Claimed (The Women of Wintercrest #3) (5 page)

“I want to apologize, I suppose,” she began hesitantly.  “I didn’t mean to cause a scene.  Do…do you think he hates me now?”  Edward smiled, though her eyes were lowered.  He also chose his words carefully.

“Lucy, sweetheart, I appreciate your apology.  However, it is unnecessary.  I know you were frightened and simply reacted,
” he assured her.  Lucy lifted her eyes to his, as she was somewhat surprised at the gentleness of his voice.  She saw him smile down at her.  “Lucille, just as I will defend Thorne’s right to cane your bottom,” he said, and felt her attempt to pull away.  “No, honey, I don’t believe you can argue his right to do so, can you?”  She wanted to shout the man had been a monster but also remembered her crime and the incredible feeling of guilt she had felt after drawing her sister into her scheme.

“No…I suppose not,” she admitte
d honestly.  Edward nodded.  He appreciated her honesty.

“As I was saying, I will defend his
right - and duty - to punish you.  However, I will never defend his right to verbally accuse and attack you,” Edward said.  Her eyes met his again and he saw she was surprised.  “Lucille, he had no right to frighten you so.  You are an innocent young girl and he is a mean-hearted man.  Remember, I told you there are many different types of men in this world?”  She nodded having remembered almost every word of that conversation.  Edward squeezed her hands.

“Good, well, Thorne is simply an evil man.  He abused his position of trust, and, little one, despite the pain he caused you, you should also feel proud.”  Her eyes showed her confusion and he smiled.  “It is because of that attack that his true nature was visible.  He has been removed from his position and I assure you, the future students of your school will appreciate your part in that.”  He was pleased to see her relax and even saw the corners of her mouth lift.  He squeezed her hands again and then gently pulled the wadded cloth from her hands.  Her face flushed
, but she released it to him.

“Lucy,” he said and she lifted her eyes again.  “This is a handkerchief is it not?”  She nodded wondering why he was asking such a question.  He smiled.  “You aren’t frightened of this simple cloth are you?”  She shook her head.

“Of course not,” she said softly.  “It can’t hurt me.”  Edward nodded.

“Correct.  However, do you remember the cloth I put into your mouth?” he asked and saw her memory in her eyes as well as the color of her cheeks.  She didn’t answer
, but gave him a slow nod.  “That’s right.  I used my handkerchief to teach you a lesson, but Lucille, it is only a word.  Your professor gave you his handkerchief to give you comfort.”  She nodded again but he knew she still didn’t understand.

“Lucy, every school needs a Headmaster,” he began
, and saw her flinch.  “Not every Headmaster is like Thorne.  Can you tell me you believe your Professor could possibly become the sort of man that Thorne was?”  He saw her become aware of his train of thought. 

“No, I…I don’t think that,” she admitted.

“Then, Lucy, you have nothing to fear. Just as handkerchief is a word, so is Headmaster.  Words cannot hurt you, little one.  Professor Lloyds is simply trying to better his life.  If he accepts the position, he will have a much better future.  Trust in him, little one; trust that the same man who showed nothing but concern while tutoring you, will also show concern for any student he must attend to.  You know the only students sent to his office will surely deserve to have their bottoms caned.  Trust him to do so with a true concern for their well being.”  Lucy thought about his words and understood her fright was unnecessary.  She knew Professor Lloyds was a good man.  She smiled when Edward tucked the handkerchief back into her hands.

“Sir,” she said softly as she returned to her earlier question.  “Do…do you think he hates me?”  Edward leaned forward and drew her into his arms.  She went willingly, her cheek pressed against his chest as she accepted his comfort.

“Oh, sweetheart, I assure you that he does not hate you.  I believe the man to be infatuated with you,” Edward said, and then kissed the top of her head.  Lucy smiled against his chest before he set her gently from him.  “I believe you will discover he will ask to escort you again.  What you need do, Lucille, is determine if you believe you can love a man who is more than likely to become a Headmaster, knowing what that entails.”  She blushed hotly, but dared to ask another question.

“Do you…do you think he is like you, Sir?” she said and worried that her question would cause his easy manner to disappear.  Edward thought before answering.

“I can’t say as yet, Lucille,” he admitted.  “I believe he is a good man, he has earned my respect, but, little one, I can’t say I believe he is the proper man for you.”  She was a little shocked at his openness.  Edward smiled. 

“There are many types of men, remember?”  She nodded
remembering their conversation the night of her celebration dinner.  “Rest easy, Lucille.  I told you that I would guide you as you begin courting.  I am promising you now that I will not choose a man that I feel you cannot grow to love.  You need to trust me.”  She looked into his eyes and saw his promise reflected in their depths.

“
I’ll try. Thank you, Sir,” she said. 

“
You are most welcome, little one,” he said and then stood and walked to pull the bell cord to summon Mrs. Bremmer.  Lucy stood and straightened her skirts.  Though she suddenly remembered her feeling of shame in her outfit, she understood that it truly didn’t matter.  In the grand scheme of things, what mattered was finding the right man - one she could love as fiercely as she had discovered Louisa loved Edward.

“Thank you for speaking with me,” she said again.  Edward nodded and bent to brush his lips over her forehead.

“You are a special girl, Lucille, and I promise to protect you always,” Edward said.  He opened the door and found Mrs. Bremmer waiting.  He watched as Lucy slipped her hand into the older woman’s.

“Good night, Sir,” she turned to say.

“Good night, little one.  Sleep well,” he answered.

Louisa and Lucille finally found a chance to be alone.  The next day, after they had been awakened from their naps, Mrs. Bremmer gave them permission to walk in the garden.  Louisa made sure they were out of sight before taking her sister’s hand and pulling her deeper into the garden.

“Where are we going?” Lucy asked
, though she knew she’d follow her sister anywhere.

“To my secret place,” Louisa answered
, and giggled.  Lucy found herself smiling as well and her smile widened when her sister stepped off the paved path and moved several feet into the trees.  “Come see,” Louisa said as she parted thick branches of a huge weeping willow tree.  Lucy stepped forward, and then into the opening.  Her breath caught as she realized the tree branches swept the ground but formed a large secret room.

“This is wonderful,” Lucy said as her sister beamed.  The girls
sank onto the carpet of clover.  As one, they began to pluck the pinkish-white flowers that grew from the thick green leaves.  They began to chain the flowers together, something they had often done as small girls.  After a few minutes, Louisa spoke.

“Tell me, what happened with your Professor?” she asked.  Lucy flushed
, causing Louisa to smile.  “Did he kiss you?”  Lucy looked at her sister in shock.

“Of course not!” she said.  “He…he wouldn’t take such liberties, Louisa!”  Louisa feigned shame and then smiled.

“Well, how will you know if you like him, if he is too proper?” she said, remembering that Edward had kissed her the second time they had found themselves alone.  Of course, the kiss had only come after he had given her the first spanking of many.  She shivered a bit with the memory.  Lucy smiled and shook her head.

“I don’t know.  I don’t know if he’ll ever even escort me again,” Lucy confessed.  Louisa was surprised at her sister’s words.

“Why?  What happened?” she asked, the flower chain momentarily forgotten. 

“He spanked me,” she said. 

“He what!” Louisa said loudly and then she lowered her voice.  “Spanked you?  Why?”  Lucy was shaking her head vigorously.

‘No, I guess it wasn’t really a s
pan…spanking.  He…he just swatted me when I ran out into the street without looking.  There…there was a carriage coming, but I didn’t see it,” she confessed.  Louisa relaxed, though she understood her sister could have been seriously injured.

“I’m surprised a swat
is all you received, Lucy,” Louisa said.  “If Papa saw me do that, I guarantee I wouldn’t be able to sit for a week.  He hates it when people he loves put themselves into danger.”  She then looked closely at her twin.  “Tell me, how did you feel when he spanked you?” she asked. 

Lucy was still trying to figure out how she felt about even confessing the act.  “It really wasn’t li
ke that, Louisa.  He only struck me once and seemed embarrassed about it.  It didn’t hurt, but I did cry because I was so ashamed of dressing like this and knowing all the other girls are able to dress in the best fashions to impress their suitors.  I bet they don’t have suitors who feel free to smack their bottoms either!”  Louisa shook her head and sighed.

“You’d be surprised, Lucy.  I’ve found that there are many, many women who live as I do.  You will not be the only eligible female
who is being presented by a strict guardian.  Besides, a man should fall in love with who you are and not for what you are allowed to wear,” Louisa said firmly.  Lucy found she couldn’t argue with her sister’s logic.  Hadn’t Charles said he didn’t care about fashion?  She relaxed and smiled as she added another flower to her chain.

She told Louisa about her conversation with
Edward.  Louisa was a bit surprised, but found herself pleased.  She reached out and patted her sister’s arm.

“Don’t worry, Lucy,” she said
, as she took up her chain again.  “I think your professor is half in love with you already.  I’m sure he’ll call on you again very soon.”  Lucy sat quietly wondering at her sister’s words.  Did Charles love her?  He had confessed to being attracted to her, yet did that mean he loved her?  She shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know, Louisa, I…I have nothing to offer him,” Lucy said.  Louisa giggled.

“Of course you do, silly, you have yourself.  He could do no better than to take you as his bride,” Louisa assured her.  Lucy found herself uncomfortable with the thought of marriage.  She still wondered if she was more like her sister than she wanted to admit.  She picked up a flower from her lap and remembered her thoughts of her dress and her sister’s advice.

“Louisa,” she said quietly.  Louisa lifted her eyes and knew her sister was about to speak of something that concerned her.  “Do you…do you ever feel bad about…well, about your life?
  I mean...I’m not sure I could ever marry a man who is so strict.”  Louisa wasn’t surprised at the question; in fact, she thought it long overdue.  She was aware of how difficult and shocking it had been for her sister when she learned Louisa’s true lifestyle.  She had no intention of lying to her twin.

“Lucy, I am happy.  I love Edward and he loves me.  I know it is hard to understand,” she admitted.  “I know this lifestyle is not one we ever knew existed. 
I can’t say that I enjoy being spanked so often, but I’ve learned that Papa only punishes me when I’ve been naughty.  It’s really not that different from when our father disciplined us.  The rest was hard at first and I…I was scared that you would no longer love me when you discovered that I am treated more as Papa’s child than his wife.”

Lucy felt her sister’s pain and sat forward and threw her arms
around her twin.  “Oh, Louisa,” she said, “Don’t ever think that.  You are my sister, my twin…we are part of each other.  I will always love you.”  Louisa hugged her sister hard and the girls sat back again.

“Thank you.
I love you so much,” Louisa said, handing her sister another flower.  “I can’t say it didn’t bother me when I first was put into little girl dresses.  It was really hard being made to take a nap every day in my nursery,” she said, without thinking.  Lucy’s eyes immediately widened.

“Nursery?” she asked.  Louisa’s face flooded with color.  She wished she could take the word back but knew it was too late.  She lowered her eyes
, wondering if Lucy’s promise of continued love would change with her next revelation.

“Yes, Lucy,” she said quietly.  “I…I have my own room at the top of the house.  Papa made it for me.  I…it is where I take my naps every day.”  Lucy thought about her sister’s words and discovered she wasn’t all that shocked
or perhaps she had suspected something like this.  She remembered hearing the occasional sound above her head when she was in her room.  She had asked Molly, but understood the girl had not been allowed to tell her of the existence of the room.  She was aware of her sister’s hesitancy in admitting yet another secret.

“Is it pretty?” Lucy asked.  Louisa lifted her face and gave a soft cry.  She nodded her head.

“Yes, it is very pretty,” she said.  “Our old toys are on shelves.  Remember our dolls?” she asked.  Lucy nodded her head and Louisa smiled.  “They are in my room.  I…I will let you have yours if you want.”  Lucy started to shake her head, but then smiled, remembering how many hours the girls had spent playing with the twin dolls.

“I’d like that,” she sai
d.  Louisa reached out to hug her sister, hard.  The girls clung to each other, finally acknowledging that though their lives were different now, they were still bound to each other and always would be.  They spoke of other things and then heard their names being called.  They quickly finished their chains, and again as one, each draped a chain over the other’s head.  By the time they met Mrs. Bremmer, who was waiting further up the path, their hands were swinging between them, smiles making their beautiful faces shine.  Anna couldn’t suppress her own smile at seeing the two.  Life had finally begun to settle into a calm pattern.  She realized that neither girl had been spanked in days, their behavior adjusting to what was expected of good girls.

“It’s time for tea, little ones,” Anna said
, and was pleased to see them release each other’s hand and reach for her own.  “Did you enjoy your outing?” she asked, and was pleased when both girls quickly said they had.  She smiled and the three walked into the house to enjoy their tea.

Later that evening
, when Edward went to bed, he was surprised to find his wife awake.  She was usually already deep asleep.

“Are you feeling well
, little one?” he asked, as he laid the palm of his hand against her forehead.  Louisa nodded.

“I’m fine, Papa,” she assured him. “I…I just wanted to talk to you.”  Edward smiled
, wondering if every evening would find him having heartfelt discussions with one or other of the girls.  He undressed and slipped into bed beside his wife.  Before he drew her to him, he reached up and unbuckled the cuffs restraining her wrists.  She smiled and was soon lying close to him, her head on his chest.  Edward stroked her long hair waiting for her to speak.

“I think I made a mistake today, Papa,” she confessed.  Edward was a bit taken aback.  It was a very rare occurrence for his little lady to be naughty and not be caught.  Mrs. Bremmer seemed to have an uncanny ability in ascertaining any naughty behavior
, and usually tended to the miscreant before he even arrived home.  His housekeeper had reported that both girls had been very well behaved all day.  Hearing his wife confessing a mistake was a surprise.

“Tell me, little one,”
he said. 

“Lucy and I were talking today and I…I mentioned my room,” she said softly.  Edward understood she didn’t mean the one they were currently
occupying.

“Your nursery, isn’t that what you mean?” he corrected.  Louisa nodded against his chest.

“Yes, Sir,” she agreed.  “I didn’t mean to.  She asked if I was happy and I told her that I was.  I…I told her that at first I wasn’t, especially about my nursery.”  Edward was silent for several minutes.  Louisa held her breath, trying to determine if he was angry.

“What did Lucille say?” he asked.

Louisa smiled as she remembered the conversation.  “She asked if it was pretty.”

Edward was surprised.  He would have expected that Lucille would be upset and even angry that her twin had a room not only designated as a nursery but an actual nursery
where Louisa slept every single day.  His ward’s response told him that she was accepting her sister’s life.  He gently moved his wife from his chest only to sit her up and then pull her nightgown up and over her head.  Louisa shivered as he tossed her gown to the floor. 

“I know it was naughty, Papa,” Louisa said as her stomach began to flutter.

Edward settled himself against the headboard and then gently guided Louisa down across his lap.  “Tell me, little one, do you need a spanking to be able to forgive yourself?”  Louisa was surprised at the question.  She was even more surprised at her answer.

“Ye…yes, Papa,” she said quietly.  “May…may I have my spanking?”  Edward had not intended to spank her.  He understood she had made an honest error.  However, she was his little one.  She felt guilty and he knew
that she was a true submissive and would not truly accept his forgiveness without first having her bottom warmed.  He lifted his hand from where it had been resting on her bottom and gave his wife what she needed.  Louisa was soon sobbing as he lit a fire in her backside.  Despite his original intent not to spank her, when he put her across his knees and punished her, she was not to be released until she felt that she was a well-spanked little girl.  When her bottom turned from pink to a bright red, Edward stopped and lifted her up and off his lap.

“Go to your corner, Louisa,” he said.  She nodded and ran naked to place herself against the wall.  Edward smiled at her quick obedience and enjoyed the sight of her red bottom in the soft light of the room.  After only a few minutes, he called her to him.  Louisa turned and ran to the bed where he lifted her and put her back over his knees.  She dared not speak
, but waited for her husband to guide her.  She felt her husband’s hand rub across her bare bottom.  Edward knew what his wife expected, but he did the opposite.

“I forgive you, little lady,” he said
, and she found herself smiling.  “I told you that your secrets would be no more.  I suppose I should have expected this.  Has she seen your nursery for herself?” 

“No, Papa,” she said.   “I…I didn’t know if you would be upset with me.  I…I did tell her about our dolls.  Is…is that okay?”
she asked, her voice quivering just a bit as a result of her spanking and nervousness about the possibility of another.  Edward smiled, knowing his little wife slept with her doll in her crib every afternoon.  His hand continued to stroke her bottom and he chuckled.

“
Well, since I’ve already spanked your little bottom, I suppose that’s fine.  Perhaps I should give Lucy her doll.  Do you think she would like that?” he asked.

“Yes, Papa,” Louisa said a
s another smile appeared.  “I know she loved Nellie when we were little.”

“You, my girl, are still little,” he reminded her.  She flushed but nodded.

“I know, Papa.  I’ll always be little to you.”