Part 16 (1/2)
”Peppercorn ran second to Petronella at Newbury, giving her nine pounds.
Petronella met Simon Jackson at even weights at Newcastle, and Simon Jackson was left in the country. Peppercorn must win.”
”Let us hear the names of the others,” interrupted Miranda, running up to the table.
Harold Jupp read out the names.
”Smoky Boy, Paper Crown, House on Fire, Jemima Puddleduck----” and Miranda clapped her hands.
”Jemima Puddleduck's going to win.”
Both the young men stared at her, then both plunged their noses into their books.
”Jemima Puddleduck,” Dennis Brown read, ”out of Side Springs, by the Quack.”
”Oh, what a pedigree!” cried Miranda. ”She must win.”
Jupp wrinkled his forehead.
”But she's done nothing. Why must she win?” asked Dennis.
Miranda shrugged her shoulders at the ineffable stupidity of the young man with whom she was linked.
”Listen to her name! Jemima Puddleduck! She can't lose!”
Both the young men dropped their books and gazed at one another hopelessly. Here was the whole scientific business of spotting winners, through research into pedigrees, weights, records, the favourite distances and race courses of this or that runner, so completely disregarded that racing might really be a matter of chance.
”I'll tell you, Miranda,” said Harold Jupp. ”Jemima Puddleduck's a Plater.”
The awful condemnation had no sooner been p.r.o.nounced than the butler, with his attendant footman, appeared to remove the tea.
”We have just heard over the telephone, sir,” he said to Sir Chichester, ”the winner of the last race.”
”Oh!” cried Miranda breathlessly. ”Which was it?”
”Chewing Gum.”
Miranda swept round to her husband, radiant. ”There, what did I tell you? Chewing Gum. What were the odds, Harper?” She turned again to the butler. ”Oh, you do know, don't you?”
”Yes, madam, twelve to one. They say he rolled home.”
Miranda Brown jumped in the air.
”Oh, I have won a hundred and twenty pounds.”
Harold Jupp was sympathetic and consolatory.
”Of course it's a mistake, Miranda. I am awfully sorry! Chewing Gum ran nowhere to Earthly Paradise in the Newberry Stakes this year, and Earthly Paradise, all out to win, was beaten a month ago by seven lengths at Warwick, by Rollicking Lady. And Rollicking Lady was in this race too. So you see it's impossible. Chewing Gum's a Plater.”
Miranda wrung her hands.