She raised her eyes to meet his. "Must I, sir?"
His stare down at her was relentless, his voice forbidding. "I think you know the answer to that."
The Discipline
The sound of the ocean striking the ship kept Bella company as she sat alone in the captain's quarters. A light scent of the salty sea and clean fresh soap—of Gregory—clung to the air. When she'd slept in the hammock that first night, the scent had comforted her as she drifted off. Had he given her his hammock that night? Now, the same fragrance had her trembling with uncertainty.
He would not throw a woman overboard. Hadn't he promised Chloe as much? But the fate which awaited her might make swimming in the deep ocean seem a better alternative. Her sins were numerous. The lies she told were impossible to keep up with any longer. She had hidden important information from the captain involving the very issue she'd promised herself to help him solve.
Paling, the worst of it occurred to her. Good Lord Almighty, she had gone below again, after he had forbidden her! What was it he had threatened to do if he caught her disobeying? Surely, he would not actually take a strap to her? The very notion made her feel weak.
Bella forced herself to stop quaking. She was a grown woman, capable of facing the repercussions of her own mistakes. Soon, she would be married to a horrible man who pledged himself to two women. She prayed for intervention.
But time for childish fears were over. She would accept any punishment her captain sought to deliver. She would do so with dignity and grace befitting the daughter of a baron. The fact that she would also be the future wife of a man who behaved like a bastard, she ignored.
There would be no begging, whimpering or foolish attempts of explaining her behavior. Had she not promised Chloe she could handle any trouble which arouse when she forced the girl to come to her chambers? As long as Gregory did not seek to punish Chloe, Bella could and would face her fate like a lady.
The moment the cabin door swung open, she threw herself in his arms and started bawling like a child freed from the nursery. "It was my entire fault, sir. Everything. I have let you down in so many ways; I don't understand how you can bear to look at me."
His warm embrace engulfed her for a few minutes before he pulled her away. "Have a seat on the bed, Bella. We're going to have a long discussion, you and I. And when I finish, you'll have no doubt just what I expect of you from now on."
Meekly complying, she bowed her head and listened as he explained what would happen.
"Because you are a lady under my charge, I will address your misdeeds privately. Ordinarily, you would be whipped before the crew for harboring stowaways. And don't even attempt to explain you didn't understand my warnings about going below."
Nodding weakly, she lowered her gaze again.
"I consider myself a fair man, Arabella."
For a moment, she hadn't realized he had addressed her by her name. But the thrill of it was lost in the apprehension of his lecture.
"I believe ten strokes will suffice, he said quietly. "For each offense."
Her head popped up as he passed his sentence, and she gasped.
"Each?" she squeaked in dismay.
He lifted her chin. "For each," he added. "The first ten will be with my hand. The next with my belt. And the third set will be with the strap. I want you to realize how grave your actions have been."
"Couldn't you just toss me overboard and be done with it, sir?" She cringed at the desperation in her own voice. Hadn't she promised to handle this like a lady?
"Stand." His voice was deep. "Go stand by the foot of my bed. Gather up your skirts and lift them out of the way before you lean over to grasp the frame. If they fall during the correction, I will stop and have you remove them completely."
"No! That's scandalous!" she wailed.
"So is harboring a stowaway, Arabella. Don't add more to your tally for stalling."
Stiffening with pride, she stood up and marched to the area he indicated. Pulling up her skirts proved not only embarrassing, but fairly awkward. She dared not let them go too soon, lest she chance them slipping down, causing him to follow through with his promise. Still grasping the material, she bent to grab the frame, her head all but disappearing under the flow of clothing. Her eyes closed as she felt the cool air come in contact with her bottom.
"Well, get on with it, sir." Defiance crept into her voice. "I want to go check on poor Chloe. She must be terrified with concern, now that she's been found."
Behind her, she heard a quiet growl. "I believe, Arabella, that I would lose the defiance, if I were you. But all right. Don't move. I'll be right back."
Bella was quiet during the moment he took to retrieve the strap from the cabinet. But she peeked over her shoulder as he turned back to her. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. A moment later, he was back and standing by her side.
"Brace yourself, Arabella. This will be painful, but it is also necessary. Ships run by a set of rules which were established to keep order and justice in check. The first ten will be given by my hand. While you receive them, I want you to ponder of the severity of your first poor choice. Harboring a stowaway put yourself and others aboard this ship in grave danger. While Chloe appears to be an innocent child, privateers roam these waters. They sometimes have members of their cut-throat groups infiltrate ships like the Charlotte to help bring them to their doom. If you had been a crew member, this punishment would have been public and far worse," he said.
The sound of his hand connecting with her backside registered before the sting of the impact had her wiggling to escape. "Hold your position, young lady, and don't even think about reaching back to halt your punishment."
His iron hand connected time and again with her bottom, making Bella moan with each injustice. But was it an injustice? She thought about what he'd said. The idea of pirates had never crossed her mind. While she was certain Chloe was no pirate, the girl had told her about other men hiding below. What if one of them was evil, looking for a chance to set upon the crew and do them harm? Even Chloe hadn't felt comfortable staying on the same level with them.
She began to let sobs escape, but still, he didn't stop.
She was given a brief rest before the next offense was addressed. "Answer me, Arabella. How many times did I forbid you to go exploring on the lower decks?"
"I don't know, sir," she said, weeping softly.
"It was more than once, wasn't it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Think about what kind of danger you put yourself into, while I begin this next set."
This time, his belt bit into her thighs and bottom as he lectured her about those dangers. Knowing there were strangers down below, he pointed out how nasty things could have become. "Not all men have honor or morals to guide them, young lady. You could have been attacked, taken in the most indecent ways, with no one to protect you."
Never had she feared being raped, but, at his words, she digested the possibility. Chloe had separated herself from the others. Was it for fear they would do her harm? Had she preferred the presence of rodents to the men who were not her family?
Bella felt tears slip through her lashes as she stopped trying to escape the painful blows landing now. Shame filled her. What if she had been attacked? Would her future husband have set her aside, returning her as used goods to her family? He was the man, after all, who had sent for two wives, so he probably would not feel compelled to protect her reputation.
The sound of the leather falling silenced again. She could feel angry red stripes on her backside.
She gasped, as she felt his hand gently smooth over the welts on her bottom.
"Now, we will address the gravest of your insults, Arabella." He paused.
She whimpered. But she knew he could not let her escape his justice.
"You lied to me. Repeatedly," he said in a disappointed tone. "We had already discussed how being less than honest only compounds problems. Instead of learning from that experience, you continued to withhold the trut
h. When questioned, you gave me falsehoods which could have endangered your life. Such behavior will not go unpunished. As painful as you find the next ten strokes, young lady, consider this. If you are ever caught lying to me again, the punishment will be far more severe. The other thing you need to know is that you lie poorly. I can tell, each time you give me an untruth for an answer."
Each stroke of the strap on her bare flesh made her flinch and cry out. Her breathing became ragged, after the first one. Three more fell at a rapid pace, moving from mid-backside and continuing down in rows which crisscrossed areas already punished.
"Breathe, Arabella."
She couldn't. She had to wait until the pain had eased. While the last ten with the leather belt had seemed harsh, these were delivered with considerably more force. She would feel this chastisement for a long time to come.
Finally, she took a breath, shivering.
"All right. Six more to go."
"Oh, please, sir." She closed her eyes and waited, still feeling the agony of the last welts. "Please don't—" She gasped as two more struck. Yet, this time, Bella remained quiet. She finally was able to accept the consequences of her actions like a lady.
"Before I give you the rest? Tell me why you've been punished today."
A hiccup escaped.
"Because," she uttered a tiny whisper. "I kept a stowaway in my room."
"And?"
"Because I went below deck without permission."
"Yes. And the last?"
She gave a light sob.
"Arabella?"
"Because I lied, sir."
"How many times did you lie?"
Her head raised from the bedding. "I don't know."
He leaned forward. "Look at me."
She turned her head toward him. His face was extremely close to hers.
"See, that's what happens when we lie, young lady. One lie requires another to cover it up, then another, and finally, it becomes hard to remember the truth."
She was weeping openly now. "Oh, sir, I'm so s-sorry."
"The last four will be quite close together and then it will be over. Take a deep breath for me."
Dread overtook her face as she looked up into his. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and buried her face into the covers. Gregory stepped back.
One lash after the other, quickly, caused her to hold her breath as the feeling set in. When she began to sob, he leaned forward again.
"It's over, Arabella," he said gently. Her skirts and petticoats were gently pulled from her death grip and lowered back in place. Then her captain lifted her up and into his strong arms.
"All is forgiven now. You have accepted your punishment well. The slate is clean. We will never mention this again. Unless…" His face was stern now. "Unless it happens again."
"It will never happen again, sir," she said softly.
"Good girl."
The petticoats under her bottom chafed, but, held in his arms, she was thankful when he rocked her a few moments to allow her to compose herself.
She finally spoke in a whisper, sniffling, "I'm so sorry, sir. I have put you in a dreadful position. How will we ever explain Chloe turning up, after searching the cabins?"
"Shh. I'm thinking about it."
"But—please, sir, we can't send her back down below. I would gladly accept punishment every day in payment for her staying in my room where it's safe."
"Arabella, listen to me. This is my responsibility. I will handle it. You've taken quite a punishment, and it's admirable that you are more worried about Chloe than yourself. You are quite a remarkable young lady. But this is not your decision to make." He held her out from him, and dark brown eyes searched her face. "And the answer to your question is, at the moment, I have no idea what to tell anyone." When her innocent and trusting eyes met his, he added, "And I have a question of my own." He studied her quietly, frowning, before he spoke again.
She waited.
"How?" He asked softly. "How will I ever be able to let you go when we reach New Orleans?"
Chapter 10
Plans
He'd said it. Gregory cursed himself as he left Arabella sitting on the edge of the bed and went back to her cabin to retrieve Chloe. The young lady he had just disciplined soundly had only looked up at him as if she didn't know what to say.
The captain bit back a smile at the picture she had presented as he was about to punish her. Arabella St. John was a beautiful little thing. Her waist was slender, her hips deliciously rounded, and her backside heart-shaped. While her legs were petite with stockings that tied just above her knees, they were slender and perfect.
She was perfect.
He was almost to her cabin when he heard it—the sound of shrieking, punctuated by the sound of hard slaps on bare skin. Earl was lecturing and making no attempt to keep his voice down.
Gregory paused, nodding. "About time," he said.
He arrived back at his cabin with Chloe in tow, a few moments later, to find Arabella curled up on his bed, her feet drawn up, her cheek resting on her hand. Her long lashes still showed traces of tears.
"Arabella," he said, leaning down next to her ear. "Chloe is here. We need to make plans."
Her eyes fluttered open, and he lifted her, setting her against the headboard, among the pillows. She rubbed her eyes, looking from one to the other. Chloe smiled at her.
"Chloe, I need to know about the others with you." Gregory tried to make his voice gentle.
She didn't speak for a long time. Finally, she answered, "They are good people, sir. But they've been into the whiskey and the beer. I…" She paused. "I moved up to the second floor to get away. We all stole from the food. But I think the men, mostly." She continued, looking up at him ruefully. "They got into the whiskey. Too much. We brought a little food with us, too. But we couldn't cook it without someone finding out we were here."
Gregory was listening thoughtfully.
Arabella's eyes were large as she spoke. "So you were the rodent!" Chloe appeared shocked, and she continued. "I saw shadows the first day I was down there. I thought it was a big rat. It was you?"
Chloe laughed. "Yes, miss Bella. It was probably me you heard, or it might have been Cooper."
Gregory, however, wasn't laughing. "Chloe, you realize you can't stay down in steerage with the rest of them. Or on the second deck. It's not safe for you. Can you show me where they are? I have an idea what we might be able to do."
"Yes, sir. I'll show you. But—what would you have me do?"
Gregory frowned. "Arabella's father paid for the passage of a young lady who was to be a lady's maid to her. I don't suppose you know anything about that?"
Her eyes large, she shook her head.
"No, I thought not. Do you have any experience as one? You speak very well."
Another shake. "But I would be happy to learn. And I read, sir."
He turned to Bella. "This is agreeable with you, Arabella? To have Chloe act as your lady's maid and stay with you?"
Arabella was nodding vigorously at him. "Yes, sir."
"It would do several things—provide meals for Chloe, provide safety for her. I have the paid receipt that says she is a passenger aboard the ship. Chloe, your last name?"
"Cates, sir."
"The receipt I have is for a Miss Tucker. So, from here on, you will be known as Chloe Tucker. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"And you will follow all the rules I give Arabella. If not, both of you will answer to me. Still—Chloe, listen to me. Neither of you may go below deck without my knowledge and permission. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"The commander and I will take care of letting the others know that Chloe is your missing lady's maid, Arabella." He nodded toward Chloe. "You are to come with me. Miss St. John, I will walk you to your cabin—and you will stay there. Is that quite clear?"
Arabella, standing in front of him, troubled her lip with her teeth and nodded. Gregory led both of them down the corridor t
oward her cabin and opened the door for her. Lifting her chin, he spoke softly. "You're exhausted, Arabella. I want you to lie down. I'll bring Chloe back after we have finished."
Her eyes were reproachful, but she nodded and went inside. As he closed the door, Earl came out of Lily's cabin. "Accompany us, Commander? I'll explain later, but I need your help. We have found our Miss Tucker."
Earl grinned. "I'm eager to hear this one, Captain."
They took Chloe down with them, but when they reached the second deck, Gregory asked her to show him the areas in which they'd been taking food. She showed him the fruit, the oatmeal, the whiskey and beer, and some of the water. The hardtack that had been prepared ahead of time had also been used.
But as they reached steerage, they stopped. Three men were relaxed on the floor, lolling against the sides of the ship. Several more were asleep, and one older, well-endowed woman was present. She stood; the rest of them did not. But their large dark eyes stared at the captain and the commander.
"Hey, Cap'n." One of the older men grinned, drawing out his words slowly but quite good-naturedly. "Thought you'd find us before now."
"Benny. Stand up. Be polite." The woman next to him scowled and poked him in the ribs.
He laughed. "Leave me be, woman. Can't stand. Too much whiskey. Too drunk."
"I see that." Gregory was trying to be severe, but instead, found himself grinning. He turned toward the woman next to him, whose dark eyes showed white all the way around them. "Ma'am? Can you tell me where they've been getting the whiskey?"
"On the next deck up, Mr. Cap'n. Sorry."
"They have none down here?"
She glanced back at the man she'd addressed as Benny and stood. "Show you."
"Thank you. Your name, ma'am?"
"Sarah. Married to Benny." She jerked a thumb backward to the man on the floor.
Gregory followed her to the crates in steerage and nodded. There were several containing whiskey, beer, and fruit. And a few empty ones. He nodded, turning to her.
"My men will remove these immediately, ma'am. But we'll bring you other things to replace it. Can you cook the meals in the steerage kitchen, if we bring you down enough food?"
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