.’
‘How’s she getting on with your ghastly father?’
‘Pretty happy, I guess. Doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to quit.’
Perdita sat up, blew her nose and looked at him with red, swollen eyes.
‘Jolly odd having a stepmother the same age as you. D’you fancy her?’
‘Couldn’t help it at first, but we’ve become friends. Her marrying Dad didn’t screw me up like the other two. Red and Bibi have given her hell.’
