Chapter 3

Mr. Groves had stayed until the early hours the night before and they had had a lot of fun, but since Debbie wasn't sure what time her mum would be back this morning she asked him to leave just before three o'clock in the morning.

She locked the back door behind him and yawning tiredly she went up to bed.

She slept the night through and a good part of the morning too, but she was still up and dressed and looking bright eyed by the time her mum got back.

Debbie put the kettle on and sat down at the kitchen table. Her mum was almost humming with suppressed excitement, and so she waited for her to start talking.

Debbie's mum waited until they were both sitting with a cup of coffee.

"So how was your date last night?" Debbie asked with a little smile.

Her mum shone. Debbie couldn't remember ever seeing her, this happy.

"Oh Debs!" she sighed softly. "Gordon is just so wonderful."

"Good." Debbie paused as she reached out to take her mum's hand. "You deserve it mum."

Her mum gave a self conscious little laugh. "He wants to take me away." She eyed her daughter worriedly.

"Excellent! You could do with a holiday, where does her want to take you?"

"It's a world tour, lasts about six months."

Debbie sat in total shock. "When?" she finally managed.

"Next weekend." Her mum looked at her anxiously. "Should I go Debbie? What do you think? Would you be all right on your own here?"

Debbie swallowed a couple of times and then forced a bright smile. "Don't be silly mum, of course you're going. There is absolutely no question about it, you ARE going."

Her mum gave her a little sigh of relief and a soft grateful smile. "Luckily all the bills for this place," She looked around the house, "they're all paid by direct debit. So you won't be out of pocket." She studied her daughter for a moment. "And I'm going to set up a standing order to pay £25 into your bank account once a week so that you can get food and things."

Debbie hugged her mum gratefully. "You always take care of me mum." She sighed through a watery little smile.

Her mum stood up. "Right, I'm going to take a shower, and then I might take a nap for an hour."

Debbie grinned naughtily. "Did Gordon work you hard last night ma?"

Her mum blushed and there was a little twinkle in her eye. "I'm not even going to answer that."

Left alone Debbie's smile faded and she stared at her empty coffee cup dejectedly. Her mum's life was moving on and she (Debbie) was in danger of being left behind.

She walked into the back garden and wandered over to the fence. Mr. Groves shed door was closed and he was no where around.

Debbie gave an irritable little grunt and went back inside. She went up to her room and wandered around it restlessly, picking things up and putting them back down again. She looked out of her bed room window and could see Pete in his room looking across at her.

She casually began to unfasten the buttons on her blouse. She could see him sitting forward in his chair as he strained to see her. She stepped back into the shadows of the room.

The house phone rang and Debbie laughed in exhilaration, before she could get to it though her mum could be heard answering it.

A few moments later her mum knocked on her door.

Debbie hurriedly fastened her top just as the door opened.

"I thought I heard you come up here." She said her eyes bright with excitement. "That was Gordon; he's just on his way over. His father wants us to go and have dinner with him."

"That's nice." Debbie smiled, "have a good time."

"Oh no Debbie, you're to come too, he wants to meet the both of us before he gives his blessing."

Debbie looked at her in surprise, "his blessing for what?"

"Gordon wants to marry me eventually, but he works for his father and all his money comes from his father, so he won't do anything without his blessing."

Debbie's mum looked her over. "You've just got time to shower and change." She murmured as she stepped fully into the room.

"Why? What's wrong with the way I look now?" she asked sulkily.

"Just go and take a shower, you'll feel much better once you've freshened up, and I'll look through your things."

By the time Debbie stepped out of the shower and went back into her bedroom, her mum had gone downstairs, leaving a pretty little summer dress that Debbie hadn't worn for years, laid out on her bed.

Her curtains were still open as she started to towel herself down, and she knew that Pete was getting a real treat. Maybe it would encourage him to save a little harder.

Debbie didn't dwell on the implications of taking money for sexual favours, and what that made her.

She put on some lacy briefs and matching bra and moved around her room a little giving Pete ample viewing time.

A car pulling up outside convinced her to hustle and she pulled on the dress and added a little cardigan since there was a chill in the air today.

This was her first meeting with Gordon too, and she was a little surprised by the fact that he was easily in his mid to late fifties, with a soft look to him. Her mum in her early fifties was still a very attractive woman; surely she could do better this Mr. Potato head?

She sat in the back of the car tugging at the hem of her dress; she couldn't imagine what her mum was thinking in making her wear this little girl's dress.

They turned onto a private drive way and as they turned the corner the house came into view.

"Oh my!" both mother and daughter exclaimed in unison.

The house was huge! A great sprawling mass that looked like it had been added to every other generation.

"It's been in the family forever." Gordon informed them pompously.

Debbie wasn't sure if she liked Gordon or not, but she had to admit that whenever he looked at her mother she could see how much he cared for her.

As the car came to a halt, they all climbed out. Gordon took her mother's hand in his and waited for Debbie to join them.

"Now then Debbie," he told her in a low voice, "it's very important that my father thinks well of you, so be sure and be respectful, and make sure you do whatever he tells you, no matter how odd it may seem."

Debbie was expecting an older version of Gordon and figured she could charm the old guy easily enough. She smiled up at Gordon, "I'll be on my best behaviour." She promised.

"Good, good, good." He muttered nodding his head vigorously.

They walked through the large double doors and Debbie looked up into the face of an evil old man who looked to have a very nasty temper. He was old and crabby, but still fit and strong by the looks of him. He must have been in his eighties though.