Free Meet Me Under The Ombu Tree by Santa Montefiore Page B

play. His cousin didn’t reply and hung her head. Leaning over like a big bat, he cast a shadow across the board. Sebastian, Niquito and Angel made jokes each time Sofia tossed the dice; Agustin, who was now winning, laughed heartily. Rafael, who had initially wanted his brother to win, typically changed sides to support the underdog. He always relented when Sofia got upset. Santi, of course, wanted Sofia to win. He had always felt like a protective elder brother where she was concerned. He could see she was miserable she was losing and probably wishing she hadn’t been so overconfident. He finally caught her eye as she looked at him sheepishly. She had probably only baited Agustin for attention and because it was raining and she had nothing better to do than aggravate everyone. He knew Sofia. He knew her better than anyone.
    ‘I’ve won!’ Agustin proclaimed proudly, placing his last pieces into the leather slot to the side of the board.
    ‘You cheated,’ Sofia said, crossly. Santi laughed and rolled his eyes.
    ‘Shut up!’ replied Agustin. ‘I won fair and square and I’ve got five witnesses.’
    ‘You still cheated,’ she said grouchily.
    ‘Chofi, admit defeat gracefully,’ said Santi seriously, wandering out of the room.
    ‘I won’t. Not from Agustin. Not from him, ever!’ she cried, and flounced out after him.
    ‘Well done, Agustin,’ Fernando applauded, patting him roughly on the back. ‘That shut her up. Now we’ll have a peaceful afternoon.’
    ‘You’ll now have a peaceful afternoon,’ sighed Rafael. ‘We’ll have a horrible evening. She’ll sulk for days.’
    ‘No one sulks like Sofia,’ agreed Agustin. ‘But it’ll be worth every tantrum. I enjoyed that. Anyone else fancy a game?’
    Sofia followed Santi down the corridor.
    ‘Where are you going?’ she asked, dragging her hand along the wall.
    ‘You should have better grace when you lose.’
    ‘I don’t care.’
    ‘You should - a bad loser is very unattractive.’ He knew that would get a reaction. Sofia was very vain.
    ‘I wasn’t that graceless. Only with Agustin. You know how he gets to me.’
    ‘I gather you baited him in the first place.’
    At that moment the door burst open and in tumbled Chiquita, Maria and Panchito under a large black umbrella.
    ‘It is foul out there,’ gasped Chiquita. ‘Ah, Santiago, be a dear and help Panchito out of his things, he’s soaked through. Encarnacion!’ she shouted.
    ‘What’s Dermot doing out in the rain?’ asked Maria, wringing her hair out with her hands.
    ‘I’m going to see Grandpa,’ Sofia announced, rushing past them. ‘See you later.’
    ‘It’s so unlike summer to rain like this, it just hasn’t stopped all day,’ said Chiquita, shaking her head.
    Sofia ran through the trees shouting for her grandfather. It really was raining hard, and she couldn’t imagine what had possessed him to venture out in such a deluge. To her amusement she saw him across the plain knocking croquet balls through hoops, watched miserably by a couple of sodden dogs whose tails hung limply between their legs.
    ‘Grandpa, what on earth are you doing?’ she asked as she approached.
    ‘The sun’s about to come out, Sofia Melody,’ he replied. ‘Ah, good shot, Dermot! Told you I’d do it,’ he added to the dogs as the blue ball glided easily through the hoop.
    ‘But you’re soaking wet.’
    ‘So are you.'
    ‘You’ve been out here all afternoon. Everyone’s talking about it.’
    ‘I’ll be dry soon. That sun’s on its way out, I can feel it already on my back.’
    Sofia felt the cold drips sliding down hers and shivered. She cast her eyes up to the sky, expecting there to be nothing but grey mist. But to her surprise she found a resplendent glow beginning to break through the cloud. Squinting her eyes to stop the rain falling in, she could feel the heat on her face.
    ‘You’re right, Grandpa. The sun is about to come out.’
    ‘Of course I am, girl. Now take a mallet.