All Comments on 'The Conservatory'

To Start with, smoking just kills a mood. I just don't like this

I am amazed at how good you are as a writer. Your ability to tell such a good story in so few words is really rare. I look forward to more.

I liked your descriptive style and could hear the accents as your two characters spoke. Your section on the rape itself could have been more erotic and detailed. That would have improved the story.

While the ending provided a nice twist, ultimately the story is not believable because the girl is out of character. If she's an IV drug user (heroin?) and has been one long enough to contract AIDS, she's an addict. Addicts quickly develop craftiness. Also, they will do anything to support their habit (in North America, at least). It would be highly unlikely that she would have been a virgin. She's probably had sex for drugs and money many times. And, faced with a toff who's interested in her, she would be thinking how to score off him.

She could have just claimed to be a virgin - and asked for his watch as a memento of their coupling. She could have stolen his wallet while he was screwing her.

Also, there are many other nasties out there other than AIDS that she could have picked up easily.

The comment about smoking is clearly off base. The use and handling of cigarettes by the two characters nicley mirrors the progress of their relationship.