by Susan Thomas
He arrived with flowers and a big smile and saw me into the car in a really gentlemanly fashion. I stopped feeling stroppy. The restaurant was lovely and we began with general conversation. He told me about his family and I told him about mine and I began to relax. He was definitely mischievous; he made up tall stories, with a dead serious face, and smiled broadly when I fell for them. Soon we were laughing and talking freely.
It was then he said, "Anne, I'd like to court you."
"Court me? Whatever do you mean?"
"A process of getting to know each other with the intention of marriage at the end of it. I thought about six months would be enough."
"I'm only here for four weeks." OK, that was a daft reply. I can only tell you to try and do better yourself.
"Well your visa can be extended and I am quite sure Sam and Sally would love to have you here longer."
"You don't know anything about me."
"Yes I do. May I hold your hands?" I nodded and he took my hands and looked into my eyes. "My job helps me to see into people and I can see into you. You are a woman who is loving and caring. You have been into the depths of hell and returned stronger than before. Some women want careers... satisfying employment, but not you. You are a home lover. You want to make your home a warm place for those you love. You want to bring up your children yourself not send them to day-care, after school clubs and so on. You want a husband who will love and cherish you but be your leader and guide."
I pulled my hands away sharply. He was too close for comfort and it was unnerving. "And I suppose you think I want my bloody bottom spanked and a husband who tells me what to do every step of the way. Look, I don't think men have some God given right to spank their wives."
He frowned, "That's the second time you've used profanity. When we are married that would certainly earn you a correction and that would probably be a spanking."
"When?! How dare you? Don't I get a say in this?"
"Of course you do, that's why I want to court you, but there is no God given right. The Bible does make it clear wives should be in submission to their husbands, and that is the way to build strong marriages, but it says nothing about chastising a wife. It may be inferred perhaps although that is arguable. No, domestic discipline is a choice that is entered into freely by both parties. But you will marry me because we are made for each other and you know it. As for spanking you... I don't know what your Gary did but I sense that he did discipline or correct you in some way."
I went quiet. "Gary used to tell me off from time to time. He was always very nice about it... he didn't shout or rant, but it was a good telling off. He was always right. I knew it although I didn't always admit it at the time."
He just looked at me with a quiet smile.
"Look, I can't get my head around this right now. I can tell you're a good man, but I'm just here on a visit. I can't go out for dinner and come back having agreed to be courted. I'd have to think about it and I'd have to get Sally and Sam to agree I could stay. I'm not living with you while you court me if that's what you imagine."
"No, of course not. That would be quite inappropriate and would put unnecessary pressure on you. Think about it overnight and then we can talk some more."
Somehow he led the rest of the evening into less serious places and I ended up laughing and giggling with him until we went back to the community. At the door he kissed me goodbye and it was lovely to be kissed like that again.
Sam and Sally were waiting up for me like anxious parents. Sally snorted loudly and Sam grinned when I told them what Tom had said.
"Good match," said Sam. "Tom is a straight-up guy. He'd make a good husband and a good father to your two treasures. He's not a poor man by the way; I know he has some money of his own. Marry him and the community could make him its permanent minister. You'd be very welcome to live here while you court... for a year, or more, if you need."
I just sat looking at Sam with my mouth open. He was as serious as Tom. Sally was her usual direct self.
"Anne, this is a domestic discipline community. Firstly, you'd have to accept Tom as your head of household. Then you'd have to accept that you would be corrected, perhaps frequently, and that correction will sometimes make your bottom very sore. I have found it suits me wonderfully but it may not suit you. For me it brings an inner peace and a closeness of relationship I never dreamt possible. You also don't realise, that if you agree to being courted, it involves Tom's immediate right to correct you if he believes it necessary. We don't get much courting because mostly couples come ready made, but the council drew up guidance for it, and correction is part of it. There is also no rule against courting including a sexual element if both parties want it."
I tried hard not show the effect that had on me. A twin wave hit me: one was a strong desire to make love with Tom and feel like a real woman again; the second wave was a feeling that it would be very satisfying to have Tom correct me by turning me over his knee and spanking my bottom. Oh, I know I thought the reverse a short time ago but that is how it felt then. I just thanked them and went to bed.
In the privacy of the night I imagined Tom making love to me, Tom telling me off and Tom spanking me. My mind raced back and forward over the whole thing until eventually I came to a calm place where I thought that actually I could live like Sally. Tom was a decent man. My children needed a father and I needed a husband, and Gary would approve of that I was sure. I decided to say yes. You may think my decision quick but it wasn't really. I had six months to make a final decision. It was barely dawn when I rang Tom. He, poor thing, was still asleep.
"Anne, that's great news. I love it even if I am still half asleep! But I should have mentioned some other things last night and I didn't..."
"You mean the bit about the correction being part of courting. Yeah, I was given that information last night. I have no intention of giving you any excuse."
"OK, that's good." He sounded cautious, "I'll come around this morning and we can talk some more."
I announced my decision at breakfast and Sam was delighted. He loved having the extra children around and the idea of Tom marrying me and staying as the community's minister. But later with the children packed off, and Rose down to sleep again, Sally was less encouraging.
"This is all very quick, Anne. I'm not sure you know what you're getting into here. You need to take more time to think about this."
The doorbell went but Sally and I ignored it as we were deep into conversation.
"Bloody hell Sal, that's the pot calling the bloody kettle black if ever I heard it. You were only here a couple of hours before you agreed to marry Sam. Then you were married in just three damn weeks. I have at least had an evening and a night to think about it and Tom is going to court me for six months."
Then I heard Tom's voice and he didn't sound pleased. The doorbell had rung so Sam had gone to answer.
"Anne, that's three profanities and that is three too many. You have agreed to our courting so I think we need to have a serious discussion about all this casual profanity."
Sally made an exasperated snorting sound and said, "Well there you go Anne. First correction. Perhaps Tom won't spank you... but perhaps he will."
I was horrified. I didn't even hear him come in. "You can't correct me. I didn't know you were there. We haven't discussed courting details yet."
"Did you decide on the courting?"
"Well yes... but-"
"Do you think all this casual profanity a good thing?"
"No. But I'm not as bad as Sally was." That made him roll his eyes.
"Do you trust me to lead and guide you?"
"Well... I suppose so."
"Then I am guiding you on this issue of profanity. It is not good for you to use that language and not good for anyone to hear. It makes you much less than the woman you really are. It's best we get this out of the way right at the beginning so you know where you stand. It's a matter for correction."
Sam's voice cut quietly in. "Tom, you can
use my office so as to be private."
I must have looked like a fish out of water. I swear my mouth was opening and shutting without any sound coming out of it. I didn't know what to say or what to do. Events seem to have rocketed away from my control altogether. Then Sally spoke.
"I hate to break into this all-male agreement here but let me point something out. Anne isn't married to you, Tom. She is our guest here and she has only just agreed to the courting. In my opinion she didn't really understand the full implications of what she was agreeing to. She has the absolute right to say no to all this. I say this with the deepest respect for you, but this is exactly what I was afraid of. You're a handsome, strong man and you have overwhelmed her. I don't think this is fair on Anne to push this the way you're doing."
Tom was nodding as he listened and Sam had a smile on his face that suggested he was expecting a stronger outburst from Sally and was pleased with her way of speaking. Tom turned to me.
"Anne, Sally is quite right. You can absolutely refuse my correction if you wish. However, if you want to be courted, and I believe you do, then you will have to accept correction at some point. Casual profanity is a correction matter. So what do you want to do? If you accept my correction, go now to Sam's office and we will get the whole thing over with."
How does any woman cope with a choice like that? I found Tom very attractive and was not repelled or alarmed by the whole domestic discipline thing but... I had only just decided to agree to courting and here I was faced with a choice of quitting it or going to the office and probably getting my bottom spanked. Plus, Sam and Sally would be around somewhere knowing exactly what was happening. Talk about embarrassing. To be honest, shame made me decide. I was ashamed I had collapsed the way I had after the murders. I had let everyone down especially my children. I had to be stronger so I simply couldn't back down now. I had agreed to be courted knowing what might happen.
"I'll go, but don't assume that this means I agree to marry you."
Yes, OK that is an odd thing to say but my mind was in a muddle. I walked off with as much dignity as I could muster towards Sam's office. As I went I heard Sally say to Tom, "Go easy on her. This is a different world here. Out there, especially in Britain, people use bad language quite casually and all the time." I was quite moved.
In Sam's office I stood alone having second, third and even fourth thoughts. This was quite mad but at the same time something was drawing me to this life. It wasn't that different from my life with Gary, it just had a couple more steps. Then Tom came in. To my surprise he took me in his arms and hugged me tight to him.
"Anne, thank you for trusting me. I am so honoured that you have agreed to let me court you. I know this is a very odd start to courting and if you want to back out I'll understand."
His body felt so strong and warm as he held me. That felt so good; after all it had been some twenty months or so since the murders and, other than my dad, no man had held me in that time.
"No, I want to be courted by you. You're right about my language. Are you going to spank me?"
He kissed my cheek and answered, "First, go and stand in the corner. No need to put your hands on your head. Think about this whole situation and decide if domestic discipline is really for you. If it is, if you're sure, then I will put you over my knee and spank you."
All my mind would think about, as I stood facing the corner feeling oddly young and silly, was Gary. I could hear Gary telling me off for losing my temper. Gary reprimanding me for being disrespectful to my mum. That was one of the things I loved about Gary... he was in charge... in the nicest possible way... but firmly in charge. I knew what Gary would say, "Anne, I'm gone. Time to move on. You need a husband and this Tom is a good man and he wants you the way I did. I knew it the minute I met you and he is the same. A good spanked bottom will do you no real harm and probably a lot of good." Tom's voice cut into my thoughts.
"OK Anne, come and face me."
I obeyed but I couldn't look him in the face. My head hung down and, ridiculously, I felt like a child again when my dad had been cross with me. "Yes Tom, I want you to court me and I think I probably deserve a spanking. I'll end up swearing in front of the children and that's no good."
"Probably?"
I blushed fiercely. "Yes, alright, do deserve. Shouldn't swear I know. Bad habit."
"Right, I'll just use my hand." He sat down in a chair without arms. I wondered if Sam used it for spanking Sally. "Come here to me Anne."
I walked over. I was wearing a skirt. There didn't seem to be any rules about skirts or dresses but I just happened to be wearing one.
"I'll let you keep your panties on."
There was something about the way he said that that made me query it. "Is that usual?"
"No, corrections involving chastisements are normally on the bare bottom."
I suddenly felt determined to do this properly. In for a penny in for a pound. "Shall we do this properly?"
Tom nodded with a smile and to my embarrassment reached up under my skirt and got hold of my tights and knickers and began pulling them down. I hadn't expected that. He pulled them right down to about my knees and then guided me over his lap. He lifted my skirt and laid it on my back leaving my bottom exposed. I remembered this position right enough. My sisters and I had been rumbustious children and had often been over Mum or Dad's lap. It all came flooding back and I gritted my teeth for I knew this was going to make me smart
There was a sharp smack to my right cheek; the sound reverberated around the room and I yelped in surprise. The sting on my bottom seemed huge but I had no time to think about it for then his hand smacked down on my left cheek. Tom didn't spank me the way Daddy had spanked us when I was a girl. Daddy just showered smacks down everywhere, and very fast, until he thought we'd had enough. Tom spanked steadily, moving only from the right cheek to the left with each smack of his hand pretty much the same as the one before. It was very effective.
My bare bottom began to heat up very quickly and each smack wrung a gasp or a little yelp from me. I could feel myself wriggling like mad on his lap but it didn't seem to interrupt the smooth flow of his spanking. The two spots where his hand landed each time became super hot and the stinging was intense. I just jerked, wriggled and gasped out a series of ows and ouches, but it didn't stop the spanking which seemed to go on and on.
I expected my spanking to be short, but not a bit of it. In the middle of wriggling and gasping I noticed each smack of his hand was getting harder. Not faster, but Tom was definitely spanking me harder than at first. Like some sort of music, the sound and power of the spanking was rising. I could feel my legs jerking with each smack and I began to feel desperate for the spanking to end.
Tom stopped and began rubbing my bottom. Such an intimate thing to do but such a blessed relief and I lay quietly appreciative as his hand smoothed over my scalding hot cheeks.
"You're doing well, Anne. Correction is very hard for a woman who is not used to it. I'm proud of you."
"Is my spanking over now?"
"No Anne, I think you need a bit more to really fix this lesson in your mind."
He said no more but just began spanking me again. The brief moment of relief disappeared as my bottom went back up to fire heat very quickly. I couldn't believe how this felt. He was just using his hand for heaven's sake. I tried looking back to see what this spanking was doing to my poor bottom but I couldn't see and I just went back to wriggling and gasping loudly at each smack.
I guessed Sally and Sam were hearing it all which felt embarrassing, but it didn't trouble me much because I was so busy trying to cope with being spanked. He stopped spanking again and rubbed my bottom a little and I wondered what he was doing. Later I learned that he was checking for bruising, but again he started up and I began to despair. I wasn't sure I could take any more no matter how deserved this spanking might be.
Again he stopped spanking and I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Well Anne, do you think that'
s helped you to learn not to use profane language?"
"Yes. Oh yes. My bottom really smarts. I'm going to be very careful I promise. Is it over now?"
"I think that's enough for this time. It might be a good idea to stand you in the corner with your bottom on display; that is quite common but I think a cuddle would be best for you."
My tights and knickers were now only half on my ankles, and my bottom was burning furiously when Tom pulled me onto his lap. It was heavenly, that cuddle. He was so gentle and kind and I melted into his arms while he stroked my hair and murmured soothing things to me. I wondered why my nose was itching and found I had been crying. That took me by surprise. He had spanked me to tears but I hadn't realised and now didn't feel resentful or rebellious in the slightest. I nestled into him and realised that I really did want this.
I wanted a husband I could submit to and look to as my leader. Gary had been that but I hadn't understood how much I desired it. I also realised I felt good about being spanked or corrected as they called it here. Gary had corrected me but never spanked. Perhaps that would have come in time. Now, although my bottom was smarting furiously, I felt this was for me.
---oOo---
When we came out of the study I was hugely embarrassed at facing Sam and Sally. My face was burning but they seemed entirely nonchalant about it all. I suppose to them a woman getting her bottom spanked for some bad behaviour wasn't at all unusual.
Sam seemed to have given up working and came in with a tray of coffee and cookies. I found it was just what I needed.
Sally looked at me. "Well?" she whispered.
"You were right. I've been spanked. My bottom is sore but right now I couldn't care less. I feel at peace and a lot better than I've felt since Gary was murdered. Why is that, Sally?"
