Nine Ten Begin Again: A Grasshopper Lawns affair by EJ Lamprey Page A

I told you so. I’m waiting for you to tell me that I told you so.’
    ‘You told me so. Repeatedly. And I didn’t believe you, and you were right. I can’t face an exercise class this morning, but I was planning to find Vivian and join her for Buster’s walk. Have you already walked Maggie?’
    ‘Maggie’s in one of the runs waiting. I’d already arranged to meet Vivian, so that would be lovely. You do look a tiny bit tired—bad night?’
    Edge’s mouth curved and she shook her head mischievously, making Clarissa gasp with laughter. They put their trays away and walked through the hall, reaching the door as a heavily-built man in his early forties with patent leather hair, a five o’clock shadow and a general air of swarthy dissolution, swaggered through it.
     ‘Ladies!’ He birled smartly to hold the door open for them and raked them both with rather unexpectedly hot eyes.
    ‘Thank you.’ Edge followed Clarissa through, and glanced back as they walked down the stairs. He was watching them, and lifted his heavy lip to show his teeth when he saw Edge look back. She hurriedly looked forward again. ‘Who is that ?’
    Clarissa’s lips were a thin line. ‘Thomas Morrison. The new groundskeeper and maintenance manager. Or will be, when Joey retires.’
    ‘Ew. He’s a bit smarmy. This isn’t Jemima’s doing, is it?’
    ‘I don’t think so. Katryn’s watching for anything like that now, isn’t she? I think Joey recommended him for the post. I can’t stand him. I came through from my conservatory to find him actually in my kitchen yesterday. Thank heavens for Maggie. He kicked her but she still chased him out the bungalow. He’s horrible.’
    ‘Good for Maggie. That must be the first time she’s gone for anyone since her accident. I wouldn’t want him in my place, either, not if I were alone. I can’t imagine anyone less like Joey, but if he recommended him he must have some good points. Definitely not a good first impression!’
    ***
    Maggie, who had briefly lived with Edge in the spring, greeted her with enthusiasm, even rearing up on her stubby hind legs to plant her heavy front paws on Edge’s woollen slacks to beam up at her. She was a bulldog cross, with formidable jaws, and Edge, rubbing her ears affectionately, smiled at the thought of the new maintenance man being chased off with those alarming teeth snapping at his heels. Buster, an aging black Labrador, pushed in for his share of attention and she brushed off her tartan slacks ruefully when they finally stopped jostling at each other.
    ‘Scotland needs a tartan in all shades of dog hair, with a fetching muddy paw-print pattern for winter wear. We should design it, we’d make a fortune. Vivian, Clarissa was telling me Maggie chased the new guy out of her bungalow. What does Buster think of him?’
    ‘Buster can’t be doing with him,’ Vivian said emphatically. ‘Neither can I. He called me Doll three times when he was driving us through to the library. I sat in the back with Horace for the return trip, and I’m simply not prepared to live like that, with a choice of being called Doll or having Horace accidentally fall against me every time the minibus goes round the slightest bend in the road.’
    Edge looked surprised. ‘Doll isn’t the worst name in the world, not when the alternative is having a series of Horace gropes.’
    ‘Six and two threes, believe me. It isn’t only the Doll thing, but he permanently looks—how can I put this politely? Leering seems to be his default expression, and he glistens with sweat. At least Horace is a straightforward letch.’
    Clarissa laughed out loud. ‘Vivian, thank heavens you kept it polite.’
    Edge shook her head. ‘All very well saying Joey recommended him but if none of us like him, and Buster has never been wrong yet about anyone, I don’t think we have to accept him, do we? Has anyone spoken to Katryn about him? I would have thought her a good judge of people.’
    ‘I think we