Lord Edward's Law (Women of Wintercrest) (8 page)

The pastor stepped out from behind his pulpit and walked to the center of the steps.  He appeared to become even
sterner as the congregation gradually quieted.

“Every little one that needed to be tended to during service, please come to me now.”  Lucy found her attention riveted as a half dozen women reluctantly walked towards the front of the church. 
She could hear the young woman in front of her plead in vain, even as her husband stood and guided her from the pew.  She was crying as she slowly trudged up the aisle until she stood before the pastor.  Lucy found her heart go out to the gathered women somehow knowing that whatever was going to happen wouldn’t be pleasant. 

She heard Edward
say very quietly to his wife,  “If I have to correct you ever again during service, little lady, you too shall go forward to receive personal retribution from the pastor.”  Louisa had swallowed hard and responded too softly for Lucy to hear.  She continued to look at the women at the front of the church, each one dressed in frilly dresses with huge bows and lace-edged bloomers peeking out beneath their petticoats.  All looked exactly like small girls, even with their hands twisting and faces becoming stained with the quiet tears they were shedding.  Lucy looked across the congregation and saw that, while the women looked extremely sympathetic to the girls’ plights, the men were smiling and nodding, as if they understood the need for discipline in any and all situations, regardless of place or audience. 

Lucy found her heart beating faster and looked to the front of the church again.  Satisfied that no other girls were to join those already gathered,
the pastor nodded and turned away.  He walked to the side door, opened it and stepped back as every woman walked slowly through it.  Lucy watched every woman step through the door and knew that each one was already sorry for drawing unwanted attention to themselves. Only after the pastor had also stepped through and then closed the door did Edward rise.  He once again took their hands and led them back down the aisle and out into the large foyer. Once out of the chapel, the atmosphere lifted and Edward greeted several men by name.  Lucy watched as he bent to either speak to or kiss a few women on their cheeks.  He kept Louisa’s hand tightly in one hand and Lucy’s in his other.  She again felt very uncomfortable and out of place, but didn’t dare step away from him.  She watched as Louisa greeted a few women with small squeals of delight.  Her sister’s demeanor astonished Lucy, as she appeared to be happy, even as she was reduced to the age of a small child.  Lucy wanted desperately to leave when the chapel door opened.  A young woman, probably Lucy’s age, walked through the door, her face streaked with tears.  She found her husband, and sobbing, ran to him.  He knelt to embrace her and she sobbed in his arms.  Those near could hear her making her apologies.

“I’m sorry
, Papa.  I won’t be naughty in church ever, ever again, I promise!”  The man  smiled and gave the girl a kiss on her cheek.  Soon the door opened again to reveal another woman who cried and ran to hug her husband and make her own apology.  After the door opened for the last time, Lucy watched as the pastor entered with the last young woman’s hand held tightly in his.  She was sobbing but not allowed to run for comfort from her husband.  Instead, the pastor walked his captive until they stood in front of a much older gentleman.

“Thomas, this is the second week in a row that your little Margarite had to be given a private lesson.  Even though I could tell she must have received quite a thorough switching in the last few days, you are evidently not leading her along the proper path.  Since I had to spank her last week after service, she was given a
particularly sound paddling today.  You aren’t doing her any good allowing her to continue this misbehavior, Thomas.  I know you love your little one and that this is somewhat new to you, but you must not coddle her.  Margarite needs her Papa to be consistent and very firm if she is to learn to behave appropriately.”  The man appeared to be embarrassed, and in full view of the entire congregation immediately turned his wife around and lifted her dress.  He raked her bloomers down to her ankles to look at her bottom, which was indeed extremely red and swollen.  He held her with one hand while he began to spank her with the other.

“I’ve warned you
, Margot.  I will not allow you to continue to misbehave during service.  You just wait until I get you home.  I’m going to blister this bottom until you can’t sit down and you shall wear a nice thick reminder until you learn I mean business.”

“Nooooo!
  Please, Papa…please…” the little woman shrieked as he continued to spank her.  Lucy was stunned and looked around to see all eyes except Edward’s focused on the domestic scene.  Instead of watching Margarite getting her spanking, he was watching his ward.  He smiled seeing her shock and her face flush as her eyes met his.  He lifted his hand, twirled his finger as if telling her to turn around and watch.  She swallowed hard, but obeyed and was in time to see the last of the spanking.  Margarite continued to wail even as her hands cupped her bottom and she bounced in place ignoring the looks of the congregation.  The pastor knelt down and took her hands away from her bottom.

“I am happy that your Papa is going to make sure you are well punished
, Margarite.  You have been very naughty, both last week and today.  You are a very spoiled little girl who needs a good hard hand.  If I see you walking up the aisle next week, young lady, you will be attended to last and you shall be put over the spanking bench before the entire congregation, and your bottom will pay the price of your naughtiness with two dozen strokes of the cane.” 

The girl wailed at the threat and then when her Papa popped her again, she managed to say,
  “Ye…yes Sir, Pastor Reed.  I’m sorry!”  The pastor nodded and quickly pulled the sobbing girl into his arms.  She leaned against him and sobbed.  He allowed her to cry for a few minutes before putting her away from him.  Lucy saw the girl’s face burn as the Pastor reached down and pulled her bloomers back up over her naked, spanked bottom.  The man smiled, bent forward and kissed her cheek.

“Go with your Papa and learn your lesson
, little one.  You’ll be a better little girl because of it.”  Thomas thanked him, and taking her hand, led her from the church.  After their departure, the congregation began to speak among themselves again.  Pastor Reed made sure he spoke with every man who had seen their wife one return from his office.  Every man nodded and assured him that additional lessons would be given at home.  The poor girls left, all crying while making impossible promises of future perfect behavior.  Lucy knew that they had more pain to look forward to and found herself praying that their Papas would be lenient and forgive them.  She saw the pastor approaching her and was unaware that she gave a small whimper and pressed back into Edward.  He looked down at her and then smiled, realizing the cause of her despair.

“It’s okay
, Lucy.  You were a good girl during the service and have no need to fear Pastor Reed.”  He waited until the man reached them and then dropped Lucy’s hand to shake the man’s and thank him for a lovely service. 

The pastor nodded and then spoke to Lucy.
“Whom might you belong to?  I don’t believe we’ve met, though you do bear a striking resemblance to our Miss Louisa.”  Lucy felt her face flush and had no answer. Belong to?  She didn’t belong to anyone.  Edward chuckled and saved her from answering.

“This is my ward
, Pastor.  Miss Lucille Furniss, this is Pastor Reed.”  Lucy nodded but didn’t know what else to do.  The pastor smiled and looked over at her sister.

“The similarity is absolutely amazing
, Edward.  If they were dressed alike, I swear I would be unable to tell them apart.  It must be confusing having them in the same household.”  Edward laughed loudly. “It can be a challenge but I find it never dull, Pastor.”  Lucy wanted the man to leave them, but remained at Edward’s side as the conversation continued.  She saw Louisa talking to another little girl and found herself a bit jealous.  The girls had always been each other’s best friends and confidants.  Learning that her sister had been leading a secret life was hard enough.  Thinking that she was no longer her sister’s best friend was too horrid to think about.  She was in her own world when Edward bent down to her.

“
Lucy, we have been invited to luncheon by some dear friends.  It will be nice for Louisa to spend some time playing with Amy, as they haven’t seen each other for a while.  I am afraid you will not be able to attend, as you have much studying to do.  You will go with Henri and Mrs. Bremmer.”  Lucy felt her eyes well; she didn’t want to leave her sister.  However, she didn’t protest as her hand was taken and she looked up to see Mrs. Bremmer and her husband standing beside her.  She blushed, remembering both the soothing salve being applied to her bottom the night before, as well as the sensation she had felt when the woman had touched her between her legs.  Shocked at her thoughts while standing in a church; Lucy was subdued.

“Yes
, Sir,” she said, and after receiving a quick hug from her sister, she allowed herself to be led away.  She was soon seated across from Mrs. Bremmer as Henri drove them home.  She didn’t know what to say and was grateful that Mrs. Bremmer appeared to be happy with the silence.  She wondered what her sister would be doing and knew that it was most likely far more pleasant than spending another day buried in mathematics.  Sighing, she looked out the window and didn’t notice Mrs. Bremmer giving her a soft smile.

“It’s okay
, Miss Lucy.  Your sister will be fine and have a wonderful play date with her little friend.  Perhaps you will be allowed to join them the next time.  Today you must be a good girl and attend to your studies.  Your tutor will be here soon and I know you will study hard.  You know what will happen if you fail in your studies don’t you?” 

Lucy
blushed, and felt the housekeeper was deliberately talking to her as if she was no older than five or six.  Her referral to Louisa’s ‘play date’ made the activity sound extremely childish though both the women involved were accompanied by their husbands!  Lucy wanted to defend her sister, but the reference to her own need to study, as well as what she knew would happen if she failed in those studies, caused her to answer obediently.

“Yes
, ma’am.  I’ll study hard I promise.”

Anna could see the young woman was struggling to control her emotions.  She was extremely glad that Lucille seemed to be attempting to think about her words before opening her mouth.  Obviously the use of a gag had made an impression on the saucy young girl.  Determined to continue her much needed training, Anna instructed in a firm but kind tone, 

“See that you do, little one.  Your poor little bottom might be a little better after the salve I applied last night, but if you must endure another spanking, I can’t promise the salve will soothe you again.”  Lucy flushed even brighter, her mind once again turning back to the events of the evening before.  Her bottom clenched and she couldn’t stop squirming on her seat as the memory unfolded.  She also found herself remembering the spanking given to Margarite, right out in full view of strangers!  She shuddered thinking how embarrassing that would be and yet her stomach was feeling strange.  Members of the congregation had stood by witnessing the corporal discipline as if it were a common occurrence.  Lucy’s stomach tingled again thinking of how it would feel knowing that dozens of eyes were focused on her own bottom, bared and already reddened by the pastor’s paddle, as she underwent additional chastisement.  Her thoughts went to wonder how the naughty girls’ Papas would see fit to remind them of church rules.  She squirmed on her seat and grimaced, as her own bottom once again reminded her of the likely result of the six girls’ punishment.  She became aware that Mrs. Bremmer was watching her every move and she felt could also read her thoughts.  She blushed hotly seeing the woman’s knowing smile.  Lucy dropped her eyes to her lap where her hands twisted around the other.

“Yes
, ma’am,” she said again.  Anna sat back, happy that her charge appeared to be learning to hold her tongue.  It was obvious that though several trips into Lord Wintercrest’s study appeared to be doing their job, she was positive the small woman seated across from her would not be so easily tamed.  Anna found herself looking forward to the next time their little Lucy stepped out of line.

As Lucy was led into the house and
was followed by Molly up to her room to change into a day dress, Louisa was giggling and playing with her friend, Amelia Boothe.  The girls had actually gone to school together, though Lucy hadn’t seemed to recognize their old classmate.  Amelia had left before graduating in order to marry the man she had been betrothed to since practically infancy.  She had been married far longer than Louisa and had never been allowed to be an adult since her wedding.  The girls played with Amy’s dolls as their Papas talked quietly together.  When Amy began to whine a bit, she was immediately picked up by her nanny and taken into her nursery.  Louisa blushed as she understood that the little girl was being changed.  She felt her own bladder clench and looked up to see her husband studying her.

“Do you need the potty
, sweetie?” he asked obviously not the least bit embarrassed in front of his business associate.  She didn’t know how to answer, but simply nodded her head.  Edward smiled and stood and then helped her off the blanket where the girls had been playing.  He led her from the room and down the hall.  They reached a door and Edward quietly tapped his knuckles on it.  The door opened and the nanny smiled down at Louisa.