by Dilys Xavier
Maria clasped the piece of wrinkled paper and kissed it. She looked at Gary through misted eyes. ‘Got any idea how much I've won?’
Gary shook his head, laughing. ‘Work it out at a hundred pounds for every one you placed on it. That’s a nice little windfall.’ He gazed at her with a smile still playing around his mouth. ‘Contain yourself until we find out the odds for sure from the Sunday paper, and don't worry, you can claim your winnings by post.’
Maria wiped away tears of joy and broke into a broad grin. She sniffled. ‘To think I've won something on Phillip Carter's horse with the money he paid for the painting of My Chance. Ironic isn't it?’ She began to pace the room excitedly. ‘I want to shout the news to the world. I can hardly wait for the Sunday papers to come, and they’re always late arriving.’ She wheeled around with a look of concern on her face. ‘You’re quite sure of this, Gary? Not having me on?’
‘Course I’m sure; you can see that for yourself.’
‘Well don't say anything to Gramps yet.’
‘I won’t. You can have the pleasure of breaking the news to him.’
Maria grinned, lunging at him, and as he tried to duck out of her way, she clasped her arms around his neck, waving the scrap of paper and squealing for joy.
Without warning, the door opened, and Charles Cable walked in. ‘So what's all this excitement about? You seem mighty pleased about something.’
‘I backed the wrong horse, and won; I mean I backed the right horse to win. It was an accident, Gramps; my money went on a winner by accident, that's all.’
A furrow creased Charles Cable’s brow as he cast her a puzzled stare. Then he chuckled, with a look of amusement in his eyes. ‘Something similar happened to me once,’ he said, his face animated as he thought about it. ‘Only I actually threw my betting slip away as there was no point in keeping it, but as we were on the way out of the racecourse an announcement was made that there'd been an objection to the winner.’ He grinned, as he recollected the incident. ‘When I told Alfie Jones, he said, “That means you won. I'll go back and look for your ticket”, I wouldn't have bothered, myself. I told him he didn't stand a chance of finding it amongst all the rubbish on the ground, but he wouldn't listen.’
Gramps chuckled again. ‘D'you know, out of all the litter, he actually found it, just where we’d been standing to watch that race. So in the end, I had my winnings, and they were substantial.’ He shook his head, his eyes wide and smiling. ‘Can you believe it? Anyway I shared it with Alfie, because if he hadn’t been with me, I wouldn’t have had my winnings.’ He paused for a moment and his expression became serious. ‘By the way, I’ve invited Phillip to lunch tomorrow. He wants to talk about the deal on My Chance.’
There was a sudden lull in conversation and an awkward silence prevailed for a whole minute. ‘It's the farm, or the colt, m’dear, so we might as well face up to it. Be as civil to Phillip Carter as you can please, because as far as the man’s concerned, he thinks we’re looking for a buyer for My Chance. He knows nothing of our financial situation, and there's no need to explain it to him either.’
‘All right, Gramps,’ she assured him, and flashed a meaningful look at Gary.
‘I'll get home now,’ Gary said, making for the kitchen door, and left with a knowing grin. ‘Be seeing you.’
With something exciting to look forward to, the rest of the evening slipped by quickly for Maria. She was aching to tell Gramps, but she had to be certain of the money first. The exhilaration she felt over the fact she could keep Chance was hard to contain.
Sunday arrived, and Phillip Carter was soon due to arrive for lunch. Maria wanted to show she knew how to present a good meal, so she covered the antique mahogany dining table with an exquisite hand-made lace cloth, made by South American nuns, and set out the King's Pattern cutlery along with the Royal Albert china. Stepping back, she cast a critical eye over the table; it looked elegant.
She closed the door behind her and went into the kitchen to prepare the Yorkshire pudding and vegetables, and check on the rib of beef in the oven. A glance at the old grandfather clock told her it wouldn't be long before Phillip arrived. Today, she had a different feeling about his visit. He was no longer a threat. Thankfully, the dark cloud was passing.
With a loud plop, the Sunday papers dropped through the letter box. Full of excitement, Maria picked them up, opened the back door and called to Gary, who was outside. He jumped the hedge, and bounded across the yard and into the kitchen Maria handed him the paper with trembling hands. ‘I can't look,’ she said, excitedly. ‘You check it.’
Gary spread out the paper on the table, and turned hurriedly to the sporting results. He glanced up for a second, keeping his finger on the column.
‘Sit down,’ he commanded. ‘You're going to have a shock.’
Maria sat, and waited open-mouthed and wide-eyed.
Gary calmly folded the paper and looked at her with a serious expression.
‘Don't keep me in suspense, I can't stand it,’ Maria said agitatedly. ‘Tell me the worst.’
‘It's blumin' fantastic,’ he grinned. ‘At a hundred to one, you're gonna get a lot of money. There’ve been two other big payouts this season, but this the best yet. It means practically no-one backed the winner.’ His eyes gleamed. ‘I guess this will probably be more than enough for your needs.’ He bent close to her ear. ‘Guess it’ll save My Chance for you.’
Maria gripped the arms of the chair as she worked out a total. ‘How about that then?’ For a moment she sat quietly, almost unable to take it in. As the realisation suddenly hit her, hot tears of relief ran down her cheeks. ‘It’s ironic; My Chance saved, for me, by the man who wants to take him away. Phillip Carter would have a fit if he knew.’
She wiped away her tears of joy, jumped up and threw her arms around Gary’s neck, twirling him around the room. ‘I'm so happy,’ she laughed, ‘I wish I could always feel this happy.’ Just then, Gramps flung open the back door and strode in. ‘Look who I found in the yard.’ Close on his heels was Phillip Carter. Maria felt a hot rush of embarrassment in her cheeks, well aware that both men had seen her arms around Gary's neck. ‘Sorry,’ she said, loosening her hold. ‘Do come in.’
Charles Cable looked surprised, but beckoned Phillip to go through into the lounge with him. There was no doubt in Maria's mind that they would have had the wrong impression. The awful thing was that she was not yet in a firm enough position to give the reason for her exuberant behaviour.
‘My sincere apologies,’ Phillip demurred as he passed. ‘I seem to have a habit of interrupting you two.’
‘It's not…,’ Maria checked herself and said no more; she owed him no explanation. They had arrived at an inopportune moment, but there was little she could do about it now. Anyway, it was of no consequence.
Gary excused himself, his face still glowing pink under his tan. ‘I must go,’ he muttered, ‘I'll, um….’ He paused, twiddling his fingers, ‘I'll see you later.’ Maria nodded, and went into the lounge in response to Gramps’ impatient call. Charles Cable poured drinks all round and lifted his own glass high. ‘Congratulations on doing so well yesterday, Phillip. Here's to your continued success.’
‘Thank you,’ Phillip said politely. ‘Yes, Lily's Love did surprisingly well for a first over the sticks. I knew he was in good form, but I never expected him to pull it off. Few had confidence enough in him to place a bet too, it seems.’ He leaned back in his chair, and looked directly at Maria as he tapped his fingertips together. ‘Of course, Gary should have won. What a shame his horse took that fence badly; pure bad luck, but that’s racing for you.’
Maria doubted he really felt sorry for Gary, but she smiled sweetly and made no further comment as she invited them to sit at the table. ‘Everything's ready,’ she said. ‘Gramps, will you carve the joint while I fetch the vegetables?’ Within minutes, she placed the steaming home-grown produce on the table. ‘Please help yourself.’
Maria was highly delighted with th
e result of her morning’s work. The meat was cooked to perfection, and the vegetables tasted what they were, fresh out of the ground.
‘Thank you for a lovely meal,’ Phillip said, as he folded his table napkin carefully and lifted his gaze to Maria. ‘The rhubarb crumble was especially delicious. You're a first class cook, Maria.’
She gave Phillip Carter a genuine smile. She could afford to smile at him now, but found it difficult to hide her good news. As they rose from the dining table Phillip rubbed his hands together; he was ready to do business. ‘Now,’ he said, drawing himself up tall, ‘shall we talk?’ Maria knew exactly what he meant, and he waited expectantly, looking from Maria to Charles Cable in turn, his face full of anticipation over clinching the deal on My Chance.
Maria held her breath, wondering what on earth to say, but Gramps broke the ice by starting to fuss around. ‘We'll sit in the lounge for comfort. Don't bother about clearing the table, Maria, it’s time to talk.’ He beckoned them to follow as he left the dining room, and an awkward silence fell over them all as each one waited for the other to begin speaking.
In the end, it was Phillip who spoke first. ‘As you both know, I’m keen to buy My Chance. It's foolish to let you know just how interested I am, but because of his bloodline, I'm prepared to up my offer by five thousand pounds. It's not much more than my original, but what d'you say?’ Having made his little speech, Phillip sat back and waited for the response.
Gramps' mouth opened wide with surprise at the increase, but he looked across at Maria. ‘Maria has the final word,’ he said quietly, with a pathetic look in his eyes. ‘My Chance is hers.’
Maria gritted her teeth. She knew what she had to say, and knew that Gramps was not going to like it. Phillip twisted his body around to see Maria full face while she replied to his question. ‘I’m sorry,’ Maria began, ‘but I can't give you an answer today.’ Her voice was cool and steady. ‘I need a couple of days to think about it. Even though your offer is handsome, it's nowhere near what Chance is worth to me. Money can’t buy love.’
Phillip's expression changed immediately, his puzzled look giving her a sudden urge to giggle. As she took his gaze full on, Maria revelled in the happiness she felt. This was no time to feel sorry for Phillip Carter; he had his fair share of worldly goods, and would have made a lot of money out of Lily’s Love win.
‘My, you are a hard one to deal with,’ was all he said, his firmed lips showing his disappointment.
‘Maria, I think you…, ‘ Gramps was about to hold forth, but stopped as Maria lifted a cautionary finger well out of Phillip’s vision. He said no more, but his glare was a silent admonishment. She knew he would have a few words to say to her later, and she was not looking forward to it.
Instead, his mind obviously working fast, Charles Cable got up and waved his hand at the blue sky, his mouth set in a determined pout. ‘Look here, it's a gorgeous day, so why don't you two go off for a stroll? I'll clear the table and see to the dishes, so off with you.’
Knowing Gramps could be quite devious when he deemed it prudent, Maria guessed that this was to give Phillip a private opportunity to persuade her to sell. She pretended to fall for the idea in order to keep her grandfather happy, and made no comment, but it was obvious Phillip also thought the idea was good. ‘I'll go along with that,’ he said. ‘In fact I've a better idea. What about a spin in the car?’ His handsome face was alight with enthusiasm.
Maria suddenly felt that inexplicable feeling towards Phillip Carter once again. Was it pity? Or was it something else? But her eyes hardened when she considered his idea could be part of a ploy to get her to agree to part with My Chance. On reflection, her recent anguish was something she wouldn’t forget in a hurry, but she decided she might as well go along with the idea, now that it was likely their money worries were over.
‘All right. Give me a few minutes to get ready.’ She turned to her grandfather, ‘And thanks for offering to do the dishes.’
Charles Cable nodded silently, seemingly placated for the time being, and as she left the room to change, Maria observed the sneaky wink he gave Phillip. Whatever he did or said now wouldn’t change things. She felt so much happier as she opened her wardrobe, and her hand went straight to the crisp white cotton dress with a black belt, and a black tie bow that reached to the waist. The skirt fell prettily about her long legs, which looked all the more shapely when she slipped on her black court shoes.
Maria brushed her hair over her shoulders, and went downstairs with a glow in her eyes. She turned to Phillip Carter with a smile. ‘I'm ready,’ she said softly.
Phillip gave a gasp of admiration as he took in the vision, but soon recovered his composure. ‘Where would you like to go?’
‘Anywhere. You choose,’ she said sweeping past him towards the Ferrari.
‘You look absolutely gorgeous,’ he said, as he caught up with her. ‘You look stunning in that white outfit.’
Now in a light-hearted frame of mind at last, Maria smiled, intending to enjoy every minute of the outing.
‘I’m taking you on a pretty run, so how about we have a fresh cream tea along the river banks,’ he added, with eyebrows raised. ‘In fact, I’ve got something to celebrate, so why not make a day of it and dine somewhere nice later as well?’ he queried.
Maria nodded agreement, and holding her smile as though she didn't have a care in the world, she slid into the vehicle.
‘Here we go.’ Phillip gave her a sideways look of admiration before he manoeuvred the powerful car onto the open road. ‘We'll take it leisurely, and enjoy the scenery.’ He drew a sharp breath, his mind obviously on the winning race. ‘D'you know, I didn’t put anything on Lily's Love yesterday. That was plain stupid; I could have made a bomb, but I didn’t think he had a chance in hell of winning. No one else seemed to think he did either.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s amazing; there’ve been some huge pay-outs on the Tote this season, so at least, there are some lucky people about.’
‘Really?’ Maria responded with a wide grin, but said nothing about her expectations. She looked sideways through the car window so that Phillip wouldn't wonder what her look of pleasure was over. Yes, of all people, you should have placed a bet, she thought, smiling. The time was not right for anyone to know anything about her win yet. No one would know of her good fortune until it was in the bank.
‘I think,’ he said slowly, obviously trying to make light conversation, ‘that if I hadn't got so involved with horses, I might have taken up acting. I did quite a bit of that in my student days; I loved it.’
Maria took a sly glance at the classical profile, silently acknowledging that he might have done well, considering his looks. Her eyes slid to his capable hands resting capably on the steering wheel as he guided the Ferrari through the winding, tree-lined roads. ‘Like you,’ he went on, ‘it was a matter of choice what career I followed, but when my aunt provided the means, it was easy to choose. But for her,’ he laughed, ‘I might have been a struggling actor today, wondering how I was going to pay my rent. I’m forever grateful to her. Here we are,’ he said, as the car slid to a stop in the large car park of the local tourist centre. ‘Just look at the crowds here today.’ Within seconds, he opened Maria's door and extended his hand. She took it, immediately feeling a tingle run through her as his fingers touched hers. Her immediate response was a desire to engage in a little harmless flirtation; to play with him without involving herself to any serious degree. She appreciated his etiquette, and accepted that this could be the kind of man she wanted, but someone other than him, and under different circumstances.
Chapter Fifteen
The fact that My Chance was reasonably safe now allowed her a different attitude towards Phillip Carter, nevertheless, she felt that his charm was directed at her with a means to an end. She smoothed her hands down the length of her skirt, and hitched up her shoulder bag, much aware of her companion's continued concentrated attention.
As they walked, he slipped his arm through hers
, and she couldn’t help but notice admiring glances from other women.
‘I love ancient buildings,’ Phillip said, as they approached a tourist attraction. He smoothed his hand over the stonework. ‘This almost talks. Just think of the hard work those medieval folk did to build something like this with none of today's labour saving devices.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s mind-boggling.’
He took her hand to help her over the stony path that led towards the green banks of the fast flowing waters of the river Wye. ‘Did you know this is the fastest rising tidal river in Europe?’ He looked down at Maria, the hint of a smile on his lips. ‘And famous for its salmon, too.’
Maria chuckled, and sensing she was more relaxed now, Phillip stopped and pulled her towards him. Maria's smile faded as she looked up into Phillip’s eyes as he searched hers for a glimmer of response. She thought he was about to kiss her, yet, there was something in his eyes that suggested he was fully prepared to withdraw instantly should she rebuff him again. He lifted her chin and Maria waited motionless, with her eyes closed, for the inevitable physical contact. After what seemed an age, the kiss culminated in a brush of soft lips against her own; a kiss as light as the touch of down; gone almost as soon as she felt it.
She closed her eyes again, wanting more. Sensing her need, Phillip deepened the pressure as his lips sought hers. He touched light kisses on her eyelids, then softly on her trembling mouth. Without a word he released her from his grasp, and took her hand as they walked along the water's edge in silence.
Surprised at her willingness for his kisses, Maria was at a loss for words. The silence was broken only by the scream of the swooping gulls as they chased the fast flowing water on its swift journey to the Severn Estuary.
Eventually, Phillip spoke. ‘It's time for the cream tea I promised you.’ He drew her close to him, strolling like a pair of relaxed lovers to the car to drive the few miles farther up the beautiful valley.
Questions were running fast through Maria's mind. Had Phillip intended to tease or test her? Was he sincere, or trying to play with her affections in revenge for the way she had rejected him that night? Or, was it because she was keeping him dangling over her decision about My Chance, and he wanted to get around her stubbornness somehow? Frustratingly, she could not tell.