His Lordships Daughter (15 page)

Stifling a yawn with her hand, she sighed, reached doe the telephone, banged eleven digits into the dial and spoke to Maisie, her financial advisor. “Phyllipa Gore, here Maisie.” She said speaking into the handset. “Good morning! Do we know anyone at a company called Locotrend? Anyone will do.
A friend of a friend, even? ok
, I’ll leave it with you!” Finishing the call, she replaced the receiver. If there was a back route into one of the Imperial Bank’s major accounts, her financial advisor would find it.

Leaving her office, she walked through the works checking that her responsibilities were working, nodded her head with satisfaction as she saw they were. Steven was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands
, when she walked through his office door. He looked up at her without smiling and Phyllipa’s heart reached out to him “Is it as bad as that?” she asked.

He flicked a hand through his black hair. “One day I get good news and the next I g
et bad news. “He complained. “It’
s like living on a bloody roller coaster.” He stopped and gazed at her “You always look so good. Do you ever have any problems?”

“Obviously, you have had some bad news, do you wish to tell me about it?”

He raised a thin smile. “It’s just business, and, sometimes I wonder if it is all worth it? Why don’t you and I jet off into some sun soaked haven and leave all this behind?”

“Is that what you would like?”

He rose almost wearily from his chair. “You don’t want to hear about my problems, but, as of this moment, anyone can have this company.” He put his arm around he
r
waist and kissed her face. “But, ask me in an hour’s time and they’ll have to fight for it.”

June was right
, Phyllipa conjectured. Their boss was licking his wounds. He had received the banks letter and at the moment was taking time out with himself.

“Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

“You could marry me.”

“What! In the mood that you are in? On your ro
ller coaster?” No thanks!
.”

A faint smile crossed his face again. “Forgive me! But I’m a little down at the moment, but I know me, and before you can say Jack Robinson! I shall come bouncing out of whatever it is that I’m in.”

Gently taking his arm
from around her waist, she
moved to the door. “Perhaps you will give me a shout when you finally emerge.” She said, leaving him standing there. Although she felt desperately sorry for him, she couldn’t openly sympathise with him as she wasn’t supposed to know anything about what was troubling him. But, she couldn’t be hypocritical either. His problem was her problem and she would correct it in the only way she knew how.
On the other hand, it would be interesting to see how Steven handled adversity? He father had asked her if, in her opinion, could he cope? And, without being certain, she had answered in the affirmative. The experts always reckon that the secret of business survival when trouble presents itself is a short ordered retreat into some personal limbo where the alter ego clicks into positive thinking and the wheat and the chaff become separated, and it looked as if that was exactly what Steven was doing.

Passing through into June’s office, she carefully sat in a soft chair and looked at her friend.

“It’s D day out there.” Steven’s secretary said, a wry smile on her face.

“Yes!” Phyllipa nodded her head. “I have already spoken to him.”

“Did he confide in you?”

“No! He just said it was business.”

“Funny business. If you ask me anything.” June retorted. “Clive and I nearly fell out over it last night.”

“He must follow the family line.” Phyllipa explained.

“
Well!
I
f that’s what the line is, they can stuff it.” June replied angrily. “It doesn’t seem quite right that innocent people should get caught up in some old man’s dream of marriage that wasn’t on in the first place.” She looked at Phyllipa, accusingly. “It wasn’t on, was it?”

“Of course not, but it’s happened hasn’t it? Through no fault
of his own, Steven has fallen down a big hole! Now you and I have got to get him out. Or would you prefer to leave him down there, while you argue the propriety of the thing.”

“No! Of course not, but it just seems so bloody stupid, that’s all.”

Phyllipa smiled at her “That’s life!”

June picked up her pen from the desk and threw it down again. “No!
It’s
not. Not my sort of life, anyway. And I’m pretty certain it isn’t Steven’s either. I’m just a plain country girl and all this wheeling and dealing is a little beyond me.”

“Blame your future father-in-law.” Phyllipa
murmured
.

“Yes, he’s got a lot to answer for.” June looked at the time on the wall. “I could murder a drink. Clive told me this company was a first class bet on paper. Profitable, dependable, and all charts rising. And yet, Lord Braseby sees fit to dump it.”

Phyllipa flicked some strands of her wayward hair back into line. “Yes, well. Business acumen seems to go out of the window where bloody mindedness is concerned. But, please don’t keep looking at the down side of this thing, June. Do what has to be done and give Steven that I address I gave you, otherwise we are all out of a job.!”

“And bang goes your grandmother’s necklace, eh?”

A wry smile crossed Phyllipa’s face. “Huh! There is more at stake here June than that. In fact, there is more at stake than the Imperial Bank and this company put together.”

June stared at her. “Really! You have always given me to understand you know nothing about city business?”

“I don’t.” Phyllipa shrugged her shoulders. “I’m just making things up as I go along. Everyone else seems to be doing it, and I am not thick!”

“No!” June looked at her from narrowed eyes. “Perish the thought!”

Phyllipa laughed. “You don’t trust me do you?”

Her friend tapped the desk with the end of pencil, obviously wondering how to answer such a direct question. Then, she slowly shook her head. “I like you, you know that. I like you a lot, but I’m not into this “Money no object” sort of thing. And when I meet people that I don’t understand I tend to be wary.”

“Does all that mean you don’t?” Phyllipa’s laugh deepened.

“You think it’s a bit of a joke, don’t you?”

The grin disappeared from her friends face “No! I don’t. I’m just trying to save two hundred and seventy thousand people from being slung on to the scrap heap, or have you forgotten that?”

June looked embarrassed “Yes, O.K, I know you are doing it for the best
.” She brightened a little, and
smiled. “We’ll take things one day at a time. Today I trust you!”

“And tomorrow?”

“I’ll let you know.”

Phyllipa smiled again “I think both you and I need cheering up, dinner at my place tonight how about it? We’ll have a wonderful meal, we’ll drink lots of champagne and make a night of it, so bring your toothbrush.”

June nodded happily, “I’ll be there!”

Phyllipa stared across the dinner table at her friend “What did you think of the steak?”

June hastily swallowed a mouthful of fruit salad, then took a huge gulp of champagne “Mmm! Smashing! Did you cook it?”

“Of course not. I had it sent up from the kitchen.” Phyllipa frowned. “I’ve had a very exciting day and the last thing I would wish to think about is preparing a meal. Ugh! I couldn’t imagine anything worse. Can you cook?”

June coughed as if she had something caught in her throat. Spluttering she dabbed at her mouth with a white napkin. “Well, let me put it this way.” She finally croaked. “If I was on a desert island, I wouldn’t starve.”

Phyllipa smiled, “I’m pleased to hear it, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

“Yes I can knock a meal together. It wouldn’t win any prizes, but it would be edible! What sort of domesticated animal are you?”

“If you are asking me about cooking – forget it. I don’t.” Phyllipa nibbled a stick of celery “But, like you, if I was pushed, I don’t think I would go without.” She giggled. “My father thinks I am very good at roasting chestnuts.” Topping the champagne flutes up, she finished her meal, then looked into her friends face. “Now, you can tell me, what is it about me that attracts you so much?”

June looked over the rim of her glass. “You’ve noticed?”

Phyllipa shook her head “I hadn’t!
But
then you kissed me.”

“Ah.” Her friend sighed deeply. “I wouldn’t like what I am about to confess to you upset our friendship?”

“That is highly improbable.”

June sipped some more wine, a trifle embarrassed “Have you ever seen a face in a crowd that reaches out to you? A face which digs deep inside your own conventionalism? A face which begs something more profound than friendship?”

Phyllipa shrugged. “Go on…”

The chagrin died as her friend’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Yours was that face Phyllipa! The very first time I saw you, it hit me where it shouldn’t have hit me and I was hooked. I just had to get to know you, over and above the everyday work commitment. I admit wanting to kiss you, to touch you, and yes, to love you.” For a few seconds she stopped speaking, then started again in a stronger voice. “I think you know that I am not a lesbian and I am pretty confident that you aren’t.” she shrugged her shoulders. “And that’s it.”

“So, what do you wish to do about it?” Phyllipa asked, picking up June’s hand and gently squeezing it.

“I thought, that as this is your treat, you may have some ideas of your own?”

Phyllipa smiled, a look of pure sensuality ran through her eyes as her mind roamed over possibilities. June was correct in assuming that she was straight, but she had always been a great believer in researching the pleasures of the flesh. Apart from the usual “Dorm Games” she had indulged in at her “Finishing School” with her friends, she had never courted
Delphic*
relationships with other women, although the odd fantasy had run through her carnality more than once. Now, with her
friend’s
confession still ringing in her ears, she chuckled inwardly as her sub conscious down loaded her individual logo! “She who dares…!”

“A good supply of champagne and a soft warm bed.” She finally offered “That would be my suggestion. As I just said, it’s been a hard day for the pair of us. We deserve our recreation.” Standing up she grabbed a fresh bottle of champagne and two glasses from the table, bent over June who was dicing some cheese and kissed her cheek. “You will find me in my bed.”  Turning to go, a sudden thought struck her, causing her to swing round on her friend “It’s very big!”

*
-  Delphic (meaning) obscure or ambiguous

June nodded, agreeably, as she too left the table. “Do you mind if I watch you undress?”

Phyllipa imperceptibly shivered as something nice fluttered through her body. “Come on!” Taking June by the arm, she walked to her bedroom, then stood looking at her friend. “Why don’t we watch one another?”

Happily, they both stripped themselves until they stood naked, conscious of one another’s curiosity. Both had seen other women’s nakedness before, but this was very different. Phyllipa eyed June’s breasts, intrigued by their spherical smallness, whilst June’s inquisitive study wept the whole length and breadth of her
friend’s
body, causing her to inhale deeply as the latter spread her legs whilst she poured the champagne. Handing a glass to June, Phyllipa scrambled into the large comfortable bed. I don’t wear anything whilst I am sleeping.” Lifting her glass high,
she looked into June’s eyes, has she
snuggled up beside her. “Donna Con Donna!” she toasted in a ringing voice.

June sat up, surprised. “What does that mean
?”

“To lesbian love! According to the Romans! It’s my classical education swanking again.”

“
well as long as that’s all it is, I don’t mind. But, I think I should point out to you once again that I am not a lesbian.”

“I know you are not.” Phyllipa drank some champagne. “But just for tonight, act like one.”

“You mean like this?” June pulled her friends face towards her and kissed her mouth. Her soft warm lips startled Phyllipa who found the action extremely pleasing as an inquisi
tive tongue sought her own,
gentle
fingers were probing her breasts. Massaging the soft flesh encircling the rounded circumferences, they crept towards her nipples, scraping their sharp nails across the swollen tips, exacting a cry of pleasure from Phyllipa as waves of delight flushed through her body. Suddenly the warm mouth was suckling on her, the searching tongue rolling and licking her nipples whilst the transient fingers with their exquisite touch, fluttered up and down her spine, deftly touching and caressing the smooth buttocks.

Already in her first stage of arousal, Phyllipa, her hungry loins pushing out invitations thrust her pelvis against her companion’s and opened her legs. Immediately, the travelling fingers swept downwards, tiptoes across her belly, leaving prints of erotic excitement as they plunged between her thighs, exploring her swollen labia, seeking and finding her stiffened seething core of pleasure. Working her body against the welcome trespasser, she suddenly screamed with delight
as her companion took a glass of champagne from the bedside table and allowed it to drop between her loins. The chilled liquid splashing her on her blood charged flesh, despatched orgasmic waves, which crashed through her as June, lowering her head, sucked and drank the wine away whilst her warm tongue squee-geed her fleshy outer labia, pushing Phyllipa to the very edge of her sexual sanity. Gritting her teeth, she shivered with excitement as her
friend avidly worked on her fra
ntic body. Licking, sucking and massaging until the attendant orgasm which had been relentlessly building skyscraper high inside Phyllipa, suddenly exploded in a massive burst, leaving her limp and breathles
s, snugly safe in her very own e
lysian
*
field of delight.