Angel kissed Auriel’s hand.
‘How darling,’ sighed Auriel, ‘and what a glorious poinsettia.’
‘We’ve got an English setta at home,’ said Perdita idly.
‘I am sorry I’m not properly dressed,’ said Angel, who was utterly unfazed. ‘Luke say dinner at the barn, I thought we would be ’aving pony nuts. It smell wonderful.’ He smiled at Bibi, who didn’t smile back. Inside she was seething. How could she possibly keep Angel in order and at a distance if Luke included him on a social footing? Now he’d never get up in the morning.
She was even crosser because Angel was so utterly devastating and she hadn’t bothered to tart up, and everyone else looked so stunning. She loathed her black dress, which was one of Grace’s cast-offs. Tomorrow she’d go out and buy a new wardrobe.
Just as they were about to open their presents Grace rang to wish Red and Bibi a prolonged Merry Christmas.
Listening to Bibi’s cries of ‘I miss you, Mom, nothing’s the same without you,’ Angel thought how beautiful, fragile and vulnerable Chessie looked and decided which side he was on.
The second telephone rang – it was Tokyo for Bart.
‘The Japs obviously don’t know it’s Christmas either,’ said Chessie savagely, sloshing two inches of vodka into her glass.
36
Perdita had never seen such presents, and was amazed how everyone took them for granted. Bibi, however, was delighted to open an envelope containing a set of keys for an Alderton Skylark.
‘Oh, Daddy, thank you,’ she gasped, kissing him.
‘Reckon if you’re going to be my new polo manager you’d need a helicopter.’
‘What!’ exploded Red and Angel.
Bart smiled malevolently. ‘Bibi’s worked her ass off this year. I’m fed up with having her so far from home, so I’ve put her on the board, and made her my new polo manager. She’ll operate out of Florida and New York from now on.’
‘Sheet,’ whispered Angel to Perdita. ‘Think of working for zat ugly cow.’
Red wasn’t even remotely appeased when Bart gave him a Stubbs.
‘If you hock it,’ said Bart, ‘I’ll disinherit you.’
And what about Luke? thought Perdita in outrage. Bart had only given him a disgusting, monogrammed gold pen-and-pencil set.
Luke, however, was knocked out when Chessie gave him a signed first edition of his bible:
‘My wicked stepmother,’ he said, hugging her.
Chessie flushed, but made no comment when she tore open some red paper containing a cushion embroidered with the words: ‘Eat, drink and re-marry’ which was a joint present from Bibi and Red.
Perdita felt a bit despondent. Chessie had given her a Gucci bag and Bibi a very pretty white-and-yellow dressing gown, but she had had nothing from Red, Bart or Luke. Luke had buggered off in fact. She took a slug of champagne. God, she wanted to be rich.
Then, suddenly clattering along the floodlit rose-festooned colonnade and through the french windows came little Tero. Her dark eyes darting with panic, she was all done up in a scarlet headcollar, scarlet bandages and with pieces of holly and mistletoe braided into her tail and still unhogged mane.
‘Tero,’ gasped Perdita so loudly that only Luke’s strength stopped the pony bolting. Then she recognized Perdita and gave a deep, throaty whicker of joy.
‘Sure knows her new mistress,’ said Luke, putting the lead rope in Perdita’s hand.
‘I don’t believe it,’ whispered Perdita. Bursting into tears, she flung her arms round Luke’s and Tero’s necks. ‘Oh, you’re so kind, I so dreaded leaving her. Oh, darling, darling Luke, thank you,’ and she kissed Luke just under the left jaw bone, breathing in his strength and goodness.
For a second Luke felt dizzy with relief. Perdita would have to stay in Palm Beach another three weeks while Tero went through quarantine.
No-one, however, upstaged Bart Alderton. Two minutes later he returned from the stables leading Spotty, the skewbald Perdita had ridden in the first chukka of the Fathers and Sons. Spotty’s wall eye gave him a very old- fashioned look and his skewbald markings included white quarters and brown back legs, so he looked as though he was wearing stockings kept up by garters. A brilliant, wilful, merry, courageous pony who could keep going for ever and who refused to be intimidated even by Juan or Miguel, he caused cheers and yells of laughter whenever he played.
‘Here’s a good old boy,’ said Bart, handing a second lead rope to Perdita. ‘Merry Christmas, and thanks for clinching the Fathers and Sons. Spotty and you should get along.’
‘Oh,’ breathed Perdita, handing Tero’s rope to Luke, ‘I love this pony. He’s a dream to ride. You
Red was seething. First Bibi on the board and Bart’s polo manager, and now Spotty.
‘That’s a good horse, Dad,’ he and Bibi said simultaneously.
‘Who was only saying last week that Spotty looked as though the milkman’s horse got his mother?’ said Bart smugly.
‘That sort of horse is only conceived,’ said Auriel dreamily, ‘when the stallion jumps over the fence and couples with a mare at the moment of the eclipse.’
Well, he’s certainly eclipsed Tero, thought Chessie furiously. ‘Why didn’t you give Spotty to Luke?’ she hissed, drawing Bart aside. ‘He’s the one who needs him.’
Bart smiled chillingly. ‘I want Luke so short of dough he has to come to me and beg.’
‘Stupid idiot,’ said Chessie. ‘Don’t you realize when that horse goes to England Ricky’ll be playing it in matches against you all summer?’
Looking at the enraged faces, Perdita didn’t care. She was used to being the centre of a family row. Two really good ponies could turn her career around. It never entered her head, as she left Luke to take both ponies back to their stables, how she would pay for flying them back to England.
‘You’d better come and play on my team, and bring Spotty with you,’ Bart told her, thinking how amusing it would be to take Perdita off Ricky as he picked up one of the telephones to take a call from Australia.
‘Dinner is served,’ announced Conchita.
Almost on cue, the second telephone rang. Bibi picked it up. Suddenly her eyes gleamed and her sallow face lit up. She looked almost pretty.
‘Ricky,’ she cried joyfully. ‘How
Perdita turned grey as reality reasserted itself like a stubbed toe. Here she was in Palm Beach, spending Christmas with the sworn enemy of the man she loved, taking his ponies and accepting his hospitality and money. Bibi had probably told Ricky everything, rubbing it in like washing-up machine powder into a cut. No wonder he hadn’t answered her calls. Seeing her look of utter desolation, a returning Luke put his good arm round her shoulders. Somehow Chessie managed to stay cool.
‘Let’s go and dine,’ she said to Auriel, adding maliciously, ‘I know Bart will enjoy having you on his right.’
‘May I be allowed to say Grace?’ asked Auriel, dropping her voice dramatically.
‘I wouldn’t,’ said Chessie. ‘It’s not an awfully popular word round here.’
Dinner was out of this world. Chessie had retained all her old skills. Not feeling hungry herself, she was only too happy to give up her smoked salmon to Auriel, but incensed that Red took one bite, and, dropping his fork,
