The Farmer's Reluctant Bride (5 page)

“My cousin Hattie was a midwife. I assisted
her with quite a few births when I lived in their house.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to let Hermann
know about that.” Hank was impressed and proud.

He tilted her face up gently to his
and kissed her, rocked her a little, then kissed her again. At that point
following her punishment, Hank would decide whether or not Mandy needed to
stand in the corner. He didn’t always make her do that. It depended on the
offense and whether or not Hank thought that she needed to do some thinking.

Tonight, Hank felt that some corner
time was most definitely warranted. Perhaps even more so than any other time.
Hank knew that Mandy needed to be held accountable for her behavior today in
order to want to behave better the next time. He also knew that she needed to
have some guilt over her actions lifted from her, and her punishment was a
means for doing so.

 The last time Mandy stood in the
corner, she had kept dropping her dress whenever she had reached up to wipe her
tears. Hank wanted that dress up around her waist and her punished backside on
display. It helped to drive home the lesson, he felt, just as did the fact that
she would have to sit for meals the next few days.

He decided this time that he would
tie something around her waist to hold up the dress and keep it up. When Mandy’s
tears had dried (and although Hank knew that, once she realized she needed to
stand in the corner, she would be crying all over again), Hank gently but
firmly took hold of her upper arms and proceeded to turn her away from him,
causing her legs to fall to either side of his left thigh. Mandy was straddling
his leg and Hank pushed her forward a little so that once again her backside
wasn’t pressed against the rough fabric of his pants leg. Mandy looked back at
him, seemingly unsure of what was happening.

“I’m going to tie your dress up
around your waist,” Hank explained, as he watched Mandy’s face fall in
understanding, “so that it stays put while you’re standing in the corner.”
Mandy started in to crying again, just like Hank knew she would.

“Please Hank,” Mandy started.

“Hush right now.” Hank was having
none of this. She knew better by now. “You’ll stand in that corner and think
about how to better behave yourself the next time a situation like that
occurs.” Hank tied the length of thin leather tight enough just to keep the
dress up. “I’ll tend to the evening chores. When I come back in, you’ll be
done.” Hank had finished fastening and rested his hands on Mandy’s upper arms.
“I’ll help with the supper dishes after that, and we’ll talk some more then. Is
that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

*  
*   *

Mandy wasn’t sure what had
possessed her to try plead with Hank about her punishment. She knew well and
good by now that he never changed his mind once it had been made up. She
started to stand when she felt Hank lifting her from his leg. When she stood,
he didn’t let go of her.

Mandy turned her head to look at
him, wondering why he was still holding her by the arms. She saw Hank staring
down at his pants leg and a rather large wet spot on them. Hank met her eyes
then, and the look he gave Mandy was unreadable. She found she couldn’t hold
his gaze for more than a second before she looked quickly down at the floor.

Hank stood up and turning Mandy to
face him, he lifted her chin so that she had to look at him. But he still
didn’t speak. He kissed her instead. A long deep kiss. The kind of kiss he gave
her when they lay down in bed together. The kind of kiss he kissed when he was
being a husband to her.

And then Mandy felt his hand
between her legs.

“Hank!” Mandy was shocked. “We’re
standing. In the middle of the cabin! We’re not in bed! We’re not covered!”

Hank just grinned at her. “It’s all
right, darling, it’s all right.” His finger was feeling around down there and Mandy
was certain that he just wasn’t supposed to be doing that while they were just
standing in the middle of the cabin. And the sun wasn’t even fully set yet! “If
you like, get on the bed,” Hank instructed. “But I want you to kneel on the bed
on all fours. Facing away from me.”

Mandy just looked at him as if he
was crazy. “No, I will not.” What had possessed him? One minute he was
preparing her to stand in the corner, the next he had this very strange look in
his eyes and was wanting to do husbandly things to her.

But Mandy’s outright refusal to
Hank’s direct instruction earned her exactly what she should have known it
would. He immediately spun her around and planted one solid swat to her red
backside.

 “You’ll do as you’re told. On the
bed on your hands and knees. Now.”

Mandy obeyed; she didn’t think she
could bear another spanking so soon after the one she had just had.

Mandy climbed on the bed with her
dress still secured around her waist and her underclothes bunched around her
ankles still from the spanking. She also still had her boots and stockings on. Mandy
felt a bit exposed. She felt Hank’s large hand caress her stinging backside
then. That same hand then traveled down her right leg to where her underthings
were bunched at her ankle. Hank slid them off the one foot easily, then spread
her legs farther apart so that he could kneel between them on the bed.

“I know that you don’t really
understand what that was on my pants, sweetheart, but I do.” Hank voice was
gravelly and deep. “That was your body telling me that some part of you likes
to be spanked, likes to be punished by me.”

Mandy’s head whipped around. “I
don’t like it, I don’t. “ She cried out, only to be rewarded with another sharp
slap of Hank’s hand on her raw behind.

“Now is not the time to sass me,
Amanda.”

“Yes, sir.” And he was right; she
didn’t understand any of this. She didn’t understand it at all. Why did it
always seem that the more she knew the less she understood?

“It’s a part of yourself that you’re
not completely familiar with just yet. I don’t want you to be upset or confused
by it. Your understanding will come with time. And it’s all right.” Mandy
nodded since she really didn’t know what to think or do. She could feel Hank’s
fingers going inside her and running all over her womanly parts, and it made
Mandy feel wicked because it felt so good. She liked it. She liked what he was
doing. She started moving against his fingers, pushing back on them, and
moaning without even realizing what she was doing.

Since Mandy was facing the opposite
wall, she hadn’t seen that Hank had pulled his manhood out of his britches and
was rock hard and ready to go. She just felt his fingers one second and his
hardness the next entering her with a force and speed she hadn’t yet
experienced. It stole her breath away and she cried out.

Hank didn’t waste any time, either.
He started right in to pounding hard and fast into Mandy. She was shocked at
his sudden urgency, but it felt so good that she didn’t take long to get over
her surprise and start in to moving against him in time to the pace he was
setting.

Mandy felt something inside her
building and she couldn’t have him go into her hard enough or fast enough, until
it felt like he did and there was an explosion within her. Mandy shook from the
feeling and its intensity. From somewhere far off it seemed, she heard Hank
shout out and slam into her.

Then everything went still.

Mandy heard Hank, who was now
leaning over her, breathing hard in her ear. She felt she could hear her own
heart pounding in her ears also. Mandy didn’t even try to move. She wasn’t sure
if she could anyway. Her legs didn’t feel like they would hold her much longer
either.

With that, Hank moved off to her
side and lay down on the bed, pulling Mandy down beside him and holding her
close, her back to his front.

They stayed like that, together,
for a spell. It took a little bit of time for Mandy to catch her breath and she
listened to Hank’s breathing also as it went from labored to slow and steady
along with hers. Finally, Hank spoke.

“I’ve got to tend to evening
chores.” Hank stroked Mandy’s hair as he said this. “I’d like you to stand up
so I can adjust your skirts.”

Mandy sighed, resigned to the fact
that Hank would still make her stand in the corner while he saw to his chores.
He never went back on his word. Never.

“Yes, sir.”

When Hank had finished, Mandy took
her place in the corner to finish her punishment.

Mandy listened to the rain beat
against the small window in the kitchen as she hung damp clothes from a line
strung near the fire. It was cold and wet outside and dark even though it was
midday.

Hank had said he needed to mend
some fence posts out in the far pasture and he wouldn’t come in for lunch.
Mandy was on her own all day. She was finding that she missed him now when he
didn’t come in for lunch; her first few weeks here, she had loved being alone.
Things were changing.

He stilled spanked her when he
thought she needed a spanking. Mandy was still learning what was expected of
her and how to behave. Sometimes she could even understand why Hank felt she
should be punished. Mandy’s behavior reflected the environment in which she had
grown up. It wasn’t a good environment, so it wasn’t always good behavior.

She cursed at times when
frustrated, something Hank had no patience for. She had been over his knee just
two days before for that very thing. And then he had washed her mouth out with
soap.

Yet he was also kind and
considerate of her, something Mandy wasn’t really used to. It made her feel
like he really cared about her; the spankings made her feel that way too, which
was strange. She loved the way Hank held her on his lap afterward, while she
cried. He would stroke her hair and talk to her in a soft voice.

And the marriage bed had proven to
be something Mandy was enjoying more and more every day. She nearly laughed at
herself at the memory of how she had feared the very thing she enjoyed so now.
Hank had managed to awaken parts of her she didn’t even know existed. It just
seemed to get better every time—well, every day, pretty much, since that’s how
often they did that.

A knock at the cabin door jolted
Mandy from her thoughts. The door was locked and barred, something Hank
insisted on whenever he wasn’t close by.

Mandy walked to the door. “Who’s
there?” she called out.

“Mrs. Meyers.” Mandy immediately
recognized the voice of Silas Johansson, Hermann’s son. “It’s me, Silas.”

Mandy unbarred the door and opened
it to a wet and worried young man.

“Ma’am, I sure am sorry to intrude
like this, but Pa sent me to get you. He says you got to come quickly.” Silas
looked like he might cry. “Mama been trying to get that baby born since
yesterday and something’s wrong.”

Mandy immediately reached for her
coat. Then paused. “I just need to let Hank know; he’s out mending fences.”

“What part of the pasture?”

“Toward the Henderson’s farm, the
far end.” Mandy saw Silas’ brow knot with concern as she spoke.

“That’ll take too long, ma’am,
please.” Silas looked on the verge of tears again and Mandy couldn’t stand it.
He was so young and so worried. “Pa said there’s not a moment to spare.”

“All right,” Mandy agreed as they
ran to the barn and quickly saddled her horse. They were on their way within
minutes, leaving a washtub half full of wet laundry and a dying fire in the
hearth.

*  
*   *

Mandy heard Sara’s pained cries
from outside the Johansson’s cabin. Silas took her horse’s reins as she quickly
dismounted and ran inside.

Hermann was pacing from one end of
the cabin to another, while running his hands through his hair. Sara was on the
bed, knees bent, legs open and drenched in sweat. Mandy sprang into action.

Addressing Hermann, she thought it
best to give him a task to focus on. “I’ll need fresh linens, wash them now if
you need to, and cool fresh water. Also a few clean rags.” Mandy removed her
coat as she spoke and began to wash her hands at the wash basin in the kitchen.
In a moment she was at Sara’s side.

Speaking only in a calm and even
voice, Mandy began to soothe Sara while feeling her abdomen and trying to
ascertain what was happening that was making the birth so difficult. It didn’t
take long. The baby hadn’t turned yet.

Coming out feet first wasn’t ever
preferable, but Mandy had assisted at a few births that were breech and both
mother and baby had come through it just fine. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t
impossible either.

She would need to try and turn the
baby. And she would need to do it quickly. Mandy had never done it herself,
only seen a midwife do it. But Sara was counting on her. Mandy smiled
reassuringly at Sara.

“I have to turn the baby.” Sara
just nodded in response. “It’s going to hurt, but it’s necessary.” At this last
point she glanced at Hermann. “I think all the children should be out of
earshot.”

“Give them to Silas and come back
here quickly.” Mandy knew she was ordering Hermann about now, but this wasn’t
the time for observing the social graces. The second Hermann had hustled them
from the other room and handed them off to Silas (who led them out to the
barn), he took his place by Sara’s head and held tightly to both her hands, as
Mandy instructed him to do. She would need to hold onto something through this.

Working quickly, Mandy washed her
hands, then dried them with a clean rag. As gently as possible, her hands manipulated
the baby from the outside. Sara screamed in pain. Mandy was expecting it, but
Hermann wasn’t. He instantly turned white as the sheets.

Mandy worked quickly and
efficiently and a few moments later, the baby was head down and Sara was
pushing that little one out. Mandy was cutting the cord and dealing with the
afterbirth before Hermann even had all his color back.

Mandy glanced up at him and smiled.
“It’s a boy.” After the infant was cleaned up and swaddled, she passed him off
to his mother. Then she pulled Hermann aside.

“I would send Silas for the doctor
as soon as you are able. He can check the both of them over.” Mandy busied
herself with collecting dirty linens as she spoke.

“Stay close by. Sara will need
plenty of rest to recover and she’ll need your help with the baby.”

Hermann nodded.

“I’m sure Hank can spare some time
tomorrow to come over and help Silas with chores.” Mandy glanced over at Sara,
who was smiling down at her son and beginning to nod off already. “I’ll just
get these washed up and then I’ll head back home. Hank’s bound to be worried
about me by now.” It was nearing nightfall. She’d be returning in the dark.

“Silas can accompany you home.” It
was if Hermann had read her thoughts; Mandy didn’t think she could find her way
at night yet. “I don’t know how to thank you, Mandy.”

Mandy smiled at Hermann. “I’m just
glad I could be here. Do you and Sara have a name?”

“Benjamin.”

*  
*   *

Hank was soaked by the time he made
his way into the barn. But he had put in a good long day and the fence was all
mended. He shouldn’t have to tend to that fence until summer, he figured. He
brushed down his horse and gave the tired animal some feed. It was late, and
Hank decided to just take care of the evening chores now so that there wouldn’t
be a need to return to the barn after supper.

He was looking forward to a hot
meal by a warm fire and a good strong cup of coffee too. Mandy was a good cook
and Hank found himself enjoying having a woman fix his meals for him again.

That’s when he noticed. Mandy’s
horse was missing. Hank went to the barn doors and, looking out, saw that there
was no smoke form the chimney and the windows were dark. Fear gripped him
sudden and strong. Where was she?

Had she left? Had she been forced?
The door was barred, or at least it should have been. Hank had already spanked
that rule into Mandy. Was he wrong in thinking that she was settling in and not
wanting to run off anymore, as she had when they had first been married? If she
had left without telling him, he had every intention of walloping her until she
couldn’t sit for a week.

He ran back into the barn to saddle
his horse again, thinking at the same time what the best course of action would
be. It was dark and wet—he’d be unable to track her. He had no idea which
direction she headed (or was taken). He walked his confused horse out through
the barn doors.

Then he heard it. The distinct
sound of a horse trotting through the sodden earth toward the barn. Hank stood
just outside the barn doors waiting until he could make out the form of a horse
and rider. It was Mandy.

Relief coursed through Hank
instantly, followed by anger. He released his horse back into the barn and
moved forward to meet Mandy’s. She smiled at him when they made eye contact,
but then the smile quickly left her face. Hank knew it was because his
expression probably resembled that of a thundercloud. He grabbed the horses
reins from her hands as soon as he was able and walked the horse and rider into
the barn.

“Hank—” Mandy started, but stopped
as soon as Hank held up his hand as a signal for her to be silent.

Once inside the barn, Hank pulled
her down from her perch in the saddle and immediately hugged her tight, for
longer than just a moment. He hadn’t realized until he caught sight of her just
how worried her absence had made him. He was more than glad that she had
returned to him safely.

He finally let her go only to grab
her upper arm and pull her over to a corner of the barn where some hay bales
were stacked. Hank wasted no time. He bent her over a high stack of bales,
lifting her so that her legs dangled with her feet unable to touch the ground.

Hank pulled up her wet dress and
petticoats and pulled down her pantaloons.

“Hank, please let me explain.” One
hard smack to her bare backside and Mandy cried out.

 Hank pulled his belt from his pant
loops and folded it in half. He saw Mandy turn her head to the side and see the
belt and start to struggle. Hank subdued her with one strong hand on her lower
back.

Hank brought that strap of leather
down hard on Mandy’s bare skin, laying a straight pink stripe across the middle
of her rounded bottom.

Mandy cried out loud and kicked her
legs. She threw her hands back but Hank deftly caught them and pinned them
against her back. She continued to kick and squirm while Hank continued to
strap her bare behind with his belt, over and over, until the kicking stopped,
and then the squirming too.

Hank heard her crying and knew it
was probably enough for now, but he still gave her a few more to drive the
lesson home. Each lick brought renewed sobbing, but Hank was undeterred. She
would never do something like this again.

He stopped and Mandy lay limp and
sobbing on the haystack. Hank replaced his belt and then lifted her onto her
feet. Holding her by her upper arms, with her tears streaming down her face, he
shook her.

“Get yourself into the cabin and
straight into bed,” Hank commanded. “If you’re not in bed when I come in, I’ll
take my belt to your backside again.” With those words Hank turned Mandy to
face the barn doors and gave her one very hard swat on her punished behind. She
fled, crying, out of the barn.

*  
*   *

When Hank entered the cabin after
finishing the evening chores, Mandy was in bed and sound asleep. She had a soft
snore, that Hank had grown fond of, and so he always knew when she was
sleeping, as opposed to when she was just pretending to sleep and thought she
had tricked him into thinking so.

He walked over to her side of the
bed and stared down at her. She had changed into her nightgown (Hank wasn’t
sure if she would do that), and he could see the tears that had dried on her
cheeks. She must have fallen asleep crying. She hiccoughed and whimpered a
little in her sleep and Hank winced.

He had punished her harshly, more
harshly than he ever had before, and he knew why. He had done so in anger. It
was the first time. He was feeling a bit unsettled about that. In fact, Hank
was feeling rather unsettled about the whole day. Where had she gone? Had she
been with someone or alone? He realized that, in his anger, he hadn’t given
Mandy a chance to explain herself at all.

Still, there was no excuse good
enough, in Hank’s mind at least, for taking off on one of the horses without
telling him where she was going. No, no excuse at all. That was just foolishness,
plain and simple. And dangerous. He wanted some answers and was determined that
he would get them first thing tomorrow.

No, Hank didn’t regret punishing Mandy
for acting so carelessly; she needed that punishment to prevent her from ever
doing anything so foolish again. He was certain she’d never forget that
strapping he gave her. He did regret not talking to her first or even after the
punishment (Hank usually held her afterward, talking to her and comforting her,
letting her cry it out on his shoulder). And he regretted acting in anger. He’d
learned his lesson over that and vowed to himself that it would never happen
again.

Hank joined Mandy in the bed and
fell into a restless sleep.

*  
*   *

Mandy woke in the middle of the
night to pitch blackness in the cabin. She was cold; so cold that she had woken
up from shivering. When she rolled onto her back and her very sore behind hit
the bed, the events of the previous day came flooding back.

She whimpered and rolled back to
her side. Mandy wasn’t ever allowed to rub so she didn’t even think to try—even
though Hank was asleep. And, at that thought, Hank awoke. He immediately rose
and fetched another quilt from the trunk at the foot of the bed. Mandy watched
in silence as Hank, dressed only in his long underwear, shook out the quilt and
covered her with it. Then he climbed back into the bed.

Without a word, Hank pulled Mandy
to him and then turned her over, her punished backside touching the bed for
just a moment, as he gathered her close to him, front to front so as not to
cause her any more pain. He just held her close and let his body heat warm her
up. Hank wrapped his arms around her and Mandy let him. Even after the
strapping that he gave her, she still wanted to be close to him.