by Maggie Ryan
Chapter 3
Lucy had changed into an appropriate dress for dinner and was walking down the stairs. She was so grateful that she she’d gotten a perfect score on the last quiz her professor turned tutor had administered. Smiling, she admitted that if she were being honest, she was even more thrilled that passing had saved her from feeling her guardian’s razor strop against a backside that was still tender. Feeling better than she had in days, she was practically skipping down the hall when the sight before her drew her to a swift stop.
A small girl in a pretty rose-colored dress with a large pink bow in her hair was walking out of the library. Lucy was puzzled as she wasn’t aware of any children living at Wintercrest or at least she’d never seen one in the actual manor. Perhaps the girl’s home was in one of the many outbuildings around the estate. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder whose child she was. Lucy was about to run up to the girl to see if perhaps she was lost when she saw Mrs. Bremmer step into the hallway from the dining room. Not wishing to have to converse with a woman she was pretty sure found her severely lacking, Lucy pulled back and peered around the corner hoping to see the housekeeper move into another room. Instead, she saw the woman step up to the little girl and take her arm. The child shook her head and then began to cry.
Poor thing, I hope she doesn’t have that witch for a grandmother, Lucy thought. Perhaps the girl had been caught where she didn’t belong. She continued to watch as Mrs. Bremmer led the child into the library which had been Lucy’s own destination. Though she didn’t wish to converse with Edward’s housekeeper, curiosity had Lucy sneaking down the hall until she was practically at the library door. She dared to peek around the doorframe and then her hand flew to her mouth to cover a stifled cry. The little girl was not a stranger! She saw a reflection of how she herself had looked when she had been a decade or so younger. Lucy recognized that the child didn’t belong to Mrs. Bremmer. The child wasn’t truly a child at all. Her own twin, her very sister, was standing before Mrs. Bremmer, tears streaming down her face as the woman apparently scolded her. Lucy couldn’t truly hear what was being said from across the room, but watched in horror as her sister nodded and then walked to a large dark navy velvet ottoman and laid herself down upon its tufted surface. With her sister looking away and Mrs. Bremmer’s back to Lucy, Lucy slipped into the room and scurried to hide behind the settee. She sank down and then flattened to lie on the floor, squirming as far beneath the frame as she dared in order remain hidden yet able to witness what was happening.
“You are being a very naughty little girl, Miss Louisa,” Mrs. Bremmer said. “You know your papa is busy working in his study and you were told to stay in the library and do your deed.”
Lucy’s hand flew to her mouth to hold back a gasp when she realized the servant was bending down to pick up something off the rug. Her confusion grew as she realized the woman’s goal looked like a large bottle that was resting against one of the carved legs of the settee.
“At least you were a good girl and drank your milk. Now, I’m sure you need to do your necessary don’t you?”
Lucy’s eyes flew back to the ottoman to see her sister squirm and then heard her whisper, “Please… please, don’t make me do this. Please… I want my papa!”
“Nonsense! You know what you must do before you see your papa. I’m going to give you another bottle to ensure your need outweighs your stubbornness. But first, I am going to put your rubber pants on so that you won’t mess your nice dress when you wet and, believe me, little lady, you will go potty.”
Lucy kept her eyes glued to her sister even as the servant’s words worked themselves through her mind. She watched as Louisa’s legs were pushed back and her dress lifted. She saw white swaddling between her sister’s legs and understood that her grown, married sister was wearing a nappy, a real nappy just like a small child. Lucy was sure that if she weren’t already on the floor, she would have been after fainting. The scene was something out of a nightmare and yet she was wide awake. Louisa sniffled as Mrs. Bremmer worked a pair of red rubber pants over her legs and then was made to lift her bottom in order for the pants to be pulled up over her nappy.
“That’s our good girl. Now, you can do your necessary and your dress will remain dry. Come along, Louisa. Right up onto my lap and drink your bottle. Cook has put some nice medicine in it for you to assure you wet your nappy quickly.”
Lucy was stunned and remained frozen in place as she saw Louisa get off the ottoman and then climb up onto the housekeeper’s ample lap. She witnessed her sister accept the thick nipple of the bottle into her mouth and begin to suckle. She followed Mrs. Bremmer’s hand as it reached up under the short hem of Louisa’s dress to rub and pat at her bare leg. She watched as her sister seemed to snuggle into the older woman and saw Mrs. Bremmer smile, cuddle the woman who was her mistress closer and bend down to press a kiss on her forehead.
“Such a sweet little lady. You were very naughty, but I know it is because Lucille has come to live with us. You were doing so well in your training, and I was heartbroken to see you so confused. You know you want to be a good girl for your papa. I know you want to obey him and not have to have so many spankings on your poor little bottom. I know you are hurting from that strapping your papa had to give his little girl, but we both know you deserved it, don’t we?”
Lucy saw Louisa’s head bob as she gave her silent answer.
“That’s right. You earned those welts across your bottom and I’d hate to have to spank you again so soon.”
Lucy hadn’t missed the fact that the woman was blaming her for Louisa’s naughtiness and though she wished she could deny it, she did feel guilty for her part in the scheme to switch places with her twin so that Louisa could take her mathematics exam in her place. But, they’d both already been punished, and punished rather harshly, for that failed endeavor. In fact, Edward had assured both the women that they’d paid the price for their naughtiness and were forgiven. Whatever had happened since yesterday was something Lucy had no knowledge of. Lucy heard her sister whimper, but saw that she didn’t struggle to get off the woman’s lap
Mrs. Bremmer smiled, held the small woman even closer and continued, “I know you will drink your bottle, go potty and then be able to go tell your papa you are sorry you were naughty but are wet and need a new nappy. Doesn’t that sound far more appealing than having me turn you over my lap, pull down your nappy and use my tawse to redden your bottom?”
Lucy’s heart was pounding, but she found she couldn’t have moved for the world. The scene before her continued to play out, and she held her breath, both terrified as well as anxious to hear what transpired. Louisa pushed the nipple from her mouth, and her voice was very soft in the room causing Lucy to have to inch forward a bit more and strain to hear it. Even the tone of her sister’s voice had dropped to that of a young child.
“I… I don’t want a span… spanking.”
Mrs. Bremmer chuckled, pushed the nipple back into Louisa’s mouth and said, “No little girl wants a spanking, sweetheart, but in this house, spankings, paddlings, strappings, birchings and canings are used to teach naughty little ones to be good. You didn’t want a cleansing either but did that keep the enema nozzle out of your little bottom-hole?”
This time the blond head shook side to side, her cheeks coloring a deeper hue of red. “No, ma’am.”
“That’s right, as I told you earlier, your wants don’t override your needs. Now, finish up and then we’ll just sit here until you wet your nappy like a good girl.”
Lucy suddenly found herself wishing she could escape the room. She didn’t know what had happened but suddenly she knew that it wasn’t something her sister would ever wish to share. Lucy didn’t want to witness the humiliation of what her sister was evidently expected to do. She began to shimmy backward but froze when the movement of lifting her hips actually caused the settee to shudder. After a moment when nothing happened, grateful the noise of the leg scraping against the rug hadn’t been h
eard, she released her breath. Moving far slower, she inched like a worm until she was finally free to sit up. Pressing up to her feet but remaining crouched beneath the top of the settee, she looked over at the door to judge the distance and saw Edward staring straight at her. Her heart stopped beating, as his eyes bored into hers.
She wasn’t aware she whimpered until she heard Mrs. Bremmer say, “Who is there?” Lucy pleaded with her eyes for Edward to ignore her but, of course, he had his own plans.
“Lucille, come out from behind there this instance!”
Lucy heard her sister gasp and then cry out as she realized she was being watched. At the sight of her sister now visible behind the settee in front of her, Louisa began to struggle to get down, to get the bottle out of her mouth. Lucy couldn’t blame her twin as she also wanted to run from the room. However, Mrs. Bremmer gripped Louisa tightly and told her to be still. When that didn’t immediately work, she slapped her leg trying to stop the girl’s frantic will to flee. Lucy remained frozen and Edward finally shook his head and stepped into the room.
As he walked toward Lucille, he snapped, “Louisa, be still unless you wish to taste the cane! Lucille Furniss, come here immediately unless you’d like the same!”
Louisa had frozen at the threat of a caning and though her cries were still heard, the bottle had been pressed back into her mouth and stifled her cries somewhat. Instead of obeying, Lucy tried to dodge around Edward. He reached out and snagged her arm, drawing her to a quick stop and then pulling her to him. She reached out and began to beat her fists against his chest but he simply gathered her hands in his and held her in place. Her chest heaved with her panting as she tried to kick out at him.
He lifted her completely off her feet and commanded, “Be still!”
The events were too much for Lucy. She, too, broke into sobs. Edward shook his head and strode over to the settee. He sat down and flipped her across his lap. Before she even realized what was happening, her dress was flipped up onto her back along with her petticoats. Her bloomers were raked down to her knees, baring her bottom and his hand began slapping onto her buttocks.
Lucy began to howl and kick her feet, her head lifting to scream out her frustration and her humiliation. She saw Mrs. Bremmer’s gray head shaking as she continued to hold Louisa. Louisa’s eyes were locked onto Lucy’s as if begging for something. Lucy was so confused, so shocked, that it wasn’t until at least two dozen swats had landed on her bottom that she realized she was being spanked in full view of everyone in the room. The pain in her buttocks grew; the spanking continuing until she was truly sobbing and begging for him to stop.
Edward ignored her, and continued to swat her bare flesh, every slap of his palm causing Lucy to shriek and Louisa to cringe. “I am going to continue spanking Lucille until you have obeyed me, Louisa. I will not tolerate either a naughty little sneak who enjoys eavesdropping or a little lady who refuses to obey her papa.”
Lucy continued to struggle but was soon exhausted as swat after swat assaulted her rapidly heating backside. Louisa began to suckle harder as if desperate to empty the bottle or in order to obey her husband and end her sister’s painful spanking. Regardless, the last suckle was taken and the bottle finally drained. Mrs. Bremmer removed the nipple and then sat her charge up on her lap, Louisa’s back to her chest as she was forced to witness the spanking of her sister.
“Are you wet, young lady? Did you use your nappy as you were told?” Edward asked, as his huge hand landed another swat on Lucy’s bottom.
Louisa shook her head and pleaded, “Please, Papa, please stop spanking Lucy… I… I just… can’t!.”
Edward was obviously not satisfied with her answer, and he continued his spanking of Lucille, his hand moving down to the backs of her thighs.
Lucy shrieked louder. Her bottom had grown somewhat numb, but this new attack brought intense waves of pain rolling through her body and she begged her sister to do something she had never thought possible. Looking at her sister, she pleaded, “Go potty, Louisa. It’s all right… please, oh please, wet your nappy… go potty now!”
Louisa flushed hotly, but hearing her sister begging her to do the only thing that would stop the awful punishment, evidently was what she needed. Her eyes clenched shut, and Lucy knew the very moment she obeyed Edward’s order. Louisa’s face was an open book, showing both humiliation as well as intense relief as she finally complied. Evidently her… her papa—as that was what she’d heard Louisa call him—and though she didn’t understand the address, Lucy didn’t really care as his hand had finally stopped descending onto her poor bum. Before Lucy could thank her twin, she felt her guardian’s hand moving down to pat against the back of her thighs. She gave a soft whimper, her eyes imploring her sister, but for what she wasn’t sure.
“Do what is required, little lady, or do I need to get a paddle to use on your sister’s bottom?” Louisa sobbed.
“I’m sorry, Papa. I’m sorry I disobeyed you. I… wet my nappy—”
“Correctly, missy,” Mrs. Bremmer ordered as Louisa squirmed on her lap.
“I-I went po… potty in my-my nappy, Papa. Please… please change… change me.”
Lucy’s mind was whirling, her bottom was burning, and yet she felt more upset at the fact that Louisa had started crying. It was all just so confusing. Craning her head back, she tried to gauge her guardian’s expression, yet he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were on his wife and he was smiling. Lucy felt like she’d stepped into a world where nothing made sense.
“That’s my very good little girl. I am very proud of you, Louisa. I’m proud that you obeyed Papa and wet your nappy like a good girl. Don’t fret; Papa will change you in just a moment.”
Lucy saw Louisa’s blonde head nod a moment before she gasped when Edward easily lifted her off his lap.
“Keep your skirts up, Lucille,” he ordered and once she’d scrambled to tug her skirts and petticoats to her waist, he turned her around. Pressing the palm of his hand against her exposed, bare bottom, he gave a little push, silently instructing her to move. Her face heated at the shame of it but she obediently began to shuffle toward the corner, the bloomers at her knees threatening to slip further. Once there, his hand moved from her bum to the back of her head, pressing her nose into the juncture of the two walls.
“You, young lady, will stand here with your dress well up and your naughty bottom on display. I will have more to say to you after I tend to Louisa. Don’t you dare move a single inch or I will take a strap to your bottom. Do you understand me, Lucille?”
She sniffled and gave a soft moan of shame as he bent and pulled her bloomers all the way down to her ankles.
“Get that bottom stuck out, Lucille, and keep it out. I want anyone who walks by to see what happens to naughty little sneaks in this house!”
Lucy felt exactly like a sneak, and was ashamed of herself. ”Ye… yes, si… sir.” She heard him turn and walk away, and chancing a peek out of the corner of her eye, she saw him lifting Louisa off Mrs. Bremmer’s lap.
“I’ll take Louisa up and get her changed. Please stay and keep an eye on Lucille.”
“Certainly, your lordship,” Mrs. Bremmer said, sitting back in the chair.
Lucy’s breath caught in her throat when she realized that the housekeeper was staring straight at her. Turning her head, she pressed the tip of her nose even tighter against the wall and pushed her aching bottom out a bit further.
“Eavesdropping is a very naughty habit, little missy, but at least now you know the truth about how this household is run. Wintercrest can return to its proper schedule and your poor sister will no longer have to pretend to be something she’s not out of fear of what you might think. All you both need to do is obey his lordship.” The older woman paused and Lucy gave a sudden yelp when she felt a far smaller hand pressed against the hot flesh of her buttocks. Her cheeks flushed as Mrs. Bremmer continued, “Unless, of course, you wish to walk around with your skirts up displaying your naughty, red little bu
m every single day. Is that what you wish, Lucille?”
She gave Lucy’s bottom a swat, causing Lucy to squeak, “No, ma’am!”
“Then I suggest you keep your eyes straight ahead and spend your time in the naughty corner thinking about what a lucky little girl you are to have his lordship as your guardian.”
“Ye… yes, ma’am,” Lucy said, wondering how she was supposed to do that when all she could think about was what she’d just witnessed and wondering how her sister could have lied to her. Louisa had stated she was very happy at Wintercrest Manor, and yet how could she be when she was not the manor’s true mistress but its little girl?
Chapter 4
Louisa remained silent as she was carried up the stairs and into her nursery. Dozens of thoughts swirled in her head, all of them fighting to be heard and none of them very pleasant. Her wet nappy felt horrid against her skin and she pressed her face tightly into Edward’s neck.
“Shh, Papa has you, little one,” Edward said, giving her bottom a pat. “You’re wet, but you’re fine.”
Louisa begged to differ but knew better than to hold a debate. Instead, she kept her eyes closed as her husband carried her across the room and set her down on the changing table. With a shudder, she instantly lay down.
“What a good girl,” he said with a smile. “Papa needs you to lift your bottom, sweetie, so I can get your dress out of the way,” he ordered and she complied, embarrassed at knowing he thought she’d been eager to have him tend to her when her intention had simply been to get her weight off the squishy fabric of the nappy.