Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell [63]
took out a lipstick. Pursing her lips, she dashed on a layer of glossy crimson to match her dress.
`Fun…'
`Bruce, lighten up. According to you,' Florence patiently reminded him, `playing golf is fun. And membership of that fancy club of yours doesn't come cheap, I'm sure. To each his own, darling. You hit little white balls into sandpits, I happen to prefer blackjack and roulette. Besides,' she went on as she squirted scent on to her wrists and throat, `we need to practise. We're in training for Vegas.'
`Good God,' Bruce spluttered under his breath. He tipped back his head and drained his glass of Scotch, wincing as the ice cubes smacked into his front teeth.
`How about it then, are you coming with us or not?' Danny's hand was hovering over the phone. `Because if it's a yes, we can all go in your car.'
The expression on Bruce's face reminded Miranda of a grenade having its pin slowly pulled out. She bit her lip and looked across at Florence, who was in turn gazing lovingly at Danny.
`No we bloody well are not coming with you,' Bruce hissed through clenched teeth. He began to wag his finger at Danny. `And let me tell you something else-'
`Bruce is tired, he's had a hard day,' Verity broke in at high speed before Bruce managed to instantly disinherit himself. `Actually, we should be getting back - we did promise the babysitter we wouldn't be late.'
`It's only nine o'clock.' Florence looked dismayed.
`Don't worry, I get the message,' said Danny. `I'm not stupid. You think I'm only interested in your mother for her money, don't you?' He gazed sadly at Bruce. `I'm not,though. I'm here because I care about her. I want to make her happy. I'm sorry if I don't earn enough to meet with your approval, but there's nothing I can do about that.'
`My son finds it hard to understand that there are more important things in life than money,' Florence explained.
`You,' Bruce jabbed a finger in her direction, `are going senile.'
`I'd like it if we could be friends,' Danny sighed, `but I don't think he wants to be. Oh well, at least I tried. I've done my best.'
`I know you have, darling.' Florence patted his hand. `Why don't you ring that cab company?'
`And charge it to my mother's account,' snarled Bruce. Florence shot him a look of reproach.
`I'm sorry you feel this way, Bruce. Now, mustn't keep that babysitter waiting.'
`Oh no, I haven't finished yet-'
`Bruce, you're my son and I love you, but sometimes you have the manners of a hog.'
`But-'
`No, don't interrupt.' Out of the corner of her eye, Florence could see Miranda trying desperately not to laugh. `If you can't be charming to Orlando, I think you'd better go home.'
Chapter 26
By ten o'clock, Miranda was seven hundred and sixty pounds down and beginning to panic.
`I'm usually lucky. This kind of thing doesn't happen to me,' she wailed. `I'm normally great at this.'
Across the table, Danny smirked. `Don't forget you still owe me a hundred as well.'
`You're all heart,' Miranda muttered, counting how much she had left.
Surreptitiously, while he wasn't looking, she slid a couple of fifties into the waistband of her skirt, for emergency use only. Sod Danny, if he didn't know she had them, he couldn't demand his money back.
`Right, my go.' Florence rattled the dice and flung them across the board with panache. `Six. Hah, Community Chest! "It's your birthday,"' she read aloud, ' “collect five hundred pounds from each player."'
`I think you mean ten,' Danny told her.
Florence winked at him.
`Worth a try, darling, always worth a try. Wouldn't care to sell me that funny little blue card of yours, by any chance?'
`That funny little blue card,' said Danny, `is Park Lane.'`Name your price,' Florence announced grandly. `A brand-new Porsche.'
`Oh!' Miranda suddenly squealed. `Did you see Bruce's face when you said Florence had offered to buy you one?' Scrambling into a sitting position, she imitated Bruce's get-ready-for-the-suppository expression. `Poor old Bruce, I almost felt sorry for him, I thought for a second his eyes were going to bounce out on springs