12 Naughty Days of Christmas_Volume Four

by Piper Stone

  “Sheriff, we are both very grateful for the extra hours you and your men are working to help our family. Please pass our gratitude forward. We regret the need to send you out during the holiday season, but thank you so much for your dedication to the job.”

  “Sir, ma’am, as parents, all of us know what you are going through. We will find your daughter.” He did his best to reassure the family. “If you do think of something, or if you receive a ransom note, or if Miss Ogden comes home, please let us know.” He left then, and got back to work.

  “I want to talk to you, young lady,” Thomas turned on his daughter, but before he could tell her what he was thinking, there was a knock on the front door. William Connors walked right in and hurried to take Barbara in his arms.

  “I am so sorry to hear about your sister, Barbara. Has there been any word?” he asked, turning to Thomas when Barbara dabbed at her eyes, as if she was crying, and trying so hard to be brave.

  “No, there has not,” Thomas answered. “I am going to go out again, dear. I must do something.”

  “I would like to look for her too, Thomas. May I come along?”

  “You need to be here in case the sheriff finds her. I hate to say this, but she might need her mother before her father if she was mistreated.”

  “Oh, I hope not!” Naomi cried. Thomas held her close and they prayed together. They were terrified for her safety.

  “If there is a demand for ransom, send someone to find me right away.”

  “Sir, you aren’t going to give in to demands like that, are you? They will probably kill her if you pay them,” William said. “You can’t reward men for committing a crime.”

  “That is what I tried to tell Father, but—”

  “But all you care about is money, Barbara. Your sister is worth everything I have. I will gladly pay anything to get her back home unharmed.”

  “Sir, you are distraught. I suggest you permit someone more level-headed to deal with kidnappers.”

  “Someone like you, perhaps? I don’t think so.” William was the perfect husband for his haughty daughter. Thomas put on his coat and hat, then kissed his wife before walking out the door to search for his precious Kat.

  “Games tell a lot about people,” Seth said as he crowned her checker into a king.

  “So, what have you learned so far?” She smiled impudently, giggling at his somber expression.

  “I’ve learned you do not like black; you claimed the red checkers before I opened the box to take them out.”

  She nodded, impressed. “I am not a fan of black. I recall when my grandparents’ died; we had to wear black dresses for quite a time. Daddy and Mother wore black for an even longer time. Black makes me think of death.”

  “Thank you for sharing that. I have also worn mourning, for my parents. I’m not so fond of black, because it is so dark. I like bright colors,” he admitted. “I don’t hate the coat you wore to ride in the buggy, but I would rather you had a brown, a blue, or even gray coat.”

  “I will recall that when I go shopping, but I fear that black coat is brand new and will last for quite a while. I cannot bear to throw away something so nice.”

  “You are frugal with all things?” Seth asked her.

  “Not with everything, but I try not to waste the money I earn. I know how hard I have to work for my salary.”

  “Yes, you are frugal. That does not offend me. I would have to punish a wife who did not manage her household money well.”

  “You would? Why?”

  He looked into her serious green eyes. “I feel that wasting money is a sign of disrespect to the person who worked hard to earn it, and a sign of impulsiveness. I am not an ogre, but I expect my wife to write a list and then stick to it. Of course, if you are shopping and realize you need something you forgot to put on the list, you should buy it. Also, there are times you will see a good value. I would understand taking advantage of the moment. What I wouldn’t be pleased about is making a major purchase without discussing it first. Does that sound fair?”

  “Yes, it is the way I live. If Mother breaks something and needs to replace it, she discusses it with Daddy, to make sure he has no objection. Of course, my parents are wealthy, so he rarely says no, but Mother has said that they started their marriage with that rule. She also confided to Barbara and me that in their first years of marriage, Mother ended up over Daddy’s knee for overspending. She broke a bad habit to save her backside.”

  “That is good sharing, honey. Have you ever discussed money with another man who took you out?”

  “No, I haven’t done much dating. Only a couple of men have shown any interest. I went to dinner with each of them, and it was totally awkward. I had nothing in common with either of them. All one wanted to talk about was Daddy and the bank. I shared this with Daddy, and he said it was best not to get involved with the man because he was more interest in money than in me. The other man was shy as could be. He was uncomfortable with me. Daddy would be livid if he heard me right now, but I think that particular date is the type of man who prefers men. Our mothers set up the date. I didn’t see him on a date again, but we are still good friends.”

  “I am on your father’s side here, I don’t want you speaking of that. It can be an insult to a man who is just soft spoken.”

  “Tad is a good friend, Seth. I don’t think it is wrong to love anyone. If that is what they crave, then they should be allowed to be happy. We all come from God.”

  “I love you for saying that. You are so smart. Now, play some checkers. I want to beat you,” he teased.

  “I usually win at checkers. I don’t play with much thought, and my moves are unusual. It is difficult to find a pattern when I move.”

  “Tell me about it,” he agreed dryly. “You have your own style.” A few minutes later, he said, “You win, again.”

  “Aw, I will bake a cake for you to have for dessert, Seth.”

  “Then I am happy you won,” he said with a grin.

  “I think I’ll do my baking now, then when I get the cake into the oven, I’ll fix us some lunch. Do you like a large lunch, or a light lunch?” Kat wanted to know.

  “You need to fix some lunch for William, daughter.”

  “Oh, Mother! You do it; I am overwrought right now.”

  “William is to be your husband on Saturday; you need practice in the kitchen. Please make enough for all four of us, perhaps that should be five. I am praying dear Katherine comes walking in the front door at any minute.”

  “Mother,” Barbara stomped her foot. “I do not enjoy cooking like you and Katherine do. Please?” she begged. “I need to be with my William right now.”

  William’s face was red. He decided to speak up. After all, he was marrying Barbara in a few days; he needed to take charge right now, and demonstrate his authority. It was a side of him that he’d kept hidden. “Barbara, your mother asked you to fix lunch. She is very upset right now, and you should be doing everything in your power to help her. Either take your posterior into the kitchen and do as you were asked, or I am going to spank you soundly. Then you will fix lunch.”

  She looked at him in disbelief, finally responding, “No. I do not feel like cooking. We will go to the restaurant, William. That is final.”

  “We are not going to the restaurant, Barbara.” He took her by the arm and tugged her over to the window seat in the parlor. Barbara pulled back, but he continued to drag her across the room.

  “Let me go, William!” she screeched. “You can’t possibly intend to strike me.”

  He ignored her, and calmly put her facedown over his lap, then his hand smacked loudly on her rump.

  “Ouch!” Barbara yelled loudly.

  William laughed at her, ignoring her tantrum. “You didn’t feel a thing with all the padding over your fanny. I know how to fix the problem.” He turned up her dress, and all six of her petticoats. He finally found her drawers, and was sure he could make the palm of his hand felt through the thin cotton. He raised his han
d once more, and gave her a spank that conveyed his displeasure in a very basic way.

  This time, Barbara’s cry of pain was real.

  “Oh my,” Naomi whispered, twisting her handkerchief into a knot.

  “Mother, help me! Make him st-OP,’ Barbara’s voice rose to a shriek when William’s hand fell again on her bottom. It really hurt. “Mother, please help me!”

  The front door opened and Thomas walked inside. He heard Barbara’s shrieks of pain, and ran into the parlor to see what was happening. To his everlasting surprise, he found William was spanking Barbara – something he should have done a long time ago. Thomas looked at his wife, catching her eye, and she shook her head no, warning him not to interfere.

  When William saw Barbara’s father, he thought the man might be furious with him, but it seemed as though her parents agreed that their daughter had earned the spanking he was administering.

  Barbara was crying. She was totally humiliated, and furious with William for treating her like a child. She probably should have agreed to fix lunch, but she truly hated cooking. She was planning to insist they hire help for the house when they wed. Help who could cook and clean. Barbara wanted to live like a lady. It was what she deserved and expected. Her poor bottom was on fire, and her tears were real ones. She finally reached the point that she couldn’t stand any more of the torment. She would be too sore to sit down on her wedding day. Should she refuse to marry William? “Please stop, William. You are hurting me, and I can’t take any more pain. I am sorry I asked Mother to fix lunch. Please let me up now. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  If they were already married, the spanking would continue, but her parents were watching him discipline their daughter, and they were getting concerned. He needed to stop, and hope that Barbara was punished enough that she would stop being so selfish, and understand that others have feelings, especially now that Kat was missing. “Are you going to apologize to your mother, Barbara?”

  “Yes, I will.” Barbara hated William in the moment.

  “Will you fix a nice lunch for all of us?”

  “Yes, I am sorry I argued about it. I’ll cook something good, and do it quickly.”

  “Very well. I am stopping this spanking for now, but we will take it up again should I feel it is necessary. You need to be of help right now, and stop complaining because no one is working on things for our wedding. We don’t need everything all fancied up. It is the people who are attending we need to care about. Now get up, Barbara, then go and fix lunch. No sulking or pouting.” He was gentle as he helped her stand. Barbara gave her mother and father heated looks, then ran out of the room like she was being chased by wild Indians.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Ogden, I want to apologize for spanking Barbara. I’d hoped to wait until we were married to introduce discipline to Barbara. I don’t feel it was proper to punish her in front of you, but this was sorely needed in the moment, so I took charge. If I offended you, I am sorry.”

  “You didn’t offend either of us, son. We decided that spanking was not necessary for children and we tried other methods. It worked well on Kat, but not so well on Barbara. It relieves my mind to know that you are going to take Barbara in hand if needed.” Thomas didn’t tell William that he had planned to deal with Barbara himself. He’d had enough of her comments to last a lifetime.

  Barbara was furious with William, and her mind was devising situations that would cause him the most embarrassment. She certainly wasn’t going to marry a man who believed in spanking. She would denounce him during the wedding, she decided. That way, every person in town would know why she was jilting him. He would never find a wife. No woman would willingly allow a man to treat her like a little girl and spank her. It was embarrassing, but even worse, her father and mother did nothing to stop the punishment. It was humiliating to know they thought she needed the correction. She started crying again; no one, not even her parents, loved her.

  After receiving their approval, William said he should go to Barbara, and give her forgiveness and a hug. He knew that mentally, right now, she was cutting out his heart with a dull knife, and he needed to give her love. When he walked into the kitchen, she was crying. He walked over and pulled her close, resting his head on her head, as he closed his arms around her to hold her. William kissed the top of her hair, then said, “I love you, Barbara. You are too beautiful to act the way you were acting; your mother was distraught; she needed your help, your understanding, your love. Your parents are so worried about your sister right now that they couldn’t tolerate any talk of our wedding. Do you understand that, my darling?”

  She simply cried harder, clinging to him now that he was standing in front of her.

  “It’s all over now; you may be tender for a while, but that will remind you that I love you with all my heart. I wouldn’t waste my time disciplining a sweet woman if I didn’t love her with all my heart. I wanted you to know that you are forgiven. I will leave the apologizing to your mother to your own moment.” He leaned down and kissed her sweetly. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” he offered, surprising her.

  “Yes.” She gave him some instructions, and he went right to work. It pleased her to have him chopping vegetables. She put her mind to making a vegetable soup her parents would love. They worked diligently, and while the soup was simmering on the stove, they cleaned up the mess they’d made. It didn’t take too long to wash up the few dishes. While the soup was cooking, Barbara decided to make biscuits. She wasn’t good at it, but she would try. She really wanted to please William – and her parents.

  “Sweetheart, what should we do about our wedding?” he asked.

  “I am not going to cancel our Christmas wedding, Willy. We have been dreaming of this day for so long. I am truly aggravated that Katherine didn’t stay home last evening and help me with the table decorations. If she had, she wouldn’t be missing right now. I hope she isn’t harmed in any way,” she wailed, trying to sound upset when she wasn’t. What she did find fault with was that Katherine just had to do something to demand attention, and take it away from her. This was to be her moment to shine in front of everyone who was important in the town.

  “We might not have a choice, Barbara. Your parents can’t go through with a wedding while Kat is missing. They fear for her life. We’ll wait until tomorrow, and if there is no news, we will need to cancel our plans.”

  Chapter 5

  “Do you feel you know me well enough to accept my proposal of marriage, sweet lady?” Seth asked Kat.

  She nodded eagerly.

  Seth reached into his pocket, took out a small box, then got down on one knee. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, Miss Katherine Ogden?” He offered her a beautiful ring, which she accepted with love in her tear-filled green eyes

  “Yes, Mr. Seth Peterson, I am the one who is honored to accept your proposal.” He put the ring on her finger, and then she willingly allowed Seth to pull her into his strong arms for a kiss that was full of passion that he didn’t bother to hide. She responded to his kiss with another that was full of desire. They celebrated their engagement with kisses that were sizzling and filled them with longing for more intimacy.

  “We must stop, my darling. It is time to return to town and find the good Father Jacob to ask him to marry us. If we must, we will kneel and beg. I would love to spend Christmas Eve with my bride.”

  “Father Jacob will marry us,” Kat said with confidence. “If I must, I will inform him that I have been compromised. He will believe me, I’m sure.”

  “You wouldn’t lie, now, would you? I would hate to have to punish you on our wedding night.” His hand gave her bottom a firm spank.

  “No, Seth. I won’t lie. I am positive my father is going to insist we marry immediately to protect my reputation.” She smiled. “Barbara will be livid that I beat her to the altar.” Kat couldn’t resist giggling.

  “Let’s get ready to leave. We will need to see your father and ask his blessing for this marriage.” Within an hour
, they were on their way to town. It was snowing, and the roads were a bit slippery, but the horses didn’t seem to mind. Seth let them set their own pace, and he made sure that Kat was covered with a blanket to keep her warm for the long drive into town.

  They hitched the horses to the post in front of her home, then walked up to the house and opened the door to step inside.

  Naomi was the first person to see Katherine, and she nearly fainted. “Katherine! Oh, my darling baby, are you all right? I have prayed and prayed you would walk in the door, now you have. Thank you, dear Jesus. Are you injured in any way? What happened to you? Where have you been?” Naomi asked a million questions, while Thomas, hearing the commotion, ran to get to the entry to see his little girl with his own eyes.

  “Kat, come to Daddy!” he begged, tears filling his eyes. He gave his daughter a bone-crushing hug. “Do I dare hope you haven’t been mistreated?” He held her at arm’s length to look into her pretty green eyes, then hugged her tightly once more.

  “Where have you been, Katherine? Do you even care that you have ruined my wedding?” Barbara said angrily.

  “Barbara, I have had enough of your selfishness to last a lifetime. One more remark like that, and I will spank you soundly,” Thomas promised, his roared words bouncing off the walls.

  “She is the one who ran off with a man, and you are yelling at me? Of course, Father, you have always loved her best.”

  “What are you saying? Your sister would not go off with a man without letting us know.” Thomas defended his daughter. “Thank the dear Lord you are home safely. Tell us what happened, child. Were you kidnapped?”

  “Mr. Ogden, didn’t you receive my letter? I had it hand-delivered,” Seth stated, looking at his boss in confusion.

  “I did not get a letter, Seth.”

  “It was in a blue envelope, addressed to you?”

  “We have been getting a lot of mail, Thomas. Perhaps it was mixed in with Barbara’s cards and letters?” Naomi said, walking to the hallway table where two baskets sat. Most of Naomi’s wedding cards were unopened. She planned to do that with William on Christmas Eve before going to mass. Naomi sorted through the cards, pulling out a blue envelope addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Ogden. “Here it is, Thomas,” she said, handing it to her husband.