Mother and Daughter · Part 2

Mother and Daughter · Part 2 (2/2)
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rey green uniform they all seemed to wear here. Helena noticed these were well made and of good quality. One of the two was pushing a wheelchair.

“Good morning girls,” the first said brightly, “I hope you got a good night’s sleep.” Mother and daughter both looked cautiously at her. “Today, our business is with you Helena. Some of our people would like a little talk with you.”

Bristling, Helena stood up. “I’m not going to discuss anything with any of you. And when are you going to release us? You can’t keep us here forever, you know.”

“Quite so,” replied the lady, still cheerful, “Thought you might feel like this. And so we came prepared.” One of two who had come with her, obviously the stronger, had moved to Helena’s side.

Suddenly, this woman stepped behind her, seized her by the upper arms and held her firmly. “Let go of me,” shrilled Helena, who could not break free. She began to kick.

Meanwhile the other green clad lady had produced a white cloth and a wide necked bottle from a box under the wheelchair seat. She saturated this with the contents of the container and, standing to one side to avoid her flailing feet, thrust it fully into Helena’s face, forcing her to inhale the fumes.

“Hospital grade anaesthetic,” explained the still smiling boss lady, “The best and very effective. Just breathe it in, Helena dear and soon you’ll be in dreamland.” And breathe it in was all the helpless Helena could do. She began to lose consciousness.

Finally, she passed out. The cloth was held to her face a little longer and then she was gently lowered into the wheelchair which had been pushed up behind her. A strap attached to the chair back was secured around her waist to stop her falling out.

“Quickly. Take her to the main room. She can revive in there.” Without further ado Helena was pushed out of the room.

Throughout this the white clad woman had been standing beside the seated Daphne, one hand on her shoulder. She turned, “It was unfortunate we had to do that. But we had no choice. I can assure you that your mother will not be physically harmed in any way.”

She stepped back and looked down at the girl. “Well Daphne, they’ll need her for about four hours perhaps. But then she’ll be returned as good as new. You needn't worry about her at all.”

Daphne spoke for the first time. “My mother’s very strong willed. She won’t give out anything she doesn’t want to.”

The woman spoke understandingly. “They’ll use truth drugs. Don’t worry, they're very safe and won’t have any ill effects whatsoever.” And to change the subject she said “You’re of a literary turn of mind, aren’t you? And you've an interest in archeology I believe?”

Daphne gaped. How could she know this?

She smiled, ”One of our people here has studied archeology. Perhaps you’ll meet him.” She turned and pointed to a one shelf bookcase in the corner. It contained a few books and a stack of magazines. “There’s some historical material there and a few books you might find interesting. Strictly speaking, not archeological, but related.”

She stood up, “I must go. Keep yourself busy if you can. I’ll try to drop in later in the morning.” She left the room.

Daphne sat and thought about what the woman had said. She looked at the bookcase and finally went over. She was surprised to find that every magazine dealt with history and the books were all of a philosophical nature.

When she and her mother were abducted she had assumed they would be held captive in some criminal hangout. It was becoming less and less like that the longer they stayed here. Just who are these people? She wondered. She selected several periodicals and a book and then sat at the table to read them.

Over an hour went by, She became engrossed in her reading. The door opened and the white clad lady came in. She pulled out the other chair and sat down at the table with her. She smiled.

“I’ve just come from where they’re talking with your mother,” she said.

“I’ve told you,” said her daughter, “She won’t tell you anything she doesn’t want to.”

“No doubt. But they're using a very sophisticated truth drug. One developed by the CIA, so it’s bound to be good,” she smiled and went on, ”One of its peculiarities is that under its effect the subject will give out detailed information about things they haven’t even been asked. Usually things that they feel strongly about or are worrying them. Your mother has been doing that.”

“Almost all of it's about you,’ she confided, “I tell you this because I feel it's in your interest to know.” Daphne looked at her intently.

“For instance, she’s gone on repeatedly about your desire to go to university, perhaps to study archeology. Rather than that snooty, overpriced finishing school, she wants you to attend.”

She smiled, “Personally I don’t blame you one little bit. It’s what I’d want to do myself. Perhaps not to study archeology but university would be the making of you. Any girl who has the desire, and the capacity for tertiary education should do it.”

Daphne stared. Her feelings were changing by the minute. She was warming to this friendly appearing woman.

“And the other issue she keeps going on about,” she continued softly. “That ball you went to a year back with that young man. Aubrey was his name, wasn’t it? Where he deflowered you in an unseemly and totally unsatisfactory manner.”

Daphne broke down, tears began to flow down her cheeks. She had never spoken of this episode to anybody. Even to her mother, despite many badgering, bullying attempts to get details out of her. This woman was patient and seemed understanding in a way her mother had never been since the event. And the girl was convinced that, whatever she told her, this lady would never be condemnatory. Added to that, in a few days, or hours even, when these people got their ransom or whatever they wanted, she’d go out of her life forever, never to be seen again. The floodgates broke. She began to tell the story she had never told to anyone.

“I didn’t want to go to that ball at all. It was Mum’s idea. She picked him as an escort. Said he came from a very good family. He was hopelessly callow. He couldn’t even dance properly. Once there he started to drink. On the way home he used language I didn’t like, and it turned out he wanted the evening to culminate in lovemaking. I should've said no. We attempted it in the back seat of his car not far from my home. He was inexperienced, clumsy, bungling and still partly drunk. It was a bloody disaster. And it ended with my mother standing outside, pounding on the car window. She’d seen us drive up and park. It was the most horrible night of my life.” All the time she wept.

"I haven’t been out with a boy since that time. I couldn’t face it. Mum has tried to organise dates for me. They’re all from the same class. Replicas of that bloody Aubrey. I just don’t know what to do.”

“You poor child.” The woman in white put her hand over Daphne’s forearm on the table top. “That night should never have happened.” The girl continued sobbing.

The woman pulled her chair closer and put her arm around the distraught young woman’s shoulder. At the same time she noted the opened academic magazine on the table. “All this is an unpleasant affair that happened in the past. Let’s look ahead to the future.” She took a new approach. “You've finished secondary school and did very well. Last month wouldn’t it’ve been?” The tearful Daphne nodded. She stopped crying.

“Well then, let’s look to next year. Forget about this finishing school nonsense. Central University would be where you should go. It’s the nearest to your area and is considered one of the best in the country. Their history and archeology faculty is world famous. That’d be the place for you.”

Daphne took this in silently.

The lady went on. “As I said earlier one of our people here studied archeology there for a while. He’s only a few years older than you. I’ll see if he’s available. He can talk to you, advise you on how to apply for admission. How to get into the place. And give you an idea of what it's like.” Daphne looked at her and then nodded. The woman got up and left the room, locking the door.

She was back in twenty minutes. With her was a young man in his early twenties. He was of middle height with a slim, athletic figure. His face was oval with a pointed chin and short brown straight hair. He wore glasses, looked academic and had a pleasant look about him. His clothing was casual.

Leading him to the seated Daphne the woman wasted no time. “Daphne, this is Larry. Larry, Daphne, a guest you may have heard something of. She wants to know about Central Uni, how to get into it and something of their courses.”

The young man smiled, bowed his head and said “Hello Daphne. Perhaps I can help.” He pointed to a spot on the bed about two feet from the seated girl, “Do you mind if I sit there?” She nodded. The older woman sat on the other bed about six feet away.

Larry proved knowledgeable about university procedures. He spoke clearly, descriptively and was able to give Daphne the information she needed in a very short time. The girl, silent at first, began to converse and ask questions. The woman in white guided the conversation for a while but then left the young people to it. One thing became clear, if the girl wanted to go to university next year she’d have to start making arrangements very soon.

The talk moved on from getting started in tertiary studies and centred on university life in general. Daphne was interested in this and asked many questions. The dialogue became freer, lighter and punctuated with laughter as they got on to the social side. The older woman, realising the conversation had served its purpose got up and walked over to the corner bookcase and began to sort the books and magazines. The exchange on the bed sounded as if it was getting more lighthearted and friendly by the minute.

After a while she noticed the two had stopped talking and that Larry was standing beside her. She stood up.

“Excuse me Ma’am,” he began, “I hope you don’t mind, but could we have some privacy please?” The woman looked at him, then at Daphne who was staring back at her appealingly. She hoped what she was about to say was the right thing.

“Well Larry,” she began. “I personally know you to be a responsible person. I have also heard you are kindly, gentle and somewhat skilled in other fields too. You are also aware of this young lady’s situation. And so I am trusting you to behave responsibly and in a manner entirely appropriate to her particular needs.” She paused, looking closely at him, “I take it you know what I mean?”

Larry bowed his head, “Yes Ma’am.”

“Very well then,” she said, “Mrs Laverre won’t be back from the main room for at least two hours. That should be time enough for you two young people. I’ll come back just before that to make sure everything is in order. She smiled, “Best of luck, children.” And left the room. The door locked behind her.

The young twosome stood and faced each other. “You will be gentle?” she whispered, “You know how things went last time?"

He nodded, “I wouldn’t be anything else. That episode should never have happened.” They embraced.

One and three quarters of an hour later there was a discreet knock at the door and the lady in white re entered. There had been changes. The room had been tidied, both beds had been neatly made and the young pair were seated at the end table. Daphne was folding some recently written notes. “A few details of university entry application,” she explained, matter of factly.

The woman looked at her closely. Earlier this afternoon she had seen a frightened, unhappy, tormented girl. Here was a composed, serene woman. Self assured, competently thinking ahead and, it seemed, content. Surely, something good had happened?

“Indeed? Well that sounds useful. But now I must tell you young people that Mrs Laverre, your mother, will be back here in about ten minutes. And that you, Larry, will have to be gone before she does.” Larry stood up and looked around but there was nothing to gather up. He had brought nothing with him other than the pen Daphne had used to write out the notes on a pad from the bookcase. She handed it back to him. “Thank you,” she smiled. He nodded.

“Time for us both to be gone,” the visitor said and turned and walked to the door. Daphne stood and exchanged a quick kiss with Larry before he moved after her. The lady in white turned at the door. “And if I don’t see you before you go Daphne, all the best of luck for the future.” They left.

Daphne looked around, but there was nothing to indicate what had happened in the room in the last two hours. Even her towel had been rubbed clean. She tucked the notes she had made inside her blouse and then got a couple of books and some magazines out and put them on the table. To all appearances she had spent the morning reading.

Within minutes Helena arrived. She had left in a wheelchair and she was returned in one. The first time she had been unconscious. This time she was awake, securely tied to the metal frame of the chair and heavily blindfolded. The two grey green women were in attendance, one pushing the chair.

Her bonds and blindfold were removed and placed in a box under the seat of the chair. Helena herself was lifted upright, facing her captors. “Thank you for your cooperation Madame,” one of them said ironically as they pushed the chair out. The door locked behind them. The returned captive glared after them.

Daphne was seated at the table, her literature strewn in front of her. Helena strode over. “Swine,” she said, “They drugged me. Alright, they got a bit out of me. And some of our money as well. But not as much as they could have. And I got some useful information out of them. Just from the questions they asked.” She went on, “Back home they’ve been talking to your father as well. Threatening him by saying they’d sell us both to white slavers if he didn’t cooperate. That was a joke.” She concluded, “This is largely his fault. I told him not to get involved with those Middle Eastern characters. They’re ruthless.”

“Mum,” Daphne spoke, "What’re they going to do now?”

“Quite simple. They’re finished with me and that means we can both go home. They’ll give us another good meal out of that excellent kitchen they have here. Then, I’m told, we’ll both be bound, gagged, probably blindfolded, placed in the back seat of our own car and driven back to The Heights. Dad’s already there. Probably drugged. When he wakes up he’ll untie us. Then we’ll all be together again, sadder, certainly wiser and somewhat poorer.” Helena sounded both optimistic and little concerned. Daphne was quite surprised.

“One thing’s for sure. We won't be dealing with certain dubious international figures after this.”

“And you Madam,” turning to her daughter. “While I was in there under their wretched truth drugs, a lot of the conversation seemed to centre on you. OK, OK. It was something to do with that drug they were using. But about your likely future in the next couple of years. That woman in white was there part of the time. She’s one of their top people. She said it’d be a waste of your time and our money to send you to a finishing school.”

Daphne looked at her calmly but said nothing.

Helena looked back at her. Finally she smiled, "And I’ve come to the conclusion, she’s probably right. Better a trained university graduate, capable of earning her own living, than a scatterbrained airhead who knows all about social etiquette and nothing else. Wouldn’t you say? Even if the training is in a little-in-demand occupation like archeology.”

Daphne smiled in return. “Well thank you Mum. But there’s been a change in plan. It’s computer research I want to study at Uni now.”

“Excellent!” Helena was enthusiastic, “Now that is a much-in-demand occupation.” She laughed, “I know. I’ve just seen how useful and effective it can be in their bloody interrogation room there.”

"And you my dear. I see a change for the better in you in the time I’ve been away.” Helena paused, Daphne was silent. “It’s possible you’ve been dealing with one of the many experts they seem to have here. I’m not criticising. Whatever’s been done, whoever spoke to you about your future, they’ve done a better job in reaching you than I have in the last few months.”

“Well then, let’s go on from there. We’ll have to wait until this meal arrives and after that, bound and gagged and driven home in our own car. We’ll both be bondage kinks before this is over.”

Helena stood and looked at her child.. “Meanwhile, perhaps we can have a little girl talk between us. We’ve had little enough of that over the last year.”

Daphne also stood, “Oh, Mum,” she said from the bottom of her heart.

Mother and daughter embraced.

Mother and Daughter · Part 2 (2/2)
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