Polo

77

Luke was so distraught that he nearly boycotted the massive celebrations afterwards, but he felt it was unfair to his own team who had played so well and to the O’Briens who had defended so gallantly. Everyone wanted to discuss his last goal which seemed to grow in length and splendour by the glass. He was almost more bruised by people clapping him on the back than by the game. He tried to get plastered, but it didn’t work, and after a few hours he drove back to Angel’s and Bibi’s house. Arriving at dawn he found a primrose-yellow banner across the drive to welcome him, and bitterly remembered how he had covered up Perdita with a shawl the same colour when she’d ridden naked into the Casino.

He longed to drive over to Alejandro’s to tell Fantasma in private how brilliantly and bravely she had played, but having raised her hopes once, he couldn’t bear to raise them again – not if he was no longer going to be able to take her back to Palm Beach.

All the next day it poured with rain and Angel’s cousins, still tight from the night before, swarmed through the house and the telephone rang with congratulations and offers for Luke and Angel to play next season anywhere in the world.

By six o’clock the rain had cleared and Luke, desperate to be on his own, went out for a ride with Leroy who had had a boring day confined to barracks. It was a beautiful evening with the turquoise sky reflected in the huge puddles and the acid-yellow and green sweep of the pampas, only interrupted by the occasional windmill or grey fringe of gum trees, stretching to infinity. Luke wished he could ride off the edge of the world.

Every bone in his body ached but not nearly so much as his heart. Tonight the cousins were giving a celebration for him and Angel. But what was the point without Perdita? Even the loss of Fantasma was nothing by comparison. He wondered if there had been a moment in the last three years when he hadn’t longed for her or if there would ever be in his life again. Even yesterday’s success had already turned to ashes in his mouth.

He had so wanted to go to her after she broke up with Red, and again on the night of the Westchester when Red had bolted with Chessie. She’d looked so desolate that evening in her black dress, he’d longed to help her pick up the pieces. But he knew it would be wrong. His love was so strong he’d never be able to control it and she’d feel claustrophobic. She could never marry anyone she didn’t love or survive in captivity like Chessie had for so long.

Down by the river into which Fantasma had once galloped, he dismounted and sat on the bank letting his horse graze and Leroy charge off after hares. He watched a flock of white birds winging slowly homewards, turning pink in the setting sun. In three weeks it would be Christmas and suddenly the pain became unbearable as he remembered that first Christmas in Palm Beach with Perdita when he still had hope.

Luke had always had brilliant eyesight but his eyes were so misted over that at first he couldn’t identify the cloud of brown dust on the horizon. Then, as he got to his feet, he heard hoof beats and realized it was a pony and rider going ludicrously fast. He couldn’t identify the colour of the horse because they were against the sun. Now they were flashing through a blue puddle, now disappearing behind a field of alfalfa, faster and faster. As they curved round towards him down the rough track, he realized the rider was bareback and guiding the pony in just a headcollar.

Luke recognized the pony first. Rose-pink in the sunset, as she had been in that sunrise after he had saved her life, she was covering the ground at breakneck speed with that beautiful, low, inimitably smooth action. He had a moment of outrage that anyone should ride her so dangerously fast after such a gruelling match yesterday. A split second later he recognized the rider. No, he was hallucinating. No-one rode so aggressively, so gracefully, or in such a hurry to get to goal. It must be a mirage.

Perdita was only wearing a khaki shirt and shorts. Her face was caked with dust, her features set, her whole body trembling as she tugged Fantasma to a halt in front of him. Luke, who had a lump as big as a polo ball in his throat, couldn’t speak. Neither could she. They just gazed and gazed at each other. Fantasma, however, had no such reserve. Whickering with delight, she shot forward nudging and licking and nuzzling her old master all over, searching his pockets for Polos.

Still unable to get a word out, Luke put his arms round her lovely head, breathing in the smell of her sweat, fighting back the tears. ‘You didn’t ride all the way?’ he mumbled stupidly.

‘Only from the airfield.’

‘You didn’t steal her?’

‘No. I bought her.’

‘But Alejandro said she wasn’t for sale.’

‘Every Argie has his price. Rupert gave me some money,’ she added by way of explanation. ‘It seemed the only way of spending it.’

‘But that was your security,’ said Luke, appalled.

Perdita shook her head violently.

‘It’s for us. You’re my security. You’re the only person I’ve ever felt secure with in my life.’

Tears were pouring down her face now, streaking the brown dust.

Frantically she wiped her eyes and nose with both hands like a child, streaking the dust sideways as well.

‘I love you,’ she sobbed. ‘If you love that revoltingly beautiful lawyer and don’t love me any more, I shall quite understand. But once you said you did and I hoped you still might. Ricky thought that perhaps . . . and Rupert too . . . we might try again. Oh, Christ’ – she gave a wail and put her hands over her face – ‘I’m such a cow.’

Next moment Luke had pulled her off Fantasma and into his arms and was kissing her harder than he’d ever hit a sixty-yard penalty.

‘I don’t believe it,’ he groaned. ‘I simply don’t believe it. I was sure it was still Red.’

‘I haven’t loved him for ages, not ever really. I always felt as though I was wearing boots on the wrong feet. I loved all the money and the trappings. Then I realized they didn’t mean anything. With you it’s truly bread and onions.’

‘I guess it is,’ said Luke ruefully. ‘I haven’t got a cent.’

‘Bullshit,’ said Perdita. ‘Now you’ve won the Open everyone wants you, including me. I only came back because you’ve become such a star.’

Luke grinned. ‘Double bullshit! You bought Fantasma before the match. That’s why Alejandro wasn’t looking nearly as guilty as he should have done yesterday.’

‘You’re right,’ gasped Perdita, when at long last he stopped kissing her. ‘I wanted something to cheer you up in case you lost.’

Luke took both her hands in his and kissed them.

‘Gracias,’ he said shakily. ‘The only thing better in the world you could have given me is yourself.’

Exactly on cue Leroy bounced up with a mud-caked nose and threw himself on Perdita. For an outraged second, Fantasma flattened her ears and stamped her foot, then, recognizing her old friend, she once more whickered in delight as Leroy barked ecstatically and licked her pink nose.

Luke turned back to Perdita.

‘I love you more than anything else in the world.’

‘More than Leroy and Fantasma?’

‘Don’t push your luck.’

‘Don’t push my Luke,’ said Perdita, reaching up to kiss him again. ‘I’ll have to change my name.’ She gave a sigh of happiness. ‘I’m not the Lost One any more.’

‘You’ll have to change your name anyway,’ said Luke slowly.

With a trembling hand he tugged out the bit of Fantasma’s mane that was left long on the whithers to stop the saddle rubbing and wound it round Perdita’s wedding-ring finger.

‘I can’t go down on one knee because of my cartilage.’ For once the deep, Florida drawl was coming out in a rush. ‘But d’you figure you could possibly love me enough to . . . ?’

He didn’t need to go on. With an instinct that knew that neither Perdita nor Luke would take any notice of her for some time, Fantasma gently started to eat the grass.

THE END