Read Online The Love Letter by Fiona Walker - Free Book Online Page A

charms two years earlier on a sunny autumn afternoon, without a thought for practicality. They’d told Legs how they’d walked the sixteen acres of thigh-high meadow pasture and fruit-heavy apple orchards with dreams of baby-making and self-sufficiency, visualising chicken runs, sheep and a house cow in the paddocks, a pig pen, vegetable plots, soft fruit garden and artisan office studios in the outbuildings. Ultimately, both nowclaimed, they’d bought it on the strength of its name alone. What more perfect address for two writers?
    But even though Inkpot Farm was the escape-from-it-all idyll that the couple had dreamed of for so long, they’d done nothing but try to escape again since arriving. It had now been on the market several months, and although it was attracting plenty of couples with roses-around-the-door-tinted spectacles, none had made an offer yet.
    On the dashboard, Legs’ new iPhone vibrated, making her jump.
    ‘That’s a cool mobile.’ Nico managed to lift his head a fraction in acknowledgement. ‘What network are you on?’
    ‘The net that’s closing in on me,’ she sighed.
    It was a message from Kelly.
    I now gather from Gordon that you are liaising with the Farcombe Literary Committee shortly. He advises me that you are extremely confident of success. In light of this, please note the list of Gordon’s requirements below:
    No cameras apart from pre-approved accredited photojournalists
    No questions apart from those pre-approved by Gordon’s management
    No public signings
    No hand-held microphones
    Pet-friendly accommodation to be provided with bath, not shower. Bed-head must face east, room windows west. At least three living plants in room. Large bowl of fresh fruit (Fairtrade only).
    Car and driver must be available for Gordon’s sole use at all times. This will be front- or four-wheel drive and have air conditioning. Must not be red.
    No nuts to be served to Gordon or near Gordon.
    Legs read it with eyebrows raised and quickly typed back.
    I will do what I can with this list, although cannot guarantee nuts will not be served as they should be allowed to purchase a drink when they have travelled to North Devon to see their favourite author. Regrettably I cannot offer myself as chauffeur because I drive a red car. Is the bath for the pet? It might make all the difference. Fur or feather?
    Knowing that she’d be fired on the spot if Conrad got wind of her impertinence – the ‘pluck off’ was bad enough – she moved her thumb to the ‘Cancel’ button. While Gordon shared her irreverent humour, she had to box clever with Kelly, who was far more hardcore protective, lightning-fast to slam down the portcullis if she sensed a threat to the extraordinary Lapis creativity. Legs guessed that Kelly was a key player behind the genius author, and was consequently very wary of her, as well as being increasingly envious of her job. The gratification and intensity of working alongside Gordon’s lively mind seemed in direct contrast to her daily grind making up for Conrad’s long absences and doing his dirty work for him.
    Message Sent, the phone reported cheerfully.
    ‘What?’ she howled.
    ‘Benny has an iPhone and it does that all the time,’ Nico sympathised nauseously as she started shouting at her phone and threatening to jettison it out the window.
    It buzzed again.
    Nuts may be served outside,
it read.
    Legs let out a breath of relief. She liked Kelly, she decided. She could almost forgive her for being the kind of woman to make Conrad look positively skittish; he’d recently described her as having ‘the balls of a man’.
    Beyond the farmhouse a car engine started up then faded away along the lane.
    ‘Sorry about that!’ Daisy burst out of the back door moments later. ‘That’s the second time they’ve come and I wanted to leave them with a mental image of perfection.’
    ‘You can’t risk putting buyers off with the blight of a caffeine-deprived best friend and carsick