Postby KP Presents » Fri Jan 31, 2014 3:34 am
It would have been about 1 when I heard the voices, and saw Bobby and Suzie come in, accompanied by Jenny and Cassie. “Hello Susan,” their mother said as Mrs Boyle helped her with the car seats. Grandma and Granddad followed them in, as they said “Good afternoon everyone – I trust you managed to sleep well?”
“We slept like logs,” Dorothy said with a smile, “but I’m not sure about the other three.”
“Don’t worry – they slept like babies.”
I looked up to see Angela standing in the doorway, wearing a blue boiler suit and holding a balaclava in her gloved hand. “When will dinner be ready, Mrs Boyle?”
“In about thirty minutes, Miss Angela,” the housekeeper said.
“Enough time then,” she said as she looked at me and Jenny. “I need you two to give me a hand – come and get changed.”
As Jenny and I followed her, she opened the downstairs toilet. “There are two boiler suits in there, gloves and masks – put them on and then come with me.”
The suit was baggy, which was just as well given Jenny still had her school uniform on, so as we pulled the gloves and masks on, there was nothing to show there was a couple of teenage schoolkids in there. We walked out to find Angela had already put her mask on, as we walked down into the cellar.
I could see someone else there already, and he winked at us as we came down. An educated guess, and the fact I knew what he looked like in that gear, told me Eddie had been on morning watch for the three captives.
All three were on the camp beds, looking up at us over the scarves that covered their lower mouths. Heidi was on the first bed, wearing a white polo shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Next was Cindy, in a grey smock top with a white long sleeved top underneath, and a pair of black leggings. Finally there was Natalie, squirming round in her light blue t-shirt and boho skirt that came to just below her knees.
All three were barefoot, with their hands covered by socks and tape behind their backs. They were tied as we had been – wrists crossed and secured together behind their backs, then rope around their waists and wrapped between their arms and back. A band held their lower arms to their stomachs, then two bands above and below their chests.
As for their legs, their ankles were secured side by side, and then their legs below their knees, while a length of rope went from their ankles to the foot of each bed. I could guess just how much packing was under those scares as well from the way their cheeks bulged.
Heidi wriggled round as she looked at us, and said “Hwmssshlngr?”
“You can go now,” Angela said to Eddie, who nodded and left without saying anything. “Good news,” she then said to all three of them, “your ransom has been paid, and we’re going to take you back to your mothers. I’m going to untie you from the bed, one by one, and I want you to sit on the sides of the bed without saying anything. Understand?”
The three girls nodded as Jenny and I had to turn and stop ourselves from giggling. “You two,” Angela said in a commanding voice, “help me here.” We went and stood by Cindy and Natalie’s bed before we untied their ankles from the metal, and helped all three to sit up.
“Whrrwww,” Natalie said as she wriggled her toes on the cold floor.
“You know we’re not going to tell you that,” Angela said as she turned Heidi to the side and started to untie the chest ropes. “Release her legs, and then get the tape,” she said to us, so as Jenny knelt down and removed the ropes around her ankles and legs I walked over and picked up the roll of white micropore tape.
“I want you,” Angela said to Heidi, “to close your eyes. We’re going to blindfold you, and then you sit still until we tell you to move, all right?” Heidi nodded as I tore off a long strip of the tape, and then stood in front of her. She looked at me, before closing her eyes and allowing me to blindfold her.
Cindy quietly allowed us to free and blindfold her, but as Natalie sat up she tried to stand as well. “I told you to sit down,” Angela said as she put her hands on her shoulder. “We don’t want a repeat of what happened when you changed this morning, do you?”
“Neednt,” Nats mumbled as she sat back down, and then was blindfolded.
“All right,” Angela said as she helped Natalie to stand, and we accompanied Heidi and Cindy, “Walk with us, keep quiet, and it will soon all be over.” She took the lead, holding Natalie’s arm as we followed her up the stairs, and into the dining room.
Mrs Boyle was setting the last places, and smiled at us as we escorted our guests to the three seats at the centre of one side. Sitting them down, I was surprised to see them meekly put their legs against the front legs of the chair.
“Not this time – you just need to sit still,” Angela said as she nodded to us, and we started to untie their arms. As we coiled the ropes and put them to one side, their mothers came in and took four of the chairs on the other side f the table, moving as quietly as possible.
“Whstsgngngnn,” Cindy said as Jenny began to unwind the tape from her hands. “You will sit still and quiet until we tell you to move,” Angela said again in that commanding voice of hers, as the others came in as well – Cassie and Suzie sitting at one side of the American visitors, Grandma and Granddad on the other side.
As Bobby, Uncle Alexander and Aunt Susan sat at one end of the table, we started to remove their gags while they rubbed their wrists. Under the folded scarf was a band of white tape encircling their heads, and once I had removed that I saw the knotted strip of towel between their teeth. We untied them, and helped the cloth to come out of their mouths, before standing back.
“All right,” Angela said quietly, “you may remove your blindfolds now.”
Very slowly, Heidi reached up and peeled the tape away from her eyes, blinking as she allowed them to adjust to the light. She then took one look at her mother, smiling across the table from her, and said “What the…”
Turning her head, she saw that the three of us had removed our masks, while Cindy and Natalie were looking round. “Where…. How…. When…”
“Welcome to Wissenden Hall girls,” Uncle Alexander said as Mrs Boyle started to bring in some bowls of soup, “we hope you enjoyed your stay here last night.”
“Our stay here last…” Natalie looked at her mother, before saying “Oh great god above, you mean this was all a game? And you knew? YOU KNEW???”
“I’m afraid so dear,” Katherine said as she smiled back across the table. “But don’t think it was our idea – thank your friends behind you.”
“You suggested this,” Heidi said as she turned and looked at me, while I took off the boiler suit. “I thought I recognised Angela’s voice, but this was your idea? Then who did it – I didn’t recognise anyone else!”
“We’ll tell you over lunch,” I said as I walked forward and hugged Heidi, “welcome back anyway – did you enjoy it?”
“Once we figured out it was someone we knew, yes – but whoever you got to do it, they knew what they were doing. How on earth did you get the idea?”
“It happened to us,” Jenny said as she hugged Cindy and Natalie, “but never mind that now – you must be hungry. Mrs Boyle is a very good cook, so sit back down and tuck in.”
“So this is where you live now, Suzie,” Heidi said as she sat back down and looked across the table, “I like what I’ve seen of it – mind you, it’s just this room and – where were we anyway?”
“In the cellar,” Bobby said as he picked up a hunk of bread, “I took your mothers down last night after you had gone to sleep to show them.”
“You watched us? Oh great – and me with a Laura Ingalls nightshirt on as well!”
“Oh yes – and such a wonderful sight it was as well,” Veronica said with a smile. “Do you know you talk in your sleep?”
“I don’t” Natalie said as she looked over, than at the other girls. “Do I?”
“Sometimes, but we ignore it,” Cindy said as she took a mouthful of soup. “This is very good,” she said as she looked at Mrs Boyle. “Can we get the recipe?”
“If you can give me one for clam chowder,” Mrs Boyle said.
“Deal – we’ll talk later,” Cindy said with a smile. “So we’ll be staying here for the trip?”
“That’s right,” Suzie said. “I’ll show you the house later, and the grounds tomorrow, but we have to go into town this afternoon – dress fitting.”
“And tonight you will be having dinner at the Manor house – Sarah and Brian are most anxious to see you as well,” Grandma said as she looked at us.
“Tell me they didn’t see us,” Cindy said as she looked at her mother.
“No – they were busy last night,” Dorothy said with a smile.
“Sorry I’m late,” Eddie said as he came in and took the one empty seat, “I had to clean up downstairs first.”
“Heidi, Cindy, Nats, this is my boyfriend Eddie Holmes,” Angela said as she smiled at him, “one of your captors.”
“Pleasure,” Eddie said as he smiled at them, and then started to eat the soup.
“I liked him,” Nats said with a smile, and I laughed in return.
“Just promise me,” Heidi said as she looked at me, “you’re not going to do that for any of the others.”
“Nope – they’re going to a hotel anyway,” I said in response.
“Good – I don’t think Alice in particular would like it, and Chloe…”
“Chloe is getting very good at getting out of ropes,” Natalie said quietly.
Once we had finished dinner, and the others had a chance to change out of their school uniforms, the six of us climbed into Mrs Craig’s large car, while the mothers got into the car being driven by Aunt Susan, and we headed into town – specifically, into the dress making emporium known to all as Casey’s. She had made all our ball gowns, and a couple of years ago had made the dress for Jenny and Cassie’s Aunt Connie’s wedding. So she had been the natural choice when it came to the dresses for Sarah’s party.
“Ah there you are,” Casey herself said as we came in. “And it is pleasure to finally meet the final members of the bridal party – I hope I managed to get your dresses almost right from the measurements we were sent. Right – I need the two flower girls first, so Cassie and Suzie – with me please.”
Bobby had stayed at the Hall, mumbling something about needing to work on something, so it was women only – which suited me, as we sat and talked about some of the things that had happened, while the mothers took themselves to the other side of the room and talked together.
“Right – I think we only need a little adjustment, but what do you think, Mrs Bowden, Mrs Craig?”
We turned and looked at Cassie and Suzie as they stood there, beaming at all of us. Their dress was made from gold silk, and had a square neckline with little puffed sleeves at their shoulders. A waistband of silk flowers was on the dress, and below that it went from a smooth fabric to a slightly more ruffled look, as the skirt flowed a little to about four inches above their ankles.
They both wore a pair of white lace gloves, while their legs were in a pair of white tights, with matching gold shoes that had a little heel.
“Oh my,” aunt Susan said as she stood up and walked over, “You have done a fantastic job, Casey. How does it feel to you, darling?”
“It feels great,” Suzie said as she beamed at her mother. The last part of her outfit as it currently stood was a little headband in her red hair, with flowers on it.
“I think I need to take it in just a little here,” Casey said as she pinned the back, “but otherwise I think we’re there.”
“Oh I agree,” Mrs Craig said as she looked at Cassie, “Perhaps gather her waist a little more?”
“I agree,” Casey said as she walked over. “Ruth, be a dear and fetch the jackets please.”
Her assistant went into the changing rooms, returning with two matching bolero jackets that she helped Cassie and Suzie to put on. “Perfect,” Casey said as she adjusted the fit, “just perfect. You two are going to make one heck of an entrance on Saturday.”
I could see the biggest smile possible on their faces as they twirled round. “Right then – you two go and get changed, and we’ll get these ready,” Casey said as Ruth took them back in. When they returned a few minutes later, she said “Angela and Alicia – you’re next.”
We followed her through to the changing rooms, and as I went in she closed the curtain behind me, returning a few minutes later with a bag labelled “Alicia Bowden.” She also handed me a box, and said “Get changed as quickly as you can – I’ll be in in a second to help with the last part.”
I opened the bag, looking in awe and wonder at the dress inside, and then hung it as I took off my jumper.