Now up and dressed for the first time, Kitty sat in an armchair in the summer parlour gazing listlessly at a little copse of young poplars thrusting their acid-green branches upwards in victory salutes and reminding her agonizingly of Lysander. Out in the park in their New Zealand rugs all Rannaldini’s horses, except The Prince of Darkness, who was still confined to box rest, were enjoying the spring grass. But not Arthur, thought Kitty in despair — and wondered for the millionth time whether Lysander was all right.
Lassie was her one comfort. Already in trouble that morning for having pinched Mr Brimscombe’s paintbrush, peed on Rannaldini’s Aubusson and chewed one of Miss Bates’s green suede shoes, she had now collapsed in front of the fire and was showing off her white belly, with her speckled paws folded over like a model wearing smart new gloves.
As the front door banged she rose with a lot of woofing, shot between Kitty’s legs, then bounded forward pirouetting with joy as her old friend Ferdie walked in with Natasha.
‘Kitty, you poor thing!’ Natasha ran across the room and kissed her. ‘We’ve only just found out how ill you’ve been. Are you OK? You look so pale and thin.’ She thrust a vast bunch of red tulips into Kitty’s hands. ‘And we’ve brought you some mags and some scent. Hasn’t Lassie grown?’ Leaving Kitty, she crouched down beside the puppy who was still trying to lick Ferdie to death.
Kitty had never seen such a change in two people. Natasha looked utterly ravishing in a clinging campion-pink shorts suit and high-heeled black shoes. The heavy make-up had gone; dark-lashes and sparkle were enough, and what was the point of lipstick when it kept being kissed off? And the beady, calculating dead-pan Ferdie was grinning from ear to ear, which were mostly hidden by a curly new cherub’s haircut.
‘I took him to Schumi’s,’ said Natasha proudly. ‘Doesn’t he look gorgeous?’
‘Wonderful! You both do,’ said Kitty in amazement. ‘And
‘Forget Special K and Lean Cuisine,’ said Ferdie patting his concave gut. ‘Love’s the answer.’
‘You don’t think he’s too thin?’ asked Natasha anxiously.
‘No, no. When did you two get togevver?’
‘Beginning of last term.’ Natasha collapsed on the sofa and pulling Ferdie down beside her, started nibbling his ear. ‘Ferdie started taking me out from Bagley Hall. Papa’s stopped bothering now he’s bored with Flora. Oh Christ, sorry, Kitty.’
‘I’m sorry we didn’t take you out. I fort when you didn’t come ’ome,’ Kitty blushed, ‘you preferred it that way.’
‘Oh, I did.’ Natasha was ruffling Ferdie’s hair. ‘I’ve always grumbled about Papa and Mama neglecting me. Now I realize how wonderful it is. Ferdie and I have just had the most gorgeous ten days in France.’
‘We fort you was with Cecilia,’ said Kitty.
‘Mama thought I was with you,’ giggled Natasha. ‘No-one checked. And Ferdie takes care of me so much better than either of them. Oh hi, Papa.’ She edged closer to Ferdie as she noticed Rannaldini in the doorway.
‘I thought you were with your mother,’ he snapped.
‘Basically, no. She’s got a new boyfriend. You can read all about it.’ Natasha waved
‘And what about your A levels?’ said Rannaldini coldly.
Natasha smiled. ‘Well, Ferdie’s been helping me with Business Studies and even more with Human Biology. And as for Ancient History — I ought to study Lysander.’
Rannaldini was looking thunderous but fortunately rushed back to his study to answer the telephone. He was expecting confirmation from New York any second.
Just for a second colour spilled over Kitty’s grey face. ‘How’s Lysander?’ she whispered the moment he’d gone.
‘Absolutely miserable,’ whispered back Ferdie, thrusting a letter into the pocket of her grey cardigan. ‘Almost as miserable as Tiny who never stops crying and running to the gate looking for Arthur. So most of the time Lysander lets her into the house. He’s back at Magpie Cottage by the way. Marigold rolled up with some prospective buyers and was not amused to find Tiny eating carrots in front of the fire.’
‘Lysander’s still wiped out about the Rutminster,’ added Natasha who was entwining her fingers with Ferdie. ‘He blames himself totally.’
‘It wasn’t his fault,’ flared up Kitty.
‘Course it wasn’t. Rupert’s had to apologize,’ said Ferdie, who was very shaken by Kitty’s appearance. ‘They did a post-mortem. Arthur had a massive heart attack. From what I gather some old worm larvae got into the gut and migrated through the wall of the artery into the aorta and died there leaving a lesion which couldn’t cope with all that blood racing round.’
‘You are clever to explain,’ said Natasha fondly.
‘So they’ve decided Arthur crashed into the railing and broke his neck as a result of the heart attack, so Lysander’s in the clear.’
‘Oh, fank goodness.’ Kitty’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m so frilled, but poor Arfur.’
‘Wonderful way to go,’ said Ferdie. ‘Leading the field by twenty lengths, cheers echoing in his ears, his beloved master in ecstasy. He wouldn’t have known anything.’
‘Are you quite sure?’ Kitty gave a sob. ‘Lysander loved him so much.’
‘He loves you much more,’ said Ferdie with a furtive glance at the door. ‘He’s lost his Eurydice.’
Kitty was about to ask him to explain when Rannaldini marched in, singularly unamused to see Natasha still wrapped round Ferdie, who was no doubt acting as a go-between for Lysander.
‘You better push off now,’ he said coldly. ‘Kitty gets very tired.’
‘She looks terrible,’ said Natasha. ‘Have you been feeding her on Paraquat?’
‘Don’t be infantile,’ hissed Rannaldini so evilly that even Ferdie shivered.
Lassie was barking again. There was a knock on the door. It was Miss Bates with her normally bold grey eyes cast down.
‘Dr Benson to see you, Mrs Rannaldini.’
Before Rannaldini could stop him, James had swept in.
‘Natasha,’ he said kissing her on both cheeks, ‘I haven’t seen you for years. You’ve grown even more lovely than your mother.’
‘Why, thanks. This is my boyfriend, Ferdie Fitzgerald,’ said Natasha proudly.
‘Lucky guy.’ James shook Ferdie’s hand, then glancing from this glowing buxom child to her desperately pale, red-eyed stepmother. ‘Aren’t you pleased about the new addition to the family?’
Natasha looked blank.
‘He’s talking about Lassie,’ cut in Rannaldini. ‘Now buzz off you two and have a drink in the morning room.’
‘I wasn’t talking about Lassie,’ said James Benson smoothly. ‘Hasn’t your father told you that your stepmother’s expecting a baby?’
‘She can’t be,’ whispered Natasha, utterly aghast. Then, fielding a laser-beam of warning from Rannaldini, ‘I mean, that’s great. How
‘We’re not telling anyone,’ said Rannaldini grimly, ‘not until the New York job’s in the bag. Now bugger off you two. James wants to look at Kitty. He hasn’t got all day.’
Natasha seemed so shattered that she walked out without even saying goodbye.
‘Look after yourself,’ said Ferdie, hugging Kitty. Seriously worried, he hated leaving her.
Natasha can’t bear my having her father’s child, thought Kitty hopelessly. Oh God, another dreadful complication.
Rannaldini jumped up and rushed out as the telephone rang. He had been unbelievably edgy all morning. A long time talking, he met James Benson on his way out.
‘Not very happy about Kitty,’ James told him. ‘Not responding at all well, almost clinically depressed. I’ve put her on anti-depressants and some iron and vitamins to boost her up. But I cannot recommend TLC too strongly, Rannaldini. She needs a proper holiday.’
‘She has one,’ said Rannaldini, who was quite incapable of controlling his orgasmic elation. ‘That call confirm the New World Phil job. It is all I have dreamt of and worked for.’
‘Well done, great,’ said James, ‘brilliant, but that’s hardly a holiday for Kitty.’
‘It’ll be a change of scenery.’ Most uncharacteristically, Rannaldini kissed his doctor on both cheeks. ‘If you’ll
