by Ray Gordon
'But—'
'There are no buts. He stated in no uncertain terms that you are not to go out in the evenings.'
'This is ridiculous,' Emily said indignantly. 'I'm eighteen years old.'
'So you keep saying.'
'What else did you tell my father?'
'I've not been telling tales, Emily,' he insisted. 'I phoned him because I was worried about you. This is your doing, so don't blame me for the way you've behaved.'
'You shouldn't have phoned him.'
'How can you say that when you've planned to move out?'
'I haven't planned to move out.'
'So you're not going to stay at Christine's house?'
Emily lowered her eyes and shook her head.
'I beg your pardon, I couldn't hear you.'
'No, Mr Price,' she whispered dejectedly, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she looked back up at him.
'Good.' He looked satisfied. 'Now, I have some work to be getting on with. I'm preparing a little surprise for you.'
'What is it?' she asked, her eyes wide with uncertainty.
'You'll see,' he said enigmatically. 'And by the way, in future you won't answer the front door. I don't want you talking to Christine and getting silly ideas. And you won't answer the phone, either.'
Chapter 7
It would be a mistake to go to Christine's house, Emily decided as she sat on the bench in the park and gazed at the kids playing on the swings. Arthur would not only have seen her leave the house, but possibly even followed her. Was he lurking in the bushes or behind a tree with his digital camera? He wasn't far away, she sensed that much.
'Hi,' someone called, and Emily turned and stared at the young man there. 'How are you?'
'Jack,' she gasped, anxiously scanning the park for a sighting of her neighbour. 'What are you doing here?'
'I'm on my way home,' he replied. 'It's great to see you.'
'Jack, you must go.'
'Why?' He looked puzzled.
'Please, just go.'
'Oh I get it,' he said with a sneer. 'You don't want to know me.'
'No, no, it's not that,' she said hastily.
'Then what is it?'
'I can't explain. Just go, please.'
'Emily, I've been messed around before and I don't want to be again. You've already stood me up once, so it's pretty obvious you don't want to see me.'
'I do, Jack,' Emily insisted. 'I really do want to see you.'
'So?' he said, sitting beside her on the bench. 'So what's the problem?'
'I can't be seen here with you.'
'Have you got a boyfriend?' he asked her, turning and looking around the park. 'Are you waiting for him? Is that it?'
'No, no, I don't have a boyfriend,' she maintained.
'You're not married, are you?'
'No!'
Offering him a smile as he brushed his unruly black hair away from his suntanned face, Emily felt her stomach somersault. He was good-looking, she thought, remembering their kiss. Wearing faded blue jeans and a white shirt, his dark eyes sparkling, he returned her smile, and Emily was desperate to get to know him better.
As he leaned forward and kissed her lips, Emily inhaled his male scent and felt as though she was drifting on clouds of euphoria. Her eyes closed as he finally moved away, and she let out a dreamy sigh of satisfaction.
'Be honest, Emily,' he said, his hand venturing to rest on hers, 'if you don't want to know me then just say so.'
'But I do,' she whispered, acutely aware of her nipples brushing against the material of her T-shirt. 'I've given you my phone number, haven't I?'
'You've given me a number,' he agreed. 'But is it any old number just to get rid of me?'
'It's my phone number, Jack. Look, you must go now. I can't explain, but I will when I next see you.'
'I'll ring you.'
'Yes, do that. Jack, I really do like you.'
'I'll ring you,' he repeated, getting up from the bench.
'Jack, I do want to see you.'
'Yeah, I know.'
Watching him walk across the grass, Emily felt deflated. Would he ring? She'd made a mess of it, she knew as she watched him grow smaller in the distance. She should have convinced him how much she wanted to see him again. She should have, but it was too late now. He was walking out of her life, and it was Arthur's fault...
'What are you doing here?' That very man's voice broke into her sullen daydream, making her jump. He was standing behind her.
'What are you doing here?' she responded. Had he seen her talking to Jack? Had he seen her kissing Jack? 'Is there no getting away from you for five minutes?'
'Getting away from me?' he said, moving around the bench to stand before her. He was holding his small digital camera. 'I merely came out for a walk on such a glorious day as this and happened to see you here.'
'Happened to see me?' she said with some sarcasm. 'Don't you mean you followed me here and hid in the bushes spying on me?'
'No, I mean what I said,' he insisted. 'And very lucky that I did, too, for I was able to gather some more evidence of your extremely questionable behaviour, young lady.' He indicated the camera. 'I saw you with that lout.'
'I was only—'
'Allowing him to kiss you?' He paused, watching her, waiting for a denial, but none came. 'Exactly,' he concluded, nodding.
'Please, Mr Price,' Emily sighed in exasperation, 'I've asked you this countless times, but what is it you want from me? And please don't just say discipline and obedience.'
'I do want discipline and obedience, Emily,' he confirmed again. 'But I also want to play a major role in your life.'
'A major role? What do you mean by that?'
'Well, Emily, I look upon myself as your guardian,' he explained. 'You see, an attractive girl like you let loose is likely to get herself into trouble, as you've just proved.'
'I bumped into Jack and we talked for a few minutes,' she told him, 'that's all.'
'Talked?' he scoffed. 'Is that what you call it? Behaving indecently in public is nearer the truth.'
'And I haven't been let loose in the park,' she went on resentfully. 'I'm not a dog that's escaped from its leash.'
'Maybe you should be on a leash, Emily,' he pondered. 'Maybe you should be chained to the radiator until your parents return.'
'I beg your pardon?' Emily couldn't believe what she was hearing.
'I didn't want you to leave the house today because I knew what you'd do. And I was right.'
'Right about what?' she challenged. 'What did I do?'
'You came straight to the park, met that young hooligan and behaved in a decidedly lewd manner with him, in public.'
'Lewd manner?' Emily was incredulous. 'But we only kissed.'
'You see,' he said, with a smugness that made her feel as though her words were a confession, 'you even admit it. You can't be trusted and you're not capable of keeping yourself out of trouble. That's why you need me to look after you, young lady. That's why you need me as your guardian.'
'But I don't need you as a guardian,' she argued as he sat beside her on the bench. 'I don't need anyone as a guardian. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you very much.'
Arthur tutted and shook his head as though amused by her independent stance. 'Of course you do,' he said. 'You're only out of my sight for five minutes and I find you canoodling with some young yob.' He smiled broadly, placing his hand on her knee and giving it a little squeeze. 'Now,' he said, 'how do you fancy doing some modelling for me?'
'Modelling for you?' Emily was perplexed.
'Yes,' he nodded. 'I love using my camera - as you know by now - so why don't I take some more nice photos of you?'
Emily frowned uncertainly. 'Oh, I'm not so sure—'
'Yes,' he went on without listening to her, 'we'll have a little photographic session in your garden. It'll be fun. Come on, let's go shall we?'
Emily knew the last was a rhetorical question, so following Arthur across t
he park she pondered the realisation that she was beginning to obey his every word and accept his demands and treatment of her with little resistance. It was all becoming the norm; how things were; Arthur snapped his fingers and she jumped.
Arriving home they went through the back gate into her garden. 'Oh yes, this is perfect,' Arthur enthused, taking the lens cap off his camera. 'We not only have the sunshine, but privacy too.'
'Shall I sit here?' Emily suggested, pointing to a patio chair, wanting to get the charade over with quickly.
'No, no,' he said, gazing around for inspiration. 'I think we'll have you standing beneath the apple tree first.'
'What are you going to do with the photos?' she asked, following him to the shady area beneath the branches.
'I told you, they're for my private collection,' he said. 'Now, lean casually against the trunk.'
Doing so, Emily knew Arthur was taking shots up her skirt as he settled on the ground, and although completely against her normal instincts, she was actually enjoying posing for him, and even more strangely, enjoying knowing the camera lens could catch teasing glimpses of her knickers. In front of the camera she suddenly felt carefree. The threats, the coercion, the spanking, the fear of her father discovering her apparent wickedness, all seemed to fade away. Posing for the camera made her feel like a model, made her feel beautiful and feminine. She had a good body, she knew, placing her free hand on her hip. Recalling photographs she'd seen in magazines, she tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder and looked up at the glorious azure sky through the shady branches. For the first time in ages she felt good, she felt relaxed.
'That's lovely,' Arthur encouraged. 'Now, just lift your skirt up a little more...'
'Hiya,' Christine called cheerfully, appearing through the back gate.
'Oh, er... hi,' Emily said, lowering her arm and moving away from the tree.
'I thought you might want to come for a walk,' Christine said, looking curiously at Arthur and the camera.
'I'm not sure,' Emily said, glancing at Arthur and then back at her friend.
'No, you've already been out for a walk,' her neighbour brusquely answered for her, straightening up and casting the intruder a look of disdain. 'Why don't you come back in an hour or so, young lady?' he suggested.
'Is that all right with you, Ems?' Christine asked, frowning quizzically at her friend.
'Yes, yes,' Emily nodded, not wanting to incur any more of the man's wrath, 'come back in an hour.'
'Okay,' she agreed. 'Oh, by the way,' she added, 'my father's coming round to see you later, Ems.'
'Oh, that's good,' Emily said, trying to play down the announcement and hoping Christine wouldn't risk dropping her in further trouble by saying any more.
'He needs to see you, if you get my meaning...' Christine added cryptically. 'Right, I'll be going, and I'll see you in a little while.'
Waiting until the girl had left, Arthur took Emily's hand and led her into the house, locked the backdoor and immediately ushered her into the lounge. 'You see the trouble you've caused now?' he said sternly.
'What trouble?' Emily asked timorously; was she in for another spanking, or a beating with the belt?
'This idea of yours to move out,' he said, 'just now we're getting on so well together. Now your meddling friend and her father are sticking their noses in and you've spoiled everything.'
'He only wants to see me,' she said unconvincingly.
'Why would he want to see you?' he probed. 'Why did she say, "if you get my meaning"?'
'I don't know,' she said. 'I've always got on well with her father, so...'
'You get on with him, do you?' he said thoughtfully.
'Yes, I do,' Emily confirmed. 'I mean, I've known him since I was at school. He's a very nice man.'
'I see,' Arthur said, rubbing his chin. 'And how often has he been round to see you?'
'How often?' Emily was feeling increasingly uncomfortable being interrogated like this. 'I don't really know.'
'Has he come to see you when your parents have been out?'
'Yes, they've been out on the odd occasion when Dave's called.'
'Oh, Dave, is it?' Arthur looked distinctly put out by what he was hearing.
'Yes,' Emily nodded, 'that's his name.'
'Your friend Christine knows about this, and she condones it?' he pressed.
'Condones what?' Emily asked, baffled by the direction of his questioning. 'I don't know what you're suggesting, but—'
'I think you know very well what I'm suggesting, Emily,' he snapped. 'Don't start your lying again.'
'Lying?' she gasped. 'Lying about what? All I said was that Christine's father has been here and—'
'How old is he?'
'How old? I don't know. In his forties, I suppose. What's that got to do with anything?'
Arthur shook his head menacingly. 'I'm shocked, young lady,' he said. 'He's more than twice your age.'
'Yes, I know. What are you getting at? Sometimes Dave comes here and—'
'There's no need to go into the sordid details,' Arthur cut in angrily.
'Sordid?'
'A man in his forties? Your best friend's father? Have you no morals?'
'What do you mean?' Emily shrieked. 'Are you suggesting that I... that I...?'
'I'm going to have to speak with Christine's mother,' Arthur vowed. 'I really had no idea you'd fallen so low. I'm lost for words, Emily. Completely lost for words.'
Arthur had the uncanny knack of turning a perfectly innocent situation into something tacky, Emily reflected. And even worse, he had the uncanny knack of making her feel guilty when she wasn't! To even think that she had something going with Christine's father was obscene. She liked Dave, that was true, but anything more than that was unthinkable. She'd known him and Christine's mother since she'd met her long-term friend at junior school, and always respected them as the parents of her friend. If Arthur talked to Christine's mother there'd be serious ramifications for sure, she knew.
'When did all this start?' Arthur asked.
'Nothing has started,' Emily returned. 'To suggest that something has been going on between Christine's father and me is disgusting.'
'You're right, young lady,' he concurred, 'it is disgusting. So much has come to light since your parents went away, and with every revelation I am increasingly horrified.'
'Nothing's come to light,' Emily disagreed.
'Nothing?' Arthur laughed derisively. 'Never in a million years would I have believed you could behave so abominably.'
'I am not behaving abominably,' she argued.
'I'd always thought you to be a quiet, refined, decent girl, but the shocking truth is, well, just that; shocking. I could possibly understand you having some sort of relationship with youths of your own age, but with a married man old enough to be your father?'
'I am not having a relationship with anyone,' Emily snapped. 'Your mind is disgusting, it's riddled with filth.'
'My mind is riddled with thoughts of your disgusting behaviour, Emily,' he said. 'So yes, you're right; my mind is riddled with thoughts of your filth. Why are you like this? Where on earth did your parents go wrong?'
'They didn't go wrong,' she sobbed, tears threatening to burst forth. 'I've never done anything with Christine's father... or anyone else for that matter.'
'It's no good putting on the waterworks, Emily,' he said without compassion. 'You can't get round me like that.'
'Why are you doing this to me?' she beseeched. 'Why are you causing all this trouble for me?'
'There you go with your nonsense again,' he snorted. 'Why am I causing all this trouble? I didn't tell you to go to the park and meet that thug. I didn't tell you to put on a shameful display with him by kissing and canoodling in public.'
'Please,' she whimpered, wiping tears from her eyes. 'Please, leave me alone.'
'It's not me who should be leaving you alone, Emily,' he went on relentlessly. 'It's that thug. It's your friend's father. It's whoever else you're carr
ying on with without me or your parents knowing.'
'I am not carrying on with anyone,' she protested.
'From now on you're not to leave this house without my say so,' he decreed, ignoring her assertion. 'Do you understand me?'
Emily shook her head in bewilderment, her eyes sparkling with tears.
'All right, have it your own way,' he said ominously. 'I know Christine's surname and address so I'll look up her number and ring her mother,' he announced, leaving the lounge.
Hearing the backdoor slam shut, Emily flopped onto the sofa and despondently held her head in her hands. If Arthur spoke to Christine's mother all hell would break loose. She recalled Christine's revelation of a year before. Her parents were having marital problems. It had something to do with her father seeing another woman. Christine said it wasn't true, but the seeds of doubt had been sown in her mother's mind. Christine's father was very good-looking, and according to Christine, he had an eye for the ladies. Emily wasn't sure how the problems had started, but she recalled something about Dave giving a female colleague a lift home one evening. Christine had said it was nothing, but her mother was suspicious when she heard that her husband had been seen in a pub with the woman. So if spiteful Arthur told Christine's mother that her husband had something going on with Emily, well, she dreaded to think what might happen. Although innocent, Emily recalled one of her father's sayings: if enough mud is thrown some of it will stick. This was a time bomb just waiting to explode...
Emily jumped as the phone rang. She dashed into the hall and lifted the receiver to her ear. 'Hello?' she gasped.
'Emily,' Christine began conspiratorially, 'Arthur's just phoned.'
'God, no,' Emily panted anxiously. 'What did he want?'
'He wanted to talk to my mother. What's going on?'
'What did your mother say?'
'Nothing. She's out shopping. Arthur told me not to come round to your house for a while because you have to concentrate on your studying. And he said your parents don't want you to stay round here with me.'
'Is he going to call your mother when she gets back?' Emily asked fearfully.
'I don't know. All he said was that he'd spoken to your father and you're not allowed to stay round here while they're on holiday, and I'm not to come round to your place.'