The epiphany shook him. Yes, he’d been considering it, but until that moment he had not realised what a truism it was. What he would do about it he did not know, but the revelation made him feel much better and settled.
He decided then that he would let her suffer for a few days more, allow the pain of his absence to be a part of her punishment. It was certainly no less than she deserved. Then once he’d given the matter more thought in his own time, he would decide upon a suitable course of action.
Chapter 12
After five days with no word from Lord Michael, Elizabeth decided it was time to take matters in hand. She missed him terribly, so no matter what her punishment, no matter what she would have to endure, she wanted to pay the price for her mistake and hoped he might then forgive her. She had learned her lesson, and if given a second chance she would never play childish games or try to manipulate him again.
She had two choices. She could write him a heartfelt apology, begging his forgiveness, or she could go to him and throw herself at his feet. Besides the fact that writing was not really her style, she longed to see him. But would he even listen to her, let alone see her?
Taking a deep breath of resolve she cast aside her doubts. She wanted to put her case in person. She at least had to try that, and if he was not receptive, well, so then she would at least know where she stood, so she ran to her father’s study and knocked on the door, it not even occurring to her that only a short while before she would have burst in uninvited. In a short space of time Lord Michael had taught her well. She heard her father’s voice permitting entry, and entered.
‘Hello, my dear,’ he said. ‘I’ve not seen much of you this week. Are you quite well? You’re not feeling under the weather, are you?’
‘No, father, I’m fine,’ she insisted, but I’ve urgent business with Lord Michael and I wondered if I might take the carriage? Or even the little cab?’
Her father studied her for a few moments. He had known something was amiss. She’d barely said two sentences to him since her evening in London, and she’d looked quite miserable on the few occasions he had been in her company.
‘Before I allow you to go, you must tell me what’s happened,’ he said, not sure whether to expect a sharp retort from the old Elizabeth, or an honest explanation from the seemingly reformed version.
‘Oh, father,’ she sighed, ‘I’m afraid I’ve made a frightful mess of things. I’ve foolishly toyed with Lord Michael,’ she said, choosing her words carefully, ‘and of course he realised it right away. It was silly and thoughtless and ill mannered of me, and I just want to see if I can make things right again between us. I have to try, at least. I cannot bear him thinking ill of me, or thinking me an immature girl.’
Her father could see she was completely sincere, and there was nothing more he wanted than to see his daughter happily married to a fine gentleman like his good friend. For one thing, it was clear he knew how to handle the difficult girl, and regardless of how fond he was of his daughter, she could be downright incorrigible. ‘Of course you must go, my dear,’ he said warmly. ‘I’ll not be requiring the carriage for a while, so go to town in that. If you leave now you’ll arrive in time for lunch. Perhaps sharing a nice meal might help the conversation.’
‘Father, thank you!’ she cried, and gave him a huge hug and kissed him on the cheek with such an instinctive display of exuberant affection that he was left chuckling and bumbling.
‘I hope he forgives you,’ he blustered cheerfully. ‘Really I do.’
Elizabeth ran to her room, changed quickly, and throwing just the essentials and some money in her bag, she headed off to arrange her transport.
In London Lord Michael was readying himself for an important business luncheon. He’d decided to travel to the country over the coming weekend, to visit the inveterate Elizabeth and have a particularly stern talk with her to determine whether or not she had seen the significant error of her ways. Having made up his mind, he was now able to concentrate on the matter at hand. The business venture he was meeting about was the same one he’d been studying when Elizabeth had disobediently ridden off into the storm, and the memory of her stubborn insubordination made him smile.
He felt himself stir at the memory. How fearful he’d been that she would be harmed, or fall seriously ill. Then his mind wandered to her punishment, and he shook his head ruefully; such a recalcitrant young woman, but so beautifully spirited with it.
He broke from his reverie and returned to his work, and began making notes for the meeting’s agenda. He worked through the morning, stopping only for a cup of coffee, as was his habit, at eleven. Eventually the ornate clock on the mantelpiece chimed noon, signalling it was time for him to leave. The meeting over luncheon was scheduled for one o’clock, at his club.
As he gathered his paperwork and sorted it into his briefcase, he heard a knock at the front door, but paid it no heed; Nancy would take care of it. So he took his jacked from the peg on the study door and slipped into it, giving it a quick brush down with his palm.
Just as he put his hand on the door handle to leave the study there was a knock from the other side, so he opened it anyway to see Nancy standing in the hall, her knuckle poised in mid-air in case there was the need to knock again. She was taken a little by surprise, not expecting the door to open so instantly.
‘What is it, Nancy?’ he asked.
‘I think you should come and see for yourself, sir,’ she said cryptically. ‘You have an unexpected visitor.’
Frowning and impatiently checking the time again, on this occasion from the timepiece in his fob, Lord Michael made his way to the sitting room, and standing by the fireplace, nervously fidgeting with her purse, was Elizabeth.
He could not believe his eyes. The brazen girl had travelled all the way to London and entered his house without being invited! But on the other hand, he had to confess she looked quite beautiful, as usual. Her face was flushed, her eyes sparkling, and her shapely figure was deftly outlined by her exquisite dress, and despite being dumbfounded by her temerity, his penis stirred immediately.
‘Elizabeth,’ he said, emphasising an air of indifference, even annoyance, ‘what is the meaning of this?’ He heard Nancy quietly close the door behind him, tactfully knowing when it was time to retreat and leave her employer to deal with issues at hand.
‘My lord,’ she began, having inhaled deeply to summon her courage, the gentleman before her unable to miss the delightful swell of her breasts within her dress as she did so, ‘I am a foolish, spoiled, misbehaved young chit of a girl. Everything you said of me last week was true. I cannot undo what I did. All I can do is tell you that I’m most dreadfully sorry, and I will never, ever play games with you again, and I have come here to ask your forgiveness.
‘I miss you, sir,’ she went on stoutly, her courage restored, ‘but I only want to please you, and so if my apology is not acceptable I shall leave you now and you will not be bothered again by an emotional triviality like me. That is all I want to say, sir.’
The gentleman was moved by her sincerity, and by her courageous determination in making such an effort to travel alone to London to confront him in person. He admired her for it immensely, and it would also appear she had learned her lesson.
‘I see,’ he responded coolly, giving nothing away. ‘Well, you have caught me at an inconvenient time, and that’s a fact. I have a very important luncheon meeting to attend. I shall consider what you have had to say for yourself and respond in a manner appropriate at a time of my choosing.’
Elizabeth’s heart jumped with hope; he hadn’t sent her on her way and was apparently prepared to see her again later.
‘I should warn you, however,’ he went on, ‘that if I were to forgive you there will be a penalty to pay for the way you behaved.’
Her face flushed and she stared meekly at the floor.
‘I shall leave you with this thought,’ he summed up. ‘You attempted to manipulate me in order to have me tan your bottom.
Isn’t that right?’
‘Yes, sir,’ she admitted, embarrassed and ashamed.
‘So if I decide to forgive you, you shall indeed get what you wanted. However, I can assure you there will be nothing pleasurable about it. Consider that, and you have my permission to alter your thinking or review your position having spent the afternoon doing so. If you are not here when I return, I will not be surprised.’
‘I’ll be here, sir,’ she answered quickly and determinedly.
‘We’ll see,’ he said doubtfully. ‘And now I must go. By turning up on my doorstep unannounced you have put me in danger of being late for my very important meeting.’
‘Yes sir,’ she blurted, ‘sorry sir.’
She remained standing until she heard the front door close behind him, then dropped down onto the sofa, the tension of the brief meeting and the long battle of resolve leading up to it suddenly making her feel exhausted. During the journey to London she had practiced her speech repeatedly, and she had been so nervous as she delivered it she could barely breathe. Now he was gone she felt quite weak.
The door opened a fraction and Nancy peeped in. ‘Forgive me for asking, miss,’ she said hesitantly, ‘but are you forgiven?’
‘I don’t know,’ Elizabeth replied honestly, grateful to have someone to confide in, despite it being a servant. ‘He said he’d tell me when he has more time and it suits him to do so.’
‘I see,’ said Nancy, nodding as though she knew exactly what that meant. ‘In the meantime, would you care for some lunch, miss?’ she went on brightly.
‘Oh dear,’ Elizabeth replied, ‘I fear I’m far too on edge to eat.’
‘But you should try to have a little something, at least,’ the maid tried again. ‘You need to keep your strength up. You’ll only make yourself ill, otherwise.’
Elizabeth knew she was right, and so she smiled appreciatively and accepted the offer.
It was not difficult for Lord Michael to concentrate on his meeting. Elizabeth’s unannounced arrival had put his mind at rest on certain matters. She was back in his life, and the fact that she’d taken such an initiative spoke well of her strength of character. There was no doubt she wanted to submit to him, to learn all he had to teach her, and she would start by paying dearly for her infraction. Of that there was no doubt.
Having eaten with his business associate and concluded their meeting, he spent the rest of the afternoon at his club, and when he finally returned home he did so with a pleasurable knot of expectation in his stomach. It promised to be a very interesting evening.
Elizabeth had spent the afternoon and early evening full of apprehension and uncertainty. She had managed a sandwich and a cup of tea, but could not face anything more than that. By the time the dinner approached she was truly hungry, but her stomach was tied up in knots.
She took care as she dressed, wanting to look as pretty as she could, and when she entered the dining room she was surprised to find Lord Michael waiting for her. She hadn’t heard him come home.
‘Elizabeth,’ he said, greeting her, but he did not approach her or reach for her hand.
‘Good evening, sir,’ she replied politely.
‘Please sit,’ he said, gesturing at the table. ‘I believe the cook has prepared something quite delicious for us.’
A maid entered carrying a casserole of some kind, and followed it with boiled potatoes and carrots.
‘Ah yes,’ he said, inhaling the mouth-watering smells coming from the large dish, ‘it is indeed her famous stew. I never know what’s in it, but it is delicious beyond compare.’
The girl served them and left, and remembering her training Elizabeth sat quietly, the plate of steaming and tasty-looking food before her.
Lord Michael looked at her. ‘Why aren’t you eating, Elizabeth?’ he asked.
‘Because you’ve not yet given me permission to begin,’ she replied.
‘But you’re no longer under my influence,’ he pointed out, being intentionally blunt, as though he cared not a jot whether she was or whether she wasn’t.
Elizabeth took a sip of her red wine, hoping to suppress her feelings of defeatism, and then she picked up her knife and fork. Lord Michael knew the words and his indifferent manner had hit home, for she looked decidedly despondent, but he needed her to understand her previous behaviour was not a small matter. It was necessary for her to believe the situation was irretrievable, and he sensed that was already very nearly, if not completely, what she did believe.
‘Sir,’ she suddenly said, having eaten a particularly succulent piece of beef that warmed her tummy and instantly made her feel better and more at ease, ‘I would ask you not to keep me in suspense any longer. If you wish to banish me from your home and your company, then please do so now. I cannot stand this uncertainty and tension another moment. Truly I can’t. If there remains irreparable ill-feeling between us it is better that I leave.’
‘Hmm, I seem to remember patience being one of the most difficult qualities to teach you,’ he said, rising from his chair. She watched him approach her and felt her pulse quicken, and when he reached out a hand she accepted it and he led her to the small settee by the window. He sat down and indicated she was to kneel in front of him. ‘So, you want to know where we stand, do you?’ he asked.
‘If it pleases you, sir, I do, yes,’ she said, remembering the respectful phraseology he’d taught her.
‘I see.’ He thought for a while, gazing out of the window. ‘And have you considered what I told you earlier? If I decide to forgive you, you will extract no pleasure from your punishment. It certainly will not be what you’ve been seeking or what you felt you’ve been missing.’
Elizabeth shivered, and steeled herself to go on. ‘I… I have considered what you said, sir, but fleetingly,’ she told him. ‘For there is very little I would not endure to be back in your good graces, subject to your discipline and authority.’
He was glad she had said ‘very little’ as opposed to ‘nothing’. It was a small distinction but an important one, for it showed that despite the training she had undergone thus far she still had her pride, spirit, and character intact – and he would not wish to strip her utterly of those.
‘Let me warn you now, Elizabeth, that if you ever again treat me or the training regime I put you through lightly, if you ever attempt to cheek me or manipulate my good nature in any way at all, no matter how small, you will be banished from my company and there will be no more reprieves. Do you understand me clearly, young lady? I will not be repeating myself on this matter.’
‘Yes, sir,’ she said contritely, his words really sinking in, ‘that is perfectly clear. Never, ever again, sir, I can assure you of that, no matter what.’
He considered the openness of her face, and in particular her eyes, a little while longer, then made his mind up. ‘Very well,’ he decided, ‘your sincerity has moved me and convinced me, and I believe you are truly repentant.’
‘Oh I am, sir!’ she beamed, the weight of the world suddenly seeming to lift from her slender shoulders. ‘I am filled with remorse and regret,’ she assured him.
‘All right, Elizabeth, all right,’ he said, raising a palm to forestall any further outpourings of contrition. ‘I believe you.’
‘Oh sir!’ she beamed, kissing his hands.
‘But I am going to sentence you now, Elizabeth,’ he said ominously. ‘Pay attention, and realise what it is you will be agreeing to.’
‘Yes, sir,’ she said, looking up at him with earnest hope in her eyes, ‘I’m listening carefully.’
‘You shall receive six strokes of the cane,’ he announced. ‘I know you have not experienced the bite of the cane yet. I reserve it for only the harshest punishments, never to be forgotten.’
Elizabeth felt her haunches tense. She was aware of the dreaded rod, and now she was to experience its venomous sting for real. A shiver ran up her spine.
‘Shall I continue, Elizabeth?’ he tested her. ‘Do you accept the cane?’
‘Very well,’ he said solemnly. ‘Thereafter you will be brought to the point of orgasm but not allowed release three times a day, for four days. Do you accept this stage of the punishment, Elizabeth?’
‘Yes, sir,’ she answered, wondering how she would be able to endure, but willing to try. ‘But if I am to stay here with you I must inform my father—’
‘I will take care of all such matters.’ He waited to ensure there were to be no further outbursts concerning the more practical logistics of her punishment.
‘You will sleep on the floor next to my bed,’ he continued, after a long enough pause assured him she was finished. ‘You will have a pillow and blanket, but that is all. Do you accept this?’
‘Yes, sir, if it is to be, then I do accept it.’
‘And lastly, you will receive no affection from me whatsoever. Apart from the necessary minimum requirement to expedite your punishment, I will pay you little attention, and will speak to you only when I absolutely have to. And you will not speak to me unless spoken to, and you will not be permitted to leave the house during the length of your sentence. Is that all completely understood, young lady?’
At least she would be with him. ‘Yes, sir,’ she said quietly.
‘Very good, that is settled, then,’ he decreed. ‘In the morning I shall send word to your father. I am sure he will be most agreeable to my plans. Now take yourself up to my bedroom, remove all your clothes and bend over the foot of my bed and wait.’
He watched her leave obediently without another word, and then returned to his tasty dinner. He ate heartily, and thought how pretty her bottom would look marked with the strokes of his cane. He finished his wine, ate a little fruit and cream, then made his way up to his room.
Elizabeth, bent across the foot of the bed as she’d been told to, was filled with trepidation and fear. She wondered just how bad it would be, and when she heard the door opening she squirmed anxiously.
Elizabeth's Education (Forbidden Lust) Page 14