by Susan Thomas
"Carol you can go up but Unity I don't think..."
"No desire to Jack, no desire at all. I've seen enough spanked bottoms to last me my lifetime and you Romeo are most definitely not seeing her until she is dressed again. Don't worry Jack I think it's probably for the best."
Erin in her corner with her hands on her head and her bottom still burning and throbbing after her spanking couldn't help wondering at her situation. In one way she had a lot of status in Jack's business having learnt very quickly, and already not a trainee but a valued member of staff. In addition she was leading some new ventures which everyone was excited about. In other respects she was a student whose work was monitored and a teenager whose bottom could be and was spanked. This was in itself bewildering but added to that, the change of country and culture, the rapid transition from star schoolgirl and the fact she had never been spanked until she came here and it was all a lot to absorb.
Her aunt came in and clucked sympathetically at the sight of her bottom. She took Erin out of the corner and hugged her and Erin burst into tears all over again. Carol helped her to get dressed and wash her face and after a while they went down Erin flying into the arms of Josh. The three adults gave them a little privacy to hug each other and Unity said, "We are going to have to do something about those two. They seem to be more than love struck teenagers to me. I have a feeling they may be that real thing, a couple made for each other."
Later after Unity and Josh had departed Jack made Erin sit down (on a cushion) and write her letter of apology. It required careful drafting because Erin wasn't apologising for some things at all.
Dear Mr Whittle
While I was a guest in your house you gave a report to your family, and therefore incidentally to me, about the beating of a neighbour. I interrupted your report with a loud and intemperate outburst which as a guest I had no right to make. If worried about what happened I should, of course, have asked your opinion and for the benefit of your experience in such matters.
For my failure of good manners I apologise.
Yours sincerely
Erin Bilsborrow
It grated on her to have to write but it did give some opportunity for a form of reconciliation for Josh and she guessed she had actually been rude especially as she now knew Mr Whittle himself would not have done that. It begged the question though as to whether he was really trying to provoke her.
The next morning she got a shock because her uncle told her she was going to visit the Whittles and hand over the letter herself.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes Erin you do."
Whatever he might have been feeling, Mr Whittle invited them all in and Mrs Whittle brought coffee.
"Now then Brother Whittle," began Pastor Jones, "we have come about the problem involving Erin here and your son Joshua."
"So Erin have you come to your senses and agree to take your chastisement from me?"
"No Brother Whittle, I have to say that Pastor Franks and I are in agreement that you had and have no right to chastise Erin especially as you made no attempt to contact her uncle or aunt. She was a guest in your house and had you felt she was in need of corporal correction your first step should have been them. After prayer I gave my advice to the family that Erin was at fault. Her outburst was a breach of her duties as a good guest but not her revulsion at what was done and I know that you would not have beaten Joshua in that way. That she was rude is clear. Brother Jack over to you."
"Pastor Jones has made the matter very clear to me and last night for that error alone she was soundly spanked with one of our church paddles. She stood afterwards for a time of penance in the corner of her bedroom. Erin you have something for Brother Whittle."
"Yes sir, I am sorry and have written a short letter of apology."
Mr Whittle sat and read her letter carefully before speaking. "It is my opinion that Erin's outburst betrays a rebellious outlook. She challenges God's Holy Writ and the church. The moderate spanking I would have administered would have been a warning to her to reconsider her ways. It is in my opinion not merely a matter of good or bad manners. Humble yourself girl as a good Christian girl should. However, I bow to the judgement you have given me. I understand from my son that he wishes to remain where he is, but my wife is distraught at the breach. Joshua has made clear to me that he wishes to stand by Erin and will not break from her. I think he should end their relationship but he will not obey me. I saw what Unity's departure did to our family and I will not have that repeated, in which case at the very least Joshua and Erin must visit regularly."
"There must be no further attempt to chastise her." Pastor Jones sounded very firm on this point.
"No I agree to refer any sinful behaviour to her uncle."
After some discussion Erin agreed to ask Josh if they could spend one Sunday a month with his family to begin with. Pastor Jones and her uncle shook hands with him but he didn't proffer his hand to her. Later talking it over with Josh he seemed somewhat relieved that he would get to see his mom and brother and sisters and if Erin was OK with it then so was he. The next day to his surprise his father came to see Unity. They had a long talk and after he discovered his father would continue to pay for college and give him an allowance. Unity looked stunned that her brother had come to see her though it was no warm meeting. He still regarded her as a rebellious sinner apparently. His aunt thought it was probably pride which dictated his actions but there was no doubt in Josh's mind that his father was a complex man.
Erin tried simply to get on with her work for her uncle and her college work. She felt she had enough of emotional trauma and wanted to focus now. She put her head down and worked very hard after her return from the Whittle house and that continued all week. It was Friday afternoon and she was stripping an engine down under Arni Baasch's direction - it was teaching rather than work - when Jack walked in.
"Hey boss, this girl's great with an engine, a real natural."
"Can you spare her Arni?"
"Sure, we can do this another time Erin."
"Go get cleaned up Erin then come to my office."
"Am I in trouble Uncle Jack?"
He laughed. "No Erin, I need you that's all."
Five minutes later she was sat in his office.
"I can't leave, I have a customer coming soon. Rhoda McWilliams rang. Pete is stuck in traffic and can't pick Louise up and she is picking up the younger ones. She asked if I would do it as Carol is engaged but I can't, so will you."
The McWilliams, of course were Jack and Carol's neighbours on the other side and Louise their eldest daughter. Erin arrived at the school just in time for picking up. Louise was normally very reserved with Erin. She was exceptionally shy with braces and prone to blushing. She looked very miserable indeed and Erin's heart went out to her.
"Sorry it's me and not your dad Louise, he's stuck in traffic apparently. Bad day?"
"Very."
"Oh dear, fallen out with friends?"
Louise blushed and looked very uncomfortable.
"You don't have to tell me, it's just sometimes telling someone helps. This time last year I was still at school don't forget."
"I got paddled today."
She said it so softly Erin didn't quite hear her.
"Pardon?"
"I got three swats with the paddle. It really hurt."
"Oh dear, what on earth did you do?"
"Nothing. Some girls were fighting and I just happened to be there and Miss Craic didn't believe it was nothing to do with me. She never listens to anyone, she is horrible."
Erin did a voice impression of her old headmistress. "You are all young ladies and must distance yourself from unseemly behaviour or become associated."
Louise laughed, the first time she had seemed even remotely cheerful. "Was that one of your teachers?"
"My old headmistress. Do you mind telling me how it's done? I'm new around here don't forget."
"OK, well we all had to go to Mrs Szyszkowki's office. She does al
l the paddling for the girls. We had to wait outside and go in one by one. Then she doesn't lecture or anything she just says, 'Bend over, hands on knees and hold that position.' And then she just hits your butt hard with that big paddle. It really, really hurts. I got three but the two girls who started it got five each. They were crying after, I managed not to cry but it was hard."
"I know it's tough getting paddled for something you didn't do but at least it is over now."
"But it isn't is it! I shall get spanked by Daddy. We have a strict rule, 'spanked at school spanked at home' - as soon as he finds out I am for it."
"That sounds a bit tough."
"Well everyone at school is the same. Hardly anyone doesn't get spanked at home. I think there are three kids in my class who don't, two girls and that nerd Stuart who wouldn't do anything wrong anyway. We talked about it after and all of us thought we would get spanked at home again."
Erin thought she had got to grips with the corporal punishment in this community but she realized she had it wrong, there was a whole new dimension to it and it raised a whole load of other questions in her mind as to what else there might be. She dropped Louise off and went in because Jack had given her the rest of the time off.
Her aunt had just finished with the members of her church wives group (which is why she couldn't go for Louise) and after the last had gone Erin told her about Louise, "Will she really get spanked at home auntie?"
"Oh sure she will. I think Pete will give her twelve swats with the paddle on her bare rear end of course, that is quite enough."
Erin wished she only got twelve but kept that to herself. Instead she began to think about her friends. Had they got the paddle at school? Did they then get spanked at home? If she had been at school here and had been paddled, would her uncle have spanked her? It was Friday and her bottom was still marked from last Sunday's spanking though fading fast it was true. She seemed to lurch from one spanking to another and now it was going to get tougher apparently and to top it all she and Josh had to spend the day with the Whittles on Sunday. She'd have to be very careful because Mr Whittle would surely try to get some reason to ask her Uncle Jack to spank her.
She sighed. Being a girl at home around here wasn't easy. Everything and everyone was so strict. If she was married she couldn't get spanked now, could she? Then a nasty thought struck her. Was that really true? She thought of Mr Whittle. She had a nasty feeling that man would spank his wife, so did other men? Could she ask her aunt ... would she really dare do that? If she did marry Josh (she blushed even though she was only thinking and no one could see her) would he expect to spank her?
She suddenly realized that she hadn't yet really understood this whole community at all.
Chapter 11
Erin was helping her aunt in the kitchen to get the evening meal ready. Jack wasn't yet home and although she was thinking about poor Louise next door, she suddenly she felt it was the right moment to ask a difficult question.
"Auntie, do some men spank their wives in this community?"
Her aunt stopped working and sighed heavily. "Oh dear I hoped you would never ask that question."
She carried on working and Erin asked, "Are you going to answer?"
Another sigh. "Yes I am, the truth is some do. Now it is not preached by our church and is not even officially supported by the church, but some do. I think probably about twenty per cent of the congregation's couples live that sort of life style. Max, the assistant pastor counsels them and gives them guidelines. I expect some of the other churches are much more in favour. It wouldn't surprise me about the church the Whittles go to but I don't know as I don't have anything to do with them."
"Auntie does Uncle Jack..."
"Lord love you child, your Uncle Jack is far too soft to do that. Mark you, the man has toughened up a fair bit since we took you in. I don't know what kind of a father he would have been. Probably a little girl would have wound him around her finger but you coming in as a teenager … well, he is gradually getting there. Not that there haven't been times when I rather wished he would..." She broke off dreamily looking into far space with a wistful expression on her face.
"Auntie, whatever are you saying!"
Carol abruptly came back down to earth. "Oh Erin you are so young yet, I can't really explain but perhaps when you are married... No I think that I will stop right there."
Erin looked at her aunt's bright red flustered face and wisely decided to probe no more but right there was another example of how she had really failed to understand the strangeness of this community at least compared to her home in Lancashire. No wonder her parents hadn't been keen on her coming here; they must have known much more than they let on.
It had been agreed that on Sunday she would pick up Josh and they would drive over to his parents' farm and they would all attend church together. When she pulled up, Josh wasn't quite ready and Unity came out for a quiet word.
"Now look Erin, I know my brother promised not to chastise you, as he puts it, but don't forget he will refer 'sin' to your uncle. He will be looking for sin my girl, positively itching to trap you in some way so he can condemn and put your uncle in the position of having to spank you. Be Little Miss Butterwontmelt whatever you do."
Erin thanked her and the whole day loomed like an eternity in front of her and one fraught with opportunities to be declared 'sinful' and reported to her uncle. Once again she surreptitiously took notes in the sermon but played games with fractions and percentages during the long tedious hymns.
The meal was excellent although the atmosphere terribly stiff, though Erin noticed everyone was attentive to Josh. As before Mr Whittle began to ask his children questions about the sermon. Abigail got a simple question which after a moment's hesitation she got right. Then it was Sarah's turn.
"Sarah what significance did you draw from our preacher's use of James 4 verse 7?"
"Oh Papa that is showing us that we cannot say the devil made us do it. If we say no, then Papa the devil will flee from us so we must study the scriptures hard to know what is wrong and what is right."
"Very good Sarah it seems that your last chastisement was taken to heart."
"Oh yes Papa," she replied meekly (suspiciously meekly in Erin's view). "I took the lesson very much to heart."
When he had looked away Sarah gave Erin a quick glance and winked. Erin stifled a smile. Now he turned to Ruth with the air of man turning to a most reliable source.
"Ruth, would you like to explain what else may be made of that verse?"
To Erin's surprise Ruth's face turned bright red and her eyes began to well up with tears. "Oh Papa I am so sorry but I must confess my mind wandered today and I cannot answer your question."
Erin saw that Mr Whittle was genuinely shocked and surprised. He had not for a moment expected that and Mrs Whittle was the same. In fact glancing around the table Erin realized that Ruth must normally be the class swot.
"I know I must be chastised Papa, shall I go to the parlour after our meal?"
"Yes we will indeed." He sounded hurt rather than angry.
"Erin, perhaps you can help Ruth on that point."
"Yes Sir I believe I may be able to. I felt that in many ways the scripture, and in fact the whole sermon, was directed at me." Erin was trying hard not to look at Josh's face. "The whole sermon was of course about pride and its deleterious effects on our spiritual life. That particular scripture though is about submission. We must place ourselves voluntarily under the proper authority - of course ultimately the proper authority is our Heavenly Father but acting for him are such people as our parents, pastors and church elders. Pride prevents submission and as both you and Pastor Jones have pointed out, I have had far too much of that."
Erin tried very hard not to look at Josh or Sarah, both of whom might have set her giggling but Mr Whittle's face was a study. He looked utterly stunned and it took him a while to reply.
"Erin, I always thought you had the makings of a good Christian girl but in
deed you are right. Pride stood in your way. Now praise the Lord for already you are learning fast. Perhaps the spanking your uncle gave you has helped break through that stubborn pride. Well done indeed."
After the meal they cleared up and then Mr Whittle asked Josh to take Caleb off and Caleb was keen to go. The four girls and Mr and Mrs Whittle then trooped solemnly into the parlour where Ruth went to a cupboard and removed a strap.
"No Ruth I shall not use the strap. You are normally a very good girl and I know you have much on your mind at present so I shall only use the paddle. Please put the strap away and retrieve the paddle for me."
Ruth thanked her father for his leniency but Erin made a vow that she would never spank any child of hers for not paying attention in a sermon whatever their age or gender.
Ruth calmly lifted her dress to reveal panties even more boring than those Sarah had revealed when being spanked. Erin wondered if they were home made because she couldn't imagine any company making such things. In the same manner used by Sarah, revealing familiarity born of long experience Ruth took her panties off and handed them to her mother. She seemed terribly calm and lacking in resentment. Erin wondered if this was the submission to authorities that Mr Whittle expected. Would he regard her as having made it as a 'good Christian girl' if she allowed him to spank her in this way? If so she had no intention of doing so.
Ruth laid herself submissively across her father's lap and when she was properly in position he lifted the dress to reveal her legs and bottom. Erin was fascinated to see an extremely trim shapely bottom with well-shaped legs. A bikini would have certainly looked good on the girl who was normally clad in virtually shapeless dresses. With a shock Erin realized she had made assumptions about Ruth that were based on her outward manner. Now she wondered if Ruth was as passionate about some boy as she was about Josh.
The paddle looked much the same as her one bought from the church. Mr Whittle brought the paddle down firmly on Ruth's right cheek and the spanking had begun. Erin was fascinated, this is what she had endured several times now but never seen. Ruth's trim bottom didn't wobble but a delicate girlish ripple spread out from the impact and a red mark began to appear. Ruth made a small movement over her entire body that showed it hurt and her right leg moved up reluctantly as if ashamed of showing weakness. Erin heard a soft gulp from the girl and for the very first time she felt sorry for her. Erin knew how this felt, this very first smack of the paddle on the bare bottom. It stung terribly, it hurt, but worse - you knew it was just the beginning.
