by Maggie Ryan
Lucy flushed even brighter, her mind once again turning back to the events of the evening before. Her bottom clenched and she couldn’t stop squirming on her seat as the memory unfolded. She also found herself remembering the spanking given to Margarite, right out in full view of strangers. She shuddered thinking how embarrassing that would be and yet her stomach was feeling strange. Members of the congregation had stood by witnessing the corporal discipline as if it were a common occurrence. Lucy’s stomach tingled again thinking of how it would feel knowing that dozens of eyes were focused on her own bottom, bared and already reddened by the pastor’s paddle as she underwent additional chastisement. Her thoughts went to wonder how the naughty girls’ papas would see fit to remind them of the proper behavior expected in church. She squirmed on her seat and grimaced, as her own bottom once again reminded her of the likely result of the six girls’ punishment. She became aware that Mrs. Bremmer was watching her every move and suddenly felt as if the housekeeper could also read her thoughts. Blushing hotly seeing the woman’s knowing smile, Lucy dropped her eyes to her lap where her hands twisted around the other.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said again. Anna sat back, apparently satisfied that her point had been made. The rest of the trip was made in silence.
Chapter 9
As Lucy was led into the house and was followed by Molly up to her room to change into a day dress, Louisa was giggling and playing with her friend, Amelia Boothe. The girls had actually gone to school together, though Lucy hadn’t seemed to recognize their old classmate. Amelia had left before graduating in order to marry the man she had been betrothed to since practically infancy. She had been married far longer than Louisa and had never been allowed to be an adult since the day she wed Lord Winston Boothe. The girls played with Amy’s dolls as their papas talked quietly together. When Amy began to whine a bit, she was immediately picked up by her nanny and taken into her nursery. Louisa blushed as she understood that the little girl was being changed. She felt her own bladder clench and looked up to see her husband studying her.
“Do you need the necessary, sweetie?” he asked obviously not the least bit embarrassed in front of his business associate. She didn’t know how to answer, but simply nodded her head. Edward smiled as he stood and then helped her off the blanket where the girls had been playing. He led her from the room and down the hall. They reached a door and Edward quietly tapped his knuckles on it. The door opened and the nanny smiled down at Louisa.
“Oh dear, I should have checked on your sweet little one. Please, come in, poppet. I’ll change you in just a moment when I finish with Amy.”
Louisa blushed, but was pleased to hear her husband explain her need.
“Louisa just needs the chamber pot, Nanny Claire. My little lady was allowed to wear bloomers today.” As if aware to assure she knew her place, he reached down and quickly patted Louisa’s small bottom. “Though you weren’t in bloomers yesterday were you, missy?”
Louisa didn’t want to answer, but the hand against her bottom served as a very good reminder of what her husband required when he asked her a question.
“No… no, Papa,” she whispered.
“That’s right. Louisa was a naughty girl yesterday and spent the better part of her day with the heat of a well-spanked bottom trapped in her nappy. She promised to be a good little girl today and was allowed her big girl bloomers.”
Louisa’s face flushed at his words but she said nothing. She hated the attention being directed at her. Edward patted her bottom once again and then bent down to speak quietly in her ear.
“I think I allowed you out of your nappy too soon, little lady. Perhaps if you’d been wearing a nice fluffy nappy you would have been able to sit quietly during church.”
“I’m sorry, Papa,” she said softly.
“We shall continue this discussion at home in your nursery, my dear. For now, you may wait for Amy’s nanny to help you go potty and, young lady, you better be a very good girl for Nanny Claire.”
Louisa nodded vigorously, her mind whirling from his whispered speech. Edward popped her bottom once again and she squeaked, “Yes, Papa… I’ll… I’ll be good.”
“I’m sure you will,” he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
Claire had been Amy’s nanny since her wedding and evidently knew all the subtle signs of a papa’s warning to a little one even when whispered. She bent to clasp Louisa’s hand and gave her an encouraging smile before looking up to Edward. “Don’t you worry, Lord Wintercrest. I believe Louisa will be a very good little girl for me. Rest assured, I’ll take care of your little one and bring her back to you.” Edward nodded and left his wife in the nanny’s capable hands.
As Edward returned to the parlor, Claire pointed to a small stool. “Sit right there, sweetie. I’ll be but just a moment.”
Louisa nodded, happy she could remain silent and attempt to compose herself. Edward’s tone had sounded calm and normal to the other women in the room but Louisa knew it for what it truly meant. He was far more upset with her squirming in church than she’d thought even with the tender spot on her inner thigh as a reminder. He had reached under her dress and pinched her sensitive skin causing her to yelp during the service. She had been so thankful he hadn’t taken her out of the chapel. She shuddered as she thought about what happened in the private area of the church where Pastor Reed took the naughty girls. Remembering how each woman had returned, repentant and with obviously reddened bottoms, she shivered again. She wondered how it must feel, standing in line with others, waiting your turn to go across a man’s knees, or bent over a chair or bench, baring your bottom to be disciplined while people other than your family watched. It had been humiliating enough to position herself for her co-caning with Lucy in Headmaster Thorne’s office, and that was only witnessed by her husband. She remembered how her body had reacted knowing Edward was watching another man cane her bare bottom. How would she react with other naughty little girls all waiting to be disciplined? She felt her stomach tighten and her face flush with her thoughts. Forcing the thoughts away, she sat up taller and glanced around the room.
It appeared to be almost a duplicate of her own nursery though there were a few things she didn’t recognize. She also saw a large cradle in one corner of the room and wondered if Amy really slept in it. Her eyes finally found her friend who was lying on a changing table much like her own. Amy didn’t seem the least bit concerned that she was discovered half naked by her friend. Louisa found herself returning Amy’s sweet smile. Claire, her nanny, returned to the changing table and spoke quietly to the young woman. Amy giggled and then Louisa watched as she obediently lifted her legs by herself and allowed her nanny to diaper her. When she was swaddled tight, she was helped off the table.
“Okay, Miss Louisa. It’s your turn.” Louisa looked around and saw the woman pull a chamber pot from a cabinet under the table. “Come sweetie, let’s get you pottied so you and Amy can go play.” Louisa was embarrassed but walked to the woman when she gestured to her. She wanted to ask for privacy, but before she could, she found her bloomers pulled down to her ankles and her dress lifted, as Claire efficiently guided her to squat over the pot.
“That’s a good girl. Go potty now. This is not the time to dawdle as I’m sure your papas are ready for their luncheon.”
Louisa blushed again, but nature took its course and she was soon being wiped clean and her clothing arranged. She found Amy taking her hand and pulling her from the nursery. Louisa forgot her discomfort as the girls ran down the hall, hair bouncing and giggles sounding as they went to find the men who cherished them.
Chapter 10
Charles watched as Lucy struggled with a new batch of equations. She had been studying for the past several hours and he knew her mind was crammed with numbers. In fact, it was evidently far too full as she had lost the ability to focus over the last few problems he’d presented her.
He finally plucked the pencil from her fingers and suggested, “I believe
you can do with a small break. How about a walk about the garden? The fresh air will help clear your head and you can then begin again.”
Lucy’s entire face lit up, obviously wanting to agree, but he saw her eyes flick to the other side of the table where the housekeeper was sitting, her knitting needles flying as she chaperoned her young charge.
“With your permission, of course, Mrs. Bremmer,” he added, having experience enough to understand the older woman could be quite unapproving. He was very pleased to see her smile.
“I think that is a lovely idea. I’m sure Lucy would appreciate a bit of exercise. Lunch will be ready when you return and then Lucy may continue her studies. Go along, Lucy.”
Lucy jumped up, practically knocking her chair over in her excitement. Reaching out, she returned it to its four feet, a giggle escaping when her fingers encountered his as he’d reached out at the same moment. He felt a bit bereft when she snatched her hand away.
“I’m sorry. I-I guess I really could use a break. If only for a little while.”
“You have quite the reflexes, Miss Furniss,” Charles said with a smile. “There is no need to apologize. I’m aware of how hard you’ve been working and it’s wonderful to see you smile. Shall we?” Bending his arm, she shyly put her hand into the crook of his elbow. He led her out of the house and onto the path that would lead them throughout the lovely gardens.
Lucy lifted her face to the sky, closing her eyes as if drinking in the fresh air. Charles watched a tendril of soft golden hair lift in the breeze to dance against her flushed face. She opened her eyes and smiled and his heart skipped a beat. Though they were walking among beautifully laid out beds that were bursting with blooming flowers, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the astonishing young woman on his arm. It was as if he hadn’t truly seen her before. Though he had taught both her and her sister, seeing them in an environment outside of the school removed the veil from his eyes. Charles realized he no longer thought of Lucille as his student. Ever since yesterday he had been thinking of her as a woman and also as a possible wife. He wondered if there was any hope she could have similar thoughts.
“Professor?”
Charles startled a bit, realizing he’d stopped near the exact same spot he had stood to listen to Lucy’s punishment the day before. He glanced toward the house and could swear he heard the quiet echo of her cries. Lucy had no idea he was remembering the sound of her voice crying out her pain as she was being paddled for failing her first exam. She began to grow restless when he didn’t continue their walk.
“Do you want to return to the house?” she asked quietly
Grateful she couldn’t read his mind, he looked down at her. He knew, of course, that students were subject to corporal discipline at the school, but he had never even spanked a woman before, much less paddled or caned one. He wondered what it would feel like to have this woman bent forward, offering her bottom for correction. His thoughts went further as he imagined what her bottom would look like as it was bared to him for his hand to stroke, to pat and then to actually spank. He wondered what it would sound like as his palm connected with her bared flesh. Would her cries be the same he’d heard before or would the tone change beneath his hand as he reddened her porcelain skin? Would she beg and plead for mercy or simply cry out her contrition as he spanked her little bum? He felt his cock stir inside his pants which was immediately accompanied by his face heating.
“Oh.”
The single word so quietly spoken truly got his attention. Grateful that the young woman’s eyes weren’t on him, he followed her gaze to where she was looking at the open window of what must be her guardian’s study. Charles saw her distress and was immediately ashamed of himself and his indecent thoughts.
“You are right, Miss Furniss. We should return and continue your studies. I want you to do very well on your last practice exam. I don’t want you to have to repeat your… um, the discomfort of yesterday’s failure.”
It was clear that Lucy knew what he meant, understood that he must have been able to hear her cries when Edward had paddled her yesterday. Her face was quite flushed, she began to tremble and when she didn’t speak, Charles placed his hand over hers.
“Please, Lucille, don’t be embarrassed. I assure you that I have nothing but the highest regard for you despite your… um, your…” He knew he was simply making the poor girl feel worse and had no idea how to continue his thoughts. Instead, he patted her hand and turned back toward the house.
If the housekeeper noticed that they both were flushed when the entered the house, she didn’t mention it. The table had been cleared and they sat down to lunch. They were quiet as they ate thin slices of veal and roasted potatoes, both obviously unsure of what to speak about.
The two continued their lessons after luncheon. Lucy was busy working down a column of problems when Charles heard the front door open. Lucy looked up and Charles began to stand when the astonishing sight before him froze him in place. Instead of seeing a replica of his student, he saw a very pretty little girl standing beside Lord Wintercrest who was removing the cloak from her shoulders. Charles realized it wasn’t a child, but the lady of the manor. Besides a flush that moved up to color her face when she evidently realized they had a guest, Louisa didn’t speak or turn away. Edward handed both his coat and Louisa’s cloak to a waiting servant who made a small curtsy before taking them away. Only when Edward gave his wife a glance did she respond.
She dropped her own small curtsy and greeted their guest, “Good afternoon, Professor Lloyds.”
Charles finally managed to stand to his full height and found his voice. “Ummm, good afternoon, Lady Wintercrest, Lord Wintercrest.”
Edward nodded to him, but obviously felt no need to explain anything to the tutor he’d hired. Instead, Charles watched him look down at his small wife and spoke quietly but clearly as her eyes met his. “Go to your room, Louisa. I’ll be up in a moment to discuss how important it is to pay attention during services before tucking you into bed. Mrs. Bremmer will escort you while I check on Lucy’s progress.”
Louisa nodded and hurried out of the room followed up the stairs by Mrs. Bremmer.
Only when she was out of sight did Edward return his attention to Charles. “And how is our little student progressing, professor?”
Charles shook his head in an attempt to clear it and said, “She is doing very well, sir. I believe she will pass her exam; both today and tomorrow. She has worked extremely hard.”
Edward nodded and smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s nice to know our girl is quick to learn her lessons. I’ll allow you to continue. I need to attend to my wife, but I will return shortly and Lucy may take her test.” Charles simply nodded, not knowing how to respond. Both he and Lucy watched him climb the stairs before they turned to each other.
“Do you need another break, Miss Furniss?” Charles asked quietly seeing the flush on her face that was an exact image of the one that had colored her twin’s cheeks just a few moments earlier.
“No, sir,” Lucy said, shaking her head, her eyes already dropping back to the paper on the table.
Charles nodded and they were soon going over another set of equations. As she worked through the problems, Charles found himself listening for any sounds of distress from upstairs, but other than the sounds of servants moving about the house attending to their duties, he heard nothing. While Lucy’s pencil scratched along the paper, Charles allowed his mind to drift and consider how Lady Wintercrest had appeared even younger than she had when he was her professor. While still extremely beautiful, he found that he would describe her more as fetching or even sweet. She had looked years younger than her twin sister.
Charles considered himself an educated man, but he was discovering there obviously were some things he knew nothing about. He glanced over at his student and smiled seeing her concentrating on her paper, her tiny teeth nibbling on the end of her pencil. Her feet were crossed at the ankles and swinging slightly back and forth, a few inche
s above the floor. The women were both very tiny things weren’t they? While his student was an adult young woman, he suddenly found himself wondering how he would feel seeing Miss Furniss dressed identically to her sister. Once again he felt his face heating as a part of his anatomy twitched. He looked up the stairs as if he wished he could follow the lord and lady of the house and discover what was truly happening inside Wintercrest Manor. He might not be a lord or ever be thought of as a man of the world, but his earlier suspicions about Lord Wintercrest were growing. His musings were interrupted when Lucy spoke.
“I’m done, sir.”
Lucy’s voice had his attention returning to the reason why he was at Wintercrest. He saw she’d made a mistake and quickly reminded her of the proper order in which to solve complex equations. When she’d corrected the error, he praised her, “Very well done, Lucy… I mean, Miss Furniss. As I told your guardian, I truly believe you have nothing to fear.” He watched her relax and quickly made sure he had everything ready for her next quiz. Charles felt momentarily guilty when he found himself half hoping she’d miss at least a few problems. He instantly berated himself for his thoughts, knowing that if she did, her bottom was likely to pay a harsh price. Thinking of her bottom caused his face to flush and it was still red when Edward rejoined them.
Tactfully ignoring how flustered Charles was, Edward asked him to give his ward the test exactly as he would at the school the next day. Charles agreed and soon had Lucy sitting up straight in her chair, her pencil flat on her desk and her hands folded in her lap.
“You will have exactly one hour to take the exam. You will not be allowed to leave the room until the exam is over. I will remind you of the time remaining to you during the test. Remember to do the easy ones first and then tackle the harder ones. When you are done with the problems, check your answers if time permits. But most importantly, Lu… umm, Miss Furniss, remember to relax. You’ve worked very hard over the past few days. You know this material. Don’t panic. Simply work out each problem bit by bit.” He was pleased to see a bit of the tension dissipate as she gave him a nod and a shaky smile.
