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Thursday 31 January 2013

LANDSCAPES OF LUST

This cameo is the lead-in to Landscapes of Lust, a further escapade of Christopher Mortlock's.
He features in Memoirs of Lady Montrose, being released as part of the "At Your Service" anthology: release date  May 2013 by Total-e-Bound. Landscapes of Lust is under consideration at present.

"The colour caught her eye - iridescent green with black lettering.
Louise reached out to stroke the surface of the business card, its bottom corner curled like a beckoning finger.  Could it be the same as the one on the supermarket notice board? She’d read that card and decided it had to be a joke. But a joke card here on the official up-market notice board at the Public Library?
She took a furtive glance over her shoulder.  No one seemed to be looking in her direction and with
a quick flick of her fingernail she removed the tack and caught the business card.
The tack hit the floor with a ping and she palmed the card as she bent to pick up the tack and push it back into the soft-core board, along with the other spare pins in the left bottom corner.  The sign at the top said: “Public Community Notice Board. Please take the card if you need the service advertised”. She needed a gardener. Why did she feel so guilty?

She hurried through the automatic doors into the spring wind, one hand firmly holding her hat down, the business card still clasped in her fingers. She unlocked the car and slid in, grateful for the privacy so she could read again the fine print. Would it be the same as on the other card she’d read?
 The heading was easy enough to read, it was the smaller print that required her glasses.
Christopher Mortlock
Gardener Extraordinaire

 ‘Lawns, edges, pavings – pruning, thinning and cravings.
Wisteria trimmed, hysteria tamed
     eradication of widow’s weeds’ a specialty
Satisfaction guaranteed
All services  undertaken with specialist care
Phone  - 202 6969.

Yes, the wording was the same.  She had cravings you wouldn’t believe possible after three years of widowhood, not to mention a garden that looked as if Nature had won the battle against orderly growth.

This man could be the answer to her prayers all she needed now was a bottle of wine and the courage to ring him. "


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