Home of The Naughty Stories Series
How will Kateryna woo Shevshenko? Will the Count elude confession on his death bed? Can a true Scot really appreciate a holiday in the Med? How will you grow old? Gracefully or with a bottle in your hands? Are you a Naughty Girl or Nice Girl? Have you ever encountered your double? Can you read the cards, or do you stick to the runes?
Carte Blanche is a collection of naughty short stories, a series of sly vignettes and comic tableaux, compiled and curated by best of friends, Maude and Mabel. Why not become a member of the lazy book club, and get your news from nowhere? Carte Blanche is the indulgent companion for idle days by the pool, the longeurs of the airport lounge and the post-industrial metro of the modern world.– M T Sands
Rahila had a beautiful apartment in the heart of the bazaar in Cairo with treasures she had collected from all over the world. To look after her treasures she employed a maid. The maid, who was very good at her job, was the smallest person Rahila had ever seen. Rahila also had the largest dog …
A rich man had sent his butler and assistant to make inquiries of a lady he had glimpsed in an exclusive West End club. “Well, did you see her?” “Yes, sir. “She’s Indonesian?” “I didn’t think so. At least she never told me where she was from. Besides, she sometimes spoke French.” “Oh, one of …
Everyone used to think Francesca was a nice girl. Francesca who had just started learning English would say: “Is it very surprising for someone who was born in Nice?” The adults would laugh indulgently at her quip. Although she was determined to be a nice girl, one summer, after she had just turned seventeen, she …
“Perfection is terrible. It cannot have children.” Sylvia Plath After all the time I’ve known Maude, it’s actually me who takes the trouble with washing up. I can’t stand dirty plates. Washing up doesn’t simply happen, it needs to be done properly. Firstly: all the dishes need to be stacked on one side of the …
Russian by birth, Emma was the wife of a rich Milanese industrialist, Eduardo Ugolini, by whom she had three children. Her middle son’s name was Eduardo jr. Eduardo’s best friend was Antonio. Antonio was from a poor family, with no significant connections, other than Eduardo’s enthusiasm for his talents as a cook. The Ugolinis were …
Alec and Janice lived on the sea shore of the western coast of Scotland. They had an old stone house with a slate roof set back up the hill. It was cosy with a roaring fire in winter. They had a dog called Harris and a beautiful wooden sailing yacht called Lady Veronica. While Janice …
Vittorio, who was a medical student, was what the Italians call a mammone. He lived at home with his mother and aunt. One day, Vittorio, who had been studying all night, overslept. “Mama,” he said, calling his mother from his bed. “I am sick. I cannot go to university today.” “That poor boy, he works …
The jeweller held the beads up to the light and scrutinized them through his magnifying glass. “I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “They’re not genuine. If you take them to costume jeweller’s, maybe they will give you something…” “How much do you think?” asked the customer. The jeweller thought for a while. “Some of …
Jamie Overstall grew up in Cambridgeshire in the Sixties. His parents were both Dons. Jamie was a precocious child who never quite lived up to his parents’ expectations. When he announced he was training to be a museum curator, they remained slightly disappointed. The truth was Jamie was not interested in bookish debates, though he …
“Why so scrawny cat? Starving for fat fish or mice… or backyard love?” Matsu Bashō, haiku Tony, who has not appeared directly in this book until now, once explained the concept of the dead cat. It went something like this: “Dead Cats – revolting really although of course they can be very charming when they …