Free Gucci Mamas by Cate Kendall Page B

looking balloonologist was struggling to make the more-and-more-elaborate creations the assembled children were demanding.
    ‘I wanna replica of the Titanic ,’ Digby Symes whined, grabbing the balloon man’s elbow.
    The poor man twisted and bent his balloons into a ship-like shape and handed it to the child, who immediately screeched in horror and exploded the rubber work of art between his pudgy hands. ‘You moron,’ he shouted at the ship’s hapless creator. ‘Don’t you know the Titanic had four funnels?’
    Felicity Symes teetered inside from the garden, bits of turf dangling like ornaments from her Manolo Blahniks. ‘Possum, what’s all the noise about?’ she enquired of her now hysterical son.
    ‘He stuffed up the Titanic , he got it wrong. I hate him,’ Digby screeched.
    ‘Now, treasure, what have I told you before?’ Felicity scolded lightly. ‘Not everyone has had the educational advantages you’ve had, my sweet. We must learn to make allowances.’
    With that she steered him outside to heckle the clowns.
    Mim saw Ellie in the corner of the room trying to re-attach Paris’s tailfeathers. ‘Well, what did you expect you silly girl, this is not a costume you can SIT in,’ Ellie reprimanded.
    Looking stunning after her day at the stylist, Ellie’s hair was sleek, highlighted with a fourth colour, blow-waved and straightened. The down-lights positively bounced off it. Her chiffon black Alannah Hill top, off one shoulder, contrasted perfectly with the wide-leg white Merivale andMr John pants. Black closed-toe mules with a kitten heel completed her elegant ensemble.
    Pushing Paris back into the party, sans tail feathers, Ellie caught Mim’s eye and moved over to her. ‘Darling, thank God, you’re here. What a nightmare.’
    Grabbing glasses of sparkling burgundy from a passing waiter they appraised the scene.
    ‘Did you see Tiff?’
    ‘Yes, when we arrived.’
    ‘Gorgeous.’
    ‘I know … she’s divine.’
    ‘So sweet.’
    ‘Sweet, just so gorgeous. Love ’er.’
    ‘LOVE!’
    ‘What a do!’
    ‘Ohmigod, so OTT. But, they can afford it, I suppose.’
    ‘She’s paying back Cliff for being in Tokyo for the past three weeks; he only got back yesterday.’
    ‘Another pharmaceutical junket?’
    ‘With geishas laid on, no doubt.’
    ‘Apparently he’s flying in today for the party.’
    ‘God, he’s cutting it fine.’
    ‘I know. Tiffany’s furious, she’s had to supervise the entire management of this event by herself!’
    ‘No thanks,’ the girls said in unison to the waiter offering a tray of arancini.
    ‘Liz coming?’ Ellie asked, scanning the room to assess the standard of attendees.
    ‘No, she’s got something on as usual,’ Mim said, following Ellie’s gaze. ‘She wouldn’t say what of course, she never lets on much, does she?’
    ‘I know what you mean,’ said Ellie, staring wide-eyed at her party ally, ‘what’s going on? I mean, I love her, absolutely adore her, she’s so elegant and obviously verywell-connected, but we’re her closest friends and we don’t even know what she does with her days.’
    ‘Yes, I know what you mean,’ offered Mim, desperately trying to avoid the tacky habit of bitching about a friend. ‘She can be distant.’
    ‘Distant! Hah! That’s a polite way of putting it,’ finished Ellie, smoothing a polished finger over an equally pristine eyebrow.
    A flustered Fairy Fanny flew into the room and rushed up to Tiffany, who’d been about to join Mim and Ellie.
    ‘Fairy sorry I’m late, fairy mummy, but my fairy car’s fairy engine wouldn’t fairy start.’
    ‘Well you can kiss ten per cent of your fairy cheque away,’ Tiffany muttered as she ushered the fairy out to the big top.
    Mim wandered around the mansion to check on her kids. The boys were busily engaged in a pinball tournament, but Chloe was nowhere to be seen. Heading upstairs, Mim heard giggling coming from a bedroom and found Chloe and little Willow Arbour playing