by Maggie Ryan
“Make sure you sample the cheese course, Lord Huntington,” Lucy said with fake sweetness. “I’m sure a man such as yourself will find it most enjoyable.” Eleanor hid her amusement behind her wine glass as she saw Lucas look surprised. He recovered quickly and laughed, realizing the little kitten was calling him a rat.
“Thank you, kitten,” he said, smiling as he tipped his wine glass towards her in a salute. “I shall look forward to everything you have to offer.” He watched as her eyes flashed at him and her face turned as red as the wine in his glass. She finally dropped her gaze and Lucas shook his head in amusement before turning his attention to Eleanor.
As the meal progressed, Lucy was the sole object of Charles’ focus. She alternated between embarrassment when she saw Lucas watching her to embarrassment over how to properly respond to her Professor’s attention. By the time the meal was over, she felt exhausted. Charles pulled back her chair and again offered her his arm, which she took automatically.
“Perhaps I can persuade Edward to allow you another walk?” Charles said bending close to her ear. Evidently he had not spoken softly enough.
“As lovely as the outing sounds, I’m afraid you should not tempt our girl,” Lucas said, as he walked towards them. “I would offer to take on her duty myself, since I still feel rather guilty, but I’m positive my mending would not meet Mrs. Bremmer’s standard of excellence. Still, I suppose Lucille might be persuaded to take the risk, as she seems to enjoy putting herself in dangerous situations.” Charles looked confused while Lucy looked furious. Mrs. Bremmer shook her head, though she was amused at Lucas’ antics.
She quickly cleared the air: “Professor, what Lord Huntington is attempting to convey is that Lucille has mending to do. Lucille, go to the library and get started,” Anna ordered. “Professor Lloyds, perhaps you’d prefer to join the adults for a drink?” she suggested. Lucy felt both embarrassed and relieved. The day had contained too much newness for her. She had grown accustomed to strict schedules and rules. Though it had originally galled her to be forced to adhere to such strictness, she had discovered that her days had become filled with a calmness that was unfortunately now quickly leaving. Being surrounded by all these people, especially Lord Huntington, was confusing her and producing feelings that she didn’t know how to decipher.
“Yes, Ma’am,” she said almost gratefully, and slid her hand from Charles’ arm. “Thank you, Professor Lloyds,” she said. She saw Lucas behind Mrs. Bremmer; his incessant smile as he nibbled around a piece of cheese caused her blood to race. She knew he found her most amusing. Before she realized what she was doing, she once more placed her hand on Charles’ arm and looked up at him. “You were wonderfully kind at dinner, Sir. Perhaps you’ll be so kind to ask me again, Professor when I’ve not been made to pay for another’s mistake.” Charles was still confused but nodded immediately and smiled.
“You may count on it, Miss Furniss,” he promised. Anna rolled her eyes and took Lucy’s hand from Charles’ arm. Lucas chuckled thinking the kitten might believe she was playing with a rat, but might discover instead that he too had claws.
“We shall see what Lord Wintercrest decides, but for now, this little one needs to remember her place or chance going to bed with a hot bottom,” Anna said sternly. Lucy blushed as she remembered the hand that had connected again and again to her bottom. She couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes as she hurried to the library. She knew both men had heard the housekeeper’s words and she was scared that the woman just might decide to make sure they understood that Lucy was not an important guest in the house. Despite the fact that she was the guardian of Lord Wintercrest, in this house, she was nothing more than a little girl who should remember just how quickly she could be turned bottom-up over someone’s knee.
She picked up her dress and dropped onto the settee. She was soon busy working tiny stitches in the fabric to repair the ripped seam. As she stabbed the needle through the seam, she imagined it was that awful man’s skin, instead. She shouldn’t be sitting here mending a dress he had torn. She shouldn’t be sitting here at all. It was his fault that, instead of walking out with a wonderful man who obviously still wished to court her, she was made to do something she was quickly learning to absolutely despise. As she felt the needle stab into the pad of her finger, she moaned and put her finger into her mouth.
“Bloody hell,” she mumbled, sucking on the injury.
“Lucille!” she heard and instantly knew she was in deep trouble. She found herself being yanked up from the settee, her mending falling to the floor. She saw Lord Huntington standing behind the housekeeper and dropped her gaze. “Vulgar words are never to come from your mouth,” Anna said dragging the girl towards a nearby chair. Lucille understood her intention.
“Please, don’t,” she begged. “I…I didn’t mean to curse...I…I stabbed myself,” she attempted to explain, holding her finger out as if to provide evidence of her injury. Anna had no care what caused the misbehavior; she only cared to correct it. She was about to sit when Lucas stepped forward.
“Mrs. Bremmer, there is no need for this,” he said. His voice was no longer light or teasing. Lucy felt herself shiver at the absolute tone of authority in his voice. She felt Mrs. Bremmer stiffen beside her.
“Sir, it is my duty to correct this little one when she is naughty,” Anna said firmly, her pose stiffening at his objection. Lucas knew she felt he was questioning her authority. Lucas did not want to embarrass the woman, but he also had no intention of allowing her to turn Lucille over her knees for something that he still felt responsible for causing.
“I know, Miss Anna,” he said using a softer tone. “I agree vulgarity is not something any young girl should be allowed.” Anna was nodding with total agreement. “However,” he continued, “as I’ve taken responsibility for the dress, I find I can’t allow Lucille to be punished for my crime. My actions have already cost her an outing with the Professor as well as an injured finger. They shall not cost her a hot bottom as well.” Lucy’s heart stuttered in her chest realizing he was not going to allow Mrs. Bremmer to give her a spanking, but felt embarrassed at the directness of both his gaze and his words.
“Than…thank you, Sir,” Lucy said softly, her bottom relaxing from the clench that had begun the moment she was jerked to her feet. Lucas turned his eyes to hers.
“Don’t thank me yet, little kitten,” he said and watched as she flushed hotly. “You do not deserve to have your bottom roasted, but, young lady, you do deserve to have your mouth washed out.” Lucy’s mouth dropped open for an instant and then clamped tightly shut. Anna smiled and relaxed as she accepted his authority.
“I shall tend to it immediately, Sir,” Anna said, and tightening her grip on Lucy’s arm, began to pull her out of the library. Lucas watched them go and shook his head. He had returned to the library to retrieve a package meant for Edward. He picked it up from the table and then bent and picked up the dress. He set it once more on top of the sewing basket. He knew the girl would be returned to finish her task and knew she would be doing so with a squeaky clean mouth. He grimaced remembering the housekeeper’s soapy cloth in his own mouth when he was a young boy. He might have saved Lucy from a spanking that he knew she truly deserved, but feared any appreciation she might have had would disappear as her mouth was expertly cleansed by Anna. He was still thinking about the taste of soap bubbles when he returned to the front parlor to rejoin the others. Louisa, who was sitting very quietly next to her husband, looked at him closely. Though he gave the package to Edward and was thanked for the gift of fine cigars, Louisa knew Lucas’ mind was elsewhere. Even though she enjoyed the rare treat of being included in the after-dinner conversation, she wished she could go find Lucille. Something had happened, and Louisa feared it was not something pleasant.
While the others conversed in the parlor, Lucy was returned to the solitude of the library and pressed back down onto the settee and the dress placed back into her hands. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the shee
n of tears from her eyes. Her bottom might have been spared, but her mouth and tongue were burning. Mrs. Bremmer had dragged her into the kitchen and scolded the entire time she scrubbed out Lucy’s naughty mouth. Lucy was soon gagging and spitting, as bubbles frothed from her lips. Mrs. Bremmer washed her mouth two additional times before releasing the girl, not caring that several kitchen staff witnessed the cleansing.
“You might think you were saved, young lady,” Anna said, as she escorted the girl back to the library. “However, tomorrow you will apologize to Lord Huntington and your guardian. I will not have any guests in this house think we allow little girls to speak as if they were raised in a gutter. Do not make me remind you to do as I say,” she warned. “If I have to do so, I promise you, your mouth will not be the next part of your anatomy that is filled with soap!” Though Lucille wasn’t clear on what the housekeeper meant by that statement, she simply nodded her head.
“Yes, Ma’am, I’m so sorry to have embarrassed you,” Lucy apologized. Anna nodded and waited until Lucy was busy working on her mending before turning away.
“Have that done quickly, Lucille; your bedtime is only a short while away,” Anna reminded her.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Lucy said, blinking fast and moving her fingers as fast as possible as she worked the needle through the dress. She grimaced each time she swallowed, swearing she could still taste the horrid soap coating her tongue and throat. When Molly entered to tell her it was time for bed, Lucy had just finished snipping the thread. She stood and folded the dress neatly before putting in on the settee. She knew Mrs. Bremmer would inspect the dress and decide if her work met her own high standards. She followed Molly up the stairs, not even aware of the voices coming from the front parlor. She was so embarrassed and so tired that all she wanted was to crawl into her bed. Within minutes of slipping between her cool sheets, Lucy had her doll clutched to her chest as she fell into sleep.
Chapter 6
Edward kissed his own little one good night when Mrs. Bremmer entered the parlor. Once the girl had left them, the men accepted glasses of brandy from Eleanor and lit their cigars. Charles was a bit concerned that the conversation obviously was going to include Edward’s houseguest. He forced himself to straighten in his chair. If he was suitable material for the position of Headmaster, he could certainly converse about what was necessary. He would simply pretend that Lord Huntington was the patron of one of his future students.
“Tell me, Charles,” Edward said making himself comfortable in his chair. “How have you enjoyed your schooling?” Charles could not stop a smile from crossing his lips.
“It has been very educational, Edward,” Charles said. “I can’t thank you or Eleanor enough for the opportunity.” Eleanor smiled and reached out to pat his arm.
“Edward, Charles is a wonderful student. He has already captured the heart of many of my little ones. He is a very quick learner as well,” Eleanor said with a smile. Edward smiled and saw Lucas sitting forward in his chair out of Charles’ line of sight. “Tell Edward about your first experience with the cane,” Eleanor suggested.
Charles felt his face flush just a bit at the memory. He had spent every day from breakfast until bedtime at Eleanor’s school. He had been astonished that not only such a school truly did exist, but that Eleanor’s students were all beautiful young women who were being taught how to be obedient and absolutely submissive to their future husbands. He had seen paddlings, strappings, switchings and even a birching during his time there. He considered Eleanor a highly refined woman, but came to realize she was absolutely wicked when it came to dishing out discipline. She had one simple rule and enforced it every moment of every day. Naughty little girls were not coddled. Naughty little girls were bent over, divested of their drawers and had their bottoms roasted until they were truly contrite. What had amazed Charles the most, though, was that after causing such discomfort to a little one’s bottom, Eleanor was just as quick to offer words of encouragement, as she gently wiped tears off the flushed cheeks of her charges’ sorrowful faces. Charles had witnessed each punished girl wrapping her arms around Eleanor and begging for her forgiveness, making promises to be better behaved. Though the air often rang with the sounds of cries or pleas for mercy not given as naughty bottoms were strictly corrected, the air also sounded with laughter and giggles. It had all led to his being advised that it was time he demonstrated what he had learned.
*******
“Our little Willamena was warned earlier this week that if she didn’t improve her attitude, she’d end the week with a sound caning. If you are accepted for the position of Headmaster, Charles, administering the cane will be your responsibility. Do you feel properly prepared?” Eleanor asked, as they discussed it in her office. Charles felt his heart beat faster, but realized he was no longer nervous at the thought.
“I shall do my best,” he said, and smiled. “Of course, I would appreciate any instructions you deem necessary, so that the poor child will feel properly chastised.”
“Believe me, Charles, a caning makes a fine impression on a small bottom, regardless who wields the rod. Give her twelve of your best strokes just as you practiced earlier. I’m sure that by the time you release Willamena, she will have learned a lesson, regardless of your expertise,” Eleanor assured him as she smiled. Charles nodded and stood when she did. In his youth, he knew the count of a half-dozen strokes was used to correct a young man’s misbehavior. Eleanor, he had learned, did not follow normal standards. Any girl under her authority that earned correction deserved to be completely and very thoroughly disciplined, whether it be by a hand or, as this moment demanded, a cane. As she walked to the door to usher her student inside, Charles remembered how it had felt to use the cane against a pillow Eleanor had placed upon a chair for him to use for practice. He looked at a large urn where several canes stood ready for use.
“Willamena, you may come in now,” Charles heard Eleanor say. He turned to watch as a young woman entered the room, her steps slow and hesitant. He was surprised to see that this woman was older than most of Eleanor’s students. He knew most of her girls came to her at just a few months before or after reaching their majority. While most of the girls were betrothed upon their enrollment, Charles discovered that a select few chose the school for themselves. He was learning that for some inexplicable reason, those women simply understood that they wished to live their lives in submission and obedience to dominant men. They trusted Miss Summers to place them in homes where their wishes could be fulfilled by men she had carefully selected.
As for the woman before him, Willamena appeared to be at least three or four years older than her sister students. Eleanor took the young woman’s arm and guided her to stand in front of Charles. The girl would not look up, her eyes remaining glued to the tips of her boots.
“Professor Lloyds,” Eleanor said using his title to evoke his authority over the poor girl. “This is Willamena Johansson. She comes to us already wed for two years. Her husband has enrolled her with us as he attends to business matters out of the country. It seems that Willamena was quick to forget her place without his presence in the past. She was often seen in the most expensive shops as she recklessly spent her Papa’s hard-earned money. Isn’t that correct, Willamena?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” the girl said softly, as Charles watched her face turn pink and her hands twist together.
“Though I’m sure her Papa taught her the error of her ways once he received the bills, Baron Johansson decided the best place for her in his absence is under my care. He left strict instructions as to her discipline. I fear Willamena needs a very sound lesson to remind her that, married or not, her behavior is to reflect her station as a proper young lady,” Eleanor explained.
The young woman stiffened slightly. “Please, Ma’am…you can’t…” the young woman began but was cut off immediately by Eleanor.
“You’ll discover that I most certainly can, young lady,” Eleanor said firmly. “Did you not promise your husband you’d
behave under our care?” The girl gave a slight nod of her head. “Correct,” Eleanor said. “Do you believe your husband would approve of your behavior, Willamena? You have been manipulative and argumentative all week. You have also received several warnings as well as spankings and yet have chosen to remain stubborn and arrogant. What would the Baron do if you behaved like this under his roof?” Eleanor asked.
Willamena shuffled her feet, her hands now twisting in the fabric of her skirt, which Charles noticed was of the proper length for married women. He realized he would not have been able to pick the girl as a student due to the simple manner of her clothing and her hairstyle, both of which were of the latest fashion. If she were not standing in front of him, her eyes lowered and with her guilty manner, he would have assumed she was a guest of Eleanor’s, not a student subject to her authority and discipline.
“I asked you a question, Baroness,” Eleanor said, and Charles heard the woman give a soft sob. The woman finally lifted her eyes and met Eleanor’s.
“Please, Miss Summers, I…I’m sorry. I…I just feel so silly among your students. I…I mean, I am a Baroness!” Willamena said, her voice showing her shock at her situation. Eleanor smiled and reached out to trace her finger down the woman’s cheek where the first tear had finally fallen.
“Ah, little one, you are not the only titled student I’ve had in my school. Many a lady, duchess, and other women of your station have benefitted from being under my roof. Your title does not matter here, nor does it exempt you from necessary punishment. All men expect their little ones to behave, most especially those that have had years of lessons at their husband’s feet. If you choose not to do so, you give me no choice but to follow your Papa’s instructions. As a Baroness, Willamena, you should set a proper example for your sisters. They look to you for guidance and having a childish tantrum during class is not the sort of lesson they need to learn, is it?” Eleanor said softly.
