“What does the red mean?” she whispered as they started to walk.
“House servant,” he said. “They’re available for anyone to play with, and they provide help when needed.”
As they neared the doorway, Maisie could hear grunts and groans. Mr. Cummings opened the door and she followed him inside. Three women knelt in boxes that had been marked off on the floor. All three of them had their hands between their legs and were breathing heavily.
Maisie couldn’t help but stare. She’d never thought to see something like this, and she wasn’t really sure how to act. But then she remembered Mr. Cummings’s directive for her to center her attentions on those watching the so-called game. Somehow she wasn’t surprised to see there were so many of them, at least ten or fifteen. All of them wore masks. Most of them were men.
The few women who stood around either wore red lace collars or no collars at all. Once again she was marked by the age of those attending. Vanessa was so young, only in her twenties, but she put most of these people as hovering around forty. She put it in the back of her mind to ask Mr. Cummings about it when they were back up in their room.
“Oh, oh, oh, yes!” Maisie turned her attention to where the woman in the center box was screaming. The crowd giggled and clapped, and then the woman bent over and beat her fist on the floor. “No, no, no!”
“She’s out,” someone close by said. “Good thing. I fucked her up the bum the last time, and she’s a hot number. We should beat her and share her tonight. She’ll love it, and so will we.”
The insensitivity of his words, which made the woman sound like little more than a toy, angered Maisie. She wanted to say something, but Mr. Cummings took her hand and pulled her along after him.
“Don’t,” he said.
“But they… they…”
She wasn’t sure what to say they did, how to explain what she felt.
“The woman is here for the activities they discussed,” he said. “If she knew she was going to be double teamed tonight she probably would be thrilled she lost out in the hot pot.”
“Double teamed,” Maisie repeated.
“A cock in her pussy and one up her ass,” he said. “If she’s lucky they’ll find a third one for her mouth, and she’ll be one happy lark. I know that woman.”
Was that jealousy she felt at his words?
“Have you been inside her?”
“Yes,” he said. “More than once. Now, look at the crowd.”
Maisie did as he asked, but it didn’t take long for her to realize she didn’t know a single person in this room, except for Mr. Cummings. At least she didn’t think she knew any of them. They were all wearing masks, which hid their identity. Not a one of them noticed they were being scrutinized, since they were all watching the women in the hot pot. One of those ladies had climaxed and had been replaced by another.
Maisie tried to concentrate on the watchers and not on the ladies, but it was hard when they were moaning and groaning in such obvious pleasure. She stopped and focused her eyes on the third woman. In her mind, Maisie told herself she was trying to determine if any of these ladies was Vanessa. But they were all too old.
The newer lady worked her hand furiously, and her giggles mixed with her sighs of pleasure.
When Mr. Cummings spoke in her ear, Maisie stiffened. “Are you sure you don’t want to take part? The lady on the end is about to be out.”
“No,” she said.
“Then come with me,” he said. “You’re about to be put to your first test. I hope you’re up to the task.”
“I am,” she whispered.
“Hurry up,” he said in an angry tone. “I’m tired of waiting for you.”
Mr. Cummings took off at a fast clip and Maisie rushed to keep up with him. They continued past the hot pot, where another woman had indeed lost and was being replaced with a man this time.
When they reached a chair and Mr. Cummings sat down, Maisie knew what was about to happen.
“Why are you just standing there?” he asked. “Come over my lap this instant!”
Maisie repeated, “I can do this,” in her mind as she settled herself over his knee.
“Bring me a paddle,” Mr. Cummings said. Maisie heard someone say, “As you wish.”
Her eyes seemed to squeeze up of their own accord when he gathered her skirt over her hips to bare her bum.
“For you, sir,” a woman said.
“Thank you, at least someone knows how to follow directions,” Mr. Cummings said. He rubbed the wood against her bottom. It felt circular, which was not what she expected.
“When I tell you to do something I expect you to obey, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“What?”
“Yes, sir,” she said, louder.
He slapped the paddle against her bottom and she cried out.
“Again!” someone yelled.
Maisie gazed at the feet around them, which had seemed to multiply. People were watching, and she was definitely embarrassed.
“Such a naughty girl, acting like you can do whatever you want,” he said.
He slapped the paddle against her ass over and over. Maisie bit her lip as tears flooded her eyes.
The room had grown quiet, or at least it seemed that way to her. The only thing she could hear was the wood slapping against her bottom, the boom loud and frightening. She had to trust him, she reminded herself. He knew what he was doing, and she had to trust him.
The paddle came down repeatedly, and her ass started to burn, as if she were sitting on hot coals. The only thing that kept her from screaming at him to stop was his announcement that she was about to face her first test, and he hoped she didn’t fail.
“Are you going to do as I tell you?” Five hard swats followed his question, which gave her no chance to answer.
When they were over she opened her mouth to tell him yes, but he didn’t give her the chance.
“Answer me!” Five more swats.
“Yes, yes, yes!” she screamed when they were done. “I will do as you say.”
“Do you swear it?” Five more hit her bum.
“I swear! I swear!” She hated the fact she was crying, but the pain was intense, and she wanted so much to push herself off his lap and run for the door.
He slapped her ass one more time. “Then stand up.”
She scurried to her feet.
“Tell these people you’re a bad girl and you deserved your spanking.”
He hadn’t given her any sort of direction on this, so she played on the first time he’d made her stand in the corner. She clasped her hands behind her back and bowed her head.
“I’ve been a bad girl and I deserved my spanking,” she said. She wasn’t exactly sure why he was doing this, when he hadn’t mentioned anything that would happen this early, but he must have seen something that prompted this event.
“Show them your shame,” he said.
What in the world did he mean by that? And then she thought about her burning bottom. Her shame would not be the tears running down her face, but her red bum. She turned slowly, and when she was facing him he nodded ever so slightly.
Maisie lifted her skirt to bare her bottom. She couldn’t see them, but she could feel the closeness of the people behind her. If they reached out and touched her she wasn’t sure she would be able to stand it. It was hard enough to have her bottom on display.
“Please don’t touch,” Mr. Cummings said, almost as if he’d read her mind. “My friend is very new at this. I’m going to take her upstairs so we can have some alone time. Thank you all for being witness to her spanking.”
Polite applause sounded, and just below it Maisie could hear the moans and groans of the people still participating in the hot pot.
Mr. Cummings stood. “Come with me,” he said. He started toward the door and she fell into step behind him. They were silent as they made their way up the stairs, and when they were in their room he closed the door with a bang.
But then he turned to her. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen. How are you, Mrs. Glover?”
Maisie wiped away tears; her crying had slowed. “I’m all right,” she said.
“Please, lay down on the bed with your bottom in the air.”
When she was in the position he’d ordered she relaxed a little, until she felt his touch on her bum. But he didn’t slap it this time; he rubbed something cool and soft on her fiery flesh. It was some sort of salve, or lotion, she suspected. Whatever it was it cooled her off almost immediately and she sighed in pleasure.
“Thank you,” she said.
“We don’t have much time,” he said. “If what I saw downstairs is correct we will be getting a visitor very quickly.”
She tried to sit up but he put his hand on the small of her back and continued to rub.
“You saw Vanessa?”
“No, but I saw someone who could be here for the same reason we are.”
“That’s a very cryptic answer,” she said. “Was that why you spanked me, because of who you saw?”
“Yes.” He gently patted her bum. “Does that feel better?”
“Very much so, thank you,” she said. His concern for her bottom made her feel better about things. He hadn’t shown this sort of care for her bottom after he’d spanked her the first time. She wondered what had prompted it now.
“If there is a knock on the door I want you to rush for the corner, as quietly as possible so he doesn’t hear you,” he said. “I want you to be there, with your nose against the wall, when he enters.”
“Who is he?” she asked, just as the predicted knock came.
“Go!” he mouthed.
Maisie did as he asked. She heard the door open.
Chapter 11
“Lord Geoffrey I am surprised to see you here,” Mr. Cummings said. “I did not realize you were so inclined.”
“I’m not,” Lord Geoffrey said. “But I am looking for my brother. When I saw you downstairs I wanted to ask you about the last time you saw him. I think you know that, and it’s why you disappeared so quickly, so we could talk privately. I know you saw me, and I want to say I appreciate your discretion. I know you’re looking out for him, too.”
Maisie could imagine the confused look on Mr. Cummings’s face when he said, “And how, may I ask, do you know that?”
“His mistress, Vanessa, told me,” Lord Geoffrey said.
It was all Maisie could do to continue to face the wall. If Vanessa was in London, then they needed to go there. She wanted to say as much to Mr. Cummings, but she was afraid that, if she imposed herself into the conversation, Lord Geoffrey would shut down. To her he sounded like a desperate man.
“You spoke with Vanessa?” Mr. Cummings asked.
“Yesterday, at her house in London,” Lord Geoffrey said. “She told me she hadn’t seen James in a few days, and that he’d been acting strangely. May I ask you about the last time you saw him?”
That’s a lie! Maisie wanted to scream.
“Just a few days ago,” Mr. Cummings answered. “He wasn’t acting strange.”
She waited for him to continue, to tell Lord Geoffrey the truth about what had been going on at the school. Instead, Mr. Cummings said, “How did Vanessa seem to you?”
“Her usual self, devil may care and laughing about everything,” he said. “But there is nothing funny about what is happening. My father is very upset about events, and, well, James has taken something that belongs to the family.”
Maisie knew that wasn’t true because she’d heard Vanessa admit that she had the key and she was looking for the box.
“May I ask what he’s taken?” Mr. Cummings said.
“It’s a box that contains an artifact that I’d rather not disclose,” Lord Geoffrey said. “Did he mention it to you?”
“No,” Mr. Cummings said. “I know nothing of this. I’m here with a new lady friend of mine. We’re getting to know each other, to see if she’s suited for the lifestyle that I enjoy.”
Maisie couldn’t see his face, but from the silence that took over the room, she was sure that Lord Geoffrey was unconvinced of their reason for visiting Morton-on-Mare.
“You teach ladies how to satisfy their men in your so called tastes, isn’t that right?”
“Truthfully, how I train my ladies is none of your affair,” Mr. Cummings said. “But I have no information to give you about your brother.”
“If you hear from him, please tell him to come back to London.”
“You’re not staying, Lord Geoffrey?”
“I am not, Aldis.” Maisie could almost see the sneer on the man’s face, even though she didn’t know what he looked like. His tone of voice said it all. “I appreciate your willingness to speak to my brother if you see him but please, be discreet.”
“Always,” Mr. Cummings said.
Maisie heard the door open and close. She turned and opened her mouth to speak, but before any words came out she saw Mr. Cummings holding his finger to his mouth. He pointed to the door with the other hand. She understood completely. Obviously, he thought Lord Geoffrey was standing just outside, listening.
“Have you had enough of the corner?” Mr. Cummings asked loudly.
Maisie started to say she had, but decided that wouldn’t convince the man who was eavesdropping on them.
“I can do what I want!” she yelled. “I don’t care what you think of me. I am not sorry for what I said or did.”
Mr. Cummings looked shocked, but then he smiled and winked at her. “Very good,” he mouthed. “Then you’ll just stay there until you’re willing to apologize. I don’t want to hear any more of your mouth. Keep quiet while I decide on a proper punishment.”
Maisie nodded and, to her surprise, Mr. Cummings got down on his knees and lowered his head to the slight crack between the door and the floor. What was he doing, she wondered. It took her a moment to figure it out in her mind, though, that he was looking to see if there was a shadow coming through, where Lord Geoffrey could possibly be standing.
Mr. Cummings stood and came toward her. When he took her in his arms she was surprised. “I don’t think he’s still there, but I don’t trust him, either. He gave information that did not line up with what we know. It’s obvious the item is gone. That is the only constant in the scheme. We need to make a list of what we know.”
“Is that wise?” Maisie asked. “I mean, putting things in writing.”
They were whispering in each other’s ears, and the feel of his breath on her neck made goose bumps appear on her arms and neck. To her shock, it also made her nipples hard. She tried to push away, but he held her close. He adjusted her enough so that they were looking into each other’s eyes.
“What is wrong with you?” he hissed. But then, as if he could feel her arousal, realization dawned on his face. “You enjoyed the spanking.”
It wasn’t a question, but more a statement of fact.
“I did not,” she said.
“You did,” he said. “Either that or you’re happy I’m holding you so close. Your nipples are hard.” He gazed at her and she shivered. “Did your nipples grow hard when you sucked me the other day?”
“No!” She tried to push away but his arms tightened.
“You needn’t be ashamed,” he said. His voice was soft, as if he were trying to seduce her. “You are not being unfaithful to your husband. He’s gone.”
“How dare you!” She struggled once more. “Let me go.”
“You wanted to take part in this event,” he said. “I warned you about what we would be doing, physically.”
“Taking part in it doesn’t mean I like it,” she said, working to keep her voice low in case someone was outside the door.
They continued to stare at each other. “I like it,” he said. “Your body is lush, and having you over my lap made me hard, as hard as your nipples. Did you not notice?”
“No,” she said. “That should tell you that I wasn’t enjoying it.”
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A wicked smile spread over his lips. “Maybe I will use this time to try and train you to enjoy yourself. You could use an orgasm or two.”
“You are a bastard!”
“Yes, I’ve heard that before,” he said. “But I assure you my parents were married. We might as well enjoy ourselves while we wait for Vanessa to appear.”
“We should go to London,” Maisie said. She refused to fight with him about the sexual part of their time together. If he tried to force himself on her she would fight back, and win.
“She will be here,” he said. “I’m not going to waste time traveling to London and possibly not seeing her. We wait here, and there will be no discussion about it. Now, there will be dinner and events afterward. I suggest you rest before we play.”
He was insufferable, but she refused to allow him to bait her. Instead she smiled back. “A nap sounds fine.” She turned toward the bed, and it sank in that there was only one in the room. They would be expected to share the bed.
How would she hide it if, as he said, her body betrayed her while they were taking part in the events downstairs? She decided not to think about it now. She would rest, because she would need every ounce of her strength to keep hold of herself if that happened.
Maisie woke to a scratching noise. She wrinkled her nose and opened her eyes, but didn’t sit up in bed. Mr. Cummings sat at the desk. He’d taken off the collar of his shirt and loosened the buttons halfway down his chest. In the glow from the lamp on the desk he looked extremely sexy, with his dark hair hanging partly in his face.
He was writing something, pausing now and again to dip his quill in the ink.
“I have four suspects so far, but only three of them have names,” he said as he turned to look at her. “You snore.”
“I do not,” she said.
“You do,” he said with a laugh. “That’s how I knew you were awake, because the noise stopped. It was either that or you had died in your sleep.”
He turned back to his work and Maisie swung her legs over the side of the bed. She walked over to him and read over his shoulder. “Those are your suspects? BL? TT? BL2?”
Ready To Obey Page 13
