The Disciplined Women of Chapel Island

by Susan Thomas

  I tried, but he insisted and at eight that evening I had to go to be quizzed about the members' manual. I had very little time to get down to the job but in a total state of panic I logged on and immersed myself in all the complications and rules of the very strange society I had joined. I hadn't even touched the sections on the Court of Gentlemen or Dr. Keat's Code for Gentlemen when the clock warned me it was time to get ready to go. I knew that as a single young member, either my father or the assigned senior man had the right to 'correct' me if my behaviour fell short of expectations. Not learning the manual must fall into that category and he had hinted at that with his crack about sitting. Naturally I had just read up on his powers and as my senior man he was given a sort of father's authorisation to use corporal correction on me as he saw fit within the general limits of the island, which was it must not be excessive or abusive. If I felt he had gone over the limit (and the same applied to a father or a husband) there was a complaints procedure supervised by the Court of Gentlemen that was taken very seriously with every complaint taken up in a major way. I couldn't see passing this quiz to be honest so wondered just what sort of correction I was going to get and just how much it was going to hurt.

  Sir Charnock greeted me in that same avuncular, patronising but courtly way he always spoke to me. I was ushered into a large study and could see at a glance that the furniture was all antique and of very good quality indeed. There was an attractive antique wall clock ticking in a sedate way that was somehow very relaxing. He asked a few questions about my welfare and that of my parents before getting down to the business in hand. He gave me time to answer. It wasn't one of those things where teachers give you just seconds to trot out an answer. When I got it slightly wrong he would ask secondary questions but with an ever sinking feeling I knew I wasn't doing very well. Then he got onto the Court of Gentlemen and I got utterly tongue tied. It was one of the sections I had not even looked at.

  "Oh dear Kate, we are not doing very well this evening are we?"

  "No Sir Charnock, not very well."

  "As your senior man it is my duty to ensure that you really do know the manual very well indeed. A husband has the same duty toward his wife. You know we men are given written examinations on all this, it is a duty taken most seriously. You though my dear Kate, have not taken to the task in a serious way have you?"

  This tone had the oddest effect on me. I felt about eight years old under his gentle telling off and hung my head like a child. I knew it was ridiculous but I couldn't help it.

  "No Sir Charnock I have not. I'm sorry."

  "Well now I must correct you I'm afraid. Don't worry my dear wife will be present so that all is proper. I suspected this would happen and decided I would treat you as if you were my daughter, a little piece of imaginative fiction of course for I have never had a daughter. Fiction frequently places a daughter across her father's knee for a good spanking when she needs it so I decided that is what I would do if you needed it, and you do, don't you?"

  "Yes Sir."

  He rose in his old fashioned languid way and opening the door walked across into a little room (the sewing room I found out later) and called for Adelaide (Lady Forbes). She was tall, patrician in looks but I liked her immediately and she turned out to be a very kind person.

  "My dear, I am sorry to trouble you but Kate here needs correction I'm afraid. I intend to put her across my knee and spank her as if she was my rather naughty daughter, one that has not done her homework."

  She smiled at us both but made no comment but simply went and sat in a chair where she could watch without interfering. Sir Charnock pulled out an ordinary chair without arms, took a wooden backed hairbrush from a drawer in his desk and then sat down.

  "Now my dear Kate, time I'm afraid to pay the piper. That is indeed a lovely miniskirt and suits you wonderfully but it must come off and whatever you are wearing underneath."

  I sighed and once again with trembling fingers undid the clasp on my skirt and unzipping it dropped it and stepped out. I stood in just a T-shirt, knickers and sandals. I thought about getting my knickers over my sandals and decided to just take those off too. Sandals off, I sighed again and pulled my knickers down and took them off. I could see Lady Forbes approve the neat way I folded both and left them on a spare chair.

  "Well done Kate, elegantly done if I may say so. Now you must come and place yourself over my lap." He patted his lap to show what he meant.

  In all my growing up my parents had never spanked me. It has rather gone out of fashion in Britain but it meant this was a most unfamiliar position to me. I lowered myself cautiously over his lap feeling this was an oddly intimate way to get 'corrected' and then I wasn't sure where to put my hands so rested them on the floor as if I was about to attempt some mad handstand from off his lap.

  This position had the oddest effect on me. I really felt as if I was a small child and had been very, very naughty. I felt young, vulnerable and suddenly ashamed. Why had I gone into all this without reading it all more carefully? Why hadn't I done my so called homework for the test? I had behaved like some stupid kid in Year 8 who doesn't like school. Being over his knees like that with my bare bottom upwards and waiting to be spanked made me feel as if I did actually deserve this spanking. I mean let's be honest no one deserves the cane and paddle for forgetting an ID card, that's just part of the game, but this I did deserve.

  "Now Kate I shall spank you with this hairbrush which is the traditional way of spanking naughty daughters or so I believe. Spanking with a hairbrush should be long and hard but the reality is the hairbrush is a formidable instrument of correction and too long a spanking crosses the border into abuse. This spanking shall be short but memorable. I'll see how your bottom responds but somewhere between twelve and eighteen good crisp smacks."

  "Thank you Sir Charnock."

  Why had I thanked him? I have no idea! The next second the hairbrush smacked down on my right cheek. It wasn't as powerful a blow as the paddle but the burning sting it created was shockingly harsh and I jolted upwards fiercely and yelled out. "Yikes!"

  "Now my dear Kate, we do expect that you will co-operate with your corrections. I know it hurts, it is meant to, but you must be a brave girl and take it without lots of fuss."

  The gentle chiding made me feel ashamed and I babbled an apology and vowed to lie still and take my spanking. He had pulled my T shirt up and his arm and hand grasped me around my middle but apart from that he made no attempt to hold me still. Smack! The next one landed on my left cheek and I yelped at the harsh sting but stayed fairly still.

  "Good girl," he murmured.

  Each smack of the brush on my poor bottom ignited a fresh harsh sting. Each fresh sting multiplied the previous one so that by about the sixth my bottom was one hot sting sting and I was stretching my legs stiffly while my arms were rigid with the effort to stay still and take my correction. My head was up and my cries were growing louder with each smack of the brush on my all too vulnerable bottom. I had no idea how many he had given me so far but it felt like thousands and suddenly one particularly hard smack made the tears flow.

  "Ah, I can see the naughtiness is being expelled. We are going to pay more attention to our homework aren't we Kate."

  My "Yes Sir!" was more a screech than an answer but he accepted it.

  "Just a few more Kate to drive the lesson home."

  He gave me six more, and by the time all six had smacked down on my bare bottom my whole body was rigid with the sheer effort of being a good girl and not wriggling around so much.

  He let me up off his lap and I craned around to see how red and sore my bottom was but the tears made proper viewing difficult. Why didn't I cry when I had that hard caning from the Guardians? It must be something to do with the formality of it all I think.

  "Now Kate while I set you some more homework you will stand in the corner with your hands on your head to complete my little naughty daughter fiction. Adelaide perhaps you..."

  Lady Charnock c
ame over to me and did the same thing Aileen had. She behaved like the mother of a small child and cleaned up my face for me. She was very kind, suddenly she noticed a stray tear that had been missed and with one finger reached out and wiped it away.

  "You know Kate your mother is a very lucky woman to have a daughter like you. Very lucky indeed."

  Then quite gently she turned me around and placed me in the corner and put my hands on my head for me. I was wriggling a bit with the stinging heat from my bottom and she gave me the gentlest of smacks on my bottom and told me I must stand still, so I did.

  I heard Sir Charnock writing and then after some time which allowed my bottom to cool a little he told me to turn around. The total absence of any modesty in my situation seemed to make no difference to him while I stood barefoot and half naked he lectured me about the importance of learning the manual.

  "I have given you a list of sections to learn thoroughly, one each day. Every day at eight in the evening you will come to me and I will test you on that section. Fail and I will spank your bottom, only with my hand but you will feel it I assure you. When you have mastered each section I will retest you on the whole thing. Fail and you will be given a severe correction, pass and you will be free from that part of my oversight. Do you understand all that I have said?"

  "Yes Sir Charnock I understand and I won't fail I promise. I am sorry, I should have done my homework."

  After that I was allowed to get dressed again and Lady Forbes brought in a bottle of lovely white wine and we all enjoyed a glass while talking as if I hadn't just been half naked and spanked over his knee. It was quite bizarre really.

  Chapter 9

  The first part Sir Charnock had set me to learn was Dr Keat's Code for Gentlemen which was a stand-alone part of the manual. Since it was quite short I had no difficulty in passing that first test with flying colours. I've included it here so you can see how oddly old-fashioned it is, almost as if it were written for the Court of King Arthur or some such place. I think a modern day feminist would froth at the mouth if she read it but actually it was rather nice. I enjoyed the way men on the island treated me with such grave courtesy, opening doors and such like.

  Dr Keat's Code for Gentlemen

  A gentleman is always bound by two rules: the first is that he is always at the service of a lady; the second a gentleman will always support a woman to become a lady at whose service he can be.

  Further to those fundamental rules the following all apply:

  1. A gentleman must at all times treat a lady respectfully bearing in mind she is of the weaker sex. He will not swear at her neither will he use foul language in her presence nor will he raise his voice.

  2. A gentleman will never strike a lady with his fist or, other than properly administered corporal correction, use violence against her.

  3. Respect to a lady is a gentleman's constant concern and will be demonstrated by: opening doors for a lady; rising when a lady enters a room or leaves it; where necessary offering a lady his seat; when escorting a lady he will offer his arm and walk in such a way that she is protected from any harm.

  4. A gentleman always has a lady's best interests at heart and will demonstrate that by having standards for her that are as high as the standards a gentleman sets himself

  5. A gentleman does not permit lapses from those standards. When he is at fault, he corrects it. When a lady is at fault, he corrects her.

  6. A gentleman will respect a lady at all times, including those times when she has lost sight of what is good for her.

  7. A gentleman's correction in the first instance consists of a courteous and concerned mentioning to the lady of the behaviour which has disappointed him. She should she accept this with good grace, but if she lapses again, he will point it out one last time with friendly but firm warning of further consequences.

  8. When chastising a lady a gentleman will nevertheless treat her with respect. He will be courteous, explain the reasons why the punishment is necessary and administer it for her benefit.

  9. A gentleman knows that when he has to correct a lady, it is always for her benefit, not his. He may obtain enjoyment from the brisk exertion required to chastise a lady soundly and effectively, but this must never be an excuse for prolonging the punishment.

  10. A gentleman will always offer comfort to a lady after he has had to correct her.

  11. In his conduct with other gentlemen it is important to remember that he must set himself high standards of courtesy and consideration. The ladies will look to the gentlemen to set the tone of conduct on the island and this should be at the forefront of every gentleman's mind.

  You will see that there is a fair bit about the gentlemanly correction of a lady. I found all that strangely appealing and I could see now why Mum had gone for it. Dad was different now, he was always terribly courteous and concerned for mum but somehow very dominant in a gentle way. I was pleased how easily I sailed through that test but my heart sank at the whole section on the Court of Gentlemen. To give you an idea here is just one bit:

  1. Gentleman will neither brawl nor shout at one another. Disputes may be settled by duels supervised by the Court of Gentlemen.

  2. Gentlemen will always treat the staff and servants of Chapel Island respectfully. Any rudeness or ill treatment is always unacceptable and will be referred to the Court of Gentlemen.

  3. Complaints regarding servants or staff should be made to the office of the High Secretary. Complaints upheld about female staff or servants will be dealt with by corporal correction.

  4. Duels shall be closely supervised by the Duel Master appointed by the Court of Gentlemen.

  5. No duel shall be to the death and if serious injury looks likely the Duel Master shall stop the duel.

  6. Gentlemen must accept that the outcome of the duel is the re-establishment of harmonious relationships. Failure to accept this may result in expulsion from Chapel Island.

  There was masses about what the penalties were for brawling or even swearing; the role of the Guardians in all this; duels; how the justices were chosen for the court; the 'correction' of female servants. It was all very detailed and apparently the men were given written examinations in all this before they could finally come to live on the island. My dad must have done it all and passed but I struggled with it - it was just not directly relevant to me as a female and my heart was not in it. Yes, yes I know I should have added some of it to the previous day's homework but I didn't and duly failed the test.

  Lady Forbes was called in and Sir Charnock pulled out the same chair he'd used before.

  "Come along my dear Kate, you know what I expect now. Do I really have to instruct you?"

  I was wearing shorts this time for although the sun had disappeared the last couple of days it was hot and muggy. I was getting used to all this now and my hands didn't tremble so much as I undid my shorts and let them slide down to my ankles. I thought about removing them but decided just to leave them down and sent my knickers to join them. I carefully positioned myself across Sir Charnock's lap and wondered just what it would be liked to be spanked with his hand. I soon found out.

  There is something intensely intimate about being over a man's lap and having his hand smack down on your bare bottom. I found it oddly satisfying. I had failed the test and now I was being spanked in this very personal way, a weird feeling but there it is. His hand smacked down hard and I gave a little 'ouch' and wondered how bad it would get. The hand smacked down much faster than the hairbrush spanking. I could feel my legs rising up as my bottom warmed but couldn't seem able to stop it. First one foot would lift up and stay there as if it would stop my bottom being spanked and then it would lower and the other would lift. I couldn't stop my feet and I couldn't stop the little gasps and cries that escaped my mouth. Sir Charnock spanked me quite hard and my bottom really grew hot and sore bearing in mind that it was still bruised from the hairbrush spanking the day before yesterday. I think he spanked me for about two minutes and by the time he f
inished my bottom was good and hot. I wasn't crying this time though I did let a loud "Whew!" when I had finished which made them both smile.

  "Now then Kate off into the corner with you my dear. Nice and straight and hands on head."

  Standing in the corner with your shorts and knickers around your ankles and your bottom extremely hot after being spanked is a salutary experience. I was nearly nineteen but there was no trace of a young adult in any of this. In Sir Charnock's fiction I was just a naughty daughter who kept failing her tests. In a strange way I think it was good for me. When I was released I was given a little homily on the need to master the manual and once again the wine was brought and we just talked as if I had never been spanked on my bare bottom in front of them both. After that second spanking I really put some serious work into the manual and passed all my remaining tests with flying colours and the final big one too.

  The summer was flying by. My A-Level results in mid August exceeded my expectations (though not that of my teachers apparently). I was really taking to sailing. I spent a lot of time with Claire, Michelle and David as well as going to work. I was busy but it was all very enjoyable. As it was summer and a lot of children were at home, the outdoor and indoor pools were often full of kids. Since the Island Council was hard pressed to provide enough life guards David roped me in to guard the children's pool parties. It was only a few hours a week and the kids so well behaved and with plenty of parents hovering so I had little to do, giving me time to think.

  I had noticed that the Guardians never asked anyone for their ID card. Technically we were meant to have them at all times but since they knew us all they didn't bother. It was only if something happened like that time I walked in the middle of the road and made a golf cart crash that they asked for ID. Yet as soon as I was member, and on the one day I forgot it, I had been asked, even though the Guardian knew me very well indeed. Now that was very odd I thought - who knew I didn't have my card? Well no one really, perhaps the cleaner at home but no one else.