The Abbot surveyed his copy of English Bridge in disbelief. ‘It says here that they’re awarding green masterpoints for the next simultaneous pairs,’ he exclaimed.
‘I can’t see any harm in it,’ Brother Lucius replied. ‘Those events raise a lot of money for charity.’
‘I dare say they do,’ said the Abbot, ‘but it’s rather unfair to those of us who have sweated blood and tears to accumulate our green points at the top level.’
The Abbot returned to the magazine, noting that the charity pairs in question was to be played that very evening. Perhaps they were holding a heat at the Nether Wallop Village Hall. Brother Xavier was still in his sick bed but their visitor, Sister Grace, might be willing to partner him again. Their sixth place in the monastery pairs hadn’t exactly set the world on fire but the standard at Nether Wallop was not of the best.
That evening the Abbot and Sister Grace arrived in good time at the thatched village hall in Nether Wallop. Eventually the Abbot found himself at the front of the queue to pay for the entry. ‘You’re not members, are you?’ queried Iris Pardew. ‘That will be four pounds ninety each.’
The Abbot winced. How could they charge so much, just to play in a local duplicate? Sister Grace was making no move towards paying her share, so it seemed he would have to wave goodbye to a tenner.
Iris Pardew noted the Abbot’s reaction. ‘It’s all for a good cause,’ she said.
‘Yes, indeed,’ replied the Abbot. ‘I’m happy to support it.’
‘You can leave your overcoat in the men’s cloakroom near the bar,’ Iris Pardew continued.
The Abbot glared at her. His overcoat? Had the woman never seen a monk’s cassock before? She would certainly have a shock if he took if off. So would all the other women in the room.
Play began and this was an early board:
| Vul:N-S Dlr: South |
 4 AK432 A984 KQ2 |
|
| J1096 J9875 62 J3 |
Q875 -- QJ103 109874 |
|
| AK32 Q106 K75 A65 |
|
West gLADYS mERTON |
North THE ABBOT |
East WINIFRED HARRIS |
South SISTER GRACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1NT | |||
| Pass | 2 |
Pass | 2 |
| Pass | 3 |
Pass | 3 |
| Pass | 4NT | Pass | 5 |
| Pass | 6 |
All Pass |
Gladys Merton could not believe it when the visitors bid a small slam in her best suit. Normally she would have doubled, but it didn’t seem very polite against two religious people. Not when they spent their whole lives doing good for others. ‘My lead, is it?’ she said.
Sister Grace won the spade lead with the ace and played a trump to the ace, East discarding a club. ‘They always choose silly deals for these charity events,’ she observed with a smile.
The Abbot was less amused. Surely an expert auction to the best contract should be rewarded with a high match-point score? What right did these charity pairs organizers have to succour the weak? Particularly when there were green points at stake.
Sister Grace cashed the ace and king of diamonds and continued with the king of spades, discarding one of dummy’s clubs. She ruffed a spade in dummy, cashed the king of clubs and led the club queen, overtaking with the ace. A further spade ruff in dummy left these cards still to be played:
board:
| Vul:N-S Dlr: South |
-- K4 98 -- |
|
| -- J987 -- -- |
-- -- QJ 109 |
|
| -- Q10 7 6 |
‘Play a diamond, Hugo,’ instructed Sister Grace.
East won with the queen of diamonds, looking somewhat annoyed when her partner ruffed the trick. Sister Grace won West’s trump exit with the ten and cross-ruffed the last two tricks. The slam was hers.
‘My queen of diamonds was good, partner,’ exclaimed Winifred Harris. ‘Didn’t you notice?’
‘Yes, sorry,’ her partner replied. ‘Still, it was a bit awkward. I only had trumps left.’
The Abbot reached enthusiastically for the score-sheet and entered what was certain to be a near national top. Even at this early stage he could visualize the master-point card with a green number inscribed on it.