by Maggie Ryan
“Thank you, Molly. I’m sorry you had to see me like this—”
“Don’t be, Miss Lucy,” Molly said quickly. “You were very brave just now, and I will always remember your kindness in allowing me to fulfill my duties.”
Lucy gave the girl a quick hug and was pleased to see a smile appear on the usually cheerful girl’s face for the first time this morning. Lucy left her to her duties in straightening the room and descended the stairs. She entered the dining room to find Louisa already seated and enjoying her breakfast.
Edward looked up from the morning paper and smiled at her. “Good morning, Lucille. I hope you slept well?” Lucy felt her face flush again as she took her seat at the table.
“As well as could be expected. Thank you, Edward,” she said, reaching out to take hold of her glass. She drank some of the fresh orange juice and then helped herself to the platter of eggs and sausages that was on the table.
Edward waited until she had filled her plate before he spoke. “I am aware that we have yet to discuss the new rules of the house, Lucille, but I believe you can understand this.” Her eyes lifted to his as she kept her fork suspended in mid-air. “You are no longer to be so familiar with me, young lady. I am not your friend, I am your guardian. You shall address me as ‘sir’ from this point forward. Little girls need to address their elders with respect and I do not wish to hear my Christian name from your lips again. Is that understood?”
Lucy’s eyes flew to her sister but saw nothing but a flush covering Louisa’s cheek. Lucy finally lowered her fork and forced her eyes back to his.
“I’m not a little girl, Ed… um,” she hesitated, her words clogging her throat as she saw the look in his eyes. She heard her sister’s quick intake of breath and suddenly felt very foolish and, for some reason, exactly like a stupid little girl who didn’t know when to be quiet. Blushing hotly, she finally mumbled, “I’m sorry.” She forced herself to look again at the man who was suddenly so forceful and demanding. She saw him return her gaze, his eyebrow lifted and she managed to utter, “I mean… umm, yes… yes, sir.”
Edward smiled and then nodded toward her plate. “Very good. Now, eat your breakfast, as you have a great deal of studying to do today.”
Lucy felt her appetite disappear, and yet forced herself to take the bite she had placed on her fork before his announcement. She continued to take small bites, and when Mrs. Bremmer entered with a steaming pot of tea, she dared to ask, “I’d love a cup Mrs. Bremmer, if you please.”
Mrs. Bremmer shook her head as she refilled Edward’s cup. “Don’t be silly, missy. Little ones need juice and milk to properly start their day. You’d best leave the adult beverages to your elders.”
Lucy couldn’t believe the woman’s audacity, her mouth dropping open. Before she could utter a protest, the woman spoke again.
“How was your bath this morning, miss? It is my understanding that there was some type of delay. Though I sent the boys up with steaming pails of water, their return was far too long for it to have been very hot by the time Molly was bathing you. Shall I speak with her for her failure to assure you had a proper bath?
Lucy blushed and squirmed in her seat, understanding that this woman must know about every single thing that happened under this roof. “No. That won’t be necessary. Any delay was my fault. My bath was fine, thank you.” She was horribly embarrassed, and felt lost in her normally stable world.
Whatever the housekeeper might have said next was lost as her husband entered the room to announce that Professor Lloyds had arrived. Her mind whirling, Lucy spun about in her chair, wincing as the movement irritated her still aching bottom. She saw her teacher standing in the doorway, and prayed that he had not witnessed the embarrassing exchange. Her eyes flew to see Edward push away from the table and walk to welcome his guest.
“Welcome, Charles. I can’t tell you how much it pleased me to have you accept my offer. Won’t you sit and enjoy some breakfast with us? I’m afraid Lucille was late to the table this morning and has just begun her meal.”
Lucy wanted to push away from the table but saw Mrs. Bremmer staring at her and pointing at her full glass of milk. Blushing, Lucy reached for the glass and brought it to her lips, though her hands were shaking. She despised milk and knew that Mrs. Bremmer was aware of that fact. Regardless, she forced herself to take a swallow though she had to close her eyes to choke it down. When she opened them again, it was to see her teacher sitting next to Louisa and accepting a cup of fragrant tea from Mrs. Bremmer. Lucy dropped her eyes to her plate trying to refrain from crying. She continued pushing her food about her plate and heard Louisa asking to be excused.
“Yes, my dear. You may either sew or read in the library. Lucille will be with you shortly, after she finishes her breakfast.” Lucy immediately pushed back her chair and stood almost knocking the chair over in her haste to get away from the table. She had taken the first step toward her sister when Edward stopped her flight.
“Lucille, sit down. You have not been excused and, young lady, you will remain seated until your breakfast has been completed.”
“I’m done, Ed… um, sir. I’m not hungry. May I be excused, please?” Edward shook his head and pointed at her chair.
“You are not finished, Lucille. Sit down immediately, and finish both your orange juice and your milk.”
She felt Professor Lloyds’ eyes on her as she slid back into her chair, unable to hide a wince as her bottom took her weight again. She quickly drained her glass of orange juice and then picked up her glass of milk, discovering the beverage tasted even worse after the acid in the juice. The glass seemed to have gotten larger and contained twice the volume of the smaller glass of orange juice. Looking up to see Mrs. Bremmer standing behind her teacher, Lucy sloshed some milk from the glass in her haste to bring it to her lips. She swallowed again and again, forcing herself to drink the horrid beverage. She saw Professor Thorne watching her with confusion, his cup lifted halfway to his mouth as if unsure what exactly it was that was going on around him. Lucy no longer cared. She simply wanted to get away from the table without a spanking that she feared would be given despite the presence of a virtual stranger.
After the last swallow had slid down her throat, she gasped, “I’ve finished, sir. May I be excused?”
Edward smiled over at her as if he’d enjoyed the entire episode. He nodded and said, “Yes, you may.” As she pushed from the table and moved to slide past him, Edward reached out and caught her arm. She yelped as she skidded to a stop, and then blushed hotly as he lifted his napkin to wipe her mouth. “You have a milk mustache, little one.” She fought back tears of embarrassment and yet forced herself to thank him when he lowered the napkin. “You are welcome. Now, run along and play with your sister until Professor Lloyds is ready for your lessons.”
Chapter 17
Lucy stumbled from the room, losing the battle and by the time she burst into the library, tears were flowing down her cheeks. She found herself immediately enfolded in her sister’s arms and sagged against her, crying harshly.
“Shhh, oh, Lucy, shhh. It will be okay, shhh, honey,” Louisa continued to try to calm her sister and Lucy gradually quieted. As her sobbing stopped, she found her face once again being wiped by a cloth. She tore the kerchief from her sister’s hand and stepped back.
“I can do it myself!”
Louisa looked shocked at the sudden change, but nodded. “Of course you can, Lucy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Lucy wiped her face and turned to look back over her shoulder. “Oh, Louisa, what is happening to us? What are we to do?” Louisa didn’t answer immediately, but guided her sister to the settee, where they both settled softly onto it. The girls hugged each other, Lucy grateful for the comfort in being alone for the first time since their joint appointment of the evening before. Lucy had a hundred questions and yet she also knew Louisa could not answer them all, though her sister did the best she could.
“We are going to try to behave, Lucy.
We need to be good so that Ed… I mean, sir, won’t have any reason to punish us. I know it is frightening, but if we are good then he will be happy.”
Lucy moved back from her sister’s arms and said, “Happy? Why should I care if he is happy? What about you? What about me? God, Louisa, my bottom feels awful, and I have never been so ashamed. Even being caned by Thorne was better than this. Edward is a monster, and I will not stay here and allow him to birch me ever again!”
Louisa sighed, keeping one eye on the library door, as if afraid they would be interrupted at any moment. “Shhh, listen to me, Lucy. I know you are upset and I-I can’t blame you. But I also can’t allow you to say such dangerous words. Where would you go? I’m all that’s left of our family since Mother and Father died. You are his ward and, without his consent, you will remain here. Isn’t it better to try to be good and—”
“And what? Am I to live in constant fear of your husband? What about that horrible housekeeper? Do you know she threatened to birch Molly if I refused to allow her to bathe me this morning? I know she did it only so that I’d be forced to bare my bottom to a servant. Do you realize how ashamed I was, knowing that my servant, my maid, saw my bottom and actually felt sorry for me at its condition? I thought I would die of shame.”
“But you didn’t die, Lucy. And I know you don’t want to hear this, but you wouldn’t have a welted bottom if we hadn’t hatched that awful plan yesterday. It was dishonest and wrong. We deserved to be punished.
Lucy’s mouth dropped open and she struggled away even as Louisa reached for her hands. “Punished? We weren’t simply punished, Louisa. We were caned and then birched! Father never would have condoned such action. He’d be appalled that your husband punishes you. And I know the truth.”
Louisa’s own mouth dropped open, and she suddenly stood and turned away from her sister. Lucy watched her and saw her shoulder’s shaking. Suddenly she was unsure of her words. “Louisa?” she asked quietly, but her sister refused to turn around. “What’s wrong, Louisa? I only meant I know he spanked you as well. Your bottom and the backs of your thighs were blotchy when he made us bare ourselves for our birching.”
Reaching out, it was Lucy’s turn to wrap her arms around her sister. The two young women cried on each other’s shoulders until they were cried out. Giving a small hesitant laugh, they each wiped their tears on their sleeves and settled themselves on the settee. “I know we need to talk, Lucy. I have so much to tell you, but it will have to wait. Please, just promise me you’ll try to behave. I don’t know about you, but my bottom is so sore I can’t take another spanking for a while, though I know Pa—sir won’t hesitate to give me one if he feels I deserve it.”
Lucy shook her head, thinking it ridiculous to hear her sister so upset she’d almost addressed her husband as she had their father when they were young and still hadn’t used Edward’s Christian name. She opened her mouth but Louisa rushed ahead. “And, so you know, both Father and Mother were aware that he spanked me. Father actually approved, and told him that if he didn’t have the strength to take me in hand and keep me in line, then he would not be pleased with our union.” Lucy did her best to hide the disbelief she felt at that statement, but Louisa just gave her a soft smile.
“Oh, Lucy, surely you remember hearing Mother crying at times? You know Father often spanked her. She was over his lap far more often than either of us.” Lucy shuddered, the carriage accident had caused her mind to be a bit fuzzy at times, but with Louisa’s words, memories of soft cries filled her head, and she realized her sister was correct. She blushed, and felt Louisa draw her into another hug. “I know it is hard to understand, but it is the truth. Their love for each other was so incredibly strong… perhaps made that way because she always knew who was in control, who would both protect her and punish her. You can’t deny they adored one another and were truly happy.”
Lucy squeezed her sister hard and a thought that hadn’t occurred to her presented itself. Pulling back, she asked, “But are you happy, Louisa? Doesn’t he frighten you? You truly aren’t saying that you enjoy his punishments. I saw the condition of your bottom. Isn’t it horrible living like this?”
Louisa blushed, causing Lucy to begin to question everything she’d ever known about her twin. When her sister didn’t seem able to answer, Lucy shook her head in disbelief. “Oh! You-you…”
Louisa saved her further embarrassment by reaching out to squeeze her sister’s hand. “I am very happy, Lucy, and he’s not a monster. I love him and he loves me. I-I can’t explain it all, and I know it won’t make sense to you, especially right now, but please know that I simply can’t imagine life without him.”
Lucy wasn’t sure that she truly believed her twin, but had heard Louisa speak with a surety that gave her pause. Could there be something more about Edward that she simply wasn’t privy to? She was about to speak when Louisa quickly stood and said, “We were just talking, sir.” Lucy started when she realized Edward had entered the room silently.
Edward smiled and nodded. “I see, my dear. I know you have much to discuss, but Lucille has lessons to attend.”
“Yes, sir,” Louisa answered, and stepped further away from her sister. Edward stepped into the library, followed by Professor Lloyds.
Lucy saw the professor look between the two of them, and knew that their faces showed evidence that tears had been shed. The man said nothing, too polite to presume to interfere with family matters.
Edward turned his attention to her. “Come, Lucille. You may use the dining table for your lessons. You’ll study until luncheon, after which you shall take a small quiz to see if you have been paying attention. I believe you understand what will happen if you fail to demonstrate your seriousness in your studies?”
Lucy’s face flamed, but she forced herself to nod, and then whisper, “Ye… yes, sir.” Edward was evidently satisfied he’d made his point, and allowed his ward to slip past him and guide Professor Lloyds back to the dining room. She was mortified, but had no idea of what to do other than try to ignore the entire conversation. As her professor reached the table and pulled out a chair for her, she flung herself into it, only to jump to her feet, both hands reaching back to cup her injured bottom. Charles walked to the parlor and returned with a large pillow. He placed it on her chair and motioned for her to take her seat. His kindness almost brought her to tears, and reminded her of his compassion the day before. She sank carefully onto the pillow and accepted the handkerchief he handed to her.
“Dry your eyes, Miss Furniss. Take a moment to compose yourself and then we shall begin.” Lucy knew it would take far more than a mere moment to pull herself together, but gratefully accepted the offer. He allowed her several minutes as he opened his valise and organized several papers on the table. He laid a fresh piece of paper down and placed a pencil on top. He finally sat next to her and said quietly, “Do you feel able to begin?” She nodded and he gave her a smile. “Very well, let’s go over what we studied yesterday, and then we shall move on to discuss fractions.” She nodded again, and dutifully began to write down problems he dictated to her.
Two hours passed before they were interrupted. Mrs. Bremmer entered the room with a tray containing a fresh pot of tea, a single cup and saucer and a large glass of milk. She placed the tray on the table and was prepared to pour the tea when her eyes dropped to the pillow beneath Lucy’s bottom. The pot was placed back onto the tray.
“Lucille, stand up immediately!” Lucy jerked at the command but immediately leapt to her feet. Charles looked up, obviously startled at both the terse order as well as the sudden change in position of his pupil. He watched as the housekeeper pointed to Lucy’s chair.
“What is that, young lady?” Lucy followed the finger and saw the thick pillow slightly squished from where her bottom had compressed it.
“A-a pillow?” she answered hesitantly as if unsure that was the proper answer.
Placing her hands on stout hips, Mrs. Bremmer scowled. “Are you being impertinent with
me, miss? I know it is a pillow, Lucille! The question is what is a pillow doing on your chair?”
Lucy’s face flamed, and she found she could not raise her eyes—too terrified of both the housekeeper and what she would find on her professor’s face.
“Answer me immediately, young lady or do I need to fetch your guardian so that you might explain your naughtiness to him? I’d think that after your birching last evening you wouldn’t be so quick to flaunt his rules, but perhaps you need to have your bottom reddened again?”
Lucy moaned, and her body swayed with mortification. She saw Mrs. Bremmer begin to turn toward the library and she practically begged, “No… oh, please, ma’am, please don’t tell him. I-I didn’t think. I didn’t mean to be naughty. Please, I’m so sorry. I’ll remove the pillow and sit on my chair. I promise I wasn’t being naughty.”
Mrs. Bremmer turned to face her. “Oh, believe me, missy. You were being naughty. You know better than to seek comfort when you’ve been punished. Lord Wintercrest does not take the time to blister your bottom if he doesn’t intend for you to feel the effect for several days.”
“Now see here, Mrs. Bremmer, is it? Can’t you see you are deliberately frightening Miss Furniss? I don’t like your tone, or your desire to frighten her. How can we expect Miss Furniss to remember her lessons if she is shaking so hard she can barely stand?” Charles had stood and was about to continue when another voice rang in the room.
“While that is a good question, I believe I engaged you to tutor Miss Furniss, and not to interfere in the rules of my household. It is my responsibility to provide for my ward as well as my duty to discipline her. Mrs. Bremmer is correct in that Lucille knows better than to sit on a pillow after she has been punished, unless she is given permission by me. Isn’t that correct, Lucille?”
Lucy’s face felt so hot she was sure it rivaled the burn of her punished bottom the night before. She swallowed hard but had to answer. “Yes, but I didn’t realize that your ban of pillows still applied as I’ve not been punished today. I thought it would be all right.”
