Lord Edward's Law (Women of Wintercrest) (5 page)

He
found he was proud of her,  “That’s a good girl, Lucy.  You may remove yourself from the corner and pull up your drawers to cover your naughty spanked bottom.”  Lucy’s face was flaming with shame as she quickly pushed away from the corner, pulled up her drawers and adjusted her dress.  Her bottom and back ached from having to stand so long in one position.  She saw her sister seated in a chair, the same little-girl clothing covering her small frame.  Again, she was shocked at how small and youthful Louisa, looked dressed as she was.  She briefly wondered if there was a nappy under her dress and, seeing no sign of any type of bloomers, blushed realizing that there quite possibly was.  Lucy had no idea what to do or say.  However, she quickly remembered one rule.

“I’m sorry
, Sir.  Thank you for spanking me.” 

Edward nodded his approval
and said, “Good girl.  I’m glad you remembered your manners.  Please take a seat on the settee, Lucy.  I believe it is time we discuss a few additional things.”  Terrified of what she was about to hear, and yet finding herself eager to have this afternoon’s events explained, Lucy stepped to the settee and carefully seated herself upon it.  She couldn’t look at her sister, and didn’t want to look at Edward.  Instead, she kept her eyes on her feet.

“Look at me when I talk to you
, Lucy,” Edward said quietly, as he approached the chair where Louisa sat.  Lucy forced herself to look up and her mouth dropped open when Edward bent down, picked up Louisa and then sat in the chair, holding her on his lap as if she were indeed his little girl.  She watched as Louisa blushed and buried her face in her husband’s chest.  Lucy’s eyes darted to Edward to see him smile.  She didn’t know what to say, but saw that Louisa was no longer crying or squirming or seemingly uncomfortable.  Instead, though her cheeks were flushed, her twin appeared to be quite content snuggled up on her husband’s lap, his arms wrapped possessively around her. 

“Lucy, I owe you an apology,” Edward announced and grinned seeing how the small woman reacted.  Her mouth dropped open and though she appeared to be trying to speak, no words issued forth.  “Not for anything I have done mind you.  Not for birching you last night, paddling you in my study this afternoon or spanking you when I caught you sneaking around this afternoon.  No, I owe you an apology for ever allowing you to believe that Wintercrest Manor was a
nything but what it truly is.”  Lucy was beyond confused.  Her bottom had clenched when he mentioned the several punishments he had delivered to it; her heart began to race and she finally acknowledged what she had witnessed earlier.  Edward paused and allowed his ward to think about his words before he continued.  He absently stroked his hand down his wife’s arm as he cuddled her to his chest. 

“I am the Lord of Wintercrest, Lucille
. As such, this household runs as I dictate.  Your sister is not only my wife, she is my little girl.”  He saw Lucy’s glance slide to Louisa and her face flushed.  What he was saying now appeared obvious.  Her sister was curled up on her husband’s lap, her long hair loose around her shoulders, her legs covered in white stockings, her feet clad in slip-on shoes.  Her dress was more appropriate to a very young child, unlike the long, stiff dress that Lucille had changed into for dinner.  Lucy looked even more closely at her twin and realized that while she herself was seated stiffly due to the tight corset Molly had helped lace her into, Louisa appeared for more comfortable.  Lucy’s color heightened as she realized that Louisa was obviously unencumbered by the stiff garment, indeed her rounded breasts pressed against the bib of her juvenile dress, their fullness filling out the dress quite nicely.  Lucy saw the lace of a petticoat peeking out from under the hem of the pink dress, and again noticed the absence of drawers.  She blushed and tore her eyes away from the sight. 

Edward grinned and
nodded, “Yes, Louisa is treated -- not as the lady of the manor -- but as a precious child.  She does not run the household, as most in her position do.  Mrs. Bremmer is the true mistress of Wintercrest.”  Lucy felt her heart pound as she remembered the awful woman.  She turned her attention back to Edward.

“Why?” she managed to squeak out
, hoping she wouldn’t find herself bottom-up for daring to ask the question.  She twisted her hands in her lap but knew she had to have a far better explanation.  Edward didn’t chastise her for the question.

“Because
I make the laws governing Wintercrest, and it is how I desire it should be.”  He didn’t elaborate for a moment, and Lucy realized that he was indeed the true Lord of his kingdom.  He took a moment to shift Louisa a bit, bending down to whisper something in her ear.  Lucy watched as Louisa shook her head slowly and then settle herself back into her husband’s embrace.  “I never wanted to wed a woman strictly for society reasons, Lucille.  I do not care what anyone thinks about my household or me.  I have a close circle of friends who all share my desires and my lifestyle.  Woman should be treasured and pampered and most certainly taken care of.  However, I have no desire to answer to any female.  I wed your sister with the intention of training her to become how I desire her to be.  She will always be safe with me.  I love her deeply and will always treasure her.”  He bent to press a kiss to Louisa’s temple and she smiled with contentment.  Lucy still found it hard to accept the words she was hearing.  Never would she have imagined Louisa happy or content at being so coddled.  She might be loved and treasured, but at what cost?  She didn’t want to listen to Edward any more.  What she wanted, what she needed was to be alone with Louisa and be able to talk directly to her.  She squirmed on the settee and winced as her bottom reminded her of her last spanking.  Humiliation burned through her, remembering how Mrs. Bremmer had reminded her several times to stick out her ‘naughty little bottom’ as she had spent all that time in the corner.  She had sworn she had heard others moving about the room, but her shame at being caught sneaking had kept her from daring to attempt a glance to see who else witnessed her shame.  She felt Edward’s eyes on her and her anger grew.

“I don’t understand this
, Edward.  I can’t believe a grown man wants his wife to behave like a child.  If you want a child, then have one and let Louisa be the grown woman she is.  This is unspeakable!  You…you diapered my sister and made her….made her wet herself!  How can that be what Louisa wants?  How can she possibly be happy with you as -- not her husband, but as her father!  You made her call you Papa, for God’s sake.  Our father is dead and, God, how he would have hated this!  He would have called you out for treating his daughter like this.”  Edward allowed her to rant a bit, though he was aware her words were causing Louisa pain.  

As Lucy’s voice grew shriller, he finally said,
“Enough!  You forget yourself, Lucille.  I am your guardian, and perhaps you haven’t heard me.  I am Master of Wintercrest, not your sister, and certainly not you.  You are a no more than a very naughty little girl that most certainly needs a great deal of discipline and training.  You have no idea of what you are speaking, and are only showing your ignorance.  You are not to raise your voice to me or any one in my household, unless you want to have your bottom warmed yet again.  My rules are to be learned and followed, little girl.  It is not for you to question my authority.  You are simply to obey me, and I suggest you begin to do so immediately.”  Lucy jumped to her feet, her hands fisted in her dress.  She wanted to scream and shout, yet his threat of a spanking caused her mouth to clamp shut.  She turned to run from the room. “Lucille, sit down!  You have not been dismissed young lady.” 

She twirled back around, her eyes full of tears.
“I won’t!  You can’t do this.  I won’t let you….”  With that, she ran from the room and had made it down the hall and out the door before Edward could put Louisa on her feet and go after his ward.  Lucy ran blindly down the long drive, her breath hitching with her sobs as she tried to put as much distance between herself and this horrid man as possible.  She stumbled over her skirts and soon pulled them up in order to quicken her pace.  Her breath came in huge gulps, as her corset reminded her of her constricted lungs.  She wished she could take time to tear off the garment but continued to flee, not knowing where she would go, just determined to get away.  Edward didn’t run after her, he knew she would not go far.  He didn’t even follow her.  Instead, he walked to the stables and after calling for a groom, leapt onto the back of his horse and turned it down the drive.  He rode slowly knowing his prey was only a few yards in front of him.  He knew he had shocked Lucille but felt a huge sense of relief that the truth was now out in the open.  He would allow Lucille certain latitude as she adjusted to the truth, but direct disobedience would never, ever, be tolerated.  He gave a sigh, knowing he would soon be administering yet another dose of discipline to her saucy little bottom. Though part of him truly wished he could spare her additional pain, he knew the lesson was needed.  He would never hesitate to punish either of his girls, regardless of the condition of their little rumps.  His authority would be obeyed without question and, if Lucy continued to defy him; he’d simply continue to redden her bare bottom. As his horse carried him further down the lane, he saw his charge dashing in front of him, her pace slowing as she tired.  He kept his steed back as she finally staggered to a stop, bending over trying to catch her breath.  He could hear her sobs and quietly slid off his mount.  Lucy gave a shrill screech when she felt arms being wrapped around her and she felt herself lifted off her feet.  She began to struggle immediately, her hands and feet flailing, trying to escape his grasp.

“Stop it
, Lucille, before you hurt yourself,” Edward ordered as her elbow connected with his chest, causing him to grunt. 

She continued to fight.
  “No!  Put me down!  You are the one who wants to hurt me.  You are the one who wants to hurt Louisa.  You are a monster.  Put me down!”  Edward simply tightened his grip, and before she knew it, she was tossed over his shoulder as if she weighed no more than a sack of flour.  Her fists beat against his back, her hair loosening from its weave to tumble almost to the ground.  She felt his hand hard against her legs, and then screeched as she felt his free hand land against her bottom.  Her skirts gave her protection but having been spanked so much recently; even that protection gave her little comfort.  Edward strode to his horse, tossed her easily face-down over the saddle and then climbed up behind her.  He grinned seeing her struggle to sit up, but he easily kept her in place before him as he turned the horse back to the stable.  Lucy sobbed with the humiliation of how easily she had been caught and tossed onto the horse.  She felt his hand slap into her bottom again and again.

“I’ll give you a proper thrashing when we get back to the manor
, Lucille.  It might take you a longer time to train than your sister, but I guarantee you will be trained.”  His words caused her to sob harder and she realized she had no way of escaping.  He ruled not only the manor but every person under his care.  She had no legal means to escape him.  She would remain his ward, remain his to discipline any way he might choose, until she wed.  She was now terrified of marrying any man.  Surely Louisa had no previous knowledge of how her husband would expect her to live her life before she stood in the church before God and her family, vowing to give herself to this man, to honor and obey him until death parted them.  How could any man be trusted?  How could any woman ever know what horrors might wait for them upon the exchanging of their marriage vows?  Confused, hurt, terrified and ashamed, Lucy stopped struggling and simply lay over the horse as he guided it back to the house where she knew she would soon be receiving a thrashing for trying to run away from her fate.

Louisa stood at the door of the manor and saw her husband return with her sister.  She saw him slide off the horse, toss the reins to the groom and then pluck Lucy off the horse and throw her once again over his shoulder.  Louisa trembled
, fearing the spanking her sister was sure to endure in mere moments.  Edward walked up the stairs of the porch, and Louisa quietly opened the door for them. 

He paused to smile down at his wife
.  “I will join you in a bit, my dear.  Do you need your nappy changed before I take care of Lucy?”  Louisa knew he was asking her not out of true concern for her needs, but to reinforce the fact of how his household was run. 

She blushed but managed to shake her
head. “No sir, Papa.  I’m…I’m dry.” 

He smiled and bent just a bit to kiss the top of her head.
  “That’s good, honey.  Run along and ask Mrs. Bremmer to start your dinner.  We will join you in just a bit.”  Louisa hurried to do his bidding, her tummy clenching, knowing it would be hard to take even the smallest bite, considering what would be happening in the study.  Edward walked past the dining room; his naughty ward easily slung over his shoulder, and saw Mrs. Bremmer helping Louisa into her chair. 

He nodded at the woman and she said,
  “Shall I come to assist you after serving Miss Louisa her soup, my Lord?”  Knowing her presence would cause Lucille much humiliation, he was tempted to take her up on her offer; however, he decided to handle it differently.

“I don’t believe I shall need
your help, Mrs. Bremmer.  If I find that Lucille won’t submit to her strapping, I shall ring for you.  Until them, please make sure our little lady eats her dinner.”  Mrs. Bremmer nodded, though she wished she was to be included.  If some little girl needed to have her bottom tended to, it was definitely the one currently hanging over the Lord’s shoulder.  Lucille was lying limply, her hair hanging practically to the floor, her fists clenched where Edward had captured them at her waist with his huge forearm.  His free hand rested directly on her bottom as if to remind the poor child which part of her anatomy would soon be paying a heavy price for her disobedience.  Anna knew the little one was feeling both deep shame at her position as well as fear of what was to occur.  She contented herself with the knowledge that, if the last few days were any indication of the future, the strapping about to occur in the study would certainly be the first of several.  She was sure she would be asked to assist him in at least a few.