The Flirt

The Flirt
Kathleen Tessaro

A delicious romantic comedy from the bestselling author of Elegance‘Unique situation available for attractive, well mannered, reasonably educated young man.Hours irregular. Pay generous. Discretion a must.’In a small office in Half Moon Street, Hughie Venables-Smythe discovers the world of the professional flirt. A timeless art, it can save a marriage or lift a heart faster than any therapy.Letitia Vane runs a bespoke lingerie shop in Belgravia and understands just how to make women feel beautiful. But she cannot let her guard down and fall in love, least of all with Hughie.Olivia Bourgault de Coudray is in an unhappy marriage to a very wealthy man. When a series of beautiful notecards begins to appear, with intriguing clues handwritten on each, her interest is piqued. But the same clues are being delivered to Letitia.Who is flirting with whom? And is flirtation as innocent as it seems – or can it lead to far more dangerous territories of the heart?

KATHLEEN TESSARO

THE FLIRT

Copyright (#u9d4477ac-b973-5942-a957-899ed74d23b0)

This novel is entirely a work of fiction.

The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are

the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to

actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is

entirely coincidental.

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

1

Copyright © Kathleen Tessaro 2008

The author asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book

is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Ebook Edition © 2008 ISBN: 9780007330676

Version: 2017-12-08

Praise for Kathleen Tessaro’s previous bestsellers: (#u9d4477ac-b973-5942-a957-899ed74d23b0)

‘More heart than you’ll ever find on a catwalk … written with élan and panache.’

Daily Mail

‘It’s friendship, not elegance, that proves Louise’s real saviour, and the friendships that develop through the book are drawn carefully and with insight.’

Independent

‘A perfect pick-me-up.’

Cosmopolitan

‘It’s surprising that this is Kathleen Tessaro’s first novel as her style shows the confidence and ease of a more seasoned writer. A charming, entertaining novel.’

Punch

Table of Contents

Copyright (#u9305d2a1-2cb7-5099-9f2c-962d93af0bc2)

Praise (#u43b01656-c9ba-524e-80b6-ad40b0b2080b)

Chapter 1 - La Vie Bohème (#uf04a6d5f-a040-5a89-9c76-23e4ade94d66)

Chapter 2 - A Self-Made Woman (#ufc6dab3b-7085-5c5c-a289-e3fde65ef7ba)

Chapter 3 - Tea for Table Five (#uab4ca7c8-8437-5062-9036-e542a766c707)

Chapter 4 - 45 Chester Square (#udd6af51d-1b78-5f4f-ac8e-8542e85a0aae)

Chapter 5 - Free Lunch or a Shag (#uffd60422-8758-5516-85ad-806624a4f780)

Chapter 6 - Armenian Plumbers (#u58e08f3a-5a54-5297-835f-7d213e0be8a7)

Chapter 7 - The King of the Tennis Ball (#u0a7701f9-43d7-5b84-88e5-707e114320fa)

Chapter 8 - A Stranger at the Garrick Club (#u2000ddeb-1631-5413-80c2-29bf07ad1329)

Chapter 9 - 111 Half Moon Street (#uf7c7f09f-7bd8-56d5-a239-4eb1f71a782c)

Chapter 10 - A Subtle Twist of Fate (#u75c5d446-269d-50ab-92a8-f261afd7b614)

Chapter 11 - The Interview (#uadb447b0-aa62-518f-955b-cbfd5f06459d)

Chapter 12 - The Rules (#u1a741a9f-55a4-546f-9f77-630b2023ace9)

Chapter 13 - Professional Massagers of the Female Ego (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 - La Dame aux Camélias (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 - High Tea at Claridge’s (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 - A Brief History of the Professional Flirt (A Small Digression) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 - The World’s Most Exclusive Hairdresser (#litres_trial_promo)