The Blacksmith's Woman

by R. R. Vane

  “Nay, Master,” Micah muttered. “But it’s plain she knows of smithing.”

  “Aye, it is plain she does,” Declan muttered in his turn, then frowned at her in puzzlement. “How come you know so much of it?”

  Beth shrugged, but she caught Tom Reed’s penetrating gaze upon her. And she recalled she’d vowed to be entirely forthright with him and had already broken her promise once.

  “My father was a blacksmith. I know my way around a forge.”

  “You said, he was a blacksmith. He no longer is one?” Declan asked, between slurps and mouthfuls.

  Beth had already noted the boys ate like wolves, not minding their table manners. Master Reed also ate hungrily, yet it was plain he’d had a mother who had taught him proper ways. She sighed within herself, understanding he’d taken no pains to teach his apprentices their table manners and this was yet another chore that would fall to the woman who kept his house.

  “My father is no longer among the living,” she said, feeling fresh pain upon uttering the words, though her father had been gone for more than half a year.

  “May God rest his soul,” Declan muttered, and the others nodded.

  “What of your other family?” Master Reed suddenly asked, perusing her with his penetrating dark eyes.

  “Gone to Heaven, just like my father,” she replied, striving to make her voice peaceful and serene.

  Within herself, she still grieved for her family, and it was barely two weeks since her mother had passed. But in truth, her mother’s passing had been a relief after those months of cruel suffering. Her mother’s heart and soul had truly died when her husband and sons had been taken from her. And some months later her body had followed. Beth daily tried to tell herself her mother was now happy in Heaven, reunited with her beloved children and with her husband. At times, she’d thought it would be better if she soon joined them in the afterlife, yet she’d always been the kind of woman who looked forward to the sun shining in the sky and to the world around her. She still grieved for her family, yet she just couldn’t bring herself to wish for death.

  There was a small silence around the table, yet the boys soon resumed their chatter while Master Reed perused her with a softer look in his dark eyes which had been so flinty when they’d gazed upon her this morning.

  “When did you lose your kin? Not long ago, I reckon. Your speech is different, and it doesn’t carry at all the sound of London. You came to London when they died?” he inquired.

  Beth nodded, loath to speak more of her troubles. She did not want him to think she would want to stir his pity with her sad story. He might not even believe she spoke the truth. It was plain he already thought her dishonest, and she hadn’t made a good start of it last night.

  “I see,” Master Reed said, without pressing, and Beth was grateful he didn’t.

  Later, when the day was done at last, Beth busied herself clearing the kitchen after their supper. As soon as the boys had gone to the loft where they slept, she waited for Master Reed in the bedchamber with a thumping heart, her thoughts returning to the punishment he’d promised he’d deliver.

  She glanced at him warily when he finally entered the bedchamber. Would he spank her now? She also thought of lovemaking and how she’d luxuriated under Tom Reed’s caresses, but also of how she’d felt pain when he’d thrust inside her. She recalled what some of her married friends had said about lying with their husbands. Kisses and caresses from a man were pleasurable, when the man could be bothered to bestow them upon his wife, but it was never as pleasurable when a man thrust inside you. Some of her friends had even called this part of married life downright distasteful.

  Beth bit her lip, not knowing what to think, and sighing at the thought of having her bottom sizzle under Master Reed’s big strong hand. He strode to where she was, but said nothing, and to Beth the silence became maddening.

  “Well, better to get it done and over with, I guess,” she found herself saying, because she’d never been a patient woman. “I’m ready for the punishment, so you know, and will not try to talk my way out of it.”

  “It’s good to know,” Master Reed said in a calm, level voice, as he sat himself on the bed.

  “Will you… will we… will we bed before or after the spanking?” Beth suddenly found herself blurting out, and Master Reed arched a dark eyebrow at her.

  She cleared her throat, then went on, feeling her cheeks flame, “Because… I mean… We… you left in anger and I still don’t know that much about it… And I…”

  “Do you always prattle so much before a spanking?” Tom Reed asked her and there was a faint smile on his lips.

  “I’ve not been spanked much,” Beth confessed with a sheepish shrug.

  “Hence the prattle,” Tom Reed said drily.

  “But you–”

  He sighed, patting his lap.

  “I’ll spank you lightly, for a start. Then, if you wish, we’ll finish what we hadn’t had time to finish last night. Afterwards though, I mean to teach you a harsher lesson.”

  “Oh…” Beth found herself blushing even more fiercely.

  Yet she obeyed him when he beckoned her, because she had vowed she’d submit to the punishment. Soon, she found herself lying over his lap, with her skirts hoisted and her bottom bared. She braced herself for the sting of the first spank, knowing from bitter experience it would hurt, because Tom Reed had the hands of a hard-working blacksmith.

  Yet the first spank the master blacksmith delivered upon her bottom was light, and didn’t sting at all, and so was the next, although it stung faintly. His large hand caught both her cheeks, but then he started alternating, spanking her left and right cheek in turn. The sting was faint, and Beth soon began to feel that strange, shameful pleasure in her belly, which built into a sweet ache that made her fingers and toes tingle. He was still spanking her, and his large hand was kindling a strange warmth all through her body, until her quim started pulsing and she understood she’d begun to mewl like a kitten. She bit into her lip, feeling her face go scarlet. What would he think of her? Behaving like a wanton when he’d begun to punish her? What if he became angered and started spanking her bottom as hard as he had that day in the Square? She gulped as Master Reed now delivered a sharp, stinging smack on that sensitive spot on the back of her thighs. And her quim simply gushed at the same time as she felt the scorching heat of the blacksmith’s hand.

  “Ah…”

  She moaned wantonly, and found herself frowning when Tom Reed’s hand paused spanking her, and started tending to her soaking wet quim. It didn’t take much tending. Soon she found herself moaning in sheer rapture and climaxing against his clever fingers.

  “So,” Master Read said levelly, letting her slide off his lap.

  Beth’s knees already felt weak, and she didn’t protest when he divested her of her gown and shift then lowered her on the bed, parting her legs.

  “Let’s finish what we didn’t get to finish,” he said softly, pulling his tunic over his head and then swiftly stepping out of his braies.

  Beth widened her eyes, and gulped.

  “Your…” Suddenly, she blurted out, because she’d never been a woman to know to hold her tongue, “It’s good I didn’t see it last night. I’d have thought you meant to shred me to pieces with it.”

  Tom Reed laughed, mischief dancing in his dark eyes.

  “Are you trying to flatter me?”

  She shook her head, telling him earnestly, “Nay. It’s… Do you think it will fit again?”

  He came above her, and settled himself between her legs.

  “Never fear, I’ll slide in gently. And I’ll be mindful you’re new to coupling. Besides, you’re already wet and slick for me.”

  Beth nodded, now attempting to hide her doubt. True to his word, he didn’t thrust in hard, as he had last time, but slid in gently. Beth closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain she’d felt last time, but none of it came, just a slight discomfort, which was soon replaced by pleasure as he s
tarted moving in and out of her.

  “How about this?” he muttered, and his voice sounded somewhat ragged.

  She encircled him with her legs, because she had already begun to want him deeper inside. He smiled.

  “So… already getting used to me, I see,” he said, in the same ragged voice, as he began to thrust harder and deeper, and caused Beth to moan in sheer delight.

  Her friends who’d said this thing was not pleasurable had most certainly lied about it, Beth decided. But soon all thoughts were robbed from her head. Rapture conquered all her senses and her quim clenched convulsively around her lover as she shouted her joy. He still pumped hard within her for a while, and then he suddenly left her body, moving to spill his seed next to her on the sheet.

  It took Beth a long while to come back to herself, and, when she did, she perceived he was looking at her with a shake of his head and a smile upon his lips.

  “I didn’t think you’d find your bliss so soon with me inside you… because you’re so new to lovemaking. But it seems I was mistaken.”

  She frowned.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  He shook his head, brushing an errant lock of hair from her face.

  “Nay. Not at all. That heat between us seems even more powerful than I thought.”

  She nodded, but then she recalled what he’d promised her.

  “Speaking of heat, you promised to further warm my bottom after we’re done. Will you still do it now?”

  “I promised that, didn’t I?” Tom said in the same calm, level voice he’d employed when he’d vowed he’d teach her a harsh lesson.

  Beth gulped, understanding only too well now that the earlier spanking had been just meant to tease. And she thought of the next spanking she’d receive, and her heart started thumping in both distress and curiosity. What did he mean to do next?

  “Maybe… Did you change your mind?” Beth asked in a hesitant voice, which sounded half hopeful and half doubtful.

  Tom stifled a sigh. In a way he had. Because it seemed unfair to spank her after he’d taken her maidenhead only last night. And it seemed unfair to punish a woman who held such grief in her eyes when she spoke of her departed family. It was plain the grief was still fresh, and he knew only too well grief prompted people to be reckless. He’d thought upon things today when his searing anger had passed, and he’d reasoned Beth had spoken the truth and had not done what she’d done with the design to deceive him. She had been only reckless, not understanding she was changing the course of her own life by the reckless act. And now he understood why she’d behaved so recklessly. She was still grieving for her family. And grieving people didn’t always think straight.

  Yet Tom hadn’t wanted to look like a man who didn’t keep his word and let his new woman get away with anything, because that would prompt further recklessness from her. So, from the beginning, he’d resolved to still spank her, but to do it in such a way that would be more like love play rather than punishment for both of them. He’d never done this before – given a spanking as part of love play – but he’d heard there were men and women who enjoyed this kind of play. And now that he had given a spanking as love play, he understood very plainly he’d not been the only one to find enjoyment in this mild, teasing spanking. Beth’s wet, soaking quim after the spanking and her moans of rapture had told him what he needed to know. And blood now started pumping hard in his veins, because he understood their mutual enjoyment need not be over so soon. Besides, his new woman’s recklessness need not go quite entirely unpunished.

  “Nay. After all I have not changed my mind,” he said, making his voice level.

  “Oh,” Beth said, and he loved it that she blushed crimson when he patted his lap.

  “So you’ll spank me hard now,” she muttered, yet she obediently assumed the required position over his lap, and his cock stirred dangerously because it was very arousing to see her submit to his punishment.

  “I’ll spank you harder. Though not even half as hard as you deserve,” he said, understanding he was already savouring the words on his lips.

  He breathed in, trying to contain his arousal, knowing too well his hard cock was prodding stiff against her body, and that she was certainly able to tell. He rubbed her pink bottom in slow circles, and then spat in his palm, knowing his wet hand would sting more. He had no intention of spanking Beth really hard, yet he wanted her to feel the sting of his spanks and remember he could punish her much harder if she behaved recklessly again. He started with slow spanks, which first covered the crown of her buttocks, and then descended to pepper the back of her thighs. He didn’t spank for long, yet he knew his hand was strong and steady. So Beth’s lush behind was quite soon a good shade of red. She was already whimpering softly, and he understood she would be more comfortable sleeping on her belly tonight.

  “So,” he said softly, now resting his hand on her warm, reddened behind and loving the feel of it. “What lesson did you learn from this spanking?”

  He put his other hand to work, now tending to that sweet spot between her legs, and noting with a smile that it was very swollen and that her quim was even more soaking wet than before.

  “I…”

  It was plain his woman had trouble speaking, and, in order to make her focus, he gave her a light swat that caught both her reddened buttocks.

  “I shall never deceive you again,” she said at last with a small sniff, in a voice that sounded delicious to his ears, because it was filled with both lust and contrition.

  “And?” he trailed off, giving her a harder smack right on her sit spot.

  “Ah… I… What else do you want me to say?” she added in a questioning voice.

  “That you’ll never behave so recklessly again!” he told her with a slight frown, because he was still astounded she didn’t see that surrendering her maidenhead to him had been reckless.

  “But I wanted you to claim me. It was my choice to make, not yours,” she countered in a puzzled voice.

  Tom now contemplated giving her a far harder spanking, because she plainly didn’t understand she’d ruined her life. Yet he contented himself to lay just a couple of stinging spanks on her heated behind, promising her in a voice he made very stern, “You’ve clearly not learnt your lesson. But the next time I spank you, you will indeed, and I’m of a mind to cut a switch from that apple tree in the yard.”

  Yet the thought of the switch, and how he could use it, conjured up heated images in his head. He began wondering whether he’d not erred in bringing it up, because by the way Beth stirred over his lap, it seemed she was more aroused rather than afeared by the mention of this kind of discipline. He suppressed a sigh, promising himself to really punish his woman for her own good in the future, because it seemed plain he’d not managed to teach her anything tonight, other than how to enjoy their lovemaking.

  “Off you go now, and mind what I’ve told you!” he said, giving her reddened bottom a light swat.

  She obeyed him with a sniff, now moving to lie on her belly. Tom stretched out with a smile, picturing himself thrusting into her from behind and feeling the lovely heat of her reddened bottom against his front. Yet by the way Beth was now lying in bed, he soon understood she was tired, and he recalled she’d toiled hard today to put his house to rights and see to their meals. He’d been of a mind to tell her she shouldn’t work so hard, as his needs were simple, and there was time enough to see to the house in the weeks and months which would come. He promised himself to tell her so tomorrow.

  He cast a wistful glance upon Beth, who had already dozed off, plainly exhausted. As he lay on his own side of the bed, sleep soon started to claim him as well. Just before he went to sleep, Tom realized, rather hazily, that it was the first time in years a woman was sleeping by his side.

  Chapter 4

  Tom woke as usual, at the rise of dawn, and saw that Beth had already roused and was reaching for her shift and gown, which lay discarded on the floor, where he’d tossed them last night. As s
he was bending to pick the garments up, he perceived the delicious redness of her plump behind. It was only a faint shade of red, because he’d not spanked her hard last night.

  “Good morrow to you. But who said you could get dressed?” he called.

  She turned to face him, the pretty blush on her face surpassing, by far, the lovely hue of her behind.

  “Oh, you’re up then,” she said, and her eyes soon fell on Tom’s cock which was certainly stiff, as was its habit in the morning.

  “Come here,” he told her, with a smile. “We’ve unfinished business from last night.”

  She groaned, but Tom perceived she had a half-smile on her face. He reached for her and made her straddle him, liking the look of sheer wonder and delight in her blue-green eyes. When he reached between them, to touch her between her legs, he found she was already wet.

  “We’ve no time for leisurely lovemaking. So I mean to be faster about this, though I vow you won’t be complaining,” he said, positioning her to his liking and taking one of her nipples in his mouth.

  “Oh…” his new lover moaned eagerly. “But… I mean, like this? I don’t know how…”

  “I’ll guide you,” he replied, speaking against her heated flesh.

  He was true to his word, soon showing her how to match the rhythm of his cock and sway her hips while she rode him. His new woman was a quick learner, and the lovemaking was fast, yet hot and pleasurable, and they both climaxed at the same time, while Tom’s mouth was around her sweet nipple.

  After they were done, Beth sat down next to him, rather gingerly, and he couldn’t help but cast an eager look upon the way she was behaving after his spanking last night. He’d simply loved spanking her, and now he found himself also loving the thought of her pink, chastened behind.

  “Still somewhat sore?” he asked her, savouring the question on his lips.

  She nodded with a glare at him, and Tom couldn’t help but grin broadly. He hadn’t spanked her hard, and by tonight the pinkness in her bottom would subside.