This story is an exploration of how an ordinary father can become an abuser under the right conditions.
Andrew Morton is a widower whose only offspring, Lucy, is a grown woman but has the mind of a young child. He had forgotten what it was to lust for a woman until hired a new nurse, Gillian Banner, to care for Lucy. He chose Gillian out of all the applicants for her sex appeal, and has been obsessed with her ever since.
Lucy has been nothing but a burden and an annoyance to Andrew all her life. When he catches Gillian hitting Lucy, he is faced with taking action against the woman who fuels his fantasies, or siding with her and letting her hit his helpless, retarded child. Gillian pleads with him, offering herself. Andrew takes her with wild passion, and then has to decide how to deal with Lucy. Frustrated by Lucy's bad behaviour, he lets Gillian take a firm hand with her, thrashing her for disobedience as Andrew never has.
It quickly becomes clear to Andrew that Gillian is not just punishing Lucy to control her behaviour, but because she enjoys it. He knows it's wrong, but he can't help being drawn in, fascinated by Gillian's lust and excitement as she hurts the girl. Gillian leads Andrew to join in the punishment, and beatings soon lead to sexual humiliation. Lucy is made to bare her naked body, the body of a fully grown woman, for punishment. Andrew is consumed with lust and rapes her while Gillian holds her down.
The abuse grows more intense, until Gillian suggests that they put Lucy in a care home she knows, which is really a brothel for well-connected clients who enjoy sexual torture. There, along with senior policemen and government ministers, Andrew and Gillian start to torment helpless mentally retarded girls.
