Free The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer Page A

have gone. Perhaps into one of the houses, or might she have
taken another side street? Florentyna decided she would walk to the end of the
block and if she failed to spot her quarry then, she would have to make her way
home.
    Just at the
point when she was considering turning back she came into an opening that faced
a large white archway on which “South Shore Country Club” was embossed in gold.
    Florentyna
didn’t think for a minute that Miss Treelgold could be inside, but out of
curiosity she peered through the gates.
    “What d( , you want?” said a uniformed guard standing on the other
side.
    “I was looking
for my governess,” said Florentyna.
    “What’s her
name?”
    “Miss Tredgold,”
Florentyna said unflinchingly.
    “She’s already
gone into the clubhouse,” said the guard, pointing toward a Victorian building
surrounded by trees about a quarter of a mile up a steep rise.
    Florentyna
marched boldly through, without another word, staying on the path because “Keep
off the grass” signs were displayed every few yards.
    She kept her eye
on the clubhouse and had ample time to leap behind a tree when she saw Miss
Treelgold emerge. She hardly recognized the lady dressed in
red-and-yellow-checked tweed trousers, a heavy Fair Isle sweater and heavy
brown brogues. A bag of golf clubs was stung comfortably over one shoulder.
    Florentyria
stared at her governess, mesmerized.
    Miss Tredgold
walked toward the first tee, where she put down her bag and took out a ball.
She placed it on a tee at her feet and selected a club from her bag. After a
few practice swings she steadied herself, addressed the ball and hit it firmly
down the middle of the fairway. Florentyna couldn’t befieve her eyes. She
wanted to applaud but instead ran forward to hide behind another tree as Miss
Tredgold marched off down the fairway.
    Miss Trrdgold’s
second shot landed only twenty yards: from the edge of the green. Florentyna
ran forward to a clump of trees at the side of the fairway and watched Miss
Tredgold chip her ball up onto the green and hole it out with two putts.
Florentyna was left in no doubt that Miss Tredgold had been playing the game
for some considerable time.
    Miss Tredgold
then removed a small white card from her pocket and wrote on it, before heading
toward the second tee. As she did ~.io she gazed toward the second green, which
was to the left of where Florentyna was hidden. Once again Miss Tredgold
steadied herself, addressed the ball and swung, but this time she sliced her
shot and the ball ended up only fifteen yards from Florentyna’s hiding place.
    Th ,- Post: 1934-1968 63
    Florentyna
looked up at the trees, but they had not been made for climbing other than by a
cat. She held her breath and crouched behind the widest trunk, but could not
resist watching Miss Tredgold as she studied the lie of her ball. Miss Tredgold
muttered something inaudible and then selected a club. Florentyna let out her
breath as Miss Tredgold swung.
    The ball climbed
high and straight before landing in the middle of the fairway again.
    Florentyna
watched Miss Tredgold replace her club in the bag.
    I should have
kept a straighter arm on the first shot and then we would never have met.”
    Florentyna, assumed Miss
Tredgold was admonishing herself yet again and remained behind the tree.
    “Come here,
child.” Florentyna obediently ran out but said nothing.
    Miss Tred9old
took another ball from the side pocket of her bag and plac~-d it on the ground
in front of her. She selected a club and handed it to her charge.
    “Try to Nt the
ball in that direction,” she said pointing toward a flag about a hundred yards
away.
    Florentyna held
the club awkwardly before taking several swings at th ,~ ball, on each occasion digging up what Miss Tredgold called a “divot.”
    At last she managed
to push it twenty yards toward the fairway. She beamed with pleasure.
    I see we are in
for a long afternoon,” declared Miss Tredgold resigne( Ily.
    “I am