Darkest Fantasies Read Online Free Page A

expected. It had
been very obvious, after the short but determined courtship, that
the marriage was dull for him, too, otherwise why would he be
running around with other women? She sighed. She couldn't even do
this properly. Jenny had done the hard bit; the phoning. All she
had to do was arrive, and even that she found difficult. She was
sure she didn't use to be so spineless.
    She knew she
was at the right place because there was a small bell, above which
a sign proclaimed this to be the residence of Madam Tisset. Was
that as in French or English, she wondered, and took a step back to
look up. The building that surrounded the grim barrack-room door
looked like a warehouse. It was constructed of blackened bricks,
and had a vaguely sad, unused air about it. This was definitely not
a good idea. She took another step back, suddenly filled with a
burning desire to turn tail and run.
    'Stop.'
    She froze
without realising she had indeed turned to go. The word had not
been shouted, but was a command all the same. She turned slowly.
The woman behind her was not so much big, as powerful. Featureless
in the dusk, and disguised by a dark plastic raincoat tied tightly
around her middle against the chill wind, she radiated authority.
'Oh, boy. You really are under the thumb, aren't you, dear?' Esther
sensed amusement in the rich, husky drawl. 'You only have two
choices, you know; to carry on being the good little wife for the
rest of your life, or to take control of your life now. Only you
can decide.'
    It was
November, and the freezing cold was sapping whatever small amount
of courage had been summed up to get her this far. Esther thought
longingly of her warm safe living room with the co-ordinating decor
and the easy-clean carpet Kevin had chosen. He wouldn't be there,
though, he was at some conference or other, as he so often was
these days. She felt instantly guilty for being pleased at the
thought, but she had learned a while back that the word conference
could cover a whole multitude of sins.
    The woman
walked forward, opened the door and flicked a switch. Harsh yellow
light spilled out from a bare bulb. Esther noticed that the woman
was older than she sounded, had bright red lips, and wore
exceedingly high heels. She had been expecting some young, bouncy,
health freak with a black belt in something nasty.
    'You made it
this far, dearie. Go the rest of the way. You won't get a second
chance.' Then the casual attitude dissipated. 'You have to
choose... now.' Madam Tisset walked inside. She paused, waited with
her head cocked to one side, then shrugged, and the door began to
close.
    Esther stepped
forward as though she had been shoved in the back. 'Wait! Please
wait. I - I need to do this.'
    Madam Tisset
stood back wordlessly to let her pass, and Esther could feel the
uncomfortable pounding of her heart as the door closed behind her
with a reverberating thud. It had a sort of finality about it. What
had she let herself in for? She had now entered the forbidden zone
- there was no turning back...
    The woman
patted her shoulder in a motherly fashion and set off down the
corridor. 'It's all right, dearie, don't you worry about anything.
We'll take it all nice and easy. Now, you come on in and tell me
about this man of yours.'
    'What has that
to do with anything?'
    'Everything.
Tell me if I'm wrong. You were fairly self-sufficient. Had a job.
Enjoyed life. Went out - drinks, parties, the like. Then this
good-looking hunk of a man came along, swept you off your feet,
gave you a romantic wedding, and suddenly there you were, his wife,
the honeymoon period over. He liked his sex three times a week, a
roast on Sunday and his slippers by the fire. Before you knew it
you became his ideal wife. You don't have to go to work, you don't
go out unless he takes you, and the biggest indignity of all is
that you have to ask him for money.'
    Esther was
taken aback.
    'You're not
the first, dearie.'
    'You make it
sound awful. I should consider myself