The Solicitation

by Bella Bryce

  “I love you, Alice. As purely and deeply as a father should love his daughter, I love you,” Brayden said, putting his hand on Alice’s cheek.

  Alice wanted to cry, she wanted to smile, and to say “thank you”, but she was so full of a mixture of emotions that at first nothing came out. Then, after a long moment, Alice unbuckled her seat belt, climbed into Brayden’s lap, kissed his cheek and laid herself against his formal coat. Brayden wrapped his arms around Alice, keeping her securely in his lap. He should have told her off for removing her seat belt and mandated that she “sit down properly this instant,” but his heart had completely melted just then.

  “I love you, father,” she said, after sitting in Brayden’s embrace for a few seconds.

  When the Rolls Royce pulled through the gates of Waldorf, Brayden felt relieved. He was always glad to be back home, behind the gates that protected him and Alice, who had then fallen asleep on him during the remaining twenty-minute car ride home.

  Brayden carried Alice into the house and up the stairs, attracting the attention of Celia, who quietly accompanied Brayden to Alice’s bedroom and helped to change her for bed. Brayden stayed after Celia had gone, sitting on the bed, watching Alice sleep. Brayden tried to remember what life was like more than a month before - before Alice moved to Waldorf Manor. He tried to remember what it was like to dine alone, and to dress in his usual best suits to see no one. His money sat in his bank accounts gathering more dust than interest. There was no one to learn from his impeccable manners. His existence, in hindsight, seemed as though it had been more lonely and pathetic than he had realised. He had isolated himself more after his parents died, although he always preferred to be home at Waldorf more than anywhere else, because he liked how things were done at home.

  “Sweet dreams darling,” Brayden said, and kissed Alice’s forehead before leaving her bedroom.

  Brayden walked to his study and poured himself a brandy before settling into his wing chair near the fire. One of his favourite pastimes, even as a child, was to sit near the fire and have a drink to keep warm; it used to be hot cocoa. Now it was brandy. Although, the results were still the same. Brayden’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by his iPhone vibrating in his waistcoat pocket. He rested his crystal tumbler on the table beside the wing chair and unlocked his phone.

  It was a text message from Bennett, saying, “I’m so sorry about earlier, I feel daft about coming up to bed. I didn’t get to say goodbye to you or Alice, although I’m sure another day and I will be back on my feet again. I’m giving Mum two tickets to the London Philharmonic for this weekend; take her, won’t you? Damian and Dad are engaged. I will come and look after Alice. Be there at 4:30 pm.”

  Brayden replied straightaway, “I’m sorry you weren’t feeling well, old chap. Not to worry, some rest will do you good. That sounds lovely. Perhaps we should all four go? Alice needs to be cultured.”

  Bennett rolled his eyes when he received Brayden’s text message; he loved his mate but he really wanted Brayden to just accept his original invitation, and replied, “Couldn’t get four seats beside each other, I tried already. Not to worry, Mum said she wanted some time with you and it will give me time to get to know Alice properly.”

  “See you both at half four then, our driver will take us from here,” Brayden replied.

  Bennett smiled. Finally. All he had wanted since the moment he met Alice was to have some time on his own with her; to explain that he was her Uncle, he deserved respect, and she would give it to him. He also needed to address the peaching Alice did on him to his mother, which couldn’t be dealt with under close scrutiny. Bennett needed a few hours alone with Alice to sort that one out. And he would.

  * * * * *

  Despite that it was nearly the middle of March, the weather was behaving as though it had never heard the word spring before. Technically, British Summertime was at the end of March, which was a complete joke considering it was still winter, and spring hadn’t happened yet. It hadn’t even been uttered. As a result, Brayden dressed mostly in Harris Tweed suits and Alice was dressed in woollen tights and velvet or heavy dresses that would keep her warm. There were roaring fires in every room throughout Waldorf, but not in the corridors that connected them.

  “Alice, Aunty Evelyn and I are going into London to see the orchestra play this evening. Her and Uncle Bennett are arriving at half four, and then we’ll leave just after,” Brayden said, handing Alice a new book from his shelf.

  “Am I coming then?” She asked.

  “No, Uncle Bennett is coming to look after you whilst we attend the concert. We are having dinner in London before the concert and probably something after, so Uncle Bennett will put you to bed,” Brayden said, having a feeling that Alice might object.

  “Why isn’t Uncle Damian coming?” Alice asked, ignoring the new book in her hand.

  “I’m afraid he’s busy this evening my love,” Brayden said, writing the title of the book he gave Alice into a notebook where he kept track of all books removed from his shelves.

  “You can begin that one in a moment and I will give you the rest of the week to finish it. All C.S. Lewis books are easy reads because they are very good,” Brayden said, capping his pen.

  “Father, why can’t I come with you?” Alice asked.

  Brayden walked over to Alice and indicated she was to sit down on the sofa beside him.

  “What is the matter, darling?” he asked her.

  “Uncle Bennett doesn’t like me; he’s like an old schoolmaster,” Alice replied.

  Brayden hid the chuckle he knew would sound if he thought about Bennett as a schoolmaster; it was partly true.

  “He does like you, in fact he adores you. But you must remember that he is the eldest in a family of only one brother, so he’s not spent a great deal of time around you or any other little girls. You must be patient with him as he has been with you,” Brayden said.

  “But what will we do whilst you’re away?” Alice asked.

  “Whatever he decides. Perhaps you’ll go for a walk, or have a chat. He’s very good at chess, he might teach you to play,” Brayden suggested.

  Alice wrinkled her nose, whined and let her body fall backward against the sofa, her legs going floppy. She wasn’t amused.

  “Alice! Sit up properly at once, stop that,” he said, frowning. He’d never seen her throw a bit of a tantrum up until that point.

  “I cawwwwwwn’t,” she emphasised, as she dramatically flopped down face first into the sofa.

  Brayden leant over and pulled Alice up quite easily and onto his lap so that she was facing him.

  “Right, young lady, listen to me; I don’t understand why you are being rather unfair toward Uncle Bennett, but it must stop. All right? The Fowlers all love you and they are part of your new extended family. You must treat them all with proper respect regardless of how you feel. Am I understood?” Brayden asked.

  Alice started to wrinkle her nose again.

  “You’re being quite the cheeky madam, Alice and I shall deal with you if you don’t start behaving,” Brayden said.

  “Yes, Father,” Alice finally relented, and laid herself again him.

  Brayden cuddled her for a moment and kissed her forehead. He didn’t really want to leave her, even for a few hours. But he knew Bennett was most capable, and although it wasn’t like he was really babysitting a very small child, he did find it slightly amusing to think straight-laced Bennett in his £1,000 suits was going to come and look after Alice for the evening. No different than himself, but then again, Brayden was her father.

  When the clock chimed 4:30 pm, Brayden was downstairs in the foyer and Wellesley was brushing his tuxedo. Alice descended the stairs as she had been told to do on time. When she reached the foyer she saw her Brayden from behind, the smart outline of his well-tailored tuxedo and her heart fluttered. She walked round to stand in front of him.

  “You look very handsome,” Alice said, blushing.

  Brayden smiled at her, knowin
g Alice was proud of him, and then bent down to kiss her cheek.

  “Thank you, my darling,” he said.

  Alice blushed even more and then reached for his hand. She wanted to be close to him when Uncle Bennett arrived.

  “They've arrived, Sir. ,” Wellesley said. He had been told by the guardhouse through his earpiece.

  “Thank you,” Brayden said.

  “Right then, young lady,” Brayden said, still holding her hand, but taking hold of her other one and standing Alice in front of him. “I don’t think I need to remind you to be a good girl, because you know what I expect of you. Uncle Bennett is in charge and he’s taking my place for the evening so if you misbehave it will be no different than if I were home and how I would deal with it. Mind your manners and do as you are told. We won’t be back until long after you’re asleep, so no waiting up,” Brayden said.

  “Yes, Sir,” Alice said.

  “Good girl,” Brayden said, kissing her forehead.

  Wellesley entered the foyer holding Brayden’s usual woollen formal coat, his leather gloves and tartan scarf, and stood nearby. Brayden didn’t like to put his coat on until he was just leaving, so Wellesley waited dutifully at his side. Celia appeared and opened one of the large double doors when the bell rung. Celia stepped aside and welcomed Evelyn and Bennett, who entered the foyer.

  “You look lovely,” Brayden said, greeting Evelyn with a kiss. Her frock couldn’t be seen, but she wore a knee-length woollen coat that hugged her frame, with smart black buttons and a fur collar. Her matching gloves had fur along the cuff, and she wore black stockings and heels. She looked gorgeous.

  “You should model tuxedos, Brayden darling,” Evelyn said, kissing his cheek.

  "I wear them often enough," Brayden said, leaning his cheek toward her to receive the warm greeting.

  Bennett and Brayden shook hands and then attention turned to Alice.

  “Good evening, Alice,” Bennett said, looking down at her expectantly. Alice pulled herself closer to Brayden when all eyes fell on her. Bennett knew exactly what else he would address that evening and that was her awkwardness when greeting guests. Clearly, Brayden had given her a bit too much grace and had somehow not even noticed that his daughter had acknowledged neither him nor his mother's arrival! Wellesley stepped forward and held out Brayden’s coat to him

  “You don’t need an introduction from me, Bennett, you know how everything works. Wellesley will inform you when dinner is served and Celia will be in Alice’s room at 9:00 pm to help her get ready for bed. You can tuck her in at quarter past. Right, be a good girl,” Brayden said, as he finished buttoning his coat. He turned to Alice and leant down to give and receive a kiss from her.

  Alice wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

  “Goodbye darling,” Brayden said, and soon left with Evelyn on his arm.

  Celia closed the door and then vacated the foyer with Wellesley, who had taken Bennett’s coat, gloves and scarf. Bennett and Alice looked at each other for a moment.

  “Right,” Bennett said, buttoning his suit jacket. “I need to have a word with you, young lady,” Bennett said, holding his hand out for Alice. She took his hand and let him lead her up the grand staircase and into Brayden’s study, which he always left unlocked and open for Bennett. He closed the door behind them and walked Alice over to the middle of the room and let go of her hand so he could stand in front of her.

  “The other night when you came for dinner, you said something to my mother that was quite inappropriate and I want to address that right now,” Bennett said.

  “I didn’t say anything inappropriate. I told her the truth. You rolled your eyes at great Uncle Jon,” Alice reported factually.

  “You did not properly see; I have a lot more respect for my father than that,” Bennett said, despite that he had actually rolled his eyes. He found that his integrity, which was usually in operation, had slipped for one moment and it was the one moment Alice had been looking at him. But he couldn’t abide having her know that about him.

  “So you think I lied?” Alice asked.

  “I’m sorry, Uncle Bennett, I made a mistake,” is what you should have just said,” Bennett replied.

  “But I didn’t make a mistake! I saw!” Alice retorted.

  Bennett reached for Alice’s arm and pulled her close to him.

  “You did not see. And you will not speak to me in that manner, young lady.”

  “I will speak to you any way I please,” Alice said, coolly.

  Bennett’s eyes widened.

  “Is that so?” Bennett asked, only giving Alice a second to reconsider, before he simply picked her up and carried her out of the study. Bennett brought Alice down the corridor to one of the large bathrooms on the first floor, closed the door and then placed Alice on the marble countertop. Alice hadn’t a clue what he was going to do so she watched Bennett as he unwrapped the fresh bar of organic soap in its dish near the tap, and then turned the water on. Bennett took hold of Alice and held her around the waist and she finally realised what he was going to do.

  “If you declare you shall speak to me any way you please, I’m afraid I’m going to have to tidy that mouth up because I do not wish to hear unpleasantries,” Bennett said, gloating with the opportunity before him - an empty house, complete control over Alice, and the chance to finally address issues that had been bothering him since first meeting her.

  “Don’t!! No!” Alice said, wriggling in mid-air, turning her head away from him.

  Bennett was far too strong for Alice to contend with, and he managed to lock her arms down and wet the bar of soap liberally before forcing it into Alice’s mouth. He used his other hand to rub her mouth all over with the excess soap. Alice sputtered and coughed and then began to cry.

  “Perhaps now you’d like answer me back?” Bennett asked, looking down at her as she struggled.

  Bennett put the bar of soap down, wet his hand and then reapplied his soapy hand to Alice’s mouth, causing her to wriggle and cry more. She couldn’t shout or answer back but she was clearly extremely uncomfortable.

  “No niece of mine will behave so appallingly,” Bennett said, taunting her slightly, and he purposefully reached every area of her mouth and gums with the soap.

  Alice was spitting repeatedly until Bennett allowed her to rinse her mouth with water, which she did for a solid two minutes. He watched her quietly and then turned the water off and wiped her face with a towel. Bennett grabbed Alice’s hand and walked her back to Brayden’s study, where he closed the door and lead her to the sofa.

  “You can have a smacked bottom now, over you come,” he said, and pulled Alice over his lap, causing her to begin crying immediately. She didn’t argue or protest, but simply cried, as Bennett pulled up her red tartan pinafore and then pulled down her matching bloomers and black woollen tights down to her ankles.

  Bennett didn’t say a word as he used his hand to deliver thirty harrowing smacks to Alice’s bottom, stopping only once briefly to break it up into two batches of fifteen. Her sobbing was unrelenting and Bennett redressed her and then placed her to face the wall.

  “Remain there until I say otherwise,” Bennett said. “Do I hear a ‘yes, Sir?’ He asked, after Alice hesitated to respond.

  “Yes, S-Sir,” Alice said, sniffing, crying and breathing rather heavily.

  “Indeed,” Bennett said, and returned to the sofa to read the newspaper Brayden had abandoned earlier that morning. Bennett looked at his watch, noted the time after twenty minutes and put the newspaper down. He walked round the leather sofa and stood in front of Brayden’s desk and looked at Alice for a moment before calling her to him.

  “Before I start round two, is there anything you wish to say to me?” Bennett asked, looking down at Alice.

  Alice shook her head.

  “And clearly you’ve not learned a thing - shaking your head is not a proper response, so let’s go and wash your mouth out with soap again to see if we can wake it up a bit, sh
all we?” Bennett said, taking Alice by her arm.

  “No! No! I’m sorry, Uncle Bennet!” Alice said, beginning to cry again.

  “You will be sorry,” Bennett said, bending down to her. “Now stop this; you do not choose who gets your respect, young lady. You will look up to me and do as I tell you to do just the same as you do toward your father and Uncle Damian. By the time I leave here you won’t ever dare to cross me again,” Bennett said, dragging Alice back to the bathroom.

  Bennett again lifted Alice up around her waist, wet the bar of soap and used his free hand to cover all areas of her mouth.

  “Do not spit to out, this is a punishment, it’s supposed to be unpleasant,” Bennett said, frowning at her, when he realised she was trying to get rid of it. Alice began to cry again, wishing it would be over, that her father was home and that Bennett would leave.

  “There we are,” Bennett said, as if he had just finished a simple task, and allowed Alice to rinse her mouth with water before he brought her back to the study.

  “Perhaps another spanking,” Bennett said, and brought Alice over to the sofa.

  “Please not, Sir,” Alice said, timidly.

  Bennett sat down on the sofa and held Alice by her arms as she stood in front of him.

  “Much better, that’s the tone I wish to hear,” Bennett said, looking at her. “But I don’t quite believe that you will behave for me the next time I see you, so I must make sure,” Bennett said, and pulled Alice over his lap again and bared her before delivering twenty more hard smacks to her backside. Alice cried throughout it, unable to withstand a lot of smacking. She had only been living with Brayden for a short time, she had received a large dose of punishment up until then, for the eighteen years prior it was something she’d never experienced.

  Bennett replaced Alice’s bloomers and tights before standing her in front of him and straightening her dress.

  “Go and face the wall, Alice,” Bennett said, nodding to where she had previously stood.

  “Yes, Sir,” Alice said, quietly, and then obeyed.

  Bennett felt his phone vibrate whilst Alice was facing the wall and he checked it; a text message from Brayden that read, “Just arrived for dinner, my phone will be on silent until after the concert. Is my daughter behaving?”