“Yes, it is quite common,” he replied. “I’m sure if you broached the subject with your friends—”
“I wouldn’t,” she interrupted. “I couldn’t.”
“It is not a difficult procedure, not from what I understand, and it is necessary, Charlotte. It is what I wish.”
“I do want to please you, sir.”
“Excellent. You will also enjoy some other pampering,” he said warmly. “Something special for your face and neck, and your hands. All you have to do is relax and enjoy yourself. You can expect to spend over an hour there, perhaps longer.”
“This is a wonderful surprise,” she said, her eyes sparkling up at him. “Even the, uh, hair thing,” she continued in a hushed voice. “The idea is beginning to appeal to me.”
They had reached the end of the block, and as they turned into Bond Street she clung to his arm. It had been some time since she’d last visited the famous shopping location, and being on the arm of a man made it a completely different experience. When she’d arrive with her aunt and uncle, the carriage would deposit them in front of the store her aunt had chosen to patronize. Strolling down the street was something she’d not been allowed to do.
“Edward, this is so wonderful,” she exclaimed.
“You’ve been here before,” he remarked, glancing down at her.
“Not without Aunt Mildred or Uncle Hugo, not with you, not walking like this.” She beamed up at him.
“Ah, here we are,” he announced, stopping outside a salon. “Do you see that tea shoppe two doors down?”
“Yes.”
“That’s where I shall be waiting when you’re finished in there. Everything’s been taken care of. All you have to do is walk in and tell them your name.”
“Edward, I’m nervous,” she said softly.
“I’m sure everything will be perfectly fine. Behave yourself, or you’ll have a hot bottom to look forward to.”
Her butterflies immediately sprang to life, and taking a deep breath, she nodded her head.
“I will, Edward. I’ll be polite and courteous, and even if they start talking about nonsense, I’ll listen politely.”
“Excellent. In you go then, and I shall see you for a cup of tea in a little while.”
“In case something goes wrong, or I need you, where will you be?”
“I am going to stop in at my tailor’s on Savile Row, then spend some time at my club, Brooks’s on St. James Street, but I’m sure you will have no need of me.”
“I hope not.”
“I am greatly looking forward to seeing the result,” he said warmly. “I know you will be even more beautiful than you are now.”
“Oh, Edward, I am so blissfully happy. I’m going in, and I’ll be very brave.”
“I’ll wait here a moment, then be on my way.”
He watched her push through the door, and after waiting as he’d promised, he started off to Savile Row with a happy smile. When he’d visited the salon and had made the arrangements, he’d done so with a dear friend of his. Her name was Maude. She was a widow, and a woman with whom he’d discreetly spent considerable time.
She had craved his dark attention, and he had been happy to oblige, spanking her bottom and enjoying many decadent delights. There existed in London an underworld of secret spanking societies, and it was at one of them they would meet.
Following the death of her husband, she had taken the money he had left her and opened the salon. As a connoisseur of the latest beauty products and treatments, her establishment had quickly become popular and successful. When Edward asked her take care of his bride, a young woman who had very little in the way of coaching in such matters, she had promised to take especially good care of her.
Charlotte was attended to the moment she’d walked in the door. A kind woman introduced herself as Maude, and after showing her into a private dressing room, she told Charlotte to remove her drawers, then left her alone to undress. As Charlotte nervously pulled them off, she wondered how she would look when the procedure was over, then began to ponder if it would affect how she felt in Edward’s arms. Placing her bloomers on a small table, she stood, anxiously waiting.
“Are you ready, Lady Charlotte?” Maude’s voice softly asked through the door.
“Yes, yes, I’m ready.”
Moving into the small room, Maude smiled at her kindly.
“I know you must be worried, but I assure you this is a very simple process, and I know you’ll feel exquisitely beautiful when we’re finished. Please, follow me.”
Fighting an intense feeling of trepidation, Charlotte followed the woman down the short hallway into a beautifully decorated room. The fineness of the furniture immediately helped to settle her nerves, and as Maude directed her to sit on a high bench covered with a towel, Charlotte felt the anxiety changing into something else; something thrilling, something titillating, and wonderfully naughty.
“If you would please lie back, Lady Charlotte, and place your head on the pillow, I will do the rest. This won’t take very long.”
“Is this common?” she asked, not sure what Edward had told her was true.
“It is more common than you might think,” Maude replied, “but it is not so common to have this done for you. It is more common that mothers teach their daughters these things. I am given to understand you have been an orphan for some time.”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“Lord Pemberly mentioned it. He was sure your guardian would not have attempted to explain such things.”
“I see,” Charlotte murmured. Just how well do you know each other that Edward could make such an intimate appointment for me?
But as Maude pushed away her dress and layers of petticoats, thoughts of what was about to happen to her precious nether regions became the only thing on her mind.
Chapter Ten
Edward looked up expectantly. The bell above the tea shoppe door had jingled, and he broke into a smile as Charlotte entered and glanced around, searching him out. As she spotted him and began to glide towards him, he noticed a pink tinge to her complexion, and when she sat down, she immediately poured herself a cup of tea.
“So, my dearest, how did it go?”
“Edward, you were right,” she said with soft smile as she sipped from her cup. “My goodness, I need this cup of tea. Anyway, it was most peculiar at first, but then I began to feel quite, uh, clean and beautiful, as if I were one of those sculptures.”
“Excellent. I’m delighted,” he replied, a wash of relief moving through him. “Have your tea and some cake, and then we’ll wander to Selfridges.”
“There is, uh, one thing though,” she began hesitantly.
“One thing?”
“Yes. Can you please tell me about Maude?”
“Maude? What about Maude?”
“How is it you know a woman so well that you could arrange, uh, what you did?”
“I am not a cloistered monk,” he replied. “I have lived a life.”
“Were you two, um, together?”
“Not as you would normally think,” he replied cautiously.
“What does that mean?”
“You shall know the answer to that question later, I promise you, but for now—”
“That is not satisfactory, Edward, not at all,” she said sharply, cutting him off. “I must know the nature of the relationship you had with her, and apparently still have. I must!”
The words had tumbled out of her before she’d had a chance to stop them, and as she stared at his astonished face, she knew she had spoken out of turn, and much too brazenly.
“I see,” he said slowly. “Such an impertinent demand, and we shall discuss that when we return home, but you looked so happy when you entered, and now you are ill-tempered. Please tell me why.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be impertinent, Edward, and I did enjoy my visit there very much, but the whole time I was thinking about her and you, and it was most upsetting. It is still upsetting.”
“Would you prefer I was not a man of the world, that I was a complete innocent and utterly inexperienced?”
“No, no, that would be foolish, no, I wouldn’t like that at all,” she said hastily. “You would be like one of those tedious young men my aunt insisted I meet. Countless numbers, it seemed sometimes.”
“You cannot have it both ways, Charlotte. If I am to be a man of the world, I must have been with other women.”
“I suppose,” she muttered.
“Charlotte,” he said patiently, “I’m with you now, you alone, and I adore you. I would not have married you were it not so, and I promise in the coming weeks and months you will get to know Maude better. You will also learn more about me and my past, but not yet,” he said firmly. “All things in good time.”
“I’m not sure I want to know her better,” Charlotte mumbled. “She’s a very nice woman, but…”
“Trust me, you will feel differently. Now, is this settled? Will you bring yourself out of this mood and come shopping, or should I take you home and put you over my knee?”
“Edward, please, no.”
“Then put a smile back on that face and behave yourself. You have nothing to worry about with Maude, or any other woman, understood?”
“Yes, Edward,” she nodded.
She wasn’t convinced, and Edward knew she wasn’t convinced, and though their shopping trip was merry enough, and he had given his enthusiastic approval to several outfits Charlotte had selected, their stroll home was subdued. As they walked up the steps and into the house, Harding greeted them and took their coats.
“There will be some packages arriving for Lady Charlotte. Please see they’re taken to her room and unpacked.”
“Yes, my lord. Would you care for some afternoon tea in the drawing room, my lord?”
“Would you like some tea, Charlotte?” Edward asked, already knowing the answer. Charlotte was always happy to have a cup of tea.
“I would, and I’m a bit peckish,” she replied. “With some sandwiches, please.”
“Thank you, Harding. We’ll be upstairs for a short time, but will be back down soon,” Edward said, and determined to deal with Charlotte’s insecurities immediately, he started towards the stairs. He had no intention of allowing her fears to fester.
The subtle edge to his voice had pinged in Charlotte’s brain, and she knew he was going to scold her for not breaking out of her somber mood. She thought she had fooled him as they were shopping, but the look on his face told her she’d been mistaken. Following him up the stairs, she prepared herself for the lecture she knew was coming, and as she walked with him into his bedchamber, she took a deep breath as he closed the door behind her.
“You are not convinced,” he said, shaking his head.
“What do you mean?” she asked innocently.
“You are not convinced or reassured. You are still harboring thoughts of Maude and me, perhaps even wondering about others.”
“I can’t help it,” she admitted, dropping her eyes to the floor.
“There is only way to extinguish these destructive ideas from your head, and that’s through your bottom. I must be quick, and there will be more later, but for now, gather your dress to your waist and bend over the bed.”
A protest was on the tip of her tongue, but recalling the edicts from the night before, she hastily stepped to the edge of the bed, pulled up the folds of her dress and petticoats as best she could, and laid herself across the mattress.
“Why society dictates you wear so much paraphernalia under your outfits is a mystery,” he sighed as he attempted to push away the fabric she had missed. “I shall spank you over your drawers, but before you dress for dinner, I will bare your bottom and view the results of Maude’s work.”
“Yes, sir,” she mewled, “but please, sir, I am still sore from last night.”
“I am very aware of the tender state of your rear end,” he said sternly as he smoothed his hand over the thin cotton, and after quickly dispatching several quick swats, eliciting gasps and utterances of pain, he sat down on the bed next to her.
“Maude is a lonely woman who lost her husband to consumption several years ago,” he began. “She was lonely and bereft when I met her, and I gave her solace. In return, she gave me friendship. There were never deep feelings between us, not romantic deep feelings. We each offered the other what we needed. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” she mumbled. No, I don’t understand. I don’t understand at all.
“That was not the truth,” he scolded, delivering several hard, quick smacks, making her squeal and kick out her legs. “Do not lie to me!”
“Ow, ow. I’m sorry, sir. You’re right, I don’t understand.”
“I suspect that is because of your youth and inexperience,” he declared. “Charlotte, if you are not able to understand how a relationship between a man and a woman can exist without the heart’s emotion, then you must trust me, and take me at my word when I tell you it can be so. It is only you I love. Only you I have ever truly loved. You are bent over the bed because I love you, because I want you to be assured, because I want you to be happy. An impudent, insecure young woman cannot be happy.”
His hand suddenly flew against her backside, bouncing from cheek to cheek with alacrity.
“I must spank this attitude out of you; this distrust will come to no good end, Charlotte. Do you think me a cad? Do you have such little regard for me? I have vowed to love and cherish you, and I will spank your bottom for as long as it takes. I will spank you until you realize my past has no bearing on my feelings for you, and I have never loved another as I love you.”
“Owwwww, sir, I believe I do, I’m sorry, I do, ow, ow, oh!”
“Finally,” he declared, stopping his hand, and swiftly pulling her up and into his arms, he held her tightly and stroked her hair as he rocked her.
“I don’t know why I was so confused and worried,” she sniffled as tears of relief spilled down her cheeks. “I do hold you in high regard, the highest ever.”
“There, there,” he said warmly. “You must understand that jealousy has no place in our lives. There will be other women you might meet who will be flirtatious, even suggestive, and might say things to unsettle you, but you must hold fast. You must show them how secure you are in our love.”
“Thank you, sir. I feel so much better.”
“Remember this moment when those things happen. Remember how safe you feel right now, and how cared for. It will help you. Awkward moments are bound to happen, and it will be up to you to weather them with grace.”
“Why will awkward moments happen?” she asked, straightening up to look at him.
“There are some young ladies with whom I spent a short amount of time, and when I stopped visiting they became upset. One in particular, Miranda Witherspoon, was a most flighty girl. I believe she has the potential to be quite vindictive if the mood takes her, and there will be others envious of our marriage.”
As he’d spoken, the memory of the tall, striking red-haired girl with large, luminous blue eyes floated into his mind’s eye. He had called upon her a few times, and while she had possessed the feistiness he enjoyed, it became quickly evident that she was not the woman he was seeking.
He had sensed an ill temper, and witnessed a brooding quality that he found unattractive. When he had tactfully and appropriately withdrawn his attention, she had unexpectedly appeared unaccompanied at his door, and once inside his drawing room, she had literally thrown herself at him. It had been a disturbing and unsettling scene.
“I won’t let you down, Edward,” she said earnestly.
“I had to spank you,” he murmured, bringing her close to him again and hugging her warmly. “Cajoling you, whispering, offering soft words, they would have appeased you, but inside that busy mind of yours, the doubts would have lingered. A quick, sharp spanking resolves the matter much more effectively. Do you see that?”
“I do,” she nodded. “It’s most pecul
iar. Thank you, thank you for helping me. It was very distressing carrying around those ugly thoughts.”
“Ready for some afternoon tea?”
“I certainly am,” she nodded.
The remainder of the day passed quickly. Following afternoon tea, the packages from Selfridges arrived, and as Helen carefully unpacked them, Charlotte scrutinized each of the outfits, making sure they were still appealing. Happy with her purchases, and knowing Edward was locked away in his study conducting important business, she decided to explore the modest back yard. It offered a brick path to a swing seat, neatly planted flower beds, and a small fountain in the center of the perfectly manicured green lawn.
It was a perfect way to spend the remainder of the late afternoon, and she settled into the swing seat to enjoy the waning sun and the relaxing sound of the fountain. As the sunbeams filtered through the overhead branches of the tall trees surrounding the yard, she saw something glint against the high, brick, ivy-covered wall. Slipping off the seat, she walked through the brush and discovered a gate with a large metal handle.
“Oh, my goodness, I wonder where this leads,” she muttered, grabbing the handle and trying to turn it.
Though she pushed and pulled, she couldn’t get it to move, but when she tried lifting it upwards, it budged. She continued her efforts, and suddenly it gave way, but the unexpected release caught her by surprise, and the edge of the handle caught her glove, ripping it open and grazing the top of her hand.
“Ouch, bother!” she exclaimed, stamping her foot.
“Charlotte?”
Spinning around, she saw Edward striding towards her, concern painted across his face.
“What happened to your hand, you’re bleeding!”
“It’s nothing, not really,” she mumbled.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he said gravely.
“I was opening the gate and—”
“Gate, what gate? Oh, this gate!” he exclaimed, moving past her. “I knew it was there, but I’ve never attempted to open it. I was told it led to nothing but an overgrown garden.”
“I want to see what’s behind it,” she said, stepping next to him to push it open.
His Willful Bride (Victorian Brides Book 1) Page 9
