Special Edition

"Coals to Newcastle and other short stories

£5.99; including

'Fondest Love' is one of 5 stories as published by 

The Lady Magazine January.

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Coals to Newcastle.
Horace Cummings is a fool. Fabulously good-looking, maybe; a brilliant salesman, perhaps, but one of those types that are helpless without a spouse to mother him, organise his life, change his socks. He’d like some degree of intimacy with his wife, but she’s soon disabused him of all those fanciful notions. But then could he be having an affair? Signs might be there. But no. He’s far too timid for that sort of thing, isn’t he? 

Fondest Love.
He’s dropping her at the airport. It’s going to be goodbye, but he can’t bear it. After all this time together? She’ll change her mind before it’s too late. He knows she will. A final meal together. They were always a pair, a real team. There’ll be no turning back. And now she’s gone and he’s driving home, devastated. Up the drive, and there she is, coming towards him? But how can that be? An hallucination?

I am a Gigolo. 
And doesn’t he know it. Good looking, a wow with the ladies, especially where it counts. But we have a little secret. A little problem we won’t be discussing right now. Just make sure you don’t tell anyone if you find out, madam.

Crossfire.
‘He’s my boy. Chip off the old block. Handled those knife wielding thugs with me next to him like they was nothing. Wants to join the army, like his dad. Now he says he wants to be a girl. WHAT? Forget it buster. Over my dead body. You’re all man my son. And that’s how you’re staying.’

Killing me softly. 
He got rich through gambling. Bet with a mate he’s have me wed within a year, and won. Bet we stay wed for ten years, and he won. I’m bored witless with him. He’s dying now, thank Gawd, and I’m helping him on his way, with flowers. What a laugh. And I’ve taken over all his bank accounts. I wasn’t born yesterday. Thing is, he don’t seem worried by any of it. What’s he up to?

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