We were rudely interrupted, however, by Bertie deciding the spotlight had been off him for quite long enough, and letting rip with his unholy screeching. This time, even Nelson couldn’t shut him up.
‘Give him to me,’ I said, and I held him at arm’s length and fixed him with my disappointed glare.
He hiccuped, and stopped in shock.
‘Still got it,’ I said happily.
‘You never lost it,’ he said, and led me off to the champagne.
Hester Browne’s Polite Thank-you Notes
There’s no thank-you card smart enough for Lizzy Kremer, the agent who truly puts the ‘present’ in representation. Or indeed for Laura West at David Higham, David Forrer and Kim Witherspoon at Inkwell Management, Sara Kinsella and Isobel Akenhead at Hodder, and Maggie Crawford and Mara Sorkin at Pocket, who are patient, full of excellent anecdotes, and the sort of people with whom you’d want to throw back a Martini or two at the Blue Bar.
I’m also indebted to mes amis, les Allens, for the Parisian bits, and finally to my father, for the advice about yachts and potential seafaring accidents pertaining to gin palaces. Unlike Melissa’s father, he didn’t even think about invoicing me for this information.
About the author
Hester Browne bakes a perfect sponge, collects bright red lipsticks and etiquette books, and divides her time between the King’s Road and Great Malvern.
Table of Contents
What the Lady Wants
By the Same Author
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Hester Browne’s Polite Thank-you Notes
About the Author