The Price of Desire (5 page)

By the time they had finished their main course she'd learned about Jeffery's family, both parents still alive, two brothers, his university, law degree and Masters, and his pet, a dog called Jasper. Their current discussion was just turning towards the last books they had read when she felt a movement under the table.

The hem of her dress was being pulled up and a warm hand began stroking the inside of her thigh. She snapped her head round to look at Jeffery, still waffling on about some historical novel to Mrs Williams, on his other side, who had also joined in the conversation. Georgie looked at the guests around her; everyone was engrossed in their own conversations and no one was paying her any attention. They were all unaware of the phantom hand stroking higher along her thigh, the fingers gently brushing the tight material of her panties.

Maybe she had underestimated Jeffery. He showed no sign on his face as his hand wandered further, still talking casually, not even looking at her. Georgie flushed and turned round trying to look interested in her parents' conversation with one of their friends about planned restorations due to start at the Manor.

Jeffery's fingers were purposefully rubbing up and down the crotch of her panties, pushing against the material which was starting to dampen under his touch. Georgie tried to keep a straight face and not indicate the dilemma she was currently in. Her juices were pooling in the silk fabric and she wished the fingers would push harder and rub her tingling clit. But if he carried on the way he was she was going to come, and there was no way she would be able to hide that while sitting at dinner, surrounded by her parents and their most influential friends.

She couldn't bring herself to look at Jeffery. It was taking all of her concentration trying not to squirm and push against his probing fingers. The effort of just sitting still was enormous. She had to stop herself crying out as one of the fingers found its way under the material and dipped into her warm valley. The rough flesh of the invading digit clumsily flicked over the sensitive nub of her clit. The tiniest touch was too much for Georgie. She jumped up from the table, pushing her skirt down, excusing herself.

She left the dining room almost at a run and flung herself through the first door she came to. The library was empty, as she knew it would be, and leaning against the heavy oak door she hitched up the front of her dress and thrust her hand into her damp knickers, rubbing herself furiously, and she'd been so close to a climax that it only took a few seconds to finish herself off. Panting, she released the hem of her dress and let it fall back down.

There was a knock on the door which startled her, the handle turning slowly. Somebody was trying to get in. She cast her mind wildly, trying to think of a believable reason for her rushing from dinner to come to the library, but couldn't find one before the door opened.

It was Jeffery. He looked sheepish and uncertain, and well he might. He had been very presumptuous at the table and was lucky that she hadn't created a scene.

‘Um, your father told me to come and look for you,' he said, eyeing her almost suspiciously. ‘He wanted me to check you're okay.'

‘Of course I'm not okay,' Georgie snapped, the anger suddenly flaring inside her, borne out of shame of her own eagerness. ‘What the hell were you doing in there?' she demanded. Jeffery stared blankly back at her.

‘Don't play innocent with me now my father's not here for you to suck up to,' she snapped. ‘Do you really think that was the best way to go about impressing your employer?'

‘I really don't know what you're talking about,' he said, taking a step back from the force of her unexpected anger.

‘What do you think he'd say if I marched back in there and told him exactly what you were doing?' she threatened.

‘Georgina, I honestly don't know what's going on here, but if I have done anything to upset you, or offend you, I sincerely apologise.'

He looked genuinely surprised, but Georgie reminded herself that he was a lawyer, a highly trained, professional manipulator of the facts. But on the other hand it would have been a foolhardy thing for him to do, especially as her father was only inches away, and if he was in line for junior partner, why would he do something so risky? In Georgie's experience lawyers had a natural gift for self-preservation.

But if it wasn't Jeffery, who was it? Who else had been at the table within reach of her? John Hawkins had been sitting opposite her, another guest of her father's and a Judge of the Crown. She shuddered at the thought of his hands being anywhere near her. He was old enough to be her grandfather. She felt suddenly nauseous.

‘Sorry, Jeffery, I don't know what came over me. It's been a bit of a stressful time lately, what with exams and everything,' she lied, blushing. She decided whoever it was she didn't want to make a scene, and the best thing was just to try and pretend it had never happened.

Jeffery seemed to accept her excuse and apology. ‘Can I escort you back to the dining room?' he asked hesitantly.

Georgie was amazed he even wanted to be in the same room as her; he must think she was some crazy girl, flying off the handle about some imaginary offence. She agreed and they walked the short distance in an embarrassed and uncomfortable silence.

Before she could retake her seat at the table John Hawkins looked up, his greying moustache twitching as he smiled and threw a subtle wink in her direction. Her stomach lurched. Mystery solved, and just the thought of it gave her the creeps; the old man's hands all over her panties, secretly touching her so intimately. Those fingers exploring her young tender flesh, creeping up her thighs and feeling her juices seep through the material, telling him just how turned on she was. And poor Jeffery, he really didn't have a clue, how could she ever have thought he would have the balls to do something like that. He really was as wet as she originally thought.

Before Georgie could sit down her mother pulled her to one side. ‘Lily still isn't back yet,' she hissed, panic creeping into her voice. ‘Do you think something could have happened to her?'

‘Of course not,' Georgie said. ‘She probably just bumped into some friends.'

Eve did not look convinced as she sat back down, and Georgie didn't feel as confident as she had made out either. It was unlike Lily; she always called if she was going to be late and it was really unlike her to miss Georgie's twenty-first birthday.

After the meal they all moved into one of the larger reception rooms, Georgie managing to keep her distance from both John Hawkins and Jeffery for most of the evening. She told Bunnie in a whisper what had happened, but far from being as outraged as Georgie was she actually found it amusing.

‘Come on, you have to see the funny side of it,' she giggled. ‘If you ever have to stand before him in court, at least you know he'll be lenient.'

Before Georgie could respond she heard a tapping of metal on crystal, her father rapping his glass with a fork, while everyone's own glass was filled with champagne.

With obvious pride her father proposed a toast to Georgie's twenty-first and handed her the key to a brand new Porsche. Finally the party had been worth all the hassle, Georgie seriously considering leaving right then, but decided it might just seem a little spoilt if she took off prematurely, and besides, she'd been drinking champagne in an attempt to block out the incident with the judge. She would have to wait until the morning to even see her new toy.

The last guest eventually left about two-thirty in the morning and Georgie was exhausted. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed, but her mother was now franticly worried about Lily who had still not returned home.

‘A person has to be missing for at least twenty-four hours before the police will even begin to take it seriously,' her father was saying, ‘and she's not even been missing for one night.'

‘But I know something's happened to her.' Her mother was close to tears.

‘It's okay, Evie, you know what teenagers are like these days. Let's go to bed and if she's not back in the morning Georgie and I will go out looking for her.'

After more persuasion and reassurances that Lily would be safe and at a friend's, Georgie's mother reluctantly agreed to try to get some sleep, but she made it very clear she would be giving Lily the ‘I was worried sick' speech in the morning.

Climbing into bed at last Georgie was still worried about her sister's absence too, but as her head hit the pillow she fell asleep almost at once.

 

Georgie was woken early next morning, her mother sitting on the bed beside her stroking her hair. Instantly alert Georgie knew something was wrong. Nurse usually woke her up and she never normally saw her mother until she went down to breakfast.

‘What's wrong?' she asked, pushing herself up onto her pillows.

Her mother looked tired and washed-out. Georgie was alarmed at how frail she looked; overnight she appeared to have aged ten years. Her eyes were sunken and Georgie knew she had not slept a wink.

‘Lily's still not home, and she hasn't been back all night,' her mother blurted, tears meandering down her cheeks.

‘It's all right, Mum,' Georgie said, taking her hand. ‘I'll help Dad look for her and if no one has seen her we'll call the police when we get back.'

Her mother managed a weak smile. ‘I just want her home.'

Georgie quickly dressed, grabbed some toast for breakfast, and set off into Coxham Marsh village alone. Her father had driven to the neighbouring village where Lily went to college, hoping she was with one of her friends there.

Georgie didn't know where to start. Although the village was built on the Manor's land and technically owned by her father, she never had much reason to leave the estate and explore the surrounding area.

She drove the five miles from the estate to the tiny high street which was the focal point for the local community. The street only comprised of a handful of shops. A post office come sweetshop, a butcher, and a general store selling everything from groceries to watch batteries. At one end of the row was a petrol station with two pumps on the forecourt, and at the other end was a small tea shop. The largest building by far was The Greenman pub, which dominated the high street.

The large supermarkets were yet to monopolise this small corner of England as they had the rest of the country. Just as well, because if they squeezed out the family run shops the population of Coxham Marsh would probably halve.

She walked into each shop in turn, impatiently waiting in line, listening to the conversations between the shoppers and the shop assistants, frustrated at the length of time it took them to pay for their purchases. When she finally reached each counter she pulled out a photograph of Lily, dressed in the pleated blue skirt and white shirt of her school uniform. The photo was only about six months old and had been taken in her last year of school. Most of the people she spoke to were kind enough to take the time to look at the picture, but all of them looked back at her, shaking their heads, no sign of recognition in their eyes.

There had been no sighting of Lily. Georgie wasn't really surprised but she had to do something. It had been a long shot, and she hoped her father was having better luck contacting her college friends.

Still, Georgie didn't want to go home. She'd feel useless just sitting around trying to console her mother. She would much rather be doing something positive. She needed action, so she decided to walk along some of the more rural paths and ask anyone she happened to pass.

Georgie walked out of the village centre and followed one of the country roads that linked the farms to civilisation. After what felt like miles she still hadn't met another living soul. She considered heading back to the Manor, but as she turned a corner she came across a small church. She had never been inside before, always using the one on the estate, however she decided it would be the last place she would check before heading home. So she followed the narrow pathway through the churchyard to see if there was anyone around she could talk to.

Either side was lined with gravestones, many looking extremely old, the names once carved upon them now unreadable, eroded by weather and time. She passed a tiny mound of dirt, a new occupant of the hallowed ground. Fresh flowers covered twice the area of the tiny grave. Georgie quickly averted her eyes, uncomfortable, like she was intruding on a stranger's grief.

The church was a traditional stone building that dated back to the 17th Century. The bell tower was purely for decoration as the bell itself had not been replaced for the last hundred years. Georgie had to throw all her weight against the large oak doors to open them, and she stumbled across the threshold into the cool interior. It wasn't a large place; it could probably hold a congregation of about two hundred. Rows of pews led to the altar, upon which was a large gold crucifix. Stained glass windows dominated the walls bathing the church in a rainbow of colour, the roof still supported by the original timber beams.

She took a seat in the back pew and stared down at her hands on her lap, unsure why she was there. She didn't expect to find her sister here but she was worried as it was not like Lily to just take off without telling anyone.

Georgie heard footsteps heading towards her. She kept her head bowed, not wanting to be disturbed, but the footsteps stopped right in front of her. She looked up, and the vicar looked down upon her, smiling broadly. Even though his eyes shone kindly she felt intimidated by his presence, and her pulse quickened.