Part 22 (2/2)

'They're nitrogen-powered footplates. You just step onto them and they blow you right into the air. We used them in Private Ryan-we got some fabulous explosions.'

Phyllis was sighing with happiness.

'What's your best stunt ever?' Lily asked, as we pa.s.sed The Queens pub.

'Do I have to tell you?' he groaned.

'Yes, you do,' she commanded.

'Okay,' he sighed. 'But only as you're asking. It was a high level fight I once did.'

'How high?' asked Phyllis.

'Well, you know that statue of Christ outside Rio de Janeiro.'

'Jesus!' Lily exclaimed.

'Yes-that one. I had to climb up into the head via a small hole and cling to the crown of thorns. Then I walked out along an arm, two and a half thousand feet above the city and had to fight this other stuntman.'

Phyllis had clapped her hand to her chest in an ecstasy of terror. I was worried that she was going to collapse.

'Did you have a safety harness?' Lily asked, her eyes goggling.

'No.'

'Did you fall?' Phyllis asked. 'Is that how you broke your nose?'

'If I'd fallen two and a half thousand feet, Phyllis, I can a.s.sure you I'd have broken a lot more than my nose. No, I was lifted off by helicopter, on the end of a rope, and they dropped me on Copacabana beach.'

'Were you always a daredevil?' Phyllis asked as we crossed Primrose Hill Road.

'No, I was a bit of a squit really. I was very anxious and got picked on all the time. That's how my nose got broken-in the playground. Maybe that's why I went into this business-to conquer my fears.'

'And how's your new young lady?' Phyllis asked with a tipsy smirk.

'Oh she's...fine,' he replied. 'She's absolutely fine.'

'She must have been thrilled with the chocolates,' I said.

'Well, she was,' he replied. 'Except...well, unfortunately, chocolate gives Natalie migraines.'

'Really? Oh dear.'

'Yeah.' He shrugged. 'I didn't know that. It's quite a serious problem for her actually, she really suffers with them but-hey-there she is!' Coming towards us, on our side of the road, was a slender blonde of exquisite prettiness. It was her-the Timotei ad. The girl I'd seen in the Mews. So she was Marcus's new flame.

'She's very pretty,' Phyllis said admiringly.

'Yes, she's gorgeous,' Marcus whispered back. He waved at Natalie who suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, then crossed to the other side of the road. Then she got out her mobile phone, and dialled. Suddenly Marcus's mobile trilled out.

'Hi, Nats!' he said. 'How are you? Good. Yes, I'm fine-apart from a slight sniffle. And where are you going? To the chemist? Piriton? For your hay fever? Oh, I see. Well we're just going onto the Hill with the puppies.'

'Why's she doing that?' Phyllis whispered to Lily. Lily shrugged her slim shoulders.

'Haven't a clue. Maybe it's her way of playing hard to get.'

'Okay,' said Marcus. 'See you later, then.' He snapped shut his phone, and waved at Natalie, who gave him a little wave back-then she carried on down Regents Park Road.

'What was that about?' Lily enquired.

'Oh, well, unfortunately, Natalie's allergic to dogs. And when she saw all the puppies she just knew it would bring her out in b.u.mps.'

'Oh dear,' I said.

'Yes, it can be quite bad actually-so she was just playing it safe. With cats it's even worse. She has a very nasty reaction.'

'But isn't that a bit of a problem?' Phyllis asked. She nodded at Twiglet.

'Oh not...really,' he said, s.h.i.+fting slightly. 'No, no, I wouldn't say that's a problem.'

'I've seen her in the Mews,' I said, as we turned in at the gate. 'Quite often actually. I a.s.sumed she worked there. I didn't realize she was your girlfriend.'

'Well, she has aromatherapy once a week to de-stress her, and she goes to the homeopath for her allergies, and to the chiropractor for her lower back pain. She has a cranial ma.s.sage once a fortnight for her migraines, and she uses Chinese herbal remedies to improve her yin and yang. That's how I knew about you,' he said. 'Because she saw your plaque on the wall when you first opened up.'

'I see.' We'd caught up with the rest of the group. 'Anyway, everyone, we're going to do some sit and stay. So take the puppies off the lead and plonk them down in a row, here, next to Herman. Then, using hand signals, like this-make them wait to the count of five; then fling open your arms, and they'll come. If they do it properly, reward them with lots of praise and a liver treat-I've got the bag here-but don't reward them until they've done it.'

'-Stay, Bentley.'

'-Stay, Lola.'

'-Staaaaay, Sooty.'

'-Maisie, sta-a-a-a-ay!'

'-Stay there, Gwyneth darling, don't move an inch.'

'-STAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!'

'-Not an inch, Gwyneth-do you hear me?'

The puppies all looked stupefied to start with, but then they got the hang of it.

'-Oh darling, well done, that was just so brilliant-you little genius!'

'-Good girl, Roxy!'

'-Good boy, Cosmo!'

<script>