She’d had half a mind to disobey his order about packing, but she knew that he’d been telling the truth. If she hadn’t done it she would have left with nothing.
He’d returned in exactly one hour. The packing wasn’t half done but he’d ordered the bags closed and loaded onto the carriage. Then he’d handed Belinda inside and sat opposite from her. He’d remained silent until their exchange just moments ago.
They stopped for food at an inn, and Belinda knew they were nearing Bath. They didn’t speak during the meal, and after Jonathan had helped her back into the carriage she heard the driver say they’d be at their destination in two more hours.
After eating, she wondered how she could get out of what was about to happen. It would be easier if she knew what was about to happen. She was sure that whatever it was, she wouldn’t be happy about it.
Two hours later, the carriage rolled through the gates of a country estate.
“Where are we?” she whispered.
“At my country home. It was a gift from my father. I told you, Belinda, I am not without resources.”
“Why are we here?” She hated places like this. They were so far away from civilization. If she decided to run during the middle of the night it would take her forever to get anywhere; and what devilry would she face on the road as she ran from the man who was supposed to be her protector?
A little voice in her mind told her she had no one to blame but herself, but she didn’t want to believe it. She wanted to blame him for everything. It was all his fault, not hers. He was the one trying to take control of her life.
“To teach you some manners.”
“Jonathan…”
“I realize you don’t like me, Belinda, and that you’re angry with me about your spankings. But you can’t say what you said the other night and not expect some reaction from me.” At least he sounded calmer now. “There are consequences.”
“Did you bring me out here to beat me?”
“No. I don’t beat women. I did bring you out here to spank you, yes. But it is obvious to me that spankings alone will not do as I planned. So I’ve devised a few more punishments that will, hopefully, teach you a lesson. When we’re done, we’ll go back to London and spend a respectable amount of time together to allow my reputation to recover. Then, I will release you from your obligation.”
“How many is a few?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to that, but it was something that needed to be asked.
“How ever many I think it takes.”
“That’s your answer to everything,” she said.
“Then why do you ask when you already know the answer?”
* * *
Jonathan wanted to spank her right now, but he knew that his anger was still too fresh. He needed to get a grip on his feelings. Then he could take her over his knee. First things, first, though. He needed to make sure that she knew who was the boss in this situation.
They stood in his bedroom, her hands were on her hips and fury was in her eyes. It almost made him laugh.
“I want my own room.”
“Sorry, Belinda, but I am unable to accommodate your request. You will stay in here, with me.”
“So you can prove me wrong? I told you you’d never touch me in that manner.”
“No, I have no intention of having sex with you. You being here will simply allow me to keep an eye on you, the whole time we are here. Now, take your clothing off to your corset.”
“I thought you said you didn’t want me that way.” Belinda flashed him a coy look.
“What I want is for you to be somewhat uncomfortable, as I have been since last night. Shall I call in a maid, or will you do it yourself?”
“I am quite able to undo my own clothing.” She undid her stays and stepped out of her dress. When she was down to her corset and stockings, she reached to undo the laces on the stockings.
“Stop. That is far enough.” He clenched his hands into fists. “Do you see that corner over there?”
He pointed to a corner he’d ordered cleared of everything. When she nodded, he smiled.
“Walk to it and stand there, with your face turned toward the wall.”
“You can’t be serious. You expect me to stand in the corner, like a child?”
“If you act like a child you’ll be treated like one. I would rather spank you right now but you wouldn’t want that. My anger is still too raw. Believe me, you will thank me for this small punishment.”
“And if I refuse?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I wouldn’t, if I were you.”
Several emotions flittered across her face. Then she threw up her hands in disgust and walked to the corner, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“Stand up straight, hands locked together behind you.”
“Jonathan!”
“Now!”
She complied. Jonathan stood still for a few moments, to make sure she would do as he said. Then he began to unpack the bag he’d brought upstairs. Soft crying sounds soon filled the room.
“Cry all you want, Belinda. You brought this on yourself.”
After he was done unpacking the bag, he sat in a chair and watched her. Twenty minutes passed, then twenty-five. She started to prance, moving from one foot to another.
“Uncomfortable?”
“Yes. I need to move.”
“Not yet. Stand still, or I’ll lengthen the time.”
After thirty minutes, he called her toward him.
“Do you see the items on the bed? Go over there and pick two.”
She didn’t look at them, instead she rubbed her shoulders, which he was sure ached from being held in the same position for too long.
“Why?”
“The two you pick will be the ones I use to spank you while were here. Choose wisely, Belinda, or I will choose for you.”
* * *
Belinda stared at him. She couldn’t believe what he’d just said.
“Take me back to London.” She strode to the door and pulled on the knob. It didn’t give, though. The cretin had locked it.
“Very well, I will choose for you.” He stood and walked toward the bed. She hurried after him, tension gripping her stomach. No one had ever treated her this way before. She’d always managed to be on top in every relationship she’d ever been in. She’d even cajoled Melbourne into giving her trinkets he couldn’t afford. She realized too late they were things he had taken from his wife. She’d realized too late that he was not only stealing from Clarissa, but other people he knew. Still, she loved him. She couldn’t help but love him, even after everything came out about him.
“Choose, Lady Brat.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why? You continue to act like it. It’s only fitting.”
She lowered her gaze to the bed and gasped at the items she saw. Lethal looking canes and straps of leather. He meant to use these on her? He wouldn’t dare!
“No, I won’t.”
“Fine. I select this.” He picked up the riding crop and held it in front of her face. “And, let’s see. How about…”
“No! I’ll do it.” She quickly grabbed the hairbrush and the short piece of leather that looked less lethal than its brothers. “Use these if you must be a brute.”
“Very well, the three of them will do nicely.”
“You said two!” She reached for the crop and he pulled it away from her.
“You were too slow, so we’ll go with the three.”
“You can’t do this to me.”
“Did you think about what you could or couldn’t do last night when you told everyone near you I was impotent?”
“I will make it right, I promise. Please.” She crowded close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She traced her lips along his chin. “Please.”
“As attractive as your offer is, I’m afraid I must decline.” He put his hands on her hips and gently pushed her backwards. “Go to bed, Lady Brat. The harsher punishments start in the m
orning.”
* * *
Belinda cuddled into the hard chest next to her. It had been so long since she’d woken up next to a man that she’d forgotten how wonderful it felt. She glanced down and blushed. Her statements about Barton had been erroneous. He wasn’t impotent. In fact, he was quite impressive.
She ran her hand down his chest toward his morning erection. She was inches away from her goal when his hand grabbed hers and stopped her progress.
“That’s not why we’re here, Lady Brat.”
“But I can help you with it.” She tried to pull her hand from his grasp.
“Thank you, but no.”
“Do you not want me because of my past?”
“Who said I didn’t want you?”
She sat up and stared at him.
“If you want me, why won’t you let me touch you?”
“Because, Lady Brat, we’re here because of your behavior. If I wanted only to bed you, we could have stayed in London.”
“Then you’re going to spank me now?” Her voice quivered.
“Not just yet. Part of the punishment is waiting for it, not exactly knowing when your spanking is coming. I may use the implements we picked, or I may not. I may spank you several times a day, or I may only do it once. You won’t know what is going to happen, or when it is going to happen. I will.”
“You must hate me with all your being.”
“On the contrary, Belinda, I find you quite appealing. On the other hand, I find your behavior quite appalling.”
“So if my behavior were better?”
“Tell me, Belinda, have you always been a brat?”
Oh how she hated that word! “That is none of your business. And I’m not a brat!” She leaned down to slap his chest. He grabbed her wrist and quickly turned her so she was flat on her back, and he on top of her.
“You are, and you know it. Tell me when it started.”
“Get off me!” She put up a halfhearted effort to push him off, then quickly lifted her lips toward his. He pulled away just before they met, and at that time there was a knock on the door.
“Come!”
“No, get off me!” She struggled in vain. Who else was here? Were the Ellingtons here? The Essexes? The McIntyres? Or, worse yet, Clarissa and Andrew? “Please, don’t let whoever it is come in!”
Belinda peered over his shoulder to see a man walk into the room.
“Milord. Welcome home.”
“Thank you, Mathias.”
“Milady.” He nodded at Belinda, who crouched down further. “Will you want breakfast here, or in the morning room, sir?”
“The morning room will be fine,” Jonathan replied. “We’ll be down shortly.”
“Yes, sir.” The man called Mathias left, and Belinda collapsed under Jonathan.
“I can’t believe you let him in while we are still in bed.”
Jonathan laughed.
“I need a maid.”
He stood and walked toward the end of the bed. Belinda feasted her eyes on his erection, which still rode hard against his stomach.
He pulled on a robe and opened the door to shout for the maid. When the young girl entered, he smiled.
“Help Lady Brat into her corset and stockings.” He turned to Belinda. “You may wear that, and a robe to breakfast. If you have other clothing on, I will be displeased.”
He left the room before she could respond. She lifted the pillow and screamed into it. Then she dropped it and, to her surprise, she laughed. No man had ever, ever told her what to do. She found that she almost liked it. Jonathan made her heart beat faster, and made her quim quiver. She might still hate him, technically, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t explore a new facet of their relationship, if she could talk him into it.
She hugged the pillow and sighed. She knew that offering herself would only seem like a bribe to him. She didn’t want him to think that of her. For the first time in her life she wanted to go to bed with a man because she wanted to, not because she wanted to see what she could get out of him in the way of gifts or trinkets.
But she was at a loss on how to do that. Maybe if she tried hard enough, Barton would come to the realization that she wasn’t a bad person, and he would make the first move. She just had to behave herself. And she had to take his punishments, which she knew she had coming to her.
Chapter 7
Jonathan took a bite of his breakfast and glanced at Belinda. Something was different about her this morning. She wasn’t as angry with him as she’d been last night. And she wasn’t trying to wheedle her way out of the upcoming spankings. Instead, she was calmly eating breakfast and drinking her tea. She was even wearing the clothing he’d demanded.
He swallowed a sip of his own tea and pursed his lips.
“You seem to have slept well,” he said. “Pray why would that be?”
“I did. You make a wonderful pillow.” She had her teacup cradled in her hands.
“Indeed? Well, I’m glad I could be of assistance.” He smiled at her, and then took another bite of eggs. It could be a ruse, of course. She could be trying to get out of the punishments. And, truthfully, if she continued on this way she just might be successful.
But then he thought about her words, not only toward Clarissa but now aimed toward him.
“Jonathan. I’m sorry for what I said. I know I can’t take it back, and I know it embarrassed you and made you a laughing stock. I hope you forgive me.”
“I accept your apology, Lady Brat. But it doesn’t change things.”
“I understand.” She shook her head and bit her lip.
Jonathan sat back in his chair and narrowed his eyes.
“Why the change of heart?”
“I just wanted you to know that.” She bit her lip.
“What are you scheming?”
“How could I scheme? I’m not even sure where we are.”
“You’re up to something.” Jonathan pushed back from the table.
“Can’t I be nice to you without you being suspicious?”
“No.”
He watched her face drop and felt a twinge of guilt. He quickly washed it away. She’d felt no guilt when she’d informed everyone that her protector had not tried to have sex with her, and therefore must be impotent.
“I had planned on a ride through the countryside this morning, but since it’s raining, I think we’ll postpone it until tomorrow. Let us go back upstairs.”
He noticed her hands were not shaking as they had been. She put her napkin on the table and stood.
“Very well.”
“I must say, Lady Brat, you’re taking this very well.” Too well. Something was up, he was sure of that. But getting the true details out of her would be difficult. He knew her well enough to know she would say anything, whether it truth or lie, to her own advantage.
“I am truly sorry. I want you to know that by my actions.” Her voice cracked just a bit, and he was sure she truly was sorry. But he couldn’t back down. Or could he? Was there a different way to get her to open up to him, to realize she couldn’t keep acting as she did?
If he changed his mind would she behave here, but act like a brat again once they got to London? She’d mentioned that he made a good pillow. That meant, to him, that she was attracted to him. One way he knew to punish her would bring him pleasure. Would that be the best way?
He wasn’t totally sure, but he would give it try, see what sort of reaction he would get from her. But he had to keep up appearances until he had her in position.
“Are you ready for your first spanking, then?”
He studied her carefully. It took a few moments for her to answer, as if she were trying to decide what to say, exactly. Finally, she nodded.
She walked up the stairs in front of him, and when they were inside his bedroom, he could see her nervousness.
“Tell me, Lady Brat, why you’re being punished.”
“For saying things that hurt others.”
“Why do you do that?”
Jonathan watched her carefully; when she hung her head he thought she was crying. Then she lifted defiant eyes to him and violently shook her head back and forth.
“That’s none of your business. Let’s just get it over with.”
* * *
Why, indeed?
Belinda grasped the footboard of the bed as Jonathan instructed. To her surprise he didn’t tell her to bend over. She watched as he crossed to the reticule he’d brought and took out two lengths of long material. She’d been tied to a bed before, so she wasn’t shocked by the idea. She supposed he thought it was right, because it would keep her in place for his promised spanking. But that didn’t mean she liked the idea.
Still, she’d promised herself she would not put up a fight. It would do her no good In fact, it would make things worse. She felt naked, even though she wore her corset and stockings, her behind was bare.
The word why kept spinning through her mind. She often wondered when she’d become so adapt at being hateful to others. Years of musings had allowed her to pinpoint the exact time, but she had never told anyone else, and she didn’t intend to start now.
After the first time, being a bitch to people came much easier. She’d never felt good about it, but she’d never been able to stop, either.
She needed to watch herself right now, because she was afraid he would pull the truth out of her, and that would not be a good thing.
“What are you thinking about?” Jonathan’s voice was low.
Don’t tell him the truth, don’t tell him the truth, don’t tell him the truth.
“That you’re an asshole!”
She didn’t expect him to chuckle. “Such words from a lady. Tell me, Brat, what caused you to change your mind? At breakfast it almost seemed as if you liked me. Now I’m an asshole again. I have to tell you it hurts my feelings.”
“I’m good at acting,” she said. “How do you think I’ve survived all these years?”
“Sooner or later you’re going to have to talk to me, Belinda.”
“Why? Just get it over with!”
“This isn’t just about spanking. The spankings are a means to an end. Hopefully, they’ll open you up enough that we’ll find the root of the problem, and solve it.”
His Lady Brat Page 8
