Polo

insistent enough that she shouldn’t wear them. Beside Chessie, she felt like a carthorse let loose in the paddock at Ascot.

Despite her cool exterior, Chessie was plainly in a foul mood. ‘I was going to make Bloodies, but the colour reminds me too much of your unspeakable brother, so I thought we’d have margueritas instead.’

Pressing a bell, she led them out to the swimming-pool, where she and Luke sat in the sun, and Perdita took refuge under a blue and white striped umbrella.

‘All because of him,’ rattled on Chessie, ‘we’ve been bombarded by the paparazzi. One of the guards found a photographer up in that traveller’s palm yesterday afternoon. Bart’s had to double the security. It’s like Colditz! “Ready gelded” indeed!’

Auriel Kingham was such a big star that Perdita couldn’t resist asking, ‘Is she as beautiful in the flesh?’

‘What flesh?’ said Chess scornfully. ‘There isn’t an inch of cellulite that hasn’t been sucked out. She’s so lifted she could wear her pubes as a moustache.’

‘Ouch,’ said Luke, half-laughing. ‘Where’s Dad?’

‘Talking on four telephones, reading faxes, dictating letters, playing with his computer, thinking about polo. Why do I always end up with obsessives? He’ll be out soon to give you his divided attention. What took you so long?’ she snapped as a maid came out with the margueritas.

Grabbing one, she drained half in one gulp.

‘Hi, Conchita,’ Luke smiled up at the maid. ‘I’d honestly rather have a beer, please.’

‘I’ll have yours as well then.’ Chessie grabbed Luke’s marguerita. ‘And hurry up with that beer,’ she shouted at the maid’s retreating back, then, turning to Luke, ‘Have you seen that piece in People?’

Luke nodded.

‘How dare he call me a bimbo? He’s the bloody bimbo selling himself to any man, woman or Rottweiler as long as they pick up his bills.’

‘Oh, c’mon,’ said Luke. ‘He was probably looped when he gave the interview. He doesn’t mean it.’

‘Course he does.’ Chessie lit a cigarette with a shaking hand. ‘Your kid brother was born with a wooden spoon in his mouth for stirring things.’

‘He’s only jealous because you’re prettier than him,’ said Luke, feeding potato chips to a slavering Leroy.

‘Well, he shouldn’t expose his jealousy in public along with everything else. And how your bloody father can play with him in the Fathers and Sons tomorrow after all those things he’s said about me?’

Luke shrugged. ‘That’s polo. I know it hurts. I’m sorry.’

Having finished her marguerita, Chessie reached for the second one.

‘Bart’s secretly delighted,’ she said bitterly, ‘because People said he ran the best barn in Palm Beach, and was the only high-goal patron who fully carried his weight on the team. He’ll need to be tomorrow. Red’ll be coked up to the eyeballs, and Bibi’s so busy working all hours she’s completely out of practice – and out of shape,’ she added maliciously, as a girl wandered out of the sitting room.

‘Unlike you,’ said the girl furiously, ‘I don’t spend all day having my body and my ego massaged. Hi, Lukie,’ she added, kissing him. ‘You look great.’

‘This is my sister Bibi,’ Luke said to Perdita.

Amid all this paradise and effortless access to wealth, Perdita was amazed how aggressively plain Bibi was. Admittedly her face wasn’t helped by Bart’s heavy jaw and a sallow skin. But her hair, the colour of marmalade and scraped back in a bun, and huge horn-rimmed spectacles only emphasized a big nose and hazel eyes that were unmade-up and bloodshot from the overnight flight from LA. Her figure was also totally disguised by a severely cut, lightweight, pin-striped suit. The only thing she couldn’t hide were long, beautiful, coltish legs. She was obviously trying to look much older than her twenty-two years.

Totally ignoring Chessie, she accepted a glass of Perrier from the maid and, sharing the shade of another blue and white striped umbrella with a panting Leroy, started questioning Luke about Argentina.

Perdita was getting sauna-ed in her leather trousers. She must make some contribution to the conversation, but a mixture of jet lag and Chessie’s utterly haunting beauty had knocked her for six. Bart, joining them a few minutes later, made her feel even more shy. A few more grey hairs had been added to his wolf’s pelt and a few more crows’ feet to his angry aggressive eyes, but he was suntanned and lean from frantic dieting and had kept his movie-star looks.

Putting a brief hand on Luke’s arm but ignoring Perdita, he turned to Bibi. ‘Hi, sweetheart, what did the Saudis say?’

‘If they don’t get those twenty Lightnings before Christmas they’re going to cancel the order. I’ve shouted myself hoarse at the factory, but they won’t take any notice,’ said Bibi furiously.

Bart turned back towards the house. ‘I’ll talk to them.’

‘After lunch,’ said Chessie, so icily that Bart stopped in his tracks. ‘This is Perdita,’ she added.

Bart nodded unenthusiastically in Perdita’s direction, then, anxious to conciliate Chessie: ‘New bikini? Nice, suits you.’

‘Cost enough,’ said Bibi spitefully. ‘I saw the bill. If Red moves in with Auriel, you can fill his house with all your clothes.’

They had lunch by the pool. Tuna-fish open sandwiches and a taco salad, so delicious that despite the heat Perdita wanted to wolf the lot. Chessie, who hardly ate anything, moved on to white wine. When Bart wasn’t obsessively taking telephone calls, he and Luke and Bibi discussed tactics and what ponies they would ride tomorrow. Bart would mount Red and Bibi; Luke would bring his own. Every time Luke tried to draw Perdita into the conversation, Bart rode her off.

He looked really cheerful, however, when he heard that Victor had been fleeced by Alejandro.

‘I saw Lando Medici at the Players Club last night,’ he told Luke. ‘He was boasting about this wonder pony he bought from Alejandro, Fanfare or something, the grey responsible for the Mendozas taking out the O’Briens in the Copa de Republic. I told Miguel he was slipping to let her go.’

‘Is that a fact?’ Luke grinned. ‘That’s three people Alejandro’s sold Fantasma to,’ he murmured to Perdita.

‘I really liked that piece in People,’ said Bibi loudly.

‘Shut up,’ Luke said to her softly. ‘Is it serious, him and Auriel?’

‘With her it is. I cannot understand how Red can fall for such an awful polo player,’ said Bibi. ‘I played against her in a charity match in Palm Springs. She simply cannot control her horses.’

‘What’s in it for Red?’

Bibi shrugged. ‘He just says, “I want that”, and she buys it for him.’

‘Like what?’

‘Four ponies last week.’

‘Shit,’ said Luke.

Chessie was so fed up with Bibi and Bart that she suddenly rolled over to brown her back and started asking Perdita all about Argentina.

‘You’re probably too jet lagged today, but next week I’ll show you Worth Avenue and we can go shopping.’

‘I’d love a haircut,’ said Perdita ruefully.

‘I’ll take you to Xavier’s. He won’t chop it all off. It’s gorgeous hair.’

She’s my rival, thought Perdita in confusion, and suddenly she’s being so nice to me. If Ricky saw her again now, how could he possibly fail to be a million times more in love with her?

Luke, who was acquiring even more freckles in the sunshine, was having his work cut out trying to persuade Bart to give Angel a year’s contract.

‘Is he as idle and conniving as the rest of them?’ asked Bart.

‘He’s lovely,’ butted in Perdita. ‘You’ll really like him.’

‘I’m not gonna socialize with him,’ said Bart rudely. ‘I just want to know if the guy’s any good.’

‘My husband has so much charm,’ said Chessie lightly.

Having refused the fruit salad, she lit a cigarette and, as Bart was now jabbering on the telephone to some Jap, turned to Bibi: ‘How’s your love life?’