Whip Hands (2 page)

‘What I'm going to say may come as something of a shock,' Miss Praeger said. ‘I know your Karl quite well. I, too, have German blood in my veins, thanks to a paternal grandfather whom unfortunately I never knew. Karl is patently devoted to you, but he would like you to be a little more, shall we say, daring in your relationship.'

Verity gulped but remained silent. What else did this interfering woman know about her private life?

‘You see, I had to call Karl in for a talk,' Miss Praeger continued. ‘It's these overdue fines. Yes, the ones I now see you thought you were going to keep secret from me.'

‘But Karl never mentioned...'

‘No, he was under strict instructions from me not to breathe a word of this to you. He realised that if I knew you had been renewing books far beyond their return date and failing to collect fines then the consequences for you would be grave indeed.'

‘Karl needs those law books for this year's exams. There is no way he could afford to buy them, Miss Praeger. His family are not well off.' Verity gulped down some more of the tart drink as she felt her panic rising.

‘That's as maybe. Your actions are a credit to your heart if not to your head, Verity. He is a fine young man, if a little too aware of his own qualities. But I was going to tell you what agreement I have reached with Karl.'

Miss Praeger inched closer on the leather divan and touched her arm confidentially. Verity's head was in a whirl.

‘Of course, it would be quite out of the question for him to repay the accumulated fines of the last six months, so we struck a deal. I agreed not to pass on your misdemeanours to a higher authority as long as I was free to discipline you in a private capacity.'

There was an indrawn breath from Verity. ‘So is that why you insisted I came like this?'

‘That was actually Karl's idea. He pointed out that your costume was to be returned tomorrow and it seemed a pity not to get full wear out of it. He must have thought I would enjoy seeing you like this.' Miss Praeger gave another of those low-throated chuckles that made Verity's heart jump.

‘How am I to be... disciplined?'

‘Karl told me you were developing quite a fondness for spanking. Don't blush so, you silly little goose. It's quite normal for young women who have lived a sheltered life such as you have to develop such fantasies. But now you are old enough to begin experiencing life for real.'

‘For real?'

There was a silence as Miss Praeger looked steadily into Verity's face. The girl looked away and took another sip from her glass.

Eventually, Miss Praeger continued in a brisk tone. ‘Now finish your drink, Verity. We're going to another room, one even more special than this. As I think I told you, my father was a teacher, a wonderful teacher. He gave his life to imparting the Classics. I have created a small museum in his memory and I'd like to show you. Follow me, please.'

Miss Praeger's tall figure, stylish in her supple maroon dress, stood over Verity. She noticed for the first time how well-endowed Miss Praeger's bosom was in the low-cut gown. In her garish party costume she once again felt at a disadvantage as the librarian led the way back along the corridor, pausing only briefly to unlock one door and remove the key. She beckoned Verity inside with a level gaze.

The new room was even larger than the boudoir, but not nearly as inviting. It had a slightly musty small, Verity noticed. There was only a skylight for light and ventilation. The high walls were panelled in dark wood up to shoulder height and then became an indeterminate off-white. There were two rows of old school benches that had clearly seen rough treatment in the past, and before them stood a teacher's desk on a high dais.

‘Look around. You will find I have preserved many of dear papa's teaching aids. Maps of the classical world, reproductions of suitable urns and vases, even his bust of Homer. The classroom furniture was donated by the school as a token of respect for the thirty years he taught there with scarcely a day taken off ill. It was this dedication and discipline that hastened his death, I am convinced.' She sighed. ‘Of course, things are quite different now.'

Verity tried desperately to grasp some meaning from this latest twist. Dutifully she moved to take a closer look at Homer. The buzz of the strip lights was distracting. Then she heard the sound of the key turning behind her. She whirled round to find Miss Praeger standing behind her father's high desk. Her penetrating gaze rooted Verity to the spot. Miss Praeger suddenly lifted the lid, reached inside and produced something which was not immediately discernible in the dim light. She lowered the lid and the object was swiftly laid on top with a slight slap.

‘Now Verity, the time has come for you to take the discipline which by rights you should have received months ago.'

Verity gulped, thinking that she might be in for a few slaps across the wrist or a tap with a ruler. Surely Miss Praeger, a refined and educated woman, could not be thinking of anything more severe?

‘Bend over that desk facing you, with your arms stretched out to rest on the row behind.'

‘But, Miss Praeger...'

‘Come now, girl. You didn't for a moment think you would get away with defrauding the library service of more than fifty pounds?' The woman's interrogative tone had suddenly hardened to contain a hint of menace.

Verity's head whirled once more. ‘Surely it can't be as much as that?'

‘You lost count, didn't you, Verity? Well, it's what comes of lapsing into complacency. Believe me, that's a lesson you will learn painfully tonight.'

‘I can't think what you mean by adopting that kind of tone. There was no intention of fraud against the library. You surely must see that,' Verity squeaked. ‘No one else was asking to borrow the books.'

‘Be quiet, girl. When I address you in this room you remain silent. You speak only when invited to by your teacher.'

Miss Praeger's voice was now harsh, almost metallic. There was something very strange about this room and what it was used for, Verity thought. She tried her best to shut certain thoughts out of her mind. And then she saw what Miss Praeger carried in her hand.

Only a few nights ago, Karl had produced something similar after one of the hand-spanking sessions which by now was a regular occurrence. They had just graduated to a long-handled clothes brush which produced a sharp crack like a pistol shot but resulted in a wonderful warm glow to her trembling globes. It was then he had produced the three-tongued tawse to show her what he called ‘the next pace'. He meant ‘step', of course.

Something about the dull gleam of the grey strap had frightened Verity, together with the pungent smell of new leather that assailed her senses. She had not permitted him to use it, and she rejected his invitation to do ‘boom-boom', as he called it. Now, as in a nightmare, she noticed Miss Praeger was running between the thumb and fingers of one hand an item that was almost identical. The resemblance was uncanny. But this one was far from new and its stiffness creaked slightly in Miss Praeger's grasp.

‘Bend over, now, and take your punishment,' Miss Praeger ordered. ‘Karl and I have agreed to share out the apportionment of strokes. There will be one for each pound owed to the library authority. You will hardly feel a thing in that outfit and the drink you have taken contains a mild herbal painkiller.'

At this, Verity found herself being pushed over the desk by a firm hand in the small of her back. Although shocked by the turn of events, she was relieved to remember she was by no stretch of the imagination naked and defenceless. The glossy PVC skin, although now tightly compressing her buttocks and stretching like a thong around her labia, was at least going to take the edge off her first taste of the strap. But it was so humiliating to be treated like a schoolgirl.

‘How many?' she asked in a tiny voice, looking back over her shoulder.

‘We will begin with twelve now. But your partner will be administering some more later tonight.' Verity's shocked face was turned to face the front firmly but gently. ‘You will help me by counting. Start with “twelve to go, miss”.'

‘Twelve to go, miss.' Verity heard the creak of the ancient tawse on its upward and return journey. The sensation was only a slight burning.

‘Eleven to go.' The next time was definitely harder, and Verity now suspected she was being broken in gently by the experienced librarian. There was a slight pause as Miss Praeger adjusted her sleeve. On the fifth stroke she swore she heard Miss Praeger grunt and after that she knew the final stretch would be a trial indeed.

The head librarian pushed Verity hard down on to the desk. Her nose was against the pitted surface. To her left she could see someone's initials carved with a penknife.

‘Five to go.' Again the unmistakable grunt and now the burn grew in sharpness before eventually fading.

‘Four to go.' This time there was practically no pause before it was administered, much lower down and below the panty line. Verity sprang up and rubbed her backside furiously, angry despite herself. Then, in a trice, she remembered where she was.

‘Your apologies are, I'm afraid, insufficient,' Miss Praeger declared. She had a gleam in her eye that Verity did not like. ‘You will receive an extra one for indiscipline. And this time it will need to be without the catsuit.'

‘Miss Praeger, please. I've had enough.'

‘You may have, you silly girl. But I have not!'

Despite Verity's struggles the librarian swiftly began to unlace the catsuit. She pushed the girl back down and put a knee on the small of her back to hold her in place. Verity had not realised Miss Praeger was so strong. She felt the cooler air on her back as the laces were pulled free of the eyelets; down, down as far as the very top of her buttocks.

Then Miss Praeger made Verity stand up. She was instructed to strip the garment away. When the sleeves were free, the second skin was pulled down roughly to her knees, revealing the thong she had decided to wear underneath. Miss Praeger saw it and shook her head more in sorrow than anger.

Verity was manhandled round and made to bend over the desk once more. Her legs were shaking and she wasn't sure if it was with cold or not.

‘Now, in future you will be much more obedient, Verity, both to Karl and to myself as your superior in the library. Do you understand?'

‘To Karl? But I'm not his wife. Surely you can't mean that I should do exactly as he says.'

‘Verity, you have not properly learned your lesson.'

Again Verity heard the creak of leather and the tawse made its inevitable journey to brand her upturned globes with a stripe of fire. She struggled, but to no avail. This time the initial sharpness took far longer to go away. The tawse burned her again. She felt herself becoming tearful as Miss Praeger raised her arm for a further stroke.

Then the front door buzzer went. Taking advantage of the distraction, Verity struggled free. Miss Praeger shot her a quick glance, which bore a touch of exasperation.

‘Now, I think I know who that is. You will be excused further punishment at my hand after all. But I see there are dark stripes left on your costume. Get out of it and I will bring you your coat.'

As Verity stripped the pink garment off her legs she could hear Miss Praeger talking to someone over the intercom in the hall, but failed to catch the words. She was standing naked but for the thong in Miss Praeger's strange schoolroom when the librarian returned with her coat. Miss Praeger placed it on the high desk, then made Verity turn round and display her glowing haunches.

‘I seem to have let you off lightly,' she observed as she stood, arms akimbo, smiling lazily. ‘Karl says he is in no hurry, so bend over again as you were. This time I will use the usual weapon for punishing beginners.' She brandished a heavy wooden twelve-inch ruler quite unlike the thin plastic kind used in Verity's schooldays.

This time Verity distinctly heard the whirr and knew the implement would be harder. The slap of the flat wooden surface surprised her. She had never dreamed the pain could be so sharp. Holding her firmly down, Miss Praeger inflicted five more in quick succession before releasing the writhing girl. Tears of vexation sprang to Verity's eyes.

‘Ow, that really hurt!' Verity could think of nothing more original as her hands went to smooth her flaming cheeks. To her dismay, a tear rolled down one cheek.

‘Only a foretaste, Verity,' Miss Praeger replied. ‘Never mind, your Karl will finish off the job later. Put on your coat. I will keep hold of this for tonight and give it to you clean tomorrow.' She held up the catsuit.

Verity felt she must find out the truth, even if it was unpleasant. ‘How do you know so much about Karl and what he wants from me?'

To her surprise, Miss Praeger came over and held her gently at arms' length, giving her a genuine look of concern. ‘Verity, my dear, your innocence does you credit. But I think you need to ask your Karl a few questions, especially about what he does most Monday nights.'

‘Do you know where he goes?'

‘Why, yes. He comes here. With one or two other gentlemen who enjoy watching a young girl such as yourself receive punishment at my hands. It is all very civilised, I assure you. We have drinks in the boudoir afterwards. But, of course, they all pay me generously for making the arrangements.'