The Gatecrasher by Sophie Kinsella Read Free Book Online

looked up. A blond woman in an emerald green jacket was bearing down on them. Her eyes swivelled from Richard to Fleur, to Lambert, to Philippa, and back to Fleur. Fleur returned her gaze equably. Why did these women have to wear so much makeup? she wondered. The woman’s eyelids were smothered in bright blue frosting; her eyelashes stuck straight out from her eyes in black spikes; on one of her teeth there was a tiny smear of lipstick.
    “Eleanor!” said Richard. “How nice to see you. Are you up with Geoffrey?”
    “No,” said Eleanor. “I’m having lunch with a girlfriend; then we’re off to the Scotch House.” She shifted the gilt chain strap of her bag from one shoulder to the other. “Actually, Geoffrey was saying only the other day that he hadn’t seen you at the club recently.” Her voice held a note of enquiry; again her eyes slid towards Fleur.
    “Let me introduce you,” said Richard. “This is a friend of mine, Fleur Daxeny. Fleur, this is Eleanor Forrester. Her husband is captain of the golf club down at Greyworth.”
    “How nice to meet you,” murmured Fleur, rising from her seat slightly to shake hands. Eleanor Forrester’s hand was firm and rough; almost masculine except for the red-painted nails. Another golfer.
    “Are you an old friend of Richard’s?” asked Eleanor.
    “Not really,” said Fleur. “I met Richard for the first time four weeks ago.”
    “I see,” said Eleanor. Her spiky eyelashes batted up and down a few times. “I see,” she said again. “Well, I suppose I’d better be off. Will you be playing in the Spring Meeting, any of you?”
    “I certainly will,” said Lambert.
    “Oh, I expect I will too,” said Richard. “But who knows?”
    “Who knows,” echoed Eleanor. She looked again at Fleur, and her mouth tightened. “Very nice to meet you, Fleur. Very interesting indeed.”
    They watched in silence as she walked briskly away, her blond hair bouncing stiffly on the collar of her jacket.
    “Well,” exclaimed Lambert when she was out of earshot. “That’ll be all over the club tomorrow.”
    “Eleanor was a really good friend of Mummy’s,” said Philippa apologetically to Fleur. “She probably thought . . .” She broke off awkwardly.
    “You know, you’ll have to watch it,” said Lambert to Richard. “You’ll get back to Greyworth and find everyone’s been talking about you.”
    “How nice,” said Richard, smiling at Fleur, “to be the centre of attention.”
    “It may seem funny now,” said Lambert. “But if I were you . . .”
    “Yes, Lambert? What would you do?”
    A note of steel had crept into Richard’s voice, and Philippa shot Lambert a warning look. But Lambert ploughed on.
    “I’d be a bit careful, Richard. Frankly, you don’t want people getting the wrong idea. You don’t want people gossiping behind your back.”
    “And why should they gossip behind my back?”
    “Well I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Look, Fleur, I don’t want to offend you, but you understand, don’t you? A lot of people were very fond of Emily. And when they hear about you . . .”
    “Not only will they hear about Fleur,” said Richard loudly, “but they will meet her, since she will be coming down to stay at Greyworth as soon as possible. And if you have a problem with that, Lambert, then I suggest you keep well away.”
    “I only meant . . .” began Lambert.
    “I know what you meant,” said Richard. “I know only too well what you meant. And I’m afraid I think a lot less of you for it. Come on, Fleur, let’s leave.”
     
    Out on the pavement, Richard took Fleur’s arm.
    “I’m so sorry about that,” he said. “Lambert can be most objectionable.”
    “It’s quite all right,” said Fleur quietly. My God, she thought, I’ve had it a lot more objectionable than that. There was the daughter who tried to pull my hair out, the neighbour who called me a slut . . .
    “And you will come down to Greyworth? I’m sorry, I should have asked