Passions: A novella on Passion, Love and Flower Cards.

By Jannet Ellis,

(Publisher's Note: This is a fictional tale except Jannet Ellis is the owner of Fresh As A Daisy Cards. The characters are not real clients. Have fun reading.)

 It was a crisp, bright, London morning, which was Jannet’s favourite type of morning.  There is something exhilarating about a morning with sunshine, she thought.  The owner of Fresh as a Daisy Cards put coffee on for Ned, who would be at her studio soon.  They always shared a few minutes over coffee while she picked her daily flowers for the orders she created.

As the coffee brewed, Jannet checked her computer for the day’s orders. The day was looking good, she thought, smiling.  It was going to be a busy one, but they were all busy days, and she was grateful to have such a flourishing business. Oddly, the phone started to ring; it was early for a customer, so she hoped that it wasn’t her assistant Rebecca calling in ill.  She would need all the help she could get.

Butterfly Card

 ‘Good morning, Fresh as a Daisy Cards’, she answered. A hesitant male voice responded with a stutter, ‘This is Josh Hardgrove. I ordered a flower card last night and I was wondering if it had been delivered.’

Shaking her head, she responded, ‘Yes, Mr. Hardgrove. I have your order, but the Royal Mail doesn’t deliver to anyone’s home at 6:30 a.m., so we will prepare it a little later in the morning and mail it by noon.  She should receive it shortly thereafter, sir.’

  ‘How silly of me’ said Josh. ‘Of course it wouldn’t be delivered this early.  I didn’t know how these things worked . . . you know, when you send something in the middle of the night’, he said, totally embarrassed.

Feeling his anxiety, Jannet immediately responded, ‘No worry, Mr. Hardgrove. How about I call you when the order has left my studio and give you an approximate time when it should arrive to your friend Lady Sarah?’

‘That would be splendid’, replied Josh. ‘Madame, I’m so sorry to have called so early. It was stupid of me. I’m not sure what I was thinking.  I look forward to speaking to you later.’  Josh hung up the phone.

Jannet laughed to herself and thought, Ah, someone is smitten and now is going to fret over his decision until she responds. Jannet pulled his order to the top so it would be the first flower card that she and Rebecca prepared and would get to the post ASAP.  If he is calling at 6:30 a.m. and put the order in at 2:00 a.m., he will be a full mess by noon, she thought to herself.

Handmade-personalised-flower cards for all your wonderful moments.

Just as she pulled the card, Ned came to the door with all of his beautiful flowers.  Ned had been a flower wholesaler since his teens.  He and Jannet had become automatic friends as soon as she had opened her shop. . His years of helping flower retailers all over London had made him the old sage of the business.  He knew what worked in this business and what didn’t work.  They sat with their morning coffee and just enjoyed the view from back of her studio.  A bright red cardinal and his family had taken up residence in an old walnut tree there. When the cardinal appeared, both Ned and Jannet smiled at nature’s beauty.  It was why they were in the flower business.  Who wouldn’t want to work with nature’s most beautiful blooms?  Neither of them said this, but they both knew they were thinking about it.

Awaken Someone's Heart with a flower card

 Josh was already at his desk at Sachs.  He had attempted to sleep, but he couldn’t.  All he could think about was Lady Sarah and wanting to touch her. He thought of her flawless porcelain skin and wondered what it would feel like to the touch.  The thought of it had driven him crazy all night and rendered him sleepless.  He finally got up, jogged, showered, and came to the office—only to make a complete fool of himself by calling the flower card lady at 6:30 a.m.  But Josh’s distracted mind thought about it for a moment. The flower card lady had actually answered the phone! Hmm, he thought, impressive.  He shook his head and told himself to snap out of it.

Time to get to work, Josh thought.  He busied himself with paperwork and phone calls to contacts and customers.  His customers were a lot like he was—up early and driven, and they never cared if he called early.  They liked knowing that he was on top of their portfolios. And telling them how he made them richer—well, there was really no time of the day that people didn’t like to hear that news.

At about 9:30 a.m., Coop stopped by Josh’s office and plopped himself on the chair in front of his desk. Looking very hung over, Coop asked, ‘What happened to you last night? You left early without saying good-bye.’

‘It was time to go’, said Josh.  ‘I had an early morning this morning.’  

Coop nodded his head, not believing any of it.  ‘Well, you missed some of the best parts of the party.’

Josh raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘Really! What?’

‘Well’, said Coop, ‘you missed Lady Sarah giving His Highness the brush off for one.  And then you missed His Royal Highness getting sloppy drunk and embarrassing himself in front of Lady Sarah by proceeding to hit on Silvia Grainger.’

‘Really?’ asked Josh, with a little too much enthusiasm.

‘No’, said Coop, ‘none of that happened.  I just wanted to see your reaction.  First of all, the sloppy drunk phase ended for His Highness after that embarrassing incident that happened stateside.  Second, no one would ever be dumb enough to embarrass Lady Sarah—she is just too sweet. Third, Silvia Grainger was throwing herself at His Highness, not the other way around. It was just a great party, and you shouldn’t have left.’

Josh smiled sheepishly, feeling defeated again.  He so wanted Lady Sarah to blow off His Highness.  Josh had spent the night thinking about where he came from—and that he wasn’t part of England’s elite. And never did he feel more like an outsider than when he had listened to Lady Sarah and His Highness chat with each other.  His Highness had everything that he didn’t have, and to make matters worse, His Highness wasn’t a bad guy.  A little spoiled, perhaps, but who wouldn’t be if they were raised in palaces with servants and nannies and never had to worry about when or where the next meal was coming from?  It was a stark contrast to Josh’s background.

The phone rang, breaking the awkward silence that had developed as Josh had thought about Lady Sarah.  It was Jannet from Fresh as a Daisy Flower Cards, saying that the flower card was gone and at the Stanley Estate.  Josh’s heart was pounding so hard he thought Coop could hear it.  ‘Who signed for it?’ asked Josh in a bit of a harsh tone.  Jannet, not fazed by his tone, calmly replied, ‘The Baroness herself. Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Hardgrove?’

‘No, thank you’, Josh said as he hung up the phone.

Baroness Stanley was a woman well into her later years, but one would never know it by looking at her.  She took very good care of herself by not smoking, drinking little, and pampering herself weekly at Salon Mayfair.  For the Baroness, it was a sin against God not to look your best.

The Baroness had been walking by the door when the post rang.  She hadn’t been expecting any deliveries and was slightly annoyed that the post had not gone to the delivery gallery at the rear of the estate. When she had opened the door, a sloppy-looking gentleman with a package stood there.  Annoyed by his half-tucked-in shirt and dirty cap, she had signed for the package, which had turned out to be a lovely greeting card with flowers in the middle of it.  Millie, a servant, had arrived to free the Baroness’ hands to sign for the delivery and had placed the card on the sideboard.  She had removed the packaging with care to ensure she didn’t disrupt the beautiful display.  She had thought, How exquisite, but she hadn’t dared to read inside the card because it was for Sarah.  And heaven knows, she thought, that Sarah is protective of her privacy.  The Baroness asked Millie to fetch the telephone so she could call Sarah at the museum.

‘Darling’, she said as Sarah picked up her direct line, ‘a greeting card has arrived for you with flowers.’

‘From whom?’ asked Sarah.  Not missing the moment, the Baroness took the opportunity to read the full text of the card and to say only, ‘It’s a thank-you from a Josh Hardgrove for the party last night. It appears you left an impression on this young man.  Where was His Highness last night?’ demanded the Baroness.

Sarah sat back in her seat and smiled to herself; she felt her heart flutter oh-so-slightly at the thought that Josh had sent her something.  He had left in such haste that she wondered if she had said something wrong.  Her mother was on the other end of the phone, nattering about His Highness—Did he attend? Did they speak? Was there an attraction?  Sarah obediently answered, ‘Yes’, ‘Yes’, and ‘No.’  Her mother then came out with one of her classic lines: ‘If you only did something with your hair, maybe His Highness would take notice of you.’  At this point, she ended the conversation with her mother and asked her mother to have Millie put the card with flowers in her room.



What will happen next...Will His Highness move in? Will Lady Sarah call Josh?  Stay Tuned...More to Come.

The Passions: A Novella on love, passion and flower cards-Part1

Fresh As A Daisy Cards presents The Passions, A Novella on love, passion and flower cards. 

By Jannet Ellis,

(Publishers's Note: This is an original work of fiction. No characters represent any client of Fresh As A Daisy Cards; it is purely for your enjoyment and is subject to copyright.)

 The day started like any other for Josh Hardgrove: an early morning run and a quick protein shake. Josh, a hard-nosed investment banker at Goldman Sachs, knew that a healthy body allowed him to stay sharp and focused at a job that was very competitive, and at the age of 30, he was considered one of the ‘old’ boys. But nothing worried Josh; he was young, successful and, most importantly, rich. Most would consider him arrogant, but he didn’t care. He had more money in his bank account than his father ever had in the thirty years he worked in northern England’s coal mines.

'Nope- too mushy' says Josh

Josh also knew he was good looking. He was lean, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, with dark hair and eyes and a dimple on his chin that most women couldn’t resist. He liked the women—all of them—and was in no way willing to settle down. Married life or even a steady girlfriend was the equivalent of being sent to prison, in Josh’s mind. It would also be the death of his trading career, which he so coveted. He saw what happened to traders when they got married—they either ended up divorced for neglecting their wives so badly or consumed with day care and potty training, neither of which really appealed to the playboy bachelor.  

Josh also didn’t want to share, and he didn’t have to. His sixteen-bedroom mansion on Hill Street had plenty of room, but it was for the ‘boys’ and the lavish parties that drew London’s society women who liked to live and play hard. It was not for baby bottles, nappies and nurses. Josh’s life was good—and that is what he believed.

'Nope- not the right colours' thought Josh

Josh jumped into his Ferrari and headed to the office. Cooper Shefield was already there, hammering the phones and deals for the day. Coop yelled out from his office, ‘Josh, come in for a sec.’ Josh happily complied, for the two of them were inseparable since they both started at Goldman’s. ‘What’s up?’ 

‘Tonight, we are going to hit one of the hottest parties of the year at McQueen’s. I just got off the phone with His Highness.’ As Coop said ‘His Highness’, Josh rolled his eyes. ‘I know,’ said Shefield, ‘but he has scored us in invite to Lady Sarah’s gig at McQueen’s.’ 

Shefield went to public school with one of his Highness’s sons and was considered part of the inner circle. Josh was left to private school and managed to get to Oxford on a scholarship. But he loved Shefield and didn’t begrudge that he had a better start in life. Shefield showed him how to manage being part of ‘society’ once Josh started to make his fortune—where to live, what to drive and where to shop for his suits and shirts. And Shefield had enough class to never make him feel like an outsider.

'Blue-no!' Josh dismisses

Lady Sarah was the daughter of one of England’s earls—but who knew which one? Josh thought to himself. He considered himself a ‘republican’ largely. If he didn’t make the kind of money he did, in English society he would be considered a ‘no one’, though an outsider with unfathomable success and wealth at such a young age. 

Josh nodded at Shefield and said ‘cool’. Then he walked into his office to begin a day of making more money, which got Josh’s blood coursing through his veins.

The day went on: equities were traded, mortgages were syndicated and bonds were sold. All and all, Josh estimated that he did about £50,000 in commission that day. Not one of his best days, but things had been a little slow since the 2008 crash. Josh saw the crash coming early and moved his money in exchange-traded funds (ETF) and bonds and avoided any personal harm. He also managed his clients’ money in the same way, which left a number them much better off than their counterparts. Josh knew he did well by them, and he demanded their loyalty and any extra investing. ‘Tit for tat,’ he thought.

'Maybe', says Josh

Shefield showed up at his door at 9:30 p.m., which was quitting time at Goldman’s. And then it was off to McQueen’s. His Highness met them at the door with a few others who made up his inner circle. Everyone greeted each other and in the door they went.

McQueen’s, which is named after Steve McQueen, the actor, is a chic and sexy night club that only holds about 200 people. Josh had only been to it one other time and was impressed.  

The ‘boys’ went into the club and saw that most guests had already started to arrive. His Highness brought his group to meet Lady Sarah. Forever aware of his position and manners, His Highness introduced them to the hostess of the evening. When Josh was finally introduced, he was tongue-tied and actually shy. Lady Sarah was ‘lovely’, he thought to himself as he watched her gracefully welcome the group. Her tall sculpted body, sun-like hair and deep blue eyes made her attractive—but the way she held herself—poised and graceful—added to her allure. There also was a gentleness in her manner that made her all the more appealing. 

Josh managed to squeak out a ‘hello’. She held out her hand for a shake and Josh panicked as he realized his palms were now sweaty. She said ‘hello’ back in a voice that Josh thought sounded like the sweet chirp of a singing bird.

'Hmm..' 

The boys went to their reserved table and bottle service was already there. Josh couldn’t take his eyes off Lady Sarah. He watched her every move. Shefield noticed Josh’s focus on Lady Sarah and said, ‘She’s a winner. She is not like these other aristocratic women who just expect the world to bend over backwards for them and that everyone in the world is there to serve them. “Lady” suits Sarah. I have met her a few times. She never overdrinks; she doesn’t put anything up her nose; and she is not bombastic or demanding. Why don’t you go talk to her?’ 

‘I can’t’, said Josh. Shefield, stunned, let out a little laugh. ‘Oh, Superman has found his kryptonite.’ 

With that, Josh got up and began to walk over to her. As he approached, he noticed the beautiful curl to her nose, a little brown mole on her cheek and beautiful full pink lips. Before he said hello, she noticed him and offered a gentle smile. He was now sweating profusely. And to make matters worse, His Highness showed up to join the conversation. 

'Would orange work?' he asked

 Through the conversation, Josh learned that she lived at the Stanley estate with her parents, the Baron and Baroness Stanley. She had a master’s degree in fine arts and worked at the London Design Museum as junior curator. His Highness demonstrated his impeccable pedigree of education and all things artistic. Josh couldn’t even tell you who Van Gogh was. Defeated, Josh thanked her for the party and said he needed to leave since Goldman Sachs calls start early. 

After bidding them farewell, he jumped into his Ferrari and drove off—to the big, beautiful home that now seemed so empty.  He went to his den, but all he could think of was her.  He had to send her something. ‘You know, a thank-you note’, he said to himself. He searched online: ‘Should I send an e-card? Nope, tacky’, he thought. ‘A bouquet of flowers? Nope, too pushy, and I don’t want her to think I’m a stalker.’ Finally, he came across a flower card web site: Fresh as a Daisy Flower Cards—Handmade, Personalised Flower Cards. 

'Perfect'

Great, he thought. ‘It’s the perfect way to say thank you for a lovely evening. It’s not pushy or gushy.’ So Josh began to fill out the screen to send his perfect thank-you. He picked a crafty flower card with white lisianthus and then tried to compose a message. ‘Wow, this is hard.’ Short and sweet seemed best. 

‘Dear Lady Sarah, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for a lovely evening. It was a pleasure to meet you and I do hope I will see you again. Best Regards, Josh Hardgrove.’ He sat and thought to himself, I’m crazy; why am I sending this?’ He waited a few more minutes, but something in his heart said, press the button. He did so. His destiny was now in the hands of Fresh as a Daisy Flower Cards. ‘Flower card—I just sent a flower card’, he said to himself. 

What will Lady Sarah do? Will she remember Josh? Will she like the flower card? Did he send the right flower card? Will a romance blossom?

 Stay tuned for next week’s blog to find out.