Dance of the single towel

Roberta lies in a bath, stretches out her legs to touch the end with her toes
Soaking into warm water, she relaxes and lets the day wash over her
She watches Marco as he stands naked before the mirror, shaving
Taking in every curve of his body, the dark hairs that run down his back

He moves the blade slowly over his cheek, first one and then the other
before rinsing away the foam and severed hairs in the sink below
later she will trace a finger over his smooth face, before kissing him
the lightness of her touch, the soft caress of her lips, his incentive

He sits down on the edge of the bath, runs his hand through the water
causing small waves to lap over her body while she smiles up at him
He looks at her long legs, her arms, her round belly, her small breasts
Any imperfections he doesn't notice, she is more familiar than his own body

Standing up he starts to sing, begins to dance around the bathroom
Taking his face towel, he spreads it before him, concealling nothing
She laughs and splashes him with water, before he takes her hand
And pulls her towards him, into his arms, her wet body pressed against his

© the dishonest woman

Sharks, piers and bikinis

I have a vague recollection of visiting the shark enclosure at Sydney Taronga Zoo when I was a small child. It's since been replaced by a modern glass tank but back then it was just a very large pool inside a building. Visitors would walk out over the pool across a timber floor, to look over the edge at the sharks below. Alas, if you looked down between the wooden boards, there were glimpses of the water underneath. I think my Dad might have made a joke that if the timber gave way, I'd fall into the shark pool. That was it for me. No way I was going in there. I suspect I may have had a tantrum and flatly refused to go inside. Years later I still had a distinct dislike for walking along the piers at Redcliffe and Sandgate, where the timber is placed wide apart and you can see the water below. What brought back this memory? Walking over a cattle grate! 

Melt with you

Botero

Afterwards
he put on his shirt and trousers
combs his hair and fixes his belt 
while she lays on the bed 
content and relaxed 
happy to watch her lover

Must you go? 

She rolls onto her side

as he ties his shoelaces 

puts on a jacket 

before bending to kiss her 

If I could stay... 

Then play me a song 

she sighs 

Looking up at him 

naked upon crumpled sheets 

a simple red ribbon in her hair 

So he takes his guitar 

and sits down beside her 

What should it be, my love? 

My favourite, she laughs 

resting her head in her hand 

He smiles 

kisses her forehead 

Plucking gently at strings 
he starts to sing
tender words
only for her
while she closes her eyes
to hear his sweet caress

© the dishonest woman

from Antwerp to Lacock

Moving on from my herbal book, I then discover, in the depths of an abbey, yet another 1500s product from Antwerp.

This large cauldron sits in a room in Lacock abbey. The sign says that it was made in Antwerp and they don't know when or why it came to Lacock, in Wiltshire. Perhaps it was used in the nun's kitchen or maybe arrived later as a garden ornament.

Legend has it that a side of pork and a sack-load of peas were cooked in it, in the early 1700s, for a visit by Queen Anne.

A Herbal Revelation

A visit to Lytes Cary Manor in Somerset was to have an unexpected discovery for the Dishonest Woman.

Henry Lyte, an English botanist and antiquary, was born at Lytes Cary Manor around 1529. Now a National Trust property, it was a book on display that caught my attention. Niewe Herball was written by Lyte in 1578 and is a translation of Cruydeboeck by Rembert Dodoens, published in Antwerp in 1554.

Rembert Dodoens, born in 1517, was a Flemish physician and botanist. Cruydeboeck contains 715 images and became one of the most important botanical works of the late 16th century. Written in the vernacular rather than Latin, Dodoens divided the plant kingdom into six groups, based on their properties and affinities.

Relevance to a Dishonest Woman? Quite significant with a character in my novel who is a Physician.