Free Mount! by Jilly Cooper Page A

provoke Bethany in the middle of a messy divorce, but he didn’t trust Celeste not to sneak if he showed interest in anyone else.
    Dave jerked his head up, bounding away as a voice shouted, ‘Gav!’ It was Rupert’s grandson Young Eddie Alderton, deeply tanned from visiting his parents in Palm Beach. Even jet lag and nights of carousing didn’t dim his golden beauty.
    ‘What’s up?’ he asked, seeing Gav’s face looking longer than usual.
    ‘Gotta go to Master Quickly’s christening.’
    ‘I’ll look after you.’ Eddie pulled the invitation out of his jeans pocket. ‘I’ve been asked to the same bash. I’ll introduce you to Trixie. Are you up to Trix? She is so gorgeous. Etta’s granddaughter, doing her A-levels. You can rabbit on to her about literature. If she wasn’t only seventeen and a teenage mom, I’d be very serious about getting serious.’
    ‘Helluva commitment.’
    ‘Helluva. Don’t want to hurt her. Father of the baby screwed her over, but she’s special – and crazy about me.’ Eddie grinned and rolled his cornflower-blue eyes.
    Gav liked Eddie, who was arrogant, spoilt, opinionated, identical in looks and as wild and ragingly promiscuous as Rupert had been in his youth. They often fell out when Eddie was too rough on horses, but the boy was fun, and Gav felt warmed by his high spirits.
    ‘I’m so pooped,’ announced Eddie as they walked back to the yard, ‘I’m going to bed alone for a change … or perhaps not,’ he added as Marketa, the ‘Woluptuous’ Czech stable lass came out of the tack room. ‘But I’ll take you to that party tomorrow. Dora’ll be there, you can drive the Ferrari and all the women’ll think it’s your car. Gramps is right, you need some fun.’

9
    On the morning of the party Dora was in early, arranging a table with posters of Love Rat and Mrs Wilkinson, where Alan could sign copies of his book. Exciting the waiters who were lining up the Bollinger in the marquee, Trixie Macbeth, armed with a large vodka and tonic, strolled up to Dora’s table. Brown cowboy boots enhanced her endless legs, a pale-brown suede dress with a fringed skirt fell to luscious mid-thigh. Shiny dark plaits were kept in place with a scarlet silk bandeau round her forehead.
    ‘That kit would look ridiculous on anyone else,’ sighed Dora. ‘Red Indian above the knees, cowboy below.’
    ‘Minnehaha, Laughing Vodka,’ said Trixie, taking a slug. ‘That bandeau’s covering a zit.’
    ‘The press are bound to mob you, looking so good. Promise to keep saying Quickly’s the son of Love Rat,’ begged Dora, as Trixie glanced idly at the guest list to see if her baby’s father, Seth, was coming.
    ‘Seth and Corinna never answer,’ said Dora, reading her mind. ‘But as soon as they suss the number of press rolling up, they’ll be down here like a shot. Corinna can smell a photographer a hundred miles away. “I am recognized – therefore I am”.’
    ‘I’d just like Seth to see how cute Hereward is and how utterly I’m over
him
.’
    ‘Hum,’ said Dora.
    ‘That’s why I’d like Eddie Alderton to be here,’ continued Trixie. ‘Has he answered?’
    Dora shook her head, then as an outraged Valent stormed up, she said to him, ‘Doesn’t Trixie look fabulous?’
    ‘Taken enough bloody time on it,’ snapped Valent. ‘Hereward had Etta up twice in the night; she’s just changed and fed him, and wants to know if she’s dressed him in the right kit.’ Seizing Trixie’s arm, he frogmarched her back into the house. ‘That’s your job. Stop taking the piss. Etta’s really stressed over this party and she needs to get ready.’
    ‘I’m sorry.’
    ‘Not nearly enuff. We’re happy to give you a home, Trix, but not if you’re going to constantly abuse your grandmother’s hopelessly kind heart.’
    Trixie found Etta with her dress over her head trying not to get make-up on it or dislodge her Carmen rollers.
    ‘So sorry to desert you. Sorry, Granny.’
    Hereward