by Golden Angel
"Um... Eleanor and Irene... they spoke a bit about... that..." A high blush rose in her cheeks, a much more pleasing pink than the flush he'd seen her with in the hall.
Able to guess just what Eleanor and Irene might have to say about spanking, given what he'd learned from Edwin and Hugh, Philip could only shake his head. "Spanking a wife and spanking a stepdaughter are two very different activities, sweetheart. Whatever Eleanor and Irene told you, I doubt it will apply to any punishments Gabrielle earns. In fact, you'll see for yourself. As she is not my daughter, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to discipline her without you present. Also, your presence will help her state of mind."
By which he meant that he thought it would imbue the proper respect for Cordelia that Gabrielle was currently lacking if she felt Cordelia was part of the punishment, but he could tell Cordelia thought he meant it as a comfort. It would probably be both, as Gabrielle could not accuse him of anything untoward or of being too harsh if Cordelia was there as a witness.
******
This was not at all an appropriate conversation. Or what Cordelia had expected, although she wasn't entirely sure what she had expected when she came to Philip. She'd had trouble believing the very charming Mr. Hood could be capable of such brutality towards Gabrielle as her stepdaughter believed, but she also knew appearances could be deceiving. However, she didn't think Philip would associate with a man like that, much less be good friends, and Philip's words reassured her of that.
On the other hand, she wasn't sure she liked the idea of Philip disciplining Gabrielle like that. It stirred the strangest and most inexplicable twinges of jealousy in her. Possibly because Eleanor and Irene had both made it sound so intimate, as something that should be kept between husband and wife. Not that Cordelia wanted Philip to spank her. At least, she didn't think she did, even though his cousins had hinted it might be enjoyable under certain circumstances, and she'd already found just how enjoyable Philip could make activities that Cordelia had never thought she would -
"Sweetheart?" Philip's fingers tipped her chin up to look at him as he peered at her in concern, and she realized she'd started woolgathering.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, she scrambled to form a coherent response. "I don't know..."
Her voice trailed off, because she didn't know exactly what she wanted to say. The emotions swirling inside of her weren't just confusing, they were inappropriate. She couldn't possibly tell Philip she didn't want him to punish Gabrielle because she didn't want her stepdaughter so close to him, physically. For the first time, Cordelia found she had something she considered hers, which she didn't want to share.
Something hot flared in Philip's eyes. A look Cordelia already recognized and, after last night, finally understood the full ramifications of.
"I'd be happy to show you, sweetheart."
Not understanding but willing to allow Philip to lead the way, she didn't protest or try to pull away as he led her over to the chair behind his desk. When he suddenly tugged her over his lap, so her stomach was resting on his hard thighs, Cordelia let out a frightened squeak. Her heart was suddenly pounding as she realized how very vulnerable she was. It was one thing to know how much bigger and stronger her husband was than her, it was another to have it demonstrated so clearly.
When he flipped her skirts up, tipping her further forward so she had to put out her hands to keep balanced on his lap, Cordelia finally came to her senses. She tried to squirm away, but his hand on her waist kept her easily in place.
"Philip! No!" she squeaked, her voice not nearly as firm or demanding as she wanted it to be.
"Now, if you were Gabrielle, I wouldn't have you over my lap," he said, in a lecturing tone of voice, completely ignoring her protest. A warm hand rested on the curve of her derriere, making her skin heat through her drawers. "Wives go over laps. Gabrielle will bend over my desk or the arm of one of the chairs. However, she'll get to keep her drawers." Cordelia squeaked again as she felt her own drawers being slid down her body, baring the pale curves of her bottom cheeks. "You'll be spanked on your bare bottom when you're naughty."
Philip's hand caressed her smooth skin and then gave her cheek a light tap, just hard enough to sting. Strangely, a frisson of pleasure went through her body at the little slap, making her bite her lip to keep from gasping. Even though Eleanor and Irene had mentioned pleasure, Cordelia found it extremely embarrassing considering her current predicament.
"Should I show you now?" Her husband's voice was teasing, flirting, as his fingers stroked her cheeks. Even so, Cordelia immediately tried to wriggle away.
"No, thank you! I understand perfectly now, thank you!"
Chuckling, Philip pulled her up onto his lap. She could feel how red her face was, especially when her feet became tangled in her drawers and he pulled them free of her body completely. It was an incredibly immodest feeling, to be sitting in her husband's lap, appropriately clothed on the exterior but missing her undergarments.
"I'll speak with Felix after I break my fast," Philip said, brushing back the wisps of hair that had come loose from her coiffure when he'd put her over his knee. "I'm sure he realizes that any such discipline would necessarily be taken care of by me, and he was just using it as a threat to keep Gabrielle in line."
Cordelia smiled shyly at him. "Thank you, Philip."
Giving her a lecherous look, Philip pulled her in closer and claimed a kiss, until her stomach growled. Chuckling again, he let her go. "Come, we'll breakfast together, and then I will hunt down Felix and you may reassure Gabrielle."
For a moment, Cordelia hesitated as she got to her feet. "Perhaps I should go to her now..."
Giving her a stern look, Philip shook his head. "You need sustenance, and there's no reason she can't wait until after you've had some."
Since what he said was true, Cordelia didn't offer any protest. She was feeling quite famished, and Gabrielle should feel safe in her own room. It wouldn't hurt to give her more time to calm, either.
"Wait," she said as Philip took her hand and placed it on his arm, ready to escort her from the room. "My- my drawers."
******
The furious blush that filled his new wife's cheeks made Philip harden even further. He was already struggling with his desires after having her over his lap, but he knew she'd be sore after their exertions last night and this morning and had wanted to give her more time to recuperate. Besides, if he gave in to his desires all the time, they'd never leave the bedchamber.
Still, this was a wicked little tease that he couldn't pass up. Especially because he knew it would leave her thinking of him all day.
"Leave them," he said, pulling her away before she could bend down to scoop them up off the floor.
"But the maids!"
"Don't come in here unless they're told to." Leaning in, he whispered in her ear. "I rather like the idea of you bare beneath your skirts all day, your drawers sitting on my study floor... perhaps I'll start a collection."
"Philip! You shouldn't say such things!" Cordelia sounded completely scandalized, trying to tug her hand away so she could go back and collect her drawers.
Stifling his laughter at his sweetly prim and proper wife, he kept a firm grip on her arm as he pulled her from the room and led her back to the dining room. Fortunately, his staff had replaced the food with fresher fare for the lord and lady, and they were both able to eat their fill, keeping to much more proper avenues of conversation. Philip was a little surprised at how satisfying he found such a domestic scene. Although he'd been looking forward to having Cordelia as his wife, he freely admitted to himself that most of his fantasies had revolved around teaching her bedroom sport, disciplining her when she was naughty, and enjoying her passionate and submissive nature.
Yet having breakfast with her, while talking over nothing, fulfilled a need that he hadn't even known he had.
Now he just needed to ensure he continued to have such happy domestic scenes, which meant keeping Cordelia happy. As soon as
he finished his second cup of coffee, he went off in hunt of his best friend. He needed to find out exactly what Felix had said to Gabrielle.
Chapter 4
Unsurprisingly, Philip found Felix down by the kennels, looking over the latest litter of Philip's prize bitch. The hunting hound was one of the best Philip had ever had and Felix had been trying to buy one of her pups for years. Philip had always teased him by saying he'd give Felix one as a wedding present, and Felix would groan and threaten to steal one of them instead.
Leaning on the fence, Philip cast his eye over the little balls of fur. "All six still here I see."
"For now." A smile quirked Felix's lips as he gave Philip a sidelong look. Philip grinned at first, and then sobered. Seeing the change of expression, Felix's became more serious as well.
"What happened with Miss Astley last night?" Philip asked. It was a query he would have made regardless, wanting to know what trouble his new stepdaughter had attempted to stir, but the question seemed much more fraught now. Cordelia's protective instincts had been roused, and while he knew that Cordelia believed Gabrielle's assertions, he also knew Felix. He would prefer his wife and his best friend not be at odds.
"One too many cutting little remarks," Felix said, frowning now. He shook his head, his dark eyes serious, making him look almost brooding. "She's too green to realize that her insinuations will reflect badly on her first, and then on you and Cordelia - although not for the reasons she thinks." By which he meant that the ton would censure Cordelia for not instructing Gabrielle on how to behave and Philip for his lack of control over his stepdaughter. It was doubtful that anyone would believe her slurs, but they would negatively affect the entire family anyway. "Eventually I told the chit that if she couldn't keep her mouth shut, she'd find herself over my knee and I'd spank that nastiness out of her." He sighed, giving Philip a rueful smile. "I realize that it wasn’t appropriate, but she refused to be deflected and it was becoming quite... trying. And it worked. Once she started to behave herself, her company was much more enjoyable."
"I can sympathize," Philip murmured. He'd had enough of his own experiences with attempting to divert Gabrielle to more appropriate avenues of conversation to understand just how tenacious she could be when she had the conversational bit between her teeth. They both watched the hounds play for a moment; two of the pups were tugging on the opposite ends of a knotted rag, tumbling into each other in their enthusiasm. "I hope you understand that I could never allow you to carry out such a threat as long as Gabrielle resides in my household." The significant look he gave Felix made the other man snort.
"I've no need of her dowry," Felix said immediately. His eyes drifted down to the hounds. "Although, she's beautiful enough. I could be convinced to take her off your hands for say... these two pups right here."
"Really?" drawled Philip, leaning more heavily on the fence as he studied his friend.
"You must admit, two pups and the right to spank her as I please... it wouldn't be such a bad deal." Although he spoke in an off-handed manner, Philip was intrigued. He wasn’t sure Felix was joking, which was entirely new. Felix had certainly never shown interest in marriage before. Of course, Philip had never had a trying ward to trade either.
"Even if I tell you that she's accused you of threatening to hit her to keep her in line?"
"The hell she did!" Indignant, Felix straightened, his dark eyes blazing with anger. "That little... I specifically said I would spank her, I swear. You know I would never hit a woman."
"I suspected as much," Philip said, his own ire turning to amusement as he saw how incensed Felix was. He'd never seen his friend so irate. Although Felix's eyes were so dark brown as to be almost black, he'd never seen them looking quite so black. There was a tick in his clenched jaw, and he was gripping the fence so tight it was a wonder the wood didn't snap like kindling. If nothing else, he had to admire Gabrielle for knowing exactly how to get under his friend's skin on such short acquaintance. Felix was well known for being quite cool in the face of insults, adversity, fire and flood. "I made sure Cordelia knew as well."
The fury drained from Felix's face, turning to concern. "She didn't believe such a thing, did she?"
"I assured her that Gabrielle must be mistaken and that, of course, I would be the one to handle any discipline Gabrielle requires. However, if you could exert yourself to charm Cordelia, to reassure her further, I would appreciate it. I would hate for my new wife to think I could associate with a brute."
The joking further calmed Felix, although Philip doubted that the other man would forget what Gabrielle had said. If anything, his hand was probably itching to spank the chit even more than it had been before.
******
When she knocked on Gabrielle's door, Cordelia was astonished when it flew open almost immediately. Gabrielle looked even more flustered than she had in the dining room, and guilt suffused Cordelia as she realized the extra time hadn't calmed the young woman at all. If anything, it looked to have made her more anxious.
"Is he gone?" Gabrielle asked, although her tone made it sound more like a demand. While she was still flustered, she seemed to have regained some of her customary confident arrogance.
Cordelia glanced down the hall. There was no one in sight, but still... she knew Gabrielle would be distressed by the outcome of Cordelia's conversation with Philip and she didn't want an unexpected audience to any scene. "May I come in?" she asked, instead of answering the question.
Stepping back, Gabrielle's eyes narrowed. Obviously, she already suspected events had not advanced in the way she desired. As Gabrielle shut the door, Cordelia turned to face her, steeling herself for what she knew would be an unpleasant interview.
"Gabrielle, did Mr. Hood say that he would hit you or that he would spank you?" Cordelia asked, before Gabrielle could demand an answer to her previous question. This was the most pertinent piece of information to Cordelia, as she needed to know exactly what Mr. Hood had threatened.
"It's the same thing," Gabrielle said sharply. "The man threatened to beat me, and you're quibbling about what word he used?" Her hands went to her hips as she glared at Cordelia, making Cordelia shrink into herself a bit.
"It makes a difference," she said softly, although she knew it wouldn't make a difference to Gabrielle either way.
"Either is unacceptable! I am a young lady, I refuse to be treated as a child." Fuming, Gabrielle started pacing. She sneered at Cordelia. "Apparently, your new husband isn't as enamored as you were told, if he refused to take your side already."
"It isn't my side, nor is it your side," Cordelia replied, trying not to let Gabrielle's barbs prick her. She didn't care what Gabrielle thought, Philip had been quite caring and ah... well. Gabrielle certainly didn't need to know anything about that! "The Marquess reassured me that he would absolutely not allow Mr. Hood to... to discipline you. Mr. Hood overstepped his bounds, and Philip will speak with him. However-"
"Ha!" Gabrielle crowed, triumphantly. Her light brown eyes glowed almost amber, making her look quite pretty despite the tendrils of hair that had escaped her pins. "That over-bearing - "
"Gabrielle," Cordelia said sharply, cutting off whatever insult Gabrielle had been about to utter. "You should also know that Philip has said he will take care of any necessary discipline in the household."
Her stepdaughter's jaw dropped in an almost comical manner, although Cordelia could certainly sympathize with the response. She still wasn't entirely certain how she felt about this penchant for spanking within Philip's family. Or her reaction to it when he'd put her over his lap and drawn up her skirts. It was impossible to forget when her bare legs rubbed together, unencumbered by drawers. She hoped she wasn't blushing too much.
"You would let him beat me?" Gabrielle asked, more tears sparking in her eyes.
Unlike her tears from earlier, in the dining room, these came from unreddened eyes and were accompanied by a pouting lower lip. Crocodile tears that Cordelia had seen regularly over the years.
They didn't leave her entirely unmoved, because she knew Gabrielle's feelings had some basis that made her able to produce the tears, but they certainly didn't concern her the way Gabrielle's terrified tears had earlier.
"Philip would never hit you," Cordelia avowed, confident in that. "But-"
"Only children are spanked! I am not a child!" Contrary to her words, Gabrielle stomped her foot as she produced more tears, which she let fall down her cheeks unchecked.
"Gabby-"
"Don't call me that!" Whirling around, Gabrielle flung open the door to her bedroom. The tears had stopped as abruptly as they'd started, but the bright color in her cheeks attested that her temper had been set off. "Get out of my room!"
Knowing better than to further engage her stepdaughter when she was like this, Cordelia hurried out of the room, wincing as the door slammed shut behind her, nearly on her heels. Fortunately, the hall was as empty as it had been before. Cordelia supposed that most of the guests must be outdoors, enjoying the splendid weather.
Determined to be a good hostess, even if she was - as usual - failing at being a good stepmother to Gabrielle, Cordelia set her shoulders and moved towards the stairwell.
******
When the lunch gong sounded, the guests gathered on the patio for a splendid outdoor luncheon. Gabrielle had remained in her room, requesting a tray be delivered, which made for a very relaxed and enjoyable meal for everyone. Seated next to his bride, Philip looked on as Felix did his best to charm her - not a difficult task considering he was naturally very charming - and Hugh, Edwin, Eleanor, and Irene entertained her with conversation about the upcoming Season.
Keeping one ear to the murmurs of the other guests, Philip was pleased to note that no one thought anything of Gabrielle's defection to her chambers. While a few had probably noted her waspish tongue yesterday, most of them seemed to be under the assumption that she was a young woman overwrought by the marriage of her stepmother to a new husband. Although the time for mourning the Baron had passed for both his wife and child, Gabrielle still received a certain amount of sympathy, and therefore leeway, in behavior.