by Dilys Xavier
Phillip moved quickly aside with a gruff response, but Davina merely smiled sweetly before turning her full attention once more to Phillip. It all made Maria feel a little sick at heart. To her, everything seemed wrong and she could not fathom why.
Having satisfied the queries of the couple, a little while later she looked around and realised she had seen nothing of Phillip and Davina for some time. Presuming they had left, she quickly began to feel more like herself. Her mood lifted and stayed buoyant for the rest of the evening, making it slip away enjoyably. The taste of success was sweet, clouded only for the moments when Phillip came to mind.
‘That's the last of the guests,’ Martin said when he returned, ‘and the last of your paintings too. That couple couldn't agree on which painting to have, so they bought both. I’m sure we could have sold twice the number.’ He slapped his hands together. ‘We'll do a bigger show next time. That means you'll have to paint twice as many. Your work is greatly in demand, young lady. I’ve never completely sold out like this before.’
He fixed on the last red spot. ‘Visitors to my gallery for the next month will just have to look and admire.’ His delight was obvious, and it pleased Maria that the prestigious gallery owner was already planning a come-back for her.
‘A sell-out. What a tremendous success,’ he murmured. ‘What about a bite to eat now? Shall we stroll down to my favourite restaurant?’ He turned to the benevolent figure slumped in a chair. ‘Of course, you’re coming with us, Mr Tanner? Without you, this evening might never have happened.’
Quite elated by now, Maria strolled with her companions to ‘The Bluebird’, and as they went in, a little man with a large moustache hurriedly came forward with a huge menu in his hands.
‘Good evening, Mr Giles, a table for five?’ he said, leading the way with short decisive steps. ‘I'm afraid the only table left which is large enough is in the second dining room. This way, please sir,’ he said with a flourish of pleasure, ‘we seem to be fuller than usual tonight.’
The place was crowded. Maria cast her eye quickly over the diners, recognising many of them as visitors at the preview. Going into the second room, Maria's happiness suddenly faded, for there, tucked away in a corner, sat Phillip and Davina. Engrossed in conversation, Davina's arm was extended across the table, her hand resting on top of Phillip's.
‘Oh, not again,’ Maria groaned, as her spirits drooped.
Davina's gorgeous hair gleamed in the soft lights of the dining room. They make a striking couple, Maria thought with a stab, as she made her way across the crowded room. The background music might have made the scene romantic, but to Maria the whole set-up was an anti-climax to what could have been a wonderful evening. Seeing them there was like a body blow.
With her eyes slyly on Phillip, Maria tried to pass by unobtrusively, using Gary as a cover. But it was not to be. Phillip had seen her and as they passed, he rose quickly to his feet extending his hand. ‘I couldn't get near you at the gallery for the crowd,’ he said, smiling, ‘but I really have to congratulate you on your fabulous success.’
His smile seemed genuine enough, but Maria's heart gave a little lurch. She felt she could have done without his congratulations. Like her faded happiness, her appetite seemed to have disappeared too. ‘It seems you must have sold out,’ she heard Phillip say as she nodded and walked to her table.
Maria was now even more aware of the awful sinking feeling that gnawed at the pit of her stomach. Throughout the meal, her eyes continually turned to the couple in the corner. Only speculation permitted her to guess what their conversation was about. It's got to be horses.
Finally, a lifted hand caught her eye. It was Phillip's way of saying goodnight to her. She watched them get up and leave, with a feeling of guilt because of the harsh words she had said to him. She remembered the old proverb she had quoted to him, ‘Words on wings cannot be recalled’, and wished she had taken that advice herself. Maria was exhausted and upset despite all her success, and the strain showed plainly on her face.
‘Yes, m'lass, it’s high time you were on your way home. You look done in.’ Charles Cable had noticed Maria's strained look. ‘Come on, we really must go.’
Dutifully, Maria did as she was bid, thankful the day was over, and left the two gallery proprietors to talk business.
Gramps put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Come along m’dear. I'll drive you home in my car, Maria, and Gary can drive yours to the farm. Tomorrow, we shall discuss My Chance's future.’
Chapter Twenty
Maria sadly accepted that she and Phillip were always at cross purposes. She had wanted to flirt with him, only to drop him once she'd achieved her aim. It all seemed to have gone wrong anyway. Ironically, she was the one feeling hurt now, not Phillip. But, tomorrow will be a new bright day, and here's to it, she promised, wiping away the tears as Gramps sped them home. Maria said a hazy goodnight to her grandfather and headed for bed.
Charles Cable seemed to have found a new lease of life by the next day. Gone was his shuffle and tired expression. There was a spring to his step, and most noticeable was the return of his zest for life.
‘Sit down here,’ he said enthusiastically the next morning, ‘I've got a suggestion.’
Maria smiled, happy for him. He looked so alive once more; he was the Gramps she knew of old. ‘I'm listening,’ she said, with a twinkle in her eye.
‘We've got,’ he chuckled, 'I mean, you've got the money to have Chance properly trained now. It’s what he deserves and what your father always wanted.’
Maria nodded. ‘Yes, I'd like that.’
Gramps eyed her seriously, and took a deep breath. ‘I vote we send him to Phillip Carter.’
‘You what?’ She jumped out of her chair. ‘Gramps, what on earth are you saying? Phillip Carter of all people? I don't want anything more to do with that man. Why him?’
‘Because we know him, he knows us; because he has a very keen interest in Chance, and most importantly, because he's very good at his job. And lastly, he’s the very best around here. That's why,’ he said, his voice slightly breathless. ‘He's the one to do it, Maria.’ Charles Cable's serious look warned Maria against contradicting him, but she was in no mood to try. It was a problem she had no energy left to cope with.
‘All right, Gramps, if that’ll keep you happy, I'll agree, but I want no more to do personally with Phillip Carter, and you know it.’
‘Good,’ said Charles Cable in a satisfied tone, ‘that's settled then. Now which one of us is going to approach him about the training, and which of us is going to tell him Chance is not for sale anymore?’
Maria laughed, her hand held up protectively. ‘Not me! I’ve just told you. You can have both jobs. You know how I feel about him, so you go ahead. The less I have to do with the man, the better.’
‘Okay, I'll see to it right away,’ Gramps said, barely able to contain his excitement as he left the room more energetically than Maria had seen him for many a day.
Although she had no misgivings about cutting Phillip Carter out of her life, there was a niggling thought deep in her mind that the man had not actually done her any wrong, and that maybe he was simply a genuine guy following his gut instinct to make a success of his business. But he’s always going to be the kind who walks over anyone who gets in his way. She shrugged as a variety of what-ifs thundered through her head. Too late now to put things like that right, she reasoned; I can’t turn the clock back.
She was still at the breakfast table when Gramps came back into the room excited as a schoolboy. ‘He'll do it,’ he said, rubbing his hands in glee. ‘In fact, he's absolutely delighted to have the opportunity.’ Then he hesitated and frowned. ‘But, he wasn't so happy when I told him that My Chance is no longer for sale.’
‘I can well imagine,’ Maria retorted hotly. ‘He likes everything his own way, but it's not on.’ As she spoke, she recalled the torment of mind that Phillip had given her. Now the tables were turned, and for that she gave a satisfie
d sigh.
‘He still doesn't know anything about our financial situation, and I didn't tell him about your windfall, either,’ Gramps added.
‘Too right! It's none of his business. We don't have to explain anything to him. Sufficient that there's been a change of plan, and as far as he’s concerned, that's all he needs to know.’
‘However disappointed he may be not to own My Chance, I know how grateful he is for the chance of training a horse he’s certain will do well in The Derby,’ Gramps said. ‘Winning that race could make a huge difference to his business. It would encourage an increase in the number of horses going to him for training, so for the moment he's happy enough. I suppose that's all he wants, really. By the way, he’d like the colt as soon as possible in order to get started.’
‘I'll leave that job to you and Gary. I’d like you to remember that I want no contact with the man; I want to forget him now.’ Maria's hands were slightly damp with anxiety. That was a close thing, she thought, as she considered all the recent events, but as long as Chance is mine, and Phillip Carter doesn’t bother me, he can train him, and keep his darling empty headed darling blonde.
Her reverie was disturbed by Gary's appearance at the door. ‘Hi,’ he said brightly. ‘Why aren't you outside on a lovely morning like this? I've already had a couple of hours in the fields, and I've unloaded the last of the bales of hay. The boys can finish off for me while I have a cuppa with you.’ He sat down at the large table. ‘So all your problems are over then?’
Maria looked at him, almost afraid to speak as she realised they were not. She shook her head slowly, her eyes wide with apprehension. ‘I've just remembered something,’ she admitted, with an expression almost amounting to despair. ‘I’ve been going on at Gramps, saying I want no more to do with Phillip Carter, and then I suddenly remember there's one more painting to be finished. In all the excitement, I'd totally forgotten it, so it’s still at the stables.’ She drew her hand wearily over her forehead. ‘I may as well deal with it as soon as I can.’ She gave a little shudder. ‘Since Gramps is taking My Chance there, I'll hitch a ride with him.’
Chapter Twenty One
John smiled and greeted Maria as they pulled into the yard. ‘Good morning, Miss Cable. It's good to see you again, and congratulations on your wonderful success at the exhibition.’
‘Thanks, so you've heard about it?’
‘Yes, Mr Carter told me all about it. He was quite excited and very thrilled for you. Unfortunately, he's not here at the moment. He'll be sorry to have missed you, but it was unavoidable. Can I help?’
At that moment, Maria felt guilty for all the harsh thoughts she had harboured against Phillip. It was interesting to know he had any feelings at all about her success, and it made her feel guilty.
‘I almost forgot I have a painting to finish, John, but there isn’t a great deal to do on it.’
John hesitated. ‘You’ll be staying tonight then?’
‘Probably yes, so I can leave the finished portrait for Mr Long to collect when next he comes, if that’s all right with Mr Carter.’
‘As you wish. I see no problem there.’
Charles Cable and Ginger unloaded Chance into the box that had been set aside for him originally. Secretly, Maria felt relieved that he wasn’t there under Phillip Carter's ownership. She watched how happy Charles Cable seemed, thoroughly enjoying himself as he followed Ginger around the stables, inspecting, and comparing every horse he could see, with Chance.
Once back from the stables, he called to Maria, ‘I'll have to go soon, or Gary will wonder where I am. It concerns me the weather’s looking a bit doubtful and there’s still hay to get in.’ Gramps climbed into his car and wound down the window. ‘I’ll send Gary to fetch you in the morning. Ginger will see to the colt now, so I won't wait for Phillip. I can discuss things with him by phone if necessary. Give him my regards when you see him.’
Maria got to work straight away, and completed the portrait in good time, but by that time it was late, and she had used up all her energy on the painting. Gramps had gone, and Phillip was absent, so it would be convenient to stay overnight. She hoped Gary would come for her early the next morning.
The night passed uneventfully, giving Maria ample time to check all her remaining belongings were safely stashed away in her suitcase. She rose early and went down for breakfast, wondering if Carter had arrived home. She quickly discovered he had.
‘Good morning, Maria, and welcome back.’ Phillip beamed at her, his usual charm fully returned. ‘I’m sorry I wasn't here when you arrived yesterday, but I had an appointment to see a new owner way up north, and I didn’t get back until the early hours.’
‘No problem,’ Maria said sharply, controlling her flush, some of her antagonism towards Phillip returning at the sight of the man, even though there was now no reason for it. ‘I’ve been so busy I hardly noticed your absence.’
‘All right, there's no need to be so sharp about it, especially on such a lovely morning,’ he complained. ‘I was bound to keep my appointment, and I was there later than I expected.’
‘Oh, yes,’ she heard herself saying, ‘you must have a wonderful time chasing all over the country to see your wealthy horse owners. What a life!’ There was an edge to her voice, but by now she realised she was showing pique, though she failed to understand why.
Phillip's eyes hardened. ‘Look here, you're behaving like a petulant child.’ He stared straight at her as she flopped onto a chair at the breakfast table. ‘You,’ he said slowly, his finger wagging at her, ‘have a problem. Try to sort it before it takes over completely.’
Maria rose quickly from her chair and paced the room, her arms folded defiantly across her chest. She turned on him suddenly and tossed her head. ‘Yes, I have a problem,’ she retorted sharply. ‘It’s you. You’ve been my problem ever since I met you.’ She turned away quickly so that Phillip would not see the emotion in her eyes. It was enough that the tremor in her voice had indicated her feelings.
By now, Phillip was striding across the room and glaring at her with an expression of total frustration. He physically turned her to face him. ‘Look here, we can’t go on like this; it’ll never do.’ His voice held a tone of anger in it as he faced her. ‘You know how much it delights me to have the opportunity of training My Chance, but believe me, there will have to be a better relationship between us, or things simply won’t work out. We can’t remain at loggerheads over every tiny little thing. It’s got to stop.’
Maria flashed him a glance, not knowing quite how to take his remark. ‘And exactly what do you mean by a better relationship?’ she demanded hotly. ‘You've given me plenty of reason to feel irritated with you.’
‘I have? Well, that's the limit,’ he scoffed. ‘It’s the way you take things that’s at fault. You’d better understand that owners and trainers need to have a good working relationship. And I mean no more than that, so don't get any peculiar ideas.’ He paused for a moment and stared at Maria. ‘You and I will have to see eye to eye, and if we don't, we may as well forget about the whole thing. Simple as that, okay?’ Phillip raised his hands in a gesture of hopelessness, and returned to his seat. ‘I shall never understand you, Maria, never.’
‘You don't have to,’ she scathed. ‘I'll soon be gone out of your life, then you and Gramps can get down to the details of training Chance between you, because the way I'm feeling, I want no more to do with you.’ Maria controlled tears that were ready and waiting to fall, not wanting Phillip to see how this was upsetting her.
Phillip left his chair and went to her side. ‘Maria,’ he said, his tone a little softer now as he placed his hands gently on her shoulders. He turned her slowly and gazed into her eyes. ‘You can't dismiss it as easily as that. We are going to have to work together on this, out of mutual interest. So let’s try to be friends, eh? Not only that, you’ll want to spend time here with your colt, won’t you?’ He flexed his fingers, gently rubbing his thumbs into her flesh.
&n
bsp; ‘Don't!’ Maria said peevishly, pushing his hands away. ‘Don't touch me. One day it's a blonde you’re running your hands over, and the next you're making a grab at me. I don’t like it; I don’t want it.’
Phillip released her, and gave the same echoing laugh that had upset her so much on her first night at Colacomby.
‘I'm not staying here to be humiliated like this,’ she said, moving quickly to the door. ‘You're not going to laugh at me as though I were some sort of clown. I'm not used to this sort of treatment.’
With quick strides, Phillip stepped smartly in front of her, barring the way. ‘Hear me out first young lady. And then, you can do what you damn well like. I don't care.’
Maria stopped suddenly and turned on him. ‘That's it. That's just it,’ she blazed, her eyes flashing in anger. ‘You don't care. You don't care a damn about anyone or anything as long as you get your own way.’ Suddenly the anger turned to tears; tears that burned as they filled her eyes. The tensions of the previous weeks had been too much, and this was more than she could take.
‘I didn't say I didn't care about you. You're jumping to conclusions again,’ he said softly, gently placing both arms protectively around her. He kissed the top of her head. ‘Don't cry, it hurts to see you in tears, darling Maria.’
‘Don't 'darling' me,’ she sobbed, ‘that's more than half the problem. Every woman's a darling to you, including Davina, and heaven knows how many others’, she sniffled, ‘and the word doesn't mean a thing. It’s misleading and upsetting.’
With a totally bewildered look in his eyes Phillip laughed again, but this time it was a different kind of laugh. ‘I don't know what you mean,’ he said. ‘Davina doesn't mean a thing to me, not in the way I think you mean. She’s not my kind of woman.’
Maria lurched towards the door. She had to get away. ‘I'm leaving right now,’ she said, in control of her emotions at last, and groped for the door-knob.