The Education of Annalise

by Laetitia

  "I...I promise, and..." a sob escaped again.

  "And thank you..." Chris prompted.

  "And...thank you," she echoed.

  "That's my beautiful wife!" Chris swooped her up into his arms and laid her gently on his bed, blowing the candle out on his way.

  Rebecca Powers clattered into the front foyer of her home, and handed her dripping cloak to her butler, Graham.

  "My heavens!" She shook her wet umbrella until droplets sprayed all over the floor. "I don’t know when I’ve ever seen the rain come down with such a will!" She shook the skirt of her dress to try to fluff it back into respectability.

  "Would you please send one of the boys to bring in my packages from the carriage? I think Stephens would also like to get out of this abominable weather."

  "Of course, ma’am. Mr. Powers would like to see you in the library, ma’am."

  "Really? What is he doing home at this hour?"

  "I’m sure I don’t know, ma’am." Graham propped the umbrella into the stand.

  "No. No, of course you wouldn’t." Rebecca patted her hair nervously. It was silly of course, she thought. Just because Jeffery had told her not to spend any more money on clothes for at least a month, she was sure he hadn’t meant it.

  After all, she had to have a new gown for the Arasmith’s ball later that week...and positively everyone had seen most of her day dresses...and...

  "Rebecca Marie! Is that you? Come in here, please."

  Rebecca recognized her husband’s voice. He sounded irritated.

  "Honestly, Jeffery! She began as she walked toward the open library door,

  "Must you bellow at me from this cave of a room? It is so common!" She stopped just inside the door.

  The fire was burning brightly and there was a lone lamp on his desk that was lit, but the rest of the room was in shadowed darkness. She could see her husband seated behind his large mahogany desk which was littered with papers that looked like bills for payment. A small fissure of fear ran up her spine.

  "Close the door, and come and sit down," Jeffery ordered.

  "I don’t think I like your tone of voice, Jeffery. I think I’ll leave you until you can be more civil." Rebecca turned to leave.

  "Rebecca Marie Powers! If you leave this room before I give you permission, you will be very sorry!" Jeffery hadn’t raised his voice, but the cold steel behind his words and the implied threat were both chilling. "Now get in here and sit down."

  Rebecca, shocked to her soul that Jeffery would speak to her so, began to move into the room.

  "I would suggest that unless you want the servants to be privy to our conversation, you close the door."

  Rebecca turned and swung the door closed, mortified to find that her hands were damp inside her gloves and she was shaking. She had never seen this side of Jeffery before. She forced her feet to move and carry her across the room. She slid nervously into the brown leather chair facing her husband.

  Although the desk was between them, she didn’t feel at all reassured. Jeffery’s face looked like it was carved from granite. He didn’t say anything for the longest time. It was unnerving, and she was sure he intended it to be. She was just about to open her mouth to ask what this was all about, when he finally spoke.

  "Do you have any idea what these are?" he asked gesturing to the bills that covered the top of inlaid leather surface.

  "Uhm, bills?" she ventured, appalled that her voice seemed to come out in a squeak.

  "Correct!" Jeffery snapped at her. She jumped a little in her chair. "And who do you think is responsible for the majority of them?"

  Reasoning that the best defense was a good offense, Rebecca squared her shoulders and glared at the husband. "I’m sure I don’t know. Things like that are not in a lady’s purview. I don’t pay attention to minutia like money and bills."

  "That is patently obvious from the amount of money you seem capable of squandering over the course of the month! I thought I had been very clear that you were not to buy any more clothes or fripperies this month. I’ve barely finished paying off the bills from last month. Did you not understand?"

  "Truth-to-tell, I thought you were joking. You’ve never limited my spending before." Rebecca could feel her eyes fill up with tears. "Really Jeffery, this is most unsettling." She fumbled in her lap for her reticule to retrieve a handkerchief which she used to dab daintily at the corners of her eyes.

  "You’re not going to divert me, Rebecca. You can stop your crocodile tears right now. I’m not moved."

  Jeffery glared at his wife. He could have almost predicted that she would start to cry and try to make him feel like he was a brut. He was determined that the ploy wasn’t going to work this time.

  "I haven’t limited your spending in the past, because you used to show some small sense of restraint. Recently however, you have been so lavish in your spending, that I’ve been hard-pressed to cover the bills. I’ve told you to curb your spending on numerous occasions, and yet you’ve systematically ignored my dictates."

  "So now you’re dictating to me, is that it?"

  "That’s right! And I expect you to take my dictates seriously in the future."

  Jeffery stood up and crossed to stand in front of her. She drew back into the chair alarmed that his closeness disturbed her so much. She tried to remind herself that Jeffery loved her and would never harm her, but he was looking down at her with a ferocious glint in his eye.

  "Very well," she conceded petulantly, "I’ll try to do better in the future. Is that alright?" She nervously wrapped her handkerchief around her finger, using it as an excuse not to look up at him.

  "No my dear, I’m very much afraid that that is not going to be enough this time." Jeffery reached under her chin and gently untied the ribbon which was securing her little bonnet to her head. He lifted the lovely little confection off and placed it carefully on the desk behind him, then grasped her arms and pulled her up to stand in front of him.

  "I...I don’t understand. I said I was sorry..." Rebecca finally looked into her husband’s eyes. She couldn’t discern anger in his face, but there was no forgiveness there either.

  "Actually my dear, you only said you’d try to do better. But you will say you’re sorry, and I think I can guarantee that you will mean it." Jeffery maneuvered her over to the large leather sofa, before she was aware of it. He began to lift up her skirt.

  "What do you think you’re doing?" Rebecca slapped ineffectually at his hand that continued to ruck up her skirt to her hips. She tried to pull away, but he held her with an almost painful grip with his other hand.

  "We are about to institute the Power’s Family Plan for Domestic Tranquility,"

  Jeffery answered placidly. He fumbled under her bunched up skirts and finally found the button which held her under drawers around her waist. He deftly popped the button from its hole and the delicate under garments fell to a pool around her feet.

  "Jeffery, behave! It is the middle of the afternoon! Besides, I’m not sure I like you very much right now."

  Jeffery didn’t miss the hint of amusement in his wife’s eyes. She thought it was over. She thought he wanted to make love to her. Well, that was true enough...but everything in its time he reminded himself sternly.

  "It is true my dear, that I find your charms almost irresistible, but I must disabuse you of your obvious belief that I wish to partake at this moment. I have something altogether different in mind." With that, he sat on the sofa and brought her swooping across his knees in a graceful arch.

  "Ooomph!" she felt her breath rush out in a whoosh as her stomach made contact with her husband’s hard thighs. Before she could recover from that indignity, she felt a decided draft on her bottom. He couldn’t have raised her skirt....He wouldn’t dare! She let her arm fly behind her. She was exposed!

  She tried to tug her skirt down, but Jeffery caught her arm and pinned it to her side. Her other arm was useless as it was trapped under her body, and Jeffery was holding her firmly in place.

&
nbsp; "Now my dear, I trust I have your undivided attention."

  "Let me up! Right now, Jeffery! I won’t stand for this!" She tried to wiggle from his grip, but he held her immobile.

  "That’s alright my dear. When I’m finished with you, you won’t be sitting very well either."

  "What? What do you mean?"

  "I mean that I am going to give you a very thorough spanking, and you are going to give me a very thorough apology. Do you understand?"

  SMACK! He punctuated his question with a hefty swat that left her bottom with a white imprint of his fingers. About the same time that the white imprint turned to a blushing red, she screamed.

  He ignored her. SMACK! "I asked if you understood. Do you?" SMACK!

  "YES!" she screeched. "Oh yes! Please Jeff, no more! I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry!"

  "Let me explain the scope of a very thorough spanking, because you obviously don’t understand. First, I will explain to you, that you are over my knee because you refuse to obey me."

  SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

  "Owwww! Oh Jeff, that hurts!"

  "Indeed! I will endeavor to impress on your lovely bottom the necessity of obeying me in the future."

  SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

  "I will...I promise! Please stop! Please! I’ll never buy anything ever again!"

  SMACK SMACK! SMACK!

  "Yeouch! What was that for? I was apologizing!"

  "An insincere apology is worse than no apology at all. I do not expect that you’ll never buy anything again, but that you’ll learn to obey me when I tell you to stop. Is that understood?" SMACK!

  "Yes.! Now please Jeff, let me up!"

  "Oh no, Becca. You haven’t got the feel of this at all. We have more to do yet.

  Next, I will give you a chance to perhaps lessen the severity of your spanking by explaining why you thought it was permissible to disobey me with impunity. Is it because you thought I would do nothing?"

  "Yes..." SMACK! "I mean, no! Oh leave me alone! The truth is, I didn’t think at all. You’ve never done anything except be stern with me before. How was I to know you were capable of...of ..."

  "Go on, Becca. Finish that thought. Capable of what?"

  "Of such barbarism!"

  "You think I’m being barbaric?"

  "Yes!"

  "Ah well, I suppose from your point of view this has been a bit of a shock. But barbarism? No, Becca. Hardly that. I suppose I could take you out to the carriage house and flog you. No one would interfere, you know...a husband’s rights and all that. I think perhaps that might be a bit barbaric. What do you think?"

  "I think there’s precious little difference!"

  "Probably because you’ve never been flogged. No my dearest Becca.. I could never bring myself to do you permanent injury...to rip your back open till it bleeds...but your lovely little bottom...ah now that seems to be expressly designed to have lessons impressed on it without incurring lasting damage.

  Spanking is, after all, a child’s punishment...and disobedience is a child’s offence. I think there is an undeniable symmetry here. Don’t you agree?"

  "No! Let me up!" Becca arched her back in an effort to pull free.

  He pushed her back down emphatically. "You seemed to have gotten over the first section of your punishment rather easily if the defiant tone of your voice is to be believed. Let’s see if this next part is more effective and longer lasting. This is the real spanking, my dear." SMACK! SMACK!

  "This is the part where I make sure that you do think the next time you’re tempted to disobey me!"

  SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! His hand pummeled her burning backside without mercy. Becca screamed. She cried. She cursed.

  Nothing stopped the barrage of blows raining searing hot pain on her bottom.

  Her legs began to flail in the air as if they had a life of their own. She was kicking with such force that the ribbons holding one of her flat-soled shoe came loose. It flew up into the air, bounced off the top of Jeffery’s head and landed with a plop on the small of her back. Jeffery stopped spanking her for a moment. He picked up the shoe and examined it critically.

  "Well, well, look what we have here, and just when my hand was getting a little tired." He wound the long ribbons around the heel section of the shoe, then smiled at his improvised paddle.

  SMACK! He brought the shoe down smartly across both red globes of his wife’s bottom.

  "OWWWWWW!" Becca screamed. She didn’t think it was possible to hurt any more than she already did, but she was proven wrong. The leather sole of her shoe crossed and criss-crossed her stinging bottom, leaving a white-hot sting in its wake.

  SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! The shoe made a louder noise ,she thought, than his hand. Oh, who cares? I’m becoming delirious! When will this be over? I can’t take any more! She wilted across her husband’s knee, and he stopped.

  "I trust that you’ve learned your lesson?" He asked.

  "Yes," she could barely choke out a whispered response.

  "Yes...?"

  What? What did he want her to say? She frantically tried her brain to focus.

  Oh yes. He wanted her humbled. She was in no position to argue.

  "Yes, sir!" she managed with conviction.

  "Good! That was the spanking you earned for all the times in the past that you have disobeyed me about spending. I understand however, that you went shopping again today in blatant disregard of my wishes once again.

  SMACK SMACK! SMACK!

  "Ouch! Oh ouch, Jeff! Have mercy. I can’t take any more!"

  "Oh, you’re stronger than you think you are, but I won’t argue with you. Let me tell you what’s going to happen next..."

  "Next? No!...No More!"

  "I’m afraid so, darling Becca.. When I let you up from my lap, I will give you five minutes to repair your hair and dry your tears. You will then replace your bonnet in preparation to go out. You will not, however, be allowed to replace your under drawers. I want you to be very aware of your hot bottom. I will hide the drawers in my desk until we come home."

  "Come home?"

  "Yes, Becca. We are going to go to all of the shops that you frequent on a regular basis, and if you purchased something from them today, you will return it. You will also explain that you have been exceedingly careless in managing your personal budget and that your husband has forbidden you to buy anything on credit in the future. If you did not buy anything from them today, you will still be required to deliver the same explanation. They are to accept nothing but cash from you in the future. I will be with you to lend any emphasis that might be required. Do you understand?"

  "Jeff, please don’t humiliate me like this!" Becca began to cry real tears this time. Jeffery’s heart softened and he helped her off his knee and into his lap.

  "Don’t take it so hard, love. The tradesmen, I’m sure, would far rather know that you’ve been forbidden credit than to try to collect from me later. They won’t make it too hard on you." Jeffery brushed her tears away. "Now put on your bonnet and let’s get this over with."

  He helped her stand and felt a momentary pang of guilt when her first few steps faltered as she walked back to the desk to retrieve her hat. He hardened his heart. This wasn’t easy for either of them, but she’d brought it on herself.

  He stooped to pick up her lace-trimmed under drawers and felt himself grow hard with desire. He quickly slammed those thoughts into the drawer with her intimate garment.

  * * * *

  The rain had stopped, but the day remained grey, A much subdued Rebecca Marie Powers sat across from her husband in what she had, here-to-for, believed was a well-sprung carriage and winced each time a wheel bounce in or out of a rut in the road. She had thought the worst was over when Jeffery had stopped spanking her. Little did she know that her screams had echoed throughout the house and that it was doubtful that even the lowliest of servants was ignorant of the fact that she’d been soundly spanked by her husband.


  Graham could barely look her in the eye as he held the door for them, and she could’ve sworn that a small smile tickled the edges of his mouth.

  "Oh Lord have mercy!" she said in an anguished sigh and covered her flaming face with her hands. "They’ll never take me seriously as their mistress again.

  How can they ever respect me now?" She uncovered her face and glared at her self-satisfied smirking husband.

  "Don’t worry yourself needlessly. The servants know that you’re still the mistress of the house. Now, they just know that I am the master." Jeffery couldn’t resist smiling. That sounded good, and felt better. Becca didn’t say anything, but he could hear her grind her teeth in frustration.