Mr. Cummings’s hand came over her mouth, stopping her from accusing Lord Geoffrey of being in collusion with Vanessa.
“We will do it now,” Mr. Cummings said.
Maisie wished she knew exactly what he was talking about, or at least she thought she did.
“No,” Lord Geoffrey said. “I demand it be public.”
Mr. Cummings snorted. “There are five of us here. I will not allow her to be punished in front of the whole group when they were not here to witness the transgression.”
“The transgression, as you call it, was against me,” Lord Geoffrey said. “Shouldn’t I be the one to select the punishment?”
“No,” Mr. Leslie said. “I will choose. It is late. I will ponder the events and decide the best course of action. As the owner of this house my word is law, which means when I’ve made my decision it is final. If you do not like that, Lord Geoffrey, I am sorry, but that is the way it will be.”
Although the night was clear, Maisie felt as if a storm was about to break. Lord Geoffrey glared at them all, and then stormed off as if the hounds of hell were after him.
Maybe if he left she would not have to worry about punishment. When he was gone, Mr. Cummings released her.
“We’ll discuss this in the morning,” Mr. Leslie said. He and Sylvia started back to the house.
Mr. Cummings stepped in front of Maisie and for a moment she thought he was going to grab her arms, but he took a step back.
“May I ask what the hell you’re doing out here on your own, at one in the morning? Were you trying to run?”
“In this?” She pinched the caftan she wore. “I—I felt stifled upstairs and I needed some air.”
He stared at her until she felt so uncomfortable that she took a step back and then glanced up at the stars. They twinkled above her. There was a large part of her that wished she was up there, moving around them. Would they burn if you touched them? Or would they be a cool place to land, where she would be away from the situation that stared her in the face.
“You needed air,” he finally said. “Or were you meeting someone out here?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I find it interesting that Vanessa didn’t pull her little scheme until you were in the house. Were you meeting her out here right now?”
“Is that what you think?” she asked.
He didn’t answer her. Instead he shook his head. “Did you hear what Geoffrey and Vanessa were saying?”
This was it, she thought. She needed to tell him who else had been part of the conversation. Would he believe her, or would he think she was lying?
“I couldn’t make out what they were saying,” she said. “I was a little, shall we say shocked.”
“Shocked that Vanessa and Geoffrey were speaking?” he asked, and then he laughed. “They know each other through James. There is every chance they stole the item together. We really don’t know what happened.”
Tell him, tell him, tell him!
Maisie took a deep breath before she said, “There were three people in the conversation.”
Mr. Cummings cocked his head. “James was here?”
“No,” Maisie said. “I want you to know that I am telling you the truth.”
“You haven’t told me anything yet.”
Another deep breath. Her hands were shaking as she said, “Mrs. Beale was with them. Your Mrs. Beale.”
He had started to shake his head before she’d finished speaking. “You misheard.”
“Oh no, I didn’t,” she said. “I was so shocked that at first I thought I did, but as I listened, I knew it was her voice.”
“How can you detect voices when you couldn’t hear the words?”
“Quite easily,” she said. “I would recognize your voice if I heard it. But I couldn’t make out what they were saying.”
He started to walk in circles in the tight area. She could see exactly the moment when he knew she was telling the truth. A look of pure fury came over his face.
“That bitch,” he whispered.
“What does it mean, exactly?” she asked.
“I don’t know yet, but I do know your little escapade will cause problems. Geoffrey won’t let it slide, and neither will Tom. I may have teased you tonight, and brought you great pleasure because I like to play with a woman’s body. But the punishment will not be fun.”
“Is there no way you can get me out of it?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “I have a feeling a riding crop may be involved. The only thing I can do is insist that I’m the one wielding it. That, my sweet, is the best I can do.”
Maisie looked up at the sky once more. This event was turning into something she wasn’t sure she could handle.
“Maisie, you have to trust me,” Mr. Cummings said. “Tomorrow make sure you let me do the talking, and if you want to object that will help. But in the end, you have to give over to me. Understand?”
Maisie continued to stare at the stars. Finally, she said, “I understand.”
Chapter 14
Once again she couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t that she was worried about the punishment. It was the fact that both Mrs. Beale and Vanessa were in the house, talking with Lord Geoffrey. What in the devil did it mean?
She knew the answer without really thinking it through. The two of them were in on the scheme together. Mr. Cummings knew it, also, but he lay next to her, his breathing even. He didn’t seem to care about the implications about the voices she’d heard, but she would be damned if she would lie here and let the women get away.
In a fit of anger she turned to him and slapped his behind.
“What in the devil are you doing?” he asked.
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she was going to spank him the way she would probably be spanked tomorrow. Instead, she kept her cool. It wouldn’t help to make things worse than they already were.
“I’m leaving,” she said. “Not the house, but this room. We need to find Mrs. Beale and Vanessa.”
He sat up and sighed. “I believe you when you say you heard them, but it’s been almost an hour. They’ll be gone by now.”
“No, they won’t,” Maisie said. “They are here for money. They want to exchange the item they’ve stolen for cash. They’re not going to leave without their funds.”
She knew she’d convinced him when he got up and started to dress.
“They’ll want to stay out of the house,” she said as she headed toward the door. “If it were me, I would meet in the garden again.”
Maisie put her hand on the doorknob, but didn’t turn it when Mr. Cummings called her name.
“Take off your clothing,” he said.
“What? We need to hurry,” she said.
“Listen to me, if we are caught out people will wonder, and I want an excuse. Remember what I said earlier? You need to give over to me.” Their gazes locked for a few moments. “Take off your clothing, Maisie, or get back in bed. Remember the longer you wait the more time they have to make their escape.”
She muttered to herself the whole time she took off the caftan.
“Now, be submissive and don’t talk back if we happen to run into anyone,” he said. “Unless you happen to see Mrs. Beale or Vanessa.”
They hadn’t talked about how he felt about the matron being at the party. She’d wanted to bring the subject up, but, truthfully, she’d been afraid of his reaction. Maybe she could do it when they were down in the garden.
“Walk behind me,” he said as they exited the room and started down the hall. The house was quiet, which didn’t surprise Maisie. It was at least two, if not three in the morning.
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” she said. “I over think things, and I think I might have done that now.”
His chuckle made her smile. “You, over think something? I’m shocked that you admit it.”
They made their way down the stairs and out the back door. Maisie noticed that it was unlocked.
“W
hy wouldn’t Mr. Leslie lock the door when they came back inside?” she asked.
“It could have been an oversight,” Mr. Cummings said. “Show me where you heard the voices.”
Maisie shivered as they walked. She wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to ward off the chill. When they were near the shrub she pointed to the area behind it. They listened for a few moments and didn’t hear anything.
“Are you sure you heard her voice?” he asked. “If you couldn’t make out words, it would be hard to identify someone.”
“Her voice is very distinctive,” Maisie said.
“Why would she be here?” Mr. Cummings asked. “There is no known reason for it.”
Maisie knew there was a reason. “She has the item and is trying to ransom it.”
“I’ve known her for years,” he said. “She’s not a thief. Maybe she found it and is trying to return it.”
“She would have sent you a message, wouldn’t she?” Maisie asked. “I mean if she did find it. She knows we’re here. She would have warned us that she was coming.”
In the moonlight she watched the expression on his face. It had been soft, but now it was hard again.
“How is the school doing?” she asked.
“Fine,” he said. “We have several patrons who keep us in the black.”
“While you teach their others to take a whipping,” she said. “Are you sure the books are in the black?”
He was looking at her now, and his expression was really dark. “Don’t.”
She opened her mouth to ask don’t what, question the lessons or the money, but he held up a finger. “Just don’t.”
Something told her to hold her tongue, but, as always, Maisie wasn’t good at listening. “I’m just saying, if she wanted more money, she might have joined forces with Vanessa. What if you get back to Bath and find that all the ladies are gone, as well as all your money?”
“I just don’t understand why you won’t listen to me,” he said.
Maisie put her hands on her hips, and spread her legs slightly apart. The cool air wrapped around her naked form.
“You need to consider all the possibilities.”
For an answer, he grabbed her around the waist and turned her so he could smack her bum.
“No!” she said. He answered with another.
“I won’t tell you again.”
“Practicing for tomorrow?”
Mr. Cummings released her so quickly that Maisie fell to the ground. At least she was halfway there and the fall didn’t hurt too much. She turned to see Mr. Leslie, and Sylvia. “May I ask what you’re doing out here, again? In the middle of the night?”
Maisie kept her gaze to the ground. It was best to let Mr. Cummings handle this. But when he didn’t speak, she started to rise.
“Don’t.” Mr. Cummings pointed at her. She understood that word perfectly this time.
“Listen, fill me in on whatever is happening, all of what is happening, or pack up and leave, now,” Mr. Leslie said. “I don’t want anything illegal to happen here.”
“It’s not illegal, well not on our part,” Mr. Cummings said. “But I am afraid I’ve misled you a bit.”
“Amazingly enough I’d figured that out,” Mr. Leslie said. Maisie could hear the anger in his voice.
“Shall we go inside?” Mr. Cummings asked.
“No, I don’t want to give you any more time to come up with a fabrication,” Mr. Leslie said. “Tell me now.”
And so he did. Mr. Cummings spilled the whole story, and then he apologized for keeping Mr. Leslie in the dark.
“I’m worried about the reputation of my school,” Mr. Cummings said. “I hope you understand.”
“I can,” Mr. Leslie said after a long pause. He didn’t sound as angry as he had before, but he was still not happy, Maisie could tell.
“I haven’t seen Vanessa this weekend,” Mr. Leslie said.
“But, I did see Lord Geoffrey talking with an older woman in town yesterday,” Sylvia said. “It was before things started. I didn’t recognize her, and I haven’t seen her here.”
“Grey hair, short and just a tad overweight?” Mr. Cummings asked.
Anger welled inside Maisie when he asked the question. It was as if he hadn’t taken her at her word, and was asking for confirmation from someone who didn’t even know Mrs. Beale.
“Yes, that’s the woman I saw,” Sylvia said.
“The same woman I heard earlier this evening,” Maisie said. “Has a carriage, or horse, left tonight?”
“Not that I know of,” Mr. Leslie said. “Listen, I understand your situation, and even though you lied to me I want to help. I have a plan that will give you time to go through the rooms. But you have to give over your friend to me.”
“Me? He has to give me over?” Maisie pointed at herself. For the first time since they’d arrived she felt totally naked. She wrapped her arms around herself, prepared to say no. She glanced at Mr. Cummings, who nodded. “What exactly do you plan to do with me?”
“You really are new at this, aren’t you?” Mr. Leslie asked.
“Yes,” Maisie said.
“I’m going to punish you, not have sex with you,” he said. “As the head of this house it is my right. I will choose any elements of the punishment.”
Maisie wanted to say that no, it wasn’t his right, but she knew she didn’t have a leg to stand on, so to speak. She must have looked terrified because Mr. Leslie gently put his hand on her arm.
“I will not use a crop on you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Mr. Leslie said. “While Lord Geoffrey and the others are witnessing your punishment, Mr. Cummings will have the whole house free to search for his business partner, or for the item that is missing.”
Maisie knew it was the right idea, so she agreed. She was still frightened, but she would be able to control herself. Or at least she hoped she would.
They started back toward the house. Maisie still had her arms wrapped around her middle, and she was surprised when Mr. Cummings placed his shirt around her shoulders. She hadn’t even realized he’d taken it off.
They shared a look and she understood it completely—stay silent until they were back at the house. Once in the bedroom he said, “If you are uncomfortable with this plan we won’t do it. We will leave, go back to Bath and figure out what to do next.”
Maisie thought about it for a moment before she shook her head. “She’s still here, I know it in my heart. I hate to think she’s cheating you, but I believe she is.”
“Then we stay, and try to get to the bottom of things tomorrow.”
The bottom of things, Maisie thought as she shrugged out of his shirt. Using her bottom.
She definitely wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow. She didn’t care that she was naked as she climbed into bed. She turned on her side, then gasped as Mr. Cummings lay down beside her and gathered her in his arms.
“You have my permission to pull away from the punishment if you are not comfortable tomorrow,” Mr. Cummings said. “Promise me that you will.”
“I promise,” she said softly.
It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one of them that wasn’t totally comfortable with Mr. Leslie’s plan.
“That is not good enough!”
Maisie startled as Lord Geoffrey slammed his hand on the table in front of him.
“I told you last night that the decision would be mine, and it would be fine.” Whereas Lord Geoffrey was furious, Mr. Leslie was calm and collected.
“She was spying on me.”
“Was she?” Mr. Leslie sat back and crossed his fingers over his stomach. “Were you doing something illicit in my gardens? Something you don’t want anyone to know about? There is not much in this house that is private, as you know.”
Was it her imagination, or did a look of fear cross Lord Geoffrey’s face. “I want to whip her,” he said.
“I’m sorry, I can’t allow that,” Mr. Leslie said. “To me, you’re reading too much into
her taking a nocturnal walk in the gardens, which is what you were doing. I can understand you’re angry that she overheard what was obviously meant to be a private conversation, but I don’t think it was intentional. So my decision stands. Mr. Cummings will spank her before the demonstration this afternoon, and then she will be in the corner, bent over a table with a candle up her bum.”
“I hope you know this means I will never recommend your parties to any of my friends,” Lord Geoffrey said. “I will tell them that you don’t have control over your guests, and you don’t honor those of us in the gentry.”
Maisie glanced at Mr. Leslie, then looked down at the floor to hide the smile on her face.
“Trying to bully me into doing your wishes will not work, Lord Geoffrey,” Mr. Leslie said. “As I said before, my decision is final. You can stay and watch, or you can leave. It is your decision.”
“At least let me choose the implement with which she will be whipped,” Lord Geoffrey said.
“Spanked, not whipped,” Mr. Leslie said. “There is a difference. You will be here to observe.”
Lord Geoffrey looked around the room. “Where is her man?”
“I am here,” Mr. Cummings said. “I won’t be staying, though.”
“Why not?” Lord Geoffrey asked.
“Because I said so, and that is all you need to know,” Mr. Leslie said. “If you have a problem you can pack up and leave.”
Maisie waited to see if Lord Geoffrey would call Mr. Leslie’s bluff. If he did, that would mean things would be over for them. The two men glared at each other, and Mr. Cummings stood off to the side, almost as if he were Mr. Leslie’s second in this duel. Maisie knew he was ready to get on with his search, to see what he could find. Personally she didn’t think he would find anything.
Mrs. Beale was not stupid. That’s how she’d fooled Mr. Cummings all these years. Maisie had tossed and turned most of the night, for two reasons. She was a little frightened about the punishment she would face. But more to the point she tried to piece it all together. How did Jack figure into it all? Was he really Vanessa’s husband? Was he here in the house?
Ready To Obey Page 17
