Jane collapsed happily on her bed. "France was wonderful!" She said dreamily. "Charlie lives a few hours from Paris, so we drove there and stayed for a night. Paris is so beautiful- the lights everywhere! We hired bicycles and rode the streets from cafe to cafe drinking coffee and eating pastries. Oh, I could live there!"

"Sounds like you had the best Christmas out of all of us!" Quipped Charlotte. "I stayed here with Patrick, but his parents were visiting, so we spent most of his days off shuttling them around to all the sights. I need a holiday from the holidays!"

"How's Will, Elizabeth?" Asked Jane. "Did you both have a good Christmas?"

Elizabeth nodded. "It was quiet, but good. Will and I were able to speak a lot, so that was awesome. It's so strange seeing him in summer clothes and wishing him a Merry Christmas though."

"You're at the half way mark, Elizabeth." Said Kitty, giving her a hug. "You're doing so well! Now that Christmas is over, it'll get easier. He'll be here before you know it."

Elizabeth hugged her back, giving her a warm smile. "How was your Christmas, Kitty? Are your family well?"

A concerned look crossed Kitty's face. "Yeah, my family is well, but Mom was saying that Lydia's mother hasn't heard from her since September."

"Oh Kitty- that's unusual? They spoke regularly?"

Kitty shrugged. "Well, Lydia was never super close with her mother, but she'd be in touch at least every couple of weeks, usually asking for money or something."

Elizabeth could see why Kitty was worried. "So she's gone three months without contacting you, or her mother?"

"yup" Kitty nodded. "Well, longer for me. I just thought she'd cut me off, but if she hasn't been in touch with her mother..." Kitty looked away.

"Do you think she's in trouble?" Asked Jane, her eyes wide. Elizabeth had forgotten Jane and Charlotte were still there.

"I hope not," said Kitty softly, tears in her eyes. "But knowing who she's with, and the fact that her phone's disconnected now and that she hasn't contacted home in months aren't really promising signs..."

"Surely there's something we can do!" Cried Elizabeth. Knowing what she did about Jeremy Wickham, Elizabeth felt strongly that if Lydia was still with him then she was not safe.

"Only her family can lodge a missing person's report, and Lydia's mother thinks she's just too busy to keep in touch. She doesn't know about Jeremy- I didn't have the heart to tell her and worry her. Lydia's mother is a pretty highly strung woman as it is." Kitty sighed. "I've tried digging around to find a Jeremy Wickham, or even Lydia's details, but no trace. I'm guessing Jeremy would have wisened up after we warned Lydia about his past, and he's changed his name. I'm wondering if Lydia's adopted a stage name. It seems the sort of thing she'd do. And that's assuming they're still in California."

"Could a private detective be used to find her? Or him?" Asked Charlotte. Although she didn't much like Lydia, she didn't want harm to come to her, nor did she want Kitty to be upset."

"They cost money that we just don't have." Said Kitty sadly. "The only lead I have is a commercial for a lingerie company or something, that was published in an online magazine two months ago. I don't know when it was shot, but the magazine told me the name of the advertising firm and they're based in LA. I called them over Christmas, but they weren't very helpful. Still, it shows that Lydia had gotten some work in LA." She wrinkled her nose as she said the word 'work.'

"Kitty," said Elizabeth sympathetically. "How many hours have you poured into this search?"

Kitty offered up a sad smile. "I've tried keeping up with her since she left, a photo shoot here, a catalogue there. But it was only since Christmas that I've really started searching for her. It's so unlike her not to have gone to her mother for the last three months."

"Lydia's had work there then, hey?"'said Jane, trying to lighten the mood. "Good for her!"

"Yeah kind of." said Kitty hesitantly, pulling up the most recent ad Lydia was in. "I can't tell what's photoshopped and what's cosmetic surgery, but here it is."

The photo showed Lydia in a tiny bikini top, with far larger breasts than Elizabeth remembered her having, and a much bonier body. The bikini bottom was some kind of shiny latex material, and Lydia was positioned towering over three other girls similarly dressed, only Lydia held a whip. She was shown looking at the camera, her heavily made up eyes looking troubled and vacant. The whole image was very seedy.

"It's not the Lydia I know" continued Kitty. "I know she's a good actor and she can do whatever a director tells her to, but she looks so SAD. I didn't want to show her mother this."

Elizabeth couldn't look at the picture anymore.

"This is the kind of stuff Wickham has her doing?" Said Elizabeth softly. Kitty looked at her forlornly.

"I don't know what we can do, Elizabeth." Said Kitty.

*o*o*o

Over the next few weeks, Elizabeth helped Kitty try and track Lydia down. They scoured the Internet for any traces of her, poring over photographs and ad campaigns. They phoned the companies that had previously used Lydia's images, but met so many roadblocks regarding client confidentiality. Finally, one day they had a break.

"We're looking for a girl with red hair who you photographed at least a few months back," said Elizabeth. "It was dominatrix style. The main girl holding the ahem, whip. We like her look and want to contact her ourselves for a potential campaign. We can't find her anywhere- not even her name!"

"oh!" said the young girl. "I'm not the photographer- I'm just new here in the office actually, but I know the picture you mean. It caused a bit of a stir, didn't it?! Let's see what I can find out about it..."

Elizabeth and Kitty grinned excitedly to each other and waited on pins and needles.

"Ahh! Here's the file. Hmm, it doesn't say the model's names, but they all came from the same agency. Rosings modelling agency... A Mr John Willoughby is the contact name. I don't have anymore details than that, funnily enough. Usually we have an email or phone number at least..."

"Nevermind, you've been more than helpful!" Exclaimed Elizabeth. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" Said the girl cheerily. "Good luck finding her!"

They immediately began researching the new information.. There was no such company as Rosings modelling agency, nor could they find a record of an agent named John Willoughby. They'd hit another dead end.

"I'm sure John Willoughby is Wickham," sighed Elizabeth in frustration. Why can't we find a trace of him? Is he using another name as well?"

"And he's representing more than just Lydia now- that girl implied that he's the manager for all four girls in the photo." Kitty said grimly. "What has Will said about all of this? I know he doesn't like Jeremy Wickham."

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably. "I haven't told him."

"You havent?" Kitty's eyebrows shot up.

"They have a pretty ugly history, I know it will bring up lots of painful memories for him, Kitty. His coach has just been fired, and things are pretty unstable in his world right now. I don't want to lay this on him- he's got enough to deal with. Plus- what could he possibly do down in Australia? He can't really help us out. Heck, we're in the same country as she is and we're stuck."

"We do have another name now though..." Said Kitty hopefully.

"Yes we do..." Said Elizabeth thoughtfully, as an idea came to her. She dialled a number that had previously knocked her back.

"Hello," said Elizabeth in her most-mature voice. "My daughter has been approached by a modelling agent and Im just wanting to check his background. He's listed you as a reference? Do you know a John Willoughby?"

The man snorted. "He listed me as a reference? That's surprising- given the fact I threw him out of the building. Still- he was so drunk I doubt he remembers it."

Elizabeth's heart pounded. "So you dealt with Mr Willoughby and found him unsatisfactory?"

"To put it mildly, yes. " The man snickered. "My advertising firm is a multi-million dollar company, and we represent many exclusive clients who expect only the best. Imagine my embarrassment when the model we've hired for a campaign turns up an hour late, and strung out to the eyeballs. It was for a mother-and-baby photo shoot for gods sake! I fired her on the spot, of course. Her agent- Willoughby- storms in just as drunk as she was high, demanding to be paid. When I refused, because his model was clearly not 'well', let's say, he actually denied it! The girl was stumbling around the room, her tits practically falling out of her shirt, her red hair looking wild, and he still maintained that she was fine- the best at his agency in fact. I laughed in his face, told him what I thought of his agency and that I never wanted to see him or his 'best model' in my building ever again."

"Well, I thank you so much for your valuable opinion." Said Elizabeth. "My daughter most definitely won't be signing with him."

"A wise choice, lady." He said. "I wouldn't want my own daughters near him either. Doesn't look like he really looks after his clients either, if you know what I mean."

"Unfortunately I do" sighed Elizabeth. "A few final questions if you don't mind?"

"Make it quick."

"How long ago did this happen? And do you know the model's name by any chance?"

"It was about two months ago now. And I certainly remember her name. I wouldn't forget after all the paperwork I had to sign having the pair of them restricted from coming within 100 feet of my company. Her name was Lydia Dashwood."

Elizabeth hung up the phone. "We need to look for a Lydia Dashwood."

"Dashwood? That's her mother's maiden name. Lydia must have picked it." Said Kitty. "What else did he say?"

Elizabeth hesitated. His report of Lydia was worrying, and Elizabeth didn't want to damage Kitty's spirits. "We need to find her, Kitty." Was all she said. "It's not good for her there."

Kitty's eyes bored into Elizabeth's and understood what she was refusing to say. She simply nodded.

*o*o*o

Elizabeth and Kitty found a few hits for a Lydia Dashwood, it appeared this was the stage name she'd been known as since moving to Los Angeles. Oddly enough, there was no information about who she was represented by, or how she could be contacted.

"I wonder how clients book her for jobs if she doesn't have any contact information?" Wondered Kitty out loud. As she sat back and wondered this, Elizabeth quickly scrolled past the search finds that commented on Lydia's drug use and party ways. It would surely break her heart.

They continued searching a bit longer, but found the pages begin to swim before their eyes. As Elizabeth shut the lid of the computer and offered to boil the kettle for tea and coffee, they heard a sharp, loud knock on the door. Looking at her watch, Elizabeth shot Kitty a cautious look. Although nighttime, it wasn't too late, and Charlotte was on a date, and Jane was at a study night. They shouldn't be back yet, and they shouldn't have to knock.

Kitty crept towards the door and peered through the keyhole.

"Oh my God!" she uttered, and flung the door open. Suddenly Kitty found herself holding someone in her arms, someone sobbing uncontrollably.

"Lydia?" she said gently, as Elizabeth's eyes went round with realisation. "Shhh," soothed Kitty. "You're safe now..."