by Susan Thomas
"Now, my dear, you have to get ready for bed; but you must then come down in your nightdress for family prayers and penance."
I caught the word prayers alright but my mind leapt to the other word, penance. "Penance? What's that?"
She looked uncomfortable. "Oh dear! You'll soon see, but there will be quite a bit tonight."
Chapter 8
The head of the SIS was busy studying a report when his secretary buzzed through. "Sir, its Agent Carter to see you."
"Send him in." He closed the report and waited expectantly. The door opened and Carter came in. "Well? Did she go for it?"
"She did, but I had to give Mr Cole five years without fees plus, of course, the cost of setting her up on Earth Eight."
His boss sniggered. "Well, the Chancellor won't like that. Man counts every penny and doesn't know good value when it hits him in the face. Well done Carter. So, who have you given as her guardian?"
"Foster."
"Good Lord! Was there no one else?"
"No one at short notice and the Fosters aren't far from the office where I've placed her."
"Well I hope the wretched man knows she has to sit down to work. He's a zealot, Carter."
"Yes Sir. However, it does have a benefit. It will concentrate her mind wonderfully on getting the job done."
The head of the SIS laughed. "You're a devious swine, Carter. I don't know how often Cole chastised her. I know he took his belt off to her, because she was rude to that pompous fool at the AWU, but she'll now think of her husband as a soft touch. How are you to keep in contact?"
"There is a cafe between the office and the Foster house. I shall go there each day when she is about to leave the office. If she has something for me she'll pop in for a drink and will leave behind a newspaper with a coded message folded inside. We will not speak or make eye contact. The owner is my sister's husband and I can trust him."
"Good. Well done Carter. Keep me briefed."
Agent Carter knew that was a dismissal, and left quietly, his boss already back to studying a document. Carter could not get Sarah Cole out of his head. She was very attractive but apart from that she had a confidence and a forthright manner that appealed to him. She was a bit too forthright at times and he would certainly have her over his knee quite often He thought he'd rather enjoy spanking that trim bottom and afterwards... he stilled his mind. Undoubtedly Cole had been spanking her for she referred to it; lucky man. Well, not so lucky he thought. She was going to Earth Eight. Goodbye William Cole. As he walked to his own home he wondered if Mr Foster would chastise her tonight. Foster was a strange man. He would have made a good head of the religious police. Carter despised the religious police.
---oOo---
Bill had been very good about buying me new clothing. I hadn't needed to wear Mary's clothes for very long and she had also been generous with me and given me several items. Nightdresses were considered the only decent thing for a woman to wear to bed. No pyjamas for us. In winter, nightdresses were long with long sleeves and quite thick (no central heating remember); summer nightdresses were lighter, came to the knees and had either no sleeves or short ones. It was now time for prayers and penance; the fact that we 'girls' had to be in our nightwear did not bode well and my bottom began to tingle.
I took a quick shower again. It was odd that this house, like Bill's, had hot running water but no central heating. Each room had a fireplace and a maid had lit a fire in my bedroom and I admit it was very cosy. I got out one of the long warm nightdresses I'd purchased. It was a thick cotton with a light pattern of small summer flowers, button front, long sleeves, plain neck line and an over-stitched pattern above the breast line. One did not wear nightdresses with knickers under; it was most definitely not done and my new sister-in-law had instructed me most carefully on various dress etiquettes. A plain pair of slippers completed my outfit and I began to go downstairs. I felt rather vulnerable as if I was walking naked.
As I went down to the first floor I wondered if the gown I was wearing might not be fashionable enough. Towns usually are ahead of country in the fashion stakes and this was the capital. Perhaps I was wearing something that might be perfectly OK for a young woman in the country but frumpy for the town. As I reached the first floor Rachel, Ruth and Hannah all appeared together as if characters in one of those strange clocks the Germans and Swiss delight in making. I breathed a small sigh of relief; their gowns were much the same as mine. All three of the Foster 'girls' looked worried and that, in turn, worried me. I sensed that spanking was in the air but couldn't for the life of me think of anything I had done wrong. Perhaps Mr Foster didn't need me to have done anything wrong, perhaps he'd fire a warning shot and spank me anyhow.
Rachel led a small column, comprising her sisters and me, into the library. We walked like nuns, heads down, hands folded in front of us and silent. It was, I think, my weirdest experience so far. There were five chairs in a semicircle facing a larger chair on which sat Mr Foster. Between the two was a very large wooden chest: it had a flat top, with ornately carved sides, and was made of an old dark wood. I am no expert but it looked seventeenth-century to me. The most worrying part was the small leather strap and the bamboo cane that were laying on top of the chest. I remembered that from my bedroom I could see a small clump of bamboo in the back garden; how handy for a spank happy theocrat with four women in the family... five counting me.
Mrs Foster, fully dressed, sat at one end of the semicircle of chairs and I had to sit next to her with Rachel, Ruth and Hannah to my right, and in that order. I was now very scared. Mr Foster began with a reading from the Bible. I have no idea what the heck it was about. It was a complicated bit, with some 'begats' in it, and I lost track early on, and boy did it go on and then on and on and on. Where my mind went I have no idea so it was a good job he didn't ask me any questions.
Having finally finished with the Bible reading he began on the prayers. He prayed for me, a poor transferee, alone in a very different world, and then he went on from there. I have no idea what he prayed about, because, again, it went on and on in a drone, and I just simply tuned out and mumbled 'Amen' when everyone else did. When he finally got to the end of the prayer we all looked at him and he looked at me.
"There is no one that does not sin," he said with great deliberation. Well I had no idea what to say, if anything, so I tried a nod. It seemed to be a good response to make for he continued. "Women, are especially prone to sin." I had several things I could have said to this but I kept my mouth firmly shut. He went on, "It is my duty as a husband, father and now guardian to keep the women of my household on the path of righteousness."
I had no problem guessing how he intended to do that. It would involve the cane and strap resting on the chest. This man was clearly a basket case albeit successful in running the Lancastrian Motor Corporation. He was now looking at me again.
"Sarah, I am swift to punish when I see error in my womenfolk. If necessary, I will hold a penance session every day but at least once a week. I regret that you have arrived when penance will be necessary."
I sensed from this speech that maybe I wasn't getting spanked tonight. Sure enough, he suddenly turned to Hannah, at around eighteen his youngest daughter, and snapped, "Stand up Hannah. Confess your sin."
Hannah was a student at Lancaster University and her 'sin' was to be seen walking to a lecture with a boy of around her age and no chaperone. Now I knew girls in Bill's area were closely watched but just walking to a lecture with a boy! That is just ridiculous.
Her father was very stern. "You know what to do young lady."
She did, and that was to hand her father the cane and the strap; she then lifted her night dress and bunched it up around her waist. Kneeling down in front of the chest she bent over, reaching out to the far end to grip it tightly.
Mr Foster swished the cane through the air sending a nasty thrill through my body. I hadn't prayed before but suddenly found myself praying fervently that this wasn't going to happen to m
e. He stood behind the bare bottom of his daughter and rested the cane on her. Then he began caning her. The strokes were not hard; not taps exactly, but not full on strokes like that public punishment I had seen. When the first stroke cracked across her bottom, Hannah gave a high pitched yelp. She yelped like that each time the cane hit her. It was relentless that caning. He lifted and struck again and again; never very hard but enough to get that high pitched yelp and leave a red line across the smooth skin of her bottom. Suddenly she wriggled so that her bottom was away from his cane. He spoke sharply to her and she moved back and the caning resumed. I think she got about thirty-five strokes but it might have been forty. He didn't say he had finished he just stopped caning and looked at her bottom. The red lines had pretty well merged into a solid block. He made a satisfied noise and bade her stand.
Hannah's nightdress dropped down to cover her punished bottom and then she dropped her father a curtsey. "Father, I am so sorry you had to punish me. It will not happen again." She then stepped forward and gave him a little kiss on his cheek.
He graciously waved for her to sit down which she did very carefully I noticed. Now Ruth stood, at nineteen she was a year older than Hannah. Her sin was one that I could understand; I had picked up that a university education was considered a great gift and open to rich and poor at no cost. However, students were expected to work and work hard. There was absolutely no drinking or having sex; education was a privilege and not to be wasted. Mr Foster had received a letter from Ruth's tutor complaining that her work had tailed off as late. That I understood. I'd encountered many students at university who simply idled away their time.
Ruth was giving a long lecture and a warning that if it happened again she would be getting a real thrashing. She then lifted her nightdress right up and placed herself as Hannah had done. She got a long spanking with that small leather strap. Again no actual smack of the strap was particularly hard. The punishment came from the sheer number which gradually turned her bottom to a fire red. During her spanking Ruth was silent at first but as it went on she began to squeal and squeak getting quite noisy at the end. I was fascinated with how her bottom rippled each time the strap hit; there is a bizarre beauty in the process.
After she had apologised and kissed her father's cheek it was Rachel's turn. She was the eldest and I think about twenty-three. Her 'sin' was a small one. You'd think at her age it wouldn't be necessary to spank her for it. She worked with a charity caring for the poor and needy and her father was negotiating to marry her off to an important businessman. She had come in late for her evening meal on three occasions. Her spanking was over her dad's knee. She hoisted her nightdress up and then laid herself over his lap and he began spanking her with his hand. I'd had harder spankings from Bill but at least they were in private. He turned her bottom to a light red and then let her up so she could apologise and kiss his cheek.
His searchlight eyes turned to me. "Well Sarah, do you have anything you wish to confess?"
As if I'd say if I did! However, I sensed danger. If I said there wasn't he might start examining me to find something. If I said there was I'd be punished like his daughters. I thought quickly. "Well, Mr Foster, I don't really know. I have not had the benefit of being brought up under the guidance of the Theocracy so my conscience is not so finely tuned. I sincerely hope there isn't."
He liked that answer and moved on to his wife. She stood and confessed that she had been disobedient. To be honest I didn't follow quite what she had done that was disobedient but he nodded sagely. "My dear, your confession is a good one. I shall punish you in the privacy of our room." I breathed a sigh of relief. I guessed he would spank his wife, most husbands did, but the thought of him doing it in front of me and her daughters was awful.
When I was finally allowed to retire to my bedroom I did so with a sigh of relief. It was a strange household but my room was lovely, the fire was cosy and the bed comfortable. I snuggled down but suddenly missed Bill. He was a big man but somehow cuddling up to him was a dreamy experience. He'd wrap his strong arms around me and I'd sniff his scent of trees and hay, barns and warmth. It wasn't sex, I missed him. I missed the wind in the trees around the farm. I was homesick and cried myself to sleep.
Chapter 9
When I awoke in the morning I wondered at myself. Fancy feeling homesick for my life on the farm. Earth Zero wasn't my home and I was always running the risk of getting spanked. Maybe some women would like being spanked but not me... I hated it. The fire was out, but the room was still warm from it, and I leapt out of bed to get washed and dressed. Suddenly I was hit by a horrible feeling of nausea. I barely made it to the bathroom in time before throwing up with great heaving. When the spasm finally passed I stood up to rinse my mouth and caught sight of myself in the mirror; I was a horrible whitish green.
I didn't feel as if I would be sick again so showered and got dressed. The only time I'd ever been sick in the morning was when I'd been drunk the night before. It was the pairing of 'morning' with 'sick' that hit me. Morning sickness! Another sign I was pregnant. I couldn't be pregnant... not now when I had so much to do to earn my passage to Earth Eight and away from this place. I calmed myself down. If (and it wasn't yet certain) I was pregnant, the baby would not show for ages yet. I had time to sort out this problem for them and get off to Earth Eight. Once there I could decide whether I wanted to keep the baby or not. If I did, well, I could employ a nanny and later get the child into a good school, and I had no doubt I would do well and make a great deal of money. In the meanwhile, I had to hide my morning sickness... if indeed it was morning sickness and not a one off.
I had no formal clothes suitable for work so I put on my plainest dress and went down to breakfast. The kitchen diner was warm from the range and it seemed Mrs Foster made the breakfasts. I ate cautiously in case I was sick again. I was just wondering where I actually had to go and how to get there when Mr Foster said, "I will take you this morning. You'll be able to see the route and once at the building you can report to reception."
I put on my coat, more suited to a farmer's wife, and followed my guardian out to.... a car! It was a basic looking thing with a rounded front. Someone I knew had a vintage car called a Morris Minor and it looked a lot like that.
Mr Foster had no illusions. "This is very primitive by the standards of your Earth Nine but we've had to start from scratch. Most of the car plants were destroyed and everything we've done so far has been an uphill struggle."
I was tactful. "Well, it's a lot better than sitting on an open tractor."
He laughed and opened the door for me. It wasn't totally utilitarian inside. "It's a prototype," he said, "more to see if we could do it and only intended for government use. We have so far used rail for our main transport and will continue to do so. There's a big train engine plant further south."
I watched the route as we drove, it was straightforward enough and about a mile in length. I spotted only one café which had to be the one where I would leave messages when I found something. We arrived outside a building which was old and to look at had 'government' written all over it. He pulled up but then turned to me.
"I am not a fool. Although Mr 'Jones' has told me you are a transferee, who rejected marriage to the farmer that found you, and that this is a routine administrative assignment, I know it's not. 'Jones' is no more an employee of the AWU than I am. I don't know what he does exactly but it's not that. I have no idea what is going on but I can tell you really are from an alternative version of our planet. If you need any help you may ask me. I support our Theocracy wholeheartedly but I also take my guardianship seriously. Think of me as your father in that respect."
I was extremely sincere in thanking him and left to make my way to reception. Do not think some glossy reception with a young woman looking like a super-model with five inch heels. It was like something from an old movie and rather drab. A clunky telephone was used to call someone down and a brisk sour looking woman appeared. She was wearing plain and very for
mal clothes. She sniffed when she saw me in my country farmer's wife outfit.
"That is not appropriate wear for the office. You will have to get formal clothes and I expect you to be wearing them tomorrow."
I'd met her type before. Officious and a bully; she couldn't be allowed to do that or she'd be on my case the whole time. I smiled. "That's a bit of a problem as I am a transferee and I don't have any of the local money. These are clothes bought for me where I ended up. I'll have to ask my guardian, Mr Foster." I had a feeling she'd know that name.
"Mr Foster? Do you mean the Mr Foster of Lancastrian Motors?"
"That's the one. He's been so good to me. Drove me to work this morning and told me he would assist me in any way he could. He is taking his guardianship very seriously."
"Oh. I see. Well, that's good. Of course, more formal wear is the ideal, but there is no urgency, and no need to trouble an important man like Mr Foster with mere women's clothing. Perhaps when you've had your first pay packet..."
"Of course," I said smoothly, "you're right, it is a bit trivial for bothering him. When do I get my first pay then?"
Apparently I was going to be given a few days in every department before it was decided where I was to be based. So I was given a brief tour around. There was a canteen, where food and drink were very cheap, a chapel which had short lunchtime services (the Theocracy took worship very seriously), and even a lift which looked like it was old even before The Riving. The wretched thing wheezed and gasped its way between floors at a slow pace and I vowed to stick to the stairs. Finally, I was shown into a department, to work for a couple of days, where I found... computers!
