Book IV

Chapter 18

Linda had finally found the appropriate dress to take with her to St.

Louis, to see the performance of the operetta, Die Fledermaus, over the

weekend. The gown was exactly like the one she had tried on back in her

travels back to the 1920's: A backless, black dress, made of sheer, black

chiffon, that along with the rhinestones and lace in it to give it a spider

web appearance, along with see - through inserts that gave lent it a feeling

of being bare underneath it. Also, she found a matching head covering,

similar to that of a skullcap, made in the same spider web style. She

carefully packed them, along with a change of clothes, and a wrap to hide the

dress from the public, until she was ready to reveal it, in both a suitcase,

and a long bag, which was designed to hold such items. She also packed a

small makeup kit, inside the small chain metallic purse that she had earlier

purchased in an antique mall here in Springfield, to allow her to freshen up

her face while down in St. Louis.

After she brought the dress downstairs to her little room in the guest

house, she held it up in front of her while looking at her reflection in the

mirror. "The perfect dress for an evening at the opera " she thought to

herself, as she imagined herself in the dress. She then caught a glimpse of

her reflection, and the sight was both pleasing as well as surprising,

considering what she looked like and was thinking when she first arrived

here.

She then carefully folded both the dress and the head covering into a

suit bag, as she carefully considered what she would pack into the suitcase

for the trip. A few minutes later, she slipped into the case a sheer, black

lace baby doll, with a matching little black G-string, for, as she thought to

herself, "Should things get interesting while I'm down in St. Louis. " She

also prepared a small makeup kit to take with her as well.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she quickly came to

another observation: "I had better get myself to a salon and have something

done with my hair before I take off for St. Louis this evening" she thought

to herself.

And with that, she hopped into her car, and headed off for Springfield,

to get the last touches taken care of, before going with Carlyle to St.

Louis, to see the operetta Die Fledermaus.

Chapter 19

Linda eagerly drove into the Pine Bluff Shopping Center, a fashionable

little mall on Springfield's southeast side. Within a matter of minutes, she

stepped into one of the hair salons that were in the shopping center.

"Welcome to Perfect Performance: may I be of assistance, Miss? " asked

Beverly, the receptionist on duty. "Yes, I need a touch up on a cut - and -

style job right away, " Linda replied. "Do you have an appointment? " the

receptionist asked.

"No, I don't, but I am going out of town for the weekend, and I was

hoping that someone might be available to make sure everything was set for

this major date this weekend, " answered Linda. Beverly looked down at her

appointment book, and saw that someone was available. "If you will have a

seat, I'll have Karen take care of you, " she said.

Within a few minutes, Karen came into the waiting area to get Linda.

Karen was in her early 30's, a blonde - haired lady, who was a little on the

heavy - set side, and looking very professional that day . Linda proceeded to

trail her to the back of the salon area, where she had her hair washed out

with a gentle shampoo, before it was cut and styled that day by the hair -

stylist. As Karen began to work on Linda's hair, she started shaking her

hair in complete disgust, from both a professional, as well as a personal

standpoint. "Just how long have you had your hair this color, ? " the

stylist asked. "A few weeks now. Why do you ask, ? " enquired the

restorationist. "Well, whoever did it, did a rotten job on it. The roots

are starting to show, the color only goes a few layers down, in effect, a

very poor job. If you want it to stay this color, I'm going to have to do a

bit more work than you had planned. However, when I'm done, you won't have

to worry about having anything done for another six to eight months.

But the final call is yours: It might take a little longer, and cost

a little bit more, but it will last longer, and look better than what you had

originally planned. "

It didn't take Linda very long at all to make up her mind. "Do what

you have to do to make sure that it looks good. I don't want to look like a

fool this weekend, " Linda answered. Karen went back to a cabinet, and got

out the equipment that she would need to do the job correctly that day. She

got out foil, a coloring paste, and a circular device that she set up with a

chair, and a set of tweezers to do some plucking of eyebrows with. And with

that, she went to work on Linda Mayer, preparing her for her weekend in St.

Louis.

Chapter 20

By the time that Karen was done with Linda, it was as if a completely

different person was sitting in the chair, compared to the young women who

had first entered the establishment. Her hair was now champagne blonde, with

no roots showing, as well as having had a pedicure and manicure done while

the work was going on. It indeed had taken longer than Linda had originally

planned, but the results that she saw were indeed very gratifying. "Karen,

you indeed are a miracle worker. My hair has never looked this good before,

" said the restorationist in a admiring tone. She quickly paid the bill, and

headed back to the St. John mansion, to prepare the last few things for her

upcoming trip to St. Louis.

By the time that 1:00 in the afternoon arrived, Linda had finished

packing everything that she though that she would need: Some changes of

regular clothing, on the off chance that they might take in some of the

famous sites there, her hair brush and comb set, the little mesh bag with

makeup, her dress and hat set for the operetta, an appropriate pair of shoes

to go with the dress, and, on the off chance that something else might take

place, a black lace teddy, with garters attached to it. She also packed some

stockings as well, to wear underneath the spider web dress, as well as what

dresses and skirts that she had packed for the trip. Just as she finished

packing the small suitcase for the trip, she heard a car horn sound. She

quickly hurried to the door, and was surprised to see Brian Carlyle there,

with a limousine waiting for her!

"Good afternoon, Miss Mayer. I hope that you have everything ready to

go, ? " asked the young developer. "I do indeed. I am amazed though, that

you came here in a limousine. I would have thought that you would have

picked me up in your car" answered the restorationist. Brian just smiled.

"I am pleased that you are surprised. Instead of flying down to St. Louis

to see the operetta, I decided to hire a limousine, so that if we wished to,

we could do some sightseeing and shopping down there if you so wished, " he

answered, not letting Linda realize just how far she had fallen into Brian

Carlyle's plan, a plan that involved getting her to work for him, causing

another major setback to the plans of the Historical Society, and completing

his turning the St. John property into a major showcase for development, and

also, as a place to bring money into the city of Springfield. All of this

though, he kept to himself, since he didn't want to tip his hand just yet.

In a matter of minutes, Linda had packed her suitcase, and the long bag

that contained her dress for the operetta, into the trunk of the limousine,

and then proceeded to join Carlyle in the back seat of the limousine as they

took off down Interstate 55 toward St. Louis.

Chapter 21

As they headed down toward St. Louis in the limousine, Linda was

enjoying the journey down the interstate highway toward one of Missouri's

major cities. Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her shoulder, while she was

looking out the window. "Excuse me Linda, but would you like a drink while

we are traveling? The reason that I'm asking is that I have a surprise for

you while we are in St. Louis, " enquired Brian Carlyle, his eyes looking

into her, as if he were drinking her up. "No thank you Brian. The last time

I had anything major to drink before our little dinner party was at the

Historical Society's dinner, and I ended up slightly tipsy, " she answered.

"Well, I'm sure that there might be some non - alcoholic beverages in here, "

said Carlyle, in a calm, but insistent tone of voice. But Linda again

refused to have anything to drink, as they continued down the Interstate.

"By the way Brian, you mentioned a surprise for me. Now what is this

surprise that you were about to tell me? " prompted Linda. Carlyle quickly

turned toward her, his mind racing a mile a minute in thought, while one his

hands was grabbing a ice cold can of a non - alcoholic beverage from the refrigerator, that had been built into the

limousine. "I think that you will enjoy this very much my dear. The

surprise is this Miss Mayer: Some of the contacts that I have developed in

the St. Louis area have reported finding some documentation that indicates

that at least one member of the St. John family may have moved here shortly

after they left the Springfield area, " announced Brian Carlyle, his face

showing none of the true feelings in his heart, or the truth about his little

announcement. The truth of the matter was that his little speech was a sham,

an attempt to get himself in even closer to Linda, and bring her over to him

and his company. After two hours travel in the limousine, the pair arrived

at the St. Louis Hyatt Regency Hotel. At the desk, a young man, with

receding brown hair and glasses, by the name of Michael turned to address the

couple. "Yes, how may I be of assistance to the two of you, ? " he asked.

Brian went to his wallet, and pulled out a Titanium Master Card.

"Yes, I'm Brian Carlyle. I have a reservation for this weekend, " he

answered handing the card to the clerk to confirm the reservation. Mike quickly

checked the hotel's reservation computer to check on the name. "Yes, I see.

You have a private suite waiting for you on the tenth floor of the hotel.

You will need your key to access that floor. And I'll need your credit card to

make the final conformation, " said the clerk.

"If you will look in front of yourself, on the desk, you'll find what

you are asking for, " said the developer, in a calm, steady intonation. The

clerk looked down and saw the card on the desk in front of him. Upon taking

the card, he slide it through a card reader, and seeing how much of a limit

was on the card, he quickly changed his mannerisms. "I'm sorry Mr. Carlyle.

I just didn't realize that it was you. Your private suite is waiting for

you as you requested. All that we now need is your signature on this slip,

and you will be all set, " quickly stated Michael. Carlyle quickly signed

the slip, and took the key from the desk, as well as a card key for the

suite, and headed for the elevators, with Linda not very far behind him.

Chapter 22

"Just what was it that he saw on that monitor that changed his mind so

quickly ? " asked Linda, as she breathlessly hurried into the elevator

behind Carlyle. "Nothing much, my dear Linda. Just the fact that the card

has on it a $125,000 credit limit, which I rarely use more than $10,000

worth, that's all, " answered the developer, as he inserted the key into a

space designed for that key, beneath the button for the floor that they were

heading for.

As they arrived on the 5th floor, Brian Carlyle removed the key from

the elevator, and the two of them entered the hallway. From there, it was a

short walk to the suite that had been reserved for them. As they reached the

door, Carlyle took the card key, and swiped it down the slot in the door. A

few seconds later, the lights on the lock lit up, and the door was unlocked.

He then held the door open, and allowed Linda to enter the suite with their

luggage.

The suite that they entered was a very large one, with two large walk

in closets, set up so that clothing could be hung up, so as to allow wrinkles

caused by traveling to be removed, as well as a bathroom that could be

closed and locked from the inside. The biggest surprise though, was a king

size bed next to a pair of small night stands with a phone, a AM - FM radio

with sleep function, and a remote control for the television on it as well.

"Well Linda, what do you think of this suite" ? Asked Brian Carlyle.

"I have to admit, I've never been in a suite like this, in all my travels.

Most of the time, I just stay in a small room, with a single twin size bed in

it, " replied the restorationist. "Well, why don't you use the bathroom to

freshen up a bit, and prepare for tonight. The Opera House is having a

performance of Die Fledermaus tonight at 8:00, and I don't think that we

would want to be late, " called out Brian Carlyle, as he opened up a valise

that he had brought with him.

Chapter 23

Linda opened up her suitcase, and took out everything that she would

need for that night: The sheer, backless spider web style dress, with the

matching skull cap, a pair of black leather pumps with the pointed toe and

the 3 1/2 " heels, a fresh pair of stockings, and a lightweight black wrap to

cover everything until she was ready to reveal what she was wearing that

night. She then took a small steam iron, and proceeded to use the iron to

try and remove some of the crinkles from her ensemble. However, she found

that the iron was doing little, if any, good. So instead, she decided to

take a long, hot shower, with the bathroom doors closed, to try and remove

the creases that way.

While Linda was taking her shower, Brian Carlyle was going over some of

the paperwork that he had brought with him from Springfield. As he reviewed

the papers, a devious smile came over his face. All of his plans were on the

verge of coming together.

With just a little nudge here and there, not only would the St. John

property be his, but Linda Mayer would be his as well. And not just at work,

but as his sexual plaything as well. His mind was going into overtime, as he

imagined the things that would be going on between him and Linda, when a

discreet feminine clearing of the throat took him out of his mental revelry.

Linda was standing behind him, wrapped only in a towel, with her small, firm

breasts, showing slightly above the towel. "If you don't mind, we have a few

hours before the show begins. Perhaps you could put your paperwork aside,

and we could do a little sightseeing before we have to come back here to

change for the performance tonight, " gently chided the marginally clad

restorationist.

Brian was slightly surprised by both the fact that so much time had

passed, but also the fact that even with her dressed only in a towel, Linda

was driving him half out of his mind by the merest hint of her sexuality. It

took him a minute or two for him to get his mind back to where he was, and

not on where he wanted to be. "I'm sorry Linda. Give me a few minutes, and

we can go to some of the sights in and around the city. "

Within 20 minutes, the two of them were dressed and ready to leave the

suite for an afternoon on the town. Brian Carlyle was wearing a light blue

sport jacket, a white, short sleeve shirt, and matching light blue slacks,

along with a pair of comfortable, tan, walking shoes, and a pair of

sunglasses, along with a matching carrying case, that he slipped into one of

his coat pockets, before their travels about the town began. Linda came out of the bathroom in a teasing manner a few minutes later,

starting off with a wisp of perfume, before reveling that she was wearing a

pair of comfortable blue - black flats, a denim skirt that revealed a pair of

slightly sheer beige stockings, a white peasant blouse that was slightly off

her shoulders, from which Brian could smell a hint of a seductive perfume,

and a cameo choker with a black ribbon, around her neck.

As Linda did a small turn, to show off to Brian Carlyle what she was

wearing, he nodded in adoration. "My dear, you look undeniably smashing in

that attire. There shouldn't be any problem in our going out and about the

city this afternoon, " he professed, his eyes never leaving Linda's figure.

And with that, they left the room, with Carlyle taking the card key with him,

and putting it in one of the pockets of his sport jacket .

Chapter 24

As the two travelers proceeded toward the front doors of the

Hyatt-Regency Hotel, Brian stopped off at the concierge's desk to get a list

of possible spots to visit before they had to return to change for the

operetta that evening. "Let's see now. Hermann is out of the question,

since it would take at least 90 minutes to get there, up to an hour to take

the tour, a half hour to taste and pick out the correct wines to bring back,

and another 90 minutes at least to drive back. How about we take a tour of

the planetarium instead? " suggested the developer.

"That would be fine. Maybe we can take in a show while we are there,

If it doesn't cut into the time we need to get back and get

changed for the operetta tonight, " responded Linda. With that, Brian took

out a calling card, as well as his credit card, and went to a nearby

telephone.

Within 10 minutes, Brian Carlyle was back, with a smile on his face.

"Well, Linda, I have some good news for us. There is an Omnimax Theatre show

starting within the next 45 minutes. I've already ordered a pair of tickets

for us, " he mentioned to the restorationist. "And what is the show for

today about, ?" enquired Linda. "The South Pole, " responded Carlyle, as he

opened the door of the limousine for Linda.

As they proceeded toward the Science Center, which contained the

planetarium, Brian took the small phone from its case in the back seat of the

limousine, and dialed a number which he had written down on a small card.

"Yes, I'd like to make a reservation for two at 10:00 P.M. under the name of

Carlyle. Make that reservation in the non-smoking section of the restaurant,

" he stated. And with that, he hung up the phone. "What was that all about?

" asked Linda. "I wanted to make sure that we could have dinner tonight

after the operetta at a little place I know that serves excellent Italian

food. In fact, the lasagna there seems to melt in your mouth! " replied an

enthusiastic James Ferino. Within a few minutes, the two travelers were

heading toward the Science Center, moving down highways toward the Omnimax

Theater, and the show on the South Pole.

Upon reaching the area, Brian and Linda entered the planetarium, and

quickly headed toward the ticket counter. There, Brian picked up the tickets

for the theatre, and they quickly followed the directional signs to get to

the theatre.

Upon entering the theatre area, Brian and, especially Linda, were

amazed at the sight of the dome on which the movie was to be projected. They

then proceeded to find a pair of seats next to each other, which were

inclined at an angle so as to see the top of the dome. As Linda sat down in

her chair, Brian took a quick glance at both her figure, and her legs, which

where very well shown off by the 45 degree angle that the chairs were set at.

As Carlyle sat down, the lights in the theatre dimmed, and the show began.

Chapter 25

By the time that the two travelers were finished watching the movie,

and managed to reach their vehicle, it was closing in on 5:30 P.M. , and

they immediately headed back to the hotel room to change for the evening

performance of the operetta. "Now don't forget Brian, that tomorrow morning

we need to check on that documentation that you told me about on our way down

here earlier today, " gently reminded Linda. "Don't you worry your pretty

little head my dear. I won't let you forget, " responded Carlyle, while

lying through his teeth. He had no intention of taking Linda to see any

documents, especially since they didn't exist at all. His plans were to take

her to the opera that night, to see Die Fledermaus, then to dinner, where he would get her in such

a state that she wouldn't be able to see the documents the next day, and

therefore, be forced to head back to Springfield. By that time, he could say

that the Historical Society had failed, and therefore, he should be allowed

the next shot at developing the Saint John property. Also, he hoped to have

seduced Linda into working for him, both in the office, as well as in

private. Such thoughts brought a feeling of well being, as well as a feeling

of personal satisfaction at sticking it to Sammuelson once and for all.

Upon reaching the Hyatt-Regency hotel, both Brian and Linda were eager

to change for their evening at the Opera House. Brian went to one of his

valises, and took out a full tuxedo, equipped with a bow tie, a black

cummerbund, to contrast with his white shirt, and black jacket and pants, as

well as a matching pair of dark shoes. Also, he slipped onto the shirt a

pair of cufflinks, to close the shirt at the wrist of each arm. Afterwards,

he put on a set of suspenders to help keep the pants up, in place of a belt.

All in all, it took him about 10 minutes to get dressed.

Linda went into the bathroom, and was pleased to find that all the

wrinkles had come out of the dress. As she opened her suit bag, she adjusted

the lights, and began to apply her makeup for the night. She first put on a

light foundation to her face, then put some mascara and eye shadow on. She

then used a bright red lip pencil, and then applied some lip-gloss to seal

the color to her lips, and then some blush to finish the make up job. After

Linda was done with her makeup, she then proceeded to get dressed.

Linda removed her original lingerie and began to put a midnight black

satin garter belt that had six garters on it, around her waist. After

putting it on, she sat down and began to attach some gray stockings with

black back seam stockings to the garters. After she attached the stockings,

she then proceeded to try on first, some panties, including a pair of

crotchless panties, then a pair of high cut briefs, then some bikinis, then a

string, and finally, a thong. Unfortunately, none of them fit well, when she

slipped the dress on.

Finally, Linda made a decision. She wouldn't wear anything under the

dress except the garter belt and stockings. Very carefully, she adjusted the

garter belt around her waist, then unrolled a pair of gray stockings that had

black back seams and black heels. After unrolling the stockings, she

carefully attached the stockings to the six garters onto the garter belt.

After checking in the mirror to make sure that the seams were on straight,

she carefully put the dress on. Upon looking at her reflection in the

mirror, Linda was very pleased. The reflection showed a young, vibrant

women, completely different from the subdued creature who had stepped off the

airplane and arrived in Springfield so many months ago. She also felt more

unusual inside than when she had arrived in Springfield, much more daring

than she had been in the past, even feeling some of her long denied passion

starting to arise. Carefully putting on both her wrap and the matching skull

cap for the dress, as well as a pair of black, 2 1/2 " heels, Linda stepped

out of the bathroom, and turned off the light.

As Linda stepped out of the bathroom, Brian Carlyle was ready by the

door to the room, tapping his foot impatiently. "I've been waiting several

minutes for you, my dear. If we don't . . . " his voice trailing off, as he

got a glimpse of Linda in her dress, causing his eyes to glaze over briefly.

A minute later, Carlyle offered Linda his arm, as they headed out the door

toward the opera house.

Chapter 26

Three hours later, the two of them were at a little Italian restaurant

called Mamma Rosa's, eating lasagna, and drinking wine, over a small table

that had a small candle burning in a glass to add ambience to the dinner, as

well as talking about the operetta that the two of them had seen earlier that

evening. "I must admit, it has been a while since I have seen a performance

set in the early 19th century, but it was very impressive, " said Linda, who

had slipped off her shoes, and was trying to flirt with Brian Carlyle by

running her feet up and down his legs. "I must admit that the cast did a

very good job of making sure that everything was heard by the audience, "

replied the developer, who was thinking back to the reaction that the people

attending the operetta that night had given, when Linda removed her wrap, and

revealed the gown that she was wearing that night. The sheer, black chiffon

dress with the crystal rhinestones in it, along with the below the shoulder

black gloves, had caused quite a stir among both the men and the women. The

women looked at her with both awe and disgust, while the men looked on with

appreciation and desire.

"I have to admit, my dear Linda, that the costumes were accurate, and

it truly seemed to reflect the time period that was indicated, " Brian said,

barely able to keep his poise with the flirting that Linda was doing under

the table. "I also must admit Brian, that you were right about this

restaurant. The food is superb. The lasagna really does seem to melt in my

mouth. And, while I normally don't drink alcoholic beverages, this wine

really goes well with dinner. I can't remember ever having such a good time

at dinner, " Linda stated. Brian smiled a small, quiet smile. "It won't be

much longer, " he mused to himself, "before I will have Linda Mayer in my bed

and all to myself. "

"My dear Linda, I have a small suggestion to make: Why don't we head

back to the hotel, and get some sleep. We've both had a long day, and we

both could use, " as he looked directly into her eyes, and whispered in a

low, lust filled voice, "some serious rest for tomorrow, " said Carlyle, his

eyes brilliant with intensity. By this time, Linda was feeling conflicting

emotions in her body. Part of her wanted to go back to the hotel and get

some rest. Another part of her wanted to answer Brian Carlyle's challenge

that he had issued with his voice and in his eyes. More and more, the

yearning that she had kept under control was starting to come back to the

surface. In the end, the yearning came out ahead. "That's fine Brian. We

can go back to the hotel, and, " brushing her lacquered nails gently against

his chest, "get some rest, " replied the restorationist in a matching tone of

voice.

With that, Brian Carlyle signaled the waiter to their table. A few

minutes later, the check had been paid, and the two people left the

restaurant to head back to the hotel.

Chapter 27

As the couple headed back to the Hyatt-Regency hotel in St. Louis,

things were progressing rapidly. Linda was nibbling on Carlyle's ear, while

he was holding her hand, and kissing her on the neck, at times. By the time

they reached the suite, the passion was definitely reaching a peak.

As they slipped into the suite, Linda whispered to Carlyle " If we are

going to get some rest let me slip into something more comfortable, " as they

broke the embrace that they were in. Brian Carlyle smiled, and gave a small

nod to her. "Go ahead and get yourself ready. I'll be waiting for you when

you get done, " he answered. As Linda slipped into the bathroom to change,

Brian proceeded to get changed himself. He carefully hung up his tuxedo,

slipped off the cufflinks, and put them back into the little box that he had

removed them from. He then carefully removed his suspenders, took his shirt

off, and put them away. Finally, he put his shoes away, and turned down the

bed as he waited for Linda.

In the bathroom, Linda turned on the light, and carefully removed her

dress, and put it back into the suitcase that it came from. She then

carefully removed the gloves, and unhooked the stockings from the garter

belt, and put both the stockings and the belt into her overnight bag. She

then slipped out of her bag, the little, black lace teddy with the lace

G-string, and put both of them on. She then turned off the light and headed

out the door, toward the bed.

As Linda moved toward the bed, other than the sound of her breath and

the breath of Brian, the only noise that was heard in the room, was the sound

of the soft whisper of sheer lace moving about until she reached the bed

where Brian was waiting for her. As they moved together in the bed, it soon

was hard to tell who was making love to whom in the room that night.

Eventually, both people fell asleep in exhaustion from the lovemaking.

In the morning, both Linda and Brian awoke early. Brian tried to

engage Linda in another session of lovemaking, but was gently refuted.

"Don't forget Brian that we have an appointment this morning to check out

that material that you found out about, indicating that a member of the St.

John family had moved here " said Linda, her voice reflecting the intensity

that was showing in her eyes. "Well then, I guess that we had better get

cleaned up and dressed before we go" replied Brian. With that, Brian slipped

out of the bed and headed toward the shower to get cleaned up.

"Now, now, now Brian, have you forgotten your manners? After all, good

manners dictate that a lady should go first, " Linda said in a coy manner.

Brian Carlyle then bowed from the waist down, and motioned with his hand.

"Very well then, after you, " he stated as he opened the door to the

bathroom.

After Linda was done in the bathroom, she started getting dressed while

Brian got cleaned up. Linda put on a pair of dress flats, a set of ivory,

thigh high, lace top stockings, a knee length skirt, a simple white blouse,

and quickly brushed out her hair. She then took out her metallic makeup

case, and used a lip pencil to fill in her lips, covering them with lip

gloss, to keep them wet. Looking at her image in the mirror, she was pleased

with what she saw. "Not bad, for someone who is going to look over some

documents, " she mused to herself. The outfit that she had chosen for

herself was not as sexy as some of the outfits that she had worn lately, but,

as a small concession, she chose not to wear a bra that day. As she started

to straighten things up around the suite, she found Carlyle's notes on the

estate lying near his open briefcase. As she read the notes, all of her

enthusiasm left her, leaving her feeling disgusted and ashamed. Brian

Carlyle had used her and had plans of his own for her!

Chapter 28

When Brian Carlyle came out of the bathroom, Linda was waiting for him

standing with her hands held behind her back. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise Linda, to see you already dressed, and ready to go" he

remarked. Then he noticed that Linda had her hands behind her back. "Do you

have a surprise for me back there, ? " he enquired, with eyes that were

reflecting mischief and humor. The look in his eyes changed, when an ashtray

when flying by his head. "What was that all about, Linda? " asked an

astonished Brian Carlyle. "I'll tell you what its all about Brian. It's

about you using me, using my desire to restore the St. John estate for your

own twisted plans, and trying to use me for yourself! " she screamed at him,

while trying to throw another ashtray at him. "Your own notes tell how you

used me to get back at Sammuelson, how you were trying to use me for your own

purposes! " she yelled at him, as she headed into the bathroom, while

gathering up her clothes.

A few minutes later, Linda had gathered her clothes into her overnight

bag and her suitcase, gathered her purse, and slammed the bathroom door

behind her. "I'm heading back to Springfield, and the St.

John estate. Don't even think about following me, or trying to talk me out

of my decision. If I have to, I'll tell Sammuelson all about your little

attempt at deception. So, just back off, " she said, as she headed out the

door of the suite.

After heading out of the suite, Linda took the elevator down to the

lobby, and, after checking with the concierge of the hotel, walked to the bus

station, and bought a one-way ticket to Springfield. Within a few minutes,

the call was made to board the bus. Linda checked her suitcase onboard, and

took a seat in the middle, and put her overnight bag above in the storage

rack.

It took 2« hours by bus, but she finally arrived in Springfield. After

arriving at the bus station on the east side of Springfield, Linda hailed a

cab by phone, and directed the cab driver on how to get to the St. John

estate. She paid him the $35.00 fee needed to get to the estate, and headed

in. But, instead of heading to the little house in the back that she had

been staying at, Linda went to the main house. Barely able to hold back the

tears she had been feeling since she left St. Louis, she dropped her bags

inside the foyer, and headed to the master bedroom.

Upon arriving in the master bedroom, Linda, half sobbing, half gasping,

stripped off her clothes, and headed into the bathroom, with the idea of

scrubbing off any and all remnants of Brian Carlyle. And a long and hard

scrubbing bath was what it was. By the time Linda was done, her whole body

was scrubbed red and raw. Putting back on her clothes, Linda fell down on

the bed, crying and trying to figure out what to do next.

"If I tell Sammuelson that I went to St. Louis with Carlyle, hell

never give me a good recommendation, and I'll never work again. If I try and

go back to Carlyle, he'll just use me as a love toy, and just drop me when

he's finished with me. I just don't know what to do" she moaned. Suddenly

she heard her name being called out from inside the room. "Linda, " the

voice called again. "Come to the mirror Linda. Just come to the mirror, and

all your worries will be over, Linda" the voice said.

As Linda turned toward the mirror, she saw Josette and several of the

other girls from the days of the whorehouse. "Join us Linda. Stop being

mistreated by men, and come to us, where you can control things, " the voice

of Josette seemed to say. Linda didn't know what to think. Her emotions

were all out of synch, and she had nowhere else to turn to.

All her instincts were saying that there was nothing left for her here.

Linda finally came to a determination on the matter. She got up out of

the bed, and headed toward the mirror. "If there is nothing left for me in

my time, maybe there is something waiting for me in the past, " she muttered

to herself, as she reached out toward the mirror. As she touched the mirror,

she disappeared into the past.

Epilogue

Two Days Later

All was quiet at the St. John mansion, until Sammuelson drove up to

the mansion. It had been nearly a week since he had last heard from Linda,

and he wanted to check on her, and give her the promised check for her work.

As he approached the door of the guesthouse, he was surprised to hear

another car come up the drive. As he looked back, up came Brian Carlyle in a

sports car. "And what, pray tell Carlyle, are you doing here ? " asked

Sammuelson in a voice that indicated his displeasure at seeing the younger

man there.

"A few days ago, Linda and I had a falling out. I came by to

apologize, and to ask her out. Now, is there any harm in that ? " asked the

young developer. Before either man could say anything else, a light blue

Chevrolet Cavalier pulled up into the driveway. Out of the car stepped a

tall, willowy brunette, carrying some documents. "Excuse me please, " she

said, "But could either of you gentlemen tell me if you have seen Linda Mayer

lately ? " she asked. "And who might you be to ask such a question ? "

replied Sammuelson. "My name is Desiree Wilson. I work as a Oral Historian

at the University. I came by to see Linda, because of some information that

I had uncovered in regards to the history of the house, and in regard to her

mental state. She had been having some very wild dreams, and I thought that

I would check and see if she was still being bothered by them, " she

answered. Sammuelson nodded in appreciation. "This is Mr. Brian Carlyle, a

local developer, and I am Mr. Sammuelson of the historical society. We were

here to check on Miss Mayer, since neither of us had heard from her in a

while. Would you like to accompany us on our inspection of the property? "

asked Sammuelson. Desiree's reaction was immediate and open. "There is no

way that I will go into that house! When you get out of the house, I'll

explain why" stated Desiree in quick, short outburst. With that, the two men

entered the house.

Both men entered the house, and began to search the house from top to

bottom. They found Linda's bags in the foyer of the house, and slowly began

to check each and every room of the house. Outside of Linda's bags, and a

few clothes, there was no sign of her. The only thing that they found out of

the ordinary was a set of stereoscope cards and a viewer. When they started

looking at the cards, they found pictures of the St. John estate in the late

1920's. What they didn't see was Linda, dressed in the clothes of that era,

living as one of the ladies in the house. Also, the portrait in the master

bedroom showed Linda standing behind Pamela in the 1930's.

When the men came out of the house, Desiree was waiting for them.

"Well, did you find her? " she asked. Both men shook their heads,

indicating that they had not been able to find her. "Well, with the

information that I have uncovered, told me that you wouldn't find her" she

stated. "And what, pray tell, was that? "asked Carlyle, in a slightly

sarcastic tone. "If you don't drop that tone, you won't get the information

that I have, " retorted Desiree. "People, people, quiet down. Now, Miss

Wilson, I believe that you have some information to pass on " said

Sammuelson, his voice rising to quiet down the uproar. "The information that

I uncovered concerned something that most people were not aware of. The

information states that the original daughters of the St. John put a curse

on the house that affected women only. If you men would care to exam the

transcripts that I brought with me, you'll see what I mean" she simply

stated. And with that, all three of them left the St. John estate, and

joined her at her vehicle.

Afterward

While the St. John estate may be fictional, and the characters may be

fictional, many of the places listed are real, with the names changed. I am

enclosing a list of those places and there real names. The list is as

follows:

Name Real Name

Command Airport Capitol Airport

John Q Smith Highway J. David Jones Parkway

Holy Cross Academy Sacred Heart Academy

St. Xavier Hotel St. Nicholas Hotel

Restful Retreat Inn Sleepy Time Motel

The Corkscrew The Corkscrew Wine Emporium

Sunny Ridge Shopping Center White Oaks Mall

Silver Lining Cabaret Club Totally Fictional

University University of Illinois Springfield

Abel's Kane's

Quebec Road Toronto Road

Pasture Road Shepherd Road

Bullseye Discount Department Store Target Stores

Small Lingerie Shop Dream Girls

Pine Bluff Shopping Center Capitol City Shopping Center

Perfect Performance Command Performance