The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous Read Online Free PDF

lawn.
        'Isn't he?' agreed Seb. 'Unfortunately his boss put him on commission only and as he's not selling any houses he's running up terrible debts, betting and going out clubbing every night.'
        'He ought to do something else.'
        'He's about to go to a new job working in the City for some merchant bank which specializes in pretty, personable young men; but he'll never last. He's not cut out for the City. He ought to be a jump jockey or a polo player. You saw what a beautiful horseman he was this afternoon, but it took him four chukkas to get his act together.'
        'He's very upset about his mother.'
        'Devastated,' agreed Seb. 'Completely lost his base, drinking himself stupid; can't settle to anything. Unlikehis pompous achieving brothers, he's pretty dyslexic and he left school without an O level. His mother spoilt him rotten the
        worse the prank the more she laughed, but she always bailed him out when he ran out of money. Pity Elmer can't sign him up for the whole season. Pedro Cavanali broke his leg falling on the boards this afternoon. He plays medium goal with Elmer.' 'I'll see what I can do,' said Martha. The Mexican had carved two of the sucking pigs. Maids were carrying bowls of salad and baked potatoes through to the dining room as Lysander bounded through the french windows brandishing another bottle.
        'Clear the lawn for ballet,' he shouted, then standing on one leg executed a pirouette, spilling a lot of champagne and only just avoided collapsing on the grass. 'You need an early night,' said Seb pointedly. Inside the house, Lysander could see Elmer bending over Bonny, playing with the ends of her hair, no doubt boasting that Mrs Ex's equine ancestors had come over in the Mayflower.
        'I'll stick around,' said Lysander. 'Well, at least behave yourself,' warned Seb. 'Some hope,' said Dommie, who wandered over tearing the flesh off the leg of a sucking pig with very white teeth. 'Grub's up. It's very good, although,' he dropped his voice so only Seb could hear, 'our patron seems to have started already. He's eating that slag alive.'
        Going towards the house, Martha caught sight of Elmer and went into reverse.
        'That Bonny's a bucket,' said Lysander in outrage. 'You're much, much prettier.'
        'She's newer.' Martha took out a cigarette with a trembling hand. 'Have you got a light?'
        Lysander hadn't, but, before Martha could stop him he'd plunged a twenty-dollar bill into the coals of the
        barbecue.
        'You're crazy but awful sweet,' reproached Martha, as he almost burnt his fingers getting the charred paper to her cigarette in time, but she was too immersed in her own misery.
        'It's my fault,' she confessed. 'My last husband was faithful and dull and I was bored out of my skull, so I ran off with Elmer, who had a roving eye and I haven't slept since.'
        'Elmer's a shit,' said Lysander with such disapproval that Martha looked up. 'Dad was a shit to my mother and he's already found someone else, a Mrs Colman, an army widow. She's got veiny ankles and wears shirts with pie-frill collars,' he went on in disgust. 'The boys call her "Mustard" because she's so keen on Dad. She helps him fund-raise. They're turning the stables where Mum kept her horses into a new music school.'
        'The speed with which Mrs Ex carted you this afternoon,' said Martha bitterly, 'is only equalled by the haste with which men shack up if they're divorced or widowed, or bored with their wives. Oh God, no!'
        Following her gaze, Lysander saw Bonny run off shrieking excitedly into the wet depths of the shrubbery followed by Elmer.
        'Could you bear to take me home?'
        'Oh wow, that's like offering me a ride in the National,' said Lysander. 'Could I bear? I certainly could.' Then, seeing Seb beadily advancing on them with two platefuls of food, 'Look, I don't want the twins getting heavy. Let's escape through