Lord Edward's Law (Women of Wintercrest) (10 page)

“Ho…how many
, Sir?”  Her voice was so quiet that it was an effort to hear her.  Edward smiled and held out his hand.  Without thinking, Lucy walked forward and took it, as he pulled her a bit closer.

“Only two.”  She smiled for a second and then it slipped away.

“I’m…I’m sorry, Sir.  I…I tried really hard.  Are…are you going to pun…punish me?”  Edward was immensely pleased with her words.  He had known she was already slipping into submission without realizing it, but hearing her actually expect to be punished for failing to complete her test without error told him many things. 

H
e looked down at her upturned face and said,   “Your score would be a passing one, Lucy if this had been your true test.  Missing two is a remarkable improvement over yesterday’s score.  I know how hard you have been applying yourself.”  He watched her begin to relax and pushed her just a bit further.  “However, it is interesting that you feel the need to question my duty to punish you.  Don’t you think you need to be punished, little one?” 

Charles, seated in the shadows actually gasped
at Edward’s question.  He had been so proud of his student and yet had felt a small worry that her guardian would not accept her score.  He had heard her being paddled for missing questions the day before.  When he had to admit that Lucy had missed two of the hardest equations, he had felt awful.  His guilt over his earlier brief hope that she might miss a few so he might be able to relive hearing her sweet cries if she were to be paddled again made him think about lying about the results of the quiz.  However, Lord Wintercrest had kept his eyes on Charles’ when the professor lowered his pencil and his stare had made lying impossible.  Hearing the two now speak of punishment reminded him of how he had thought about this beautiful young woman as they walked earlier in the garden.  He strained to hear Lucy’s answer.

“I…I don’t know
, Sir.  I…I tried…I’m sorry.”  Edward watched her struggle with herself knowing she was feeling things she never considered before.  He pulled her to him and gave her a quick hug.

“I know you did
, my dear.  However, I do believe that you will feel better over your errors if you pay for them.  The lesson learned might help you remember your lessons when it really counts tomorrow.”  He felt her tremble, and saw her nod slowly in acceptance.  He placed a kiss on the top of her head before setting her away from him.  “Go bend over the arm of the chair, little one, exactly like yesterday.”  Lucille shuddered but some part of her felt as if she was only getting what she deserved.  She had failed to answer two questions correctly and had been warned that any mistakes would be dealt with in a corporal manner.  She was almost to the chair when she suddenly realized that her professor was seated and had been present this entire time.  Her face flushed and she halted.  Edward had walked to the cabinet and was using his key to open it.  He turned at the sharp gasp he heard and saw her standing about a foot from the chair.

“Lucille, do as you were told.  Over the chair, skirts up and bloomers down please.”  Lucy felt tears fill her eyes.  Surely he wasn’t about to humiliate her like this.  Surely he didn’t expect her to obey him with her professor in the room? 
Though it had become clear to her that her tutor had born witness to her cries yesterday, surely Edward would tend to her punishment in a private manner.  Her eyes flew to him in time to see him remove a leather strap from the cabinet.  His promise of a strapping if she should fail the test last evening rang through her mind.  She had expected and had been prepared to have a paddling.  However, seeing that strap hanging from his hand brought back the memories of her strapping the evening before.  She knew if she disobeyed, it would cause her even greater pain. 

Forgetting
her tutor’s presence she began sobbing and begging,  “No…please, Sir…Please don’t strap me…I…I am so sorry I failed you.” Her voice was broken as she remained frozen in place.  Edward slowly walked towards her, the strap swinging against his leg.

“You haven’t failed me yet
, my dear.  You will only fail me if you disobey my order to prepare yourself.  You will only have four strokes; two for each missed equation.  Four, if you do what you were told immediately.  If I have to tell you again, that count will double.  If I need to call for assistance in preparing you, the count will double yet again.  Now, tell me, little one, how many strokes would that require you to take?”  Charles was glued in his seat, his heart pounding even as he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave if his life depended upon it.  He had never felt this way before.  It was if he were standing on the edge of a cliff where the smallest movement would send him hurtling over. 

He looked at Lucille to see her standing, her entire body trembling and was shocked to hear her answer,
“Six…sixteen, Sir.”

“Correct
, Lucille.  Your lessons have done you well.  What shall it be then?  Four or sixteen?”  He kept his eyes locked on his ward’s though he was well aware of Charles’ presence.  He was testing not only Lucille; he was giving his own test to her professor.  He knew exactly the moment his ward had become an object of interest to the man.  He had seen his eyes when he had returned a very well-paddled student back into his care.  He had seen both Charles and Louisa standing outside the open windows of his study knowing they could easily hear Lucy as she sobbed from her chastisement.  He knew Charles was beginning to question his own desires and this test would allow Edward to learn even more about him as a possible suitor for his lovely young ward.  He wasn’t surprised at all when, at last, Lucy turned to face the chair that would hold her for her strapping.  He watched as she reached under her dress and untied her bloomers.  He heard Charles’ gasp as the white silk fell into a puddle at her ankles.  The men watched as Lucy gathered up the hem of her dress and petticoats and slowly pulled them up to bare her bottom even as she leaned over to place herself over the padded arm of the chair.  She finished baring herself and shuffled her feet slightly apart.  Edward waited but she became still.  He smiled, knowing how extremely hard this was for her, but also knowing she was testing him and his authority, even if she wasn’t aware of that fact.

“Present yourself correctly
, Lucille and you haven’t yet answered my question.  Shall it be four or sixteen?”  Lucy sobbed and buried her face in her hands even as her legs parted a bit more and she raised herself up onto her toes.

“Fo…..four...four please
, Sir.” 

“Good girl, four it shall be if you can raise your bottom up properly.
”  Hearing his words, she lifted her bottom high and pushed it out.  Edward smiled and knew that Charles was having a very difficult time remaining both still and silent.  “Very good, Lucy, you are indeed learning that it is far better to behave than to fight the punishment you earned.  Are you ready for your strapping, little one?” 

Lucy’s heart was pounding and her stomach was churning.  She was so embarrassed
, but for some reason, understood being put into this position was her own doing.  She took a deep breath and whispered her answer though her heart was pounding, “Yes…yes, Sir.  I’m…I’m ready, Sir.  May…may I have my strapping, Sir?”  Edward’s opinion of her rose even higher.  She was doing exceptionally well.  He stepped to the side of the chair that allowed him to keep his eyes on Charles as well as Lucy’s upraised bottom.  She still bore some bruising from her caning and birching but the skin was no longer red or swollen.  He knew it would soon bear four distinct wheals from the strap.  He raised his arm and gave her the first stroke on the underside of her bottom.  The force of the stroke lifted her up and almost off her feet.  She cried out but remained in position.  The second stroke landed but an inch above the first and again she wailed and her hand reached back to flutter behind her. 

She was already burning and begging
,  “Ohhh, ohh please no more…please.  It..it hurts so badly…please, Sir.”  Her hand touched her hot skin and she sobbed harder.  Charles found himself on his feet, her pleas tugging at his heart; his guilt in enjoying her cries overcoming his sensibilities.

“Surely that is enough….can’t you see she is in pain?  It was only two little questions.  Two strokes is surely enough of a price for her to pay!”  Edward stood, the strap lowered to his side.  He first spoke to Lucy
.

“Rubbing your bottom is not allowed young lady.  That stroke will not count and will be repeated twice over.”  He saw her hand jerk from her bottom and grip the cushion of the chair where her tears were spilling.  Edward then turned to Charles.

“Sir, I do not appreciate your interference.  It is not up to you to try to mitigate Miss Furniss’ punishment.  She knows what is expected in this household and, in fact, you were witness to the fact that she not only expected but desired her punishment.  Your interference is doing nothing but prolonging her shame at having to present her bare bottom even longer.  If you prefer, you may wait outside until we are done here, but rest assured, Sir, any decision regarding Lucille’s discipline will be mine alone.”  He wasn’t the least bit surprised when he saw the younger man flush, but seat himself in the chair once again. 

He didn’t smile but turned back to his ward.
  “Present your bottom, Lucy.  Raise it high for me.”  He watched as the small bottom lifted and pushed back towards him.  “That’s a good girl.  Now, you need to relax and round your bottom.  The stroke won’t do its work to teach you properly if your bottom is all clenched and tight.  You need to purposefully relax -- willingly submit and accept each stroke with grace.”  Again he watched as she responded to his soft but demanding voice.  Her bottom relaxed and lifted even higher as if wanting to please him, as if wanting to make sure she took all that she had earned.  The third stroke seared into her and was quickly followed by the fourth.  Lucy sobbed, her bottom wagging up and down with the heat of the strokes.  She was desperately trying to obey him, to live through this awful strapping that she had brought upon herself.  She started to rise and then remembered Edward’s earlier words.  She sagged back into the chair knowing her bottom had yet to receive its full due. 

“That’s
very good, Lucille.  I see your math skills have indeed been honed.  Tell me, how many  strokes do you have left?”  Lucy’s mind whirled as she tried to do the problem in her head while her bottom burned hotly.  Her count had originally been four, which she had just received.  However, her hand touching her hot bottom has cost her that stroke and earned her an additional one. 

Her face wet with tears, her heart racing, she for
ced herself to answer, “T….tw…two, Sir…two more.”

“Excellen
t, little one.  Stick your bottom out and push it well up for me now.”  Lucy’s face flooded with the shame of the request, but once more forced herself to lift her bottom and push it out for the strap.  Though her entire body jerked when the stroke cut into her, she kept her hands trapped under the cushion and her bottom lifted.  She knew she would die if she earned additional.  She waited with her breath held in her lungs for the last.  When it didn’t come she realized she was not properly cooperating with her own chastisement.  Sobbing, she concentrated on relaxing her aching bottom, and after a moment, it was once again smooth and rounded -- totally relaxed and open for her last stroke.

“Very good
, Lucy.  That’s a very good little girl.”  She expected the last to land at the top of her bottom, following the pattern he had been painting on her posterior from the first awful stroke on her most tender sit-spot.  However, when the last landed, by far the hardest of all, it landed precisely over the first.  The pain was like fire and she couldn’t help but rear up, her body arching as her skin burned.

“Ohhhhh….ohhhhh!” she wailed, her hands once more fluttering behind her
, but remembering not to touch herself.  Sobbing, she forced herself to lie down once again, knowing she would not be allowed up until released.  Edward was extremely proud of her and very disappointed in her professor.  Though he knew how interested the man had become in his ward, he also knew he was not the man for his wife’s sister. 

“You may release
, Lucille.  You did very well and I believe sitting on your aching bottom tomorrow will help remind you to try just a little bit harder.” 

Lucy pushed herself off the chair and turned to face her guardian. 
With tears streaming down her cheeks she said,   “Yes, Sir, than…thank you, Sir.”

“You are welcome
, my dear.  Now, pull up your drawers and you may retire to your room.  Dinner will be served in an hour.  Until then, you may rest.”

“Thank you
, Sir,” she managed to stammer after she had reached down and, with trembling hands, pulled her drawers up over her aching bottom and retied them.  She couldn’t face her professor.  She had been humiliated when she had been bare-bottomed in front of the headmaster, but this…somehow this seemed far more intimate, and she couldn’t bear to see how disgusted her tutor must be with her.  She fled the room and ran up the stairs.  She flung herself down on her bed and allowed herself to sob out her pain and confusion and shame. 

Edward hung the strap back in the cabinet and locked the door.  He turned to see Charles standing and appearing to want to say something.  When he remained silent, Edward shook his head and gestured for him to
precede him from the room.  He watched as Charles gathered up all his papers and stuffed them into his satchel.