The Price of Desire by N. K. Fox Read Free Book Online

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.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜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.’
    â€˜But I know something’s happened to her.’ Her mother was close to tears.
    â€˜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.
    Â 
    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.
    â€˜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.
    â€˜Lily’s still not home, and she hasn’t been back all night,’ her mother blurted, tears meandering down her cheeks.
    â€˜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