by Maggie Ryan
"Seven is for those little ones who are good, Alexandria. Naughty girls go to bed immediately after dinner." Eleanor's words had Alexandria muttering her apology and then seeming to accept the decree when she learned that girls who proved they could behave, and who were applying themselves properly to their lessons, received a later bedtime of eight or even nine o'clock.
"What we've discussed will be your daily routine. I will now remind you of consequences to your bottom if you make naughty choices."
Max wasn't surprised to feel her squirm or to see her head turn towards the urn. It was obvious that hearing two of her new sisters receiving such consequences had made an impression.
Eleanor continued. "You've already discovered that your nanny will brook no foolishness. She's already had to spank you twice today and, Alexandria, I can assure you that you do not want that to become a common theme."
"But… I have a husband. Surely no one else will spank me?"
"Were you not already wed when your Papa placed you with us?" Eleanor's question was asked in a quiet, yet very firm, tone.
"Yes, I suppose, but—"
"Did you not witness your sisters, Janey and Claudia, both performing kitchen penance with their skirts up and paddled bottoms on display, as well as understand they were both caned in this very office?"
"Yes, but I'm Lady Hollister now."
"That fact has already been established. I'm quite sure that both Lady Carrington and Mrs. Lloyds will confirm that as a student in my school, you will obey every adult under this roof—or find yourself nose to the wall, drawers parted or at your ankles, your own spanked bottom displayed."
Max kept his expression serious as his wife turned to look at him, her eyes wide as if imploring him to interfere, to set the headmistress straight. Instead, he removed any doubts she might still be clinging to. "Lexie, you're but one of many married women enrolled here. Those who aren't yet wed, have entered into betrothals. All are of their majority, some several years beyond. Titles and stations may differ, but I assure you, the one thing, the only thing that matters is that under this roof, you're all students, all little ones, and all subject to discipline." He gave her a moment to consider his words. "As I've said, we have yet another appointment, and this constant interruption isn't only making us late, it's very disrespectful. Turn around and let Miss Summers finish."
Alexandria turned to see Eleanor open a drawer, remove something and place it on her desk.
"This is your journal, Alexandria," she said, as she inscribed something on the fly page. "You heard me tell Janey and Claudia to make their entries?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Alexandria said, her eyes on the book.
"Every time you're punished, you will note it in your punishment book. You will explain what choice you made to earn you the correction, detail the specifics of the punishment, and write what choice you plan to make in the future. If you've received a demerit, it will also be noted at the bottom of the page. Every Saturday evening, your nanny will go over the book with you and make a note of how many demerits you have earned for that week. She will pass that information on to me and you will be given a token representing that number after breakfast on Sunday morning. After services you'll join your sisters for the Atonement ceremony. Sundays are spent reflecting upon lessons learned as well as attending to weekly ablutions."
Though Alexandria turned to look at him, the question obvious in her eyes, Max shook his head and twirled his finger in the air, indicating she was to turn around and give Miss Summers her undivided attention. He was pleased when she immediately did so.
"Papas visit on Sunday evenings. It's a time most of the girls enjoy, though it's also the time they share the contents of their journals with their Papas and possibly then face his discipline as well. You heard Janey speak about how disappointed her Papa was going to be?" At her nod, Eleanor smiled. "She speaks the truth, as she has been warned repeatedly by her husband that she is not to continue to repeat naughty choices. Though I can assure you he will not skin her alive, I can also assure you that she won't be sitting comfortably for a few days after Sunday evening."
Looking at a clock on the shelf above the fireplace, she closed the book and stood. Holding out the journal, she smiled when Alexandria took it from her, her fingers running over the leather cover, tracing across the gold script. Max had brought it with him early that morning after having it embossed with her name. It would be the first of many journals she would use to record her transgressions throughout the rest of her life.
Eleanor walked to stand in front of them. "The leather is burgundy to remind little ones that their bottoms can easily be turned the same shade if they're naughty."
"Oh, um, tha-thank you," Alexandria said, her cheeks flushing.
"You're welcome. The contents will be written by you, Alexandria. It's up to you what stories the pages will tell." She paused, as if to allow time for her words to be accepted. "Welcome to your school. I have every faith that you will do well. Take the opportunity to learn what you can during your time with us. After you see the doctor, you will meet your sisters at luncheon. I know you'll find friends here."
Max guided Alexandria off his lap. Taking her hand, they followed Eleanor to the door. When it opened, they saw that the other girls and their nanny were gone.
"I believe you'll find Nanny Jenkins waiting with the doctor in the exam room. It's on the first floor, the last room at the end of the hall past the library."
"Thank you, Eleanor, I'm sure we'll find it," Max said, and waited as Eleanor finished Lexie's introduction to the school.
"Be a good girl, Alexandria. Your lessons started the moment you arrived. Now that you understand the rules, every choice you make is important for your training. I'd hate to see you earn a demerit the first day you are here."
"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be good."
The woman bent and hugged her, kissing her cheek. "That would be a very good choice to make, little one."
*****
Though she had just promised to be good, the moment they were alone in the hall, Max listened as Alexandria stated again that she didn't need a doctor.
"I know some of the nannies are ill, but I feel fine."
"Every girl is seen regularly by Dr. Gibbons, Lexie. He needs to make sure you are healthy." Max gave her hand a squeeze as they walked through the house. "He will be your doctor from this day forward. He not only makes sure you are capable of learning your lessons, he also knows that red bottoms or other places aren't uncommon." Hearing her gasp and seeing her flushed face, he stopped walking. "You have nothing to fear, Lexie. Dr. Gibbons is a kind man. You'll receive a very thorough examination but I promise he won't hurt you."
Alexandria shifted her eyes away before speaking. "What do you mean by 'thorough'?"
"I mean he will check every inch of you. It's necessary to start a complete record of your visits as he will continue to be your physician when you leave school."
"I-I thought you believed me."
Puzzled, he turned her face up to his. "Believed you? I'm not sure I understand."
She tried to pull away, and yet his hand cupping her chin held her in place. "If you didn't believe me, why did you marry me?"
"Lexie, you need to be clearer."
"In the courtroom, you said the exam was to-to see if I was with child."
Max remembered making the statement and sighed. "I have no fear that you're pregnant. Perhaps I should have explained that an initial exam was—"
"Then why... why must he examine me down... down there?"
"In your quim?" Her face turned as burgundy as the book she clutched in her hand. He'd never believed she was anything but chaste, the look on her face was merely further proof of her innocence. Would it be necessary to chastise her before the exam even began? "I asked you a question, Alexandria. Must I repeat it?"
"No!" she hissed, jerking her chin free from his fingers and looking up and down the hallway.
"Young lady, do not use that tone with me. I h
ave no problems with you asking me a question, and will try to answer what I can. However, I will not tolerate disrespect. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes, but someone might hear you!"
Max knew the hallway was empty, the other girls in various classrooms, but that wasn't the point. She'd learn that when he asked a question, no matter how embarrassing it might be to her, he expected an immediate answer, given in a respectful manner. After relaying that information to her, he was proud when she nodded.
"Good, now answer my question."
It took her a moment to remember what the question had been. "Yes."
Not giving her an inch, he shook his head. "Yes, what?"
"Yes, that's... that's where I meant."
"Alexandria, are you testing me?"
She gave a soft mew but shook her head. "No, I mean, yes, my-my quim is what... where I meant."
"Because your quim is part of you." He began walking again. "As I explained, he needs to make sure you are as healthy as you say. You are far too thin, and I know you have not been receiving proper medical care in the orphanage."
They were walking past the library, Alexandria not commenting on the floor to ceiling bookshelves even though she had expressed her love of reading. Max wondered if her mind was focusing on something far more suspenseful than any adventure novel.
"Are you going to stay with me?"
Max had absolutely no intention of giving her an opportunity to think she was ever going to keep him from observing her any time he desired. She needed to understand that her Papa made the decisions. "Yes, Alexandria, I will always be with you."
She stared at him, her small mouth forming a perfect little 'o'. "You'll be there when... but, that's improper!"
"You are my little one. You need not worry what is proper or not. That is my responsibility as your Papa. Your job, Lexie, is to do as you're told. I'll be there for every moment. There is no need to be afraid; I will not let anything happen to you." He was pretty sure that fear was not the cause of any distress. He was willing to bet she was far more concerned about her modesty. She wasn't an ignorant girl, even though she was an innocent. She had to know that such an intimate exam would require quite the immodest uncovering of her quim; something he was quite looking forward to—and by the look of the color creeping up her neck to settle into bright spots on her cheeks, something for which she wasn't sharing his anticipation. Another few steps had them reaching the door. His knock was answered by Juliette.
*****
"Ah, there you are. Did you and your Papa have a nice visit with Miss Summers?"
Her mind reeling, Alexandria barely managed to answer. "Um, yes." The room was very, very bright. Floor to ceiling windows formed one wall; with only thin gauzy fabric covering the glass. The walls were white, as was the covering on top of a tall, narrow table that stood in front of the windows. She'd never seen such a piece of furniture before, and seeing what appeared to be some type of straps tucked beneath the padded table, she jerked her gaze away. On an adjacent table stood several crocks, with various items sticking above the rims. The table also held a large black bag, and she knew it must hold the doctor's instruments. A ladder-back chair sat against another wall, a large partition covered in the same gauzy material as the windows was standing a few feet out from the wall at her left. A washstand with a large white ceramic bowl and pitcher took up most of the remaining wall. In front of the washstand stood a man who was drying his hands on a towel. He hung the towel on the bar and turned towards her.
"Hello, Maximilian, it's nice to see you again," he said, walking towards them. "And this must be your Alexandria."
"Good to see you as well, Thomas," Max said, shaking the man's hand. "Alexandria, this is Doctor Gibbons."
"Um... it's nice to, um, I mean, hello." She felt like a tongue-tied fool. She'd been about to say it was nice to meet him—and that would have been a definite lie.
"Relax, Alexandria, I promise I'm not going to bite." He gave her a smile and turned to Juliette. "Please get our patient ready, Miss Jenkins."
"Yes, Doctor." Her hand was released by Max only to be taken by Juliette as the woman led her behind the partition.
Though she stood quietly as Juliette divested her of her pinafore and jumper, unbuttoning her blouse and sliding it off her arms, it took all of her self-control to stay still. She could hear the two men speaking together but their tones were too low to distinguish actual words. From the way the doctor had greeted Max, she understood they knew each other. What bothered her more than their conversation was the fact that she could clearly see their silhouettes. If she could see them, they could see her. She barely noticed when the nanny knelt and removed her shoes and stockings. Standing in nothing but her chemise and drawers, she began to quiver, her hands fluttering at her sides, until Juliette reached out and took her hands in her own.
"Do you need the potty pot?"
"No. I'm just cold," Alexandria answered. She had an idea that lying was not a characteristic that would go unpunished, but could not tell the truth. He thought her to be so innocent. How could she explain that her stomach was flipping, her heart pounding and her blood racing knowing that he would be watching? The man she had fallen in love with through reading her father's letters, the man she had wed, would see her barely clothed. Surely it was naughty to feel this way? Why did his touch, his looks, his words have her feeling so wanton? How could she admit that she was feeling moisture pool between her legs in her quim at the thought of his eyes roaming over her?
"I want you to remember to be a good girl. Follow the doctor's instructions and you'll be fine."
Alexandria doubted that very much, but nodded. Blessed with good health, she had rarely been ill and when she had, she'd been too tired or achy to care about anything other than getting better. This doctor was not examining her because she needed him to diagnose her condition or prescribe some medicine. No, this doctor was going to examine her in a way she had never truly imagined. Before she could process the thought further, Juliette had her pulled around the screen.
"Shall we begin?"
Unable to lift her eyes from her bare feet, Alexandria managed to nod. When instructed to stand still and not slouch, she did so as the doctor measured her height against a chart on the wall.
"You are a tiny one, aren't you?" he teased, as he made a note of her height at an inch over five feet. "If you weigh much more than six stone I'd be surprised. Don't fret, Mrs. Yardley is quite the cook, she'll have you fat and sassy in no time."
When Alexandria gave him a fleeting smile, he grinned. "Ah, perhaps you are already sassy? That leaves only the fattening up duty to Belinda." Turning, he spoke to Juliette. "Make sure your charge eats regularly. I want her to gain at least a stone."
"Yes, doctor," Juliette said. "Mrs. Yardley has already taken quite a liking to Alexandria. I'm sure she'll not be delinquent in her duties."
Alexandria snuck a glance towards where Max was standing, with a look on his face she couldn't quite decipher.
"Alexandria, did you hear me?"
She looked back to see the doctor smile as he looked down at her. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't."
"Well, I'll check your ears in a moment. For now, I want you to turn around and bend over, please. I need to check the curvature of your spine. Go ahead now, turn around and bend over. Keep your legs together and clasp your arms around your knees."
Alexandria turned and slowly bent, gripping her knees. Though upside down, she had a good view of her drawers, and suddenly remembered they were missing their center seam. Blushing hotly, she started and gave a small jerk when she felt fingers running down her spine from the base of her head to the beginning swell of her bottom. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until he chuckled and told her to breathe normally.
"I'll ask you to hold your breath in a bit, no need to do so for this part of the exam. Go ahead, bend further forward. Put your palms flat onto the floor if you can." The fingers returned as they bumped over her verteb
rae. "Other than being too thin, your spine is fine and your flexibility is good. Your Papa may help you onto the table now."
Before she had fully straightened, she squealed when she was lifted and sat onto the table. Two large, warm hands easily spanned her waist and the moment they left her, she felt a sense of loss. Max gave her a smile before stepping back to make room for the doctor.
He began his exam by using his fingertips to palpate all around her neck. He had her bend her head forward and back and turn from side to side. "Please hand me the ophthalmoscope, Miss Jenkins." When a strange looking instrument was given to him by the nanny, he explained it to Alexandria. "This is quite the invention. It uses the light from the window to reflect on mirrors inside. The angle allows me to look behind your beautiful eyes to see if there is anything unusual. Just hold your head still and don't move. I promise, it doesn't hurt."
After examining her eyes, he made his notes and checked her ears. "I don't see any obstructions, perhaps your mind was wandering earlier?"
She didn't know what to say and just nodded.
"So far, so good. I want you to open your mouth as wide as you can and stick your tongue out as far as possible."
Doing so, she felt his fingers of one hand pressing her tongue flat as two fingers slid over them to probe at the back of her throat. She gagged a bit, and he pulled them back. "Take a deep breath and then breathe through your nose. I know it's a bit uncomfortable but I won't hurt you."
Her eyes were watering and she'd gagged a few more times before he withdrew his fingers. As he washed his hands again, Nanny Jenkins gently cleaned the spittle from Alexandria's chin and helped her to blow her nose.
Returning to the table, the doctor turned to speak to Max. "You'll need to begin slowly. She has no obstructions in her throat, but it is narrow. She'll need to work on learning to breathe through her nose and to control her gag reflex as well. Make sure you work on strengthening her jaw muscles as well. The practice dummy will provide both relaxation and muscle development."
Alexandria didn't understand what he meant—had he said 'dummy'? Surely not. Only babies suckled those. She saw Max nod and heard him tell the doctor he'd arrange that with Eleanor. Before she could consider what that might mean, she heard the doctor ask for something else.