Peppermint Sticks for Susie

by Joannie Kay

  "You are welcome, and thankfully Miss Jenny has suffered no lasting ill effects. We are fortunate, and I hope you know that, Miss Jenny...?" he couldn't resist scolding. "I hope you will not do this again."

  "I won't, Peter. I give you my word."

  Peter nodded in acceptance and then left them alone. The gaze that Alex turned on her was heated and Jennifer knew she was in a lot of trouble with the man. "I am still too angry to trust myself to deal with you, Jenny. Go to your room now."

  Jenny felt her eyes burn with unshed tears as she whispered, "Are you going after those two men now?"

  "Yes."

  "Please be careful," she asked of him, and then she stood on tiptoe and kissed him before fleeing to her room and shutting the door. She threw herself face down on the bed and started crying in earnest.

  Alex entered the room behind her and shut the window and put the thick wooden stick in the window again to prevent its being raised if someone somehow managed to get it unlocked. "You have an essay to write; I suggest you stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to it." He walked out, shutting the door firmly behind him, and he heard Jenny cry even harder. He shook his head. He hadn't even put a hand to her yet and she was already crying as if he'd murdered her! He reminded himself that dealing with the redhead would have to wait. He had two men to hunt down and interrogate.

  * * *

  "Jenny is still crying, Peter. She didn't even eat a bite of her food! I should go in and talk to her and try to quiet her before she makes herself ill."

  "No, Alma. Miss Jenny is in trouble with her man and she knows it. I don't know how much is regret for her actions and how much is dread at the spanking she has earned, but I do know that I was asked to keep you from offering her any consolation."

  "I cannot permit her to cry like that, Peter. It's simply wrong," Alma argued. "I can understand that what she did was foolish and wrong, but it is cruel to permit her to suffer as she is right now. You men have no idea how much it affects us when you are harsh. Alex's words have punished her more than a spanking would. She is hearing those words over and over again in her head and feeling unloved. She needs reassurance, Peter, not isolation. She at least needs to know that we are not upset with her and that she is forgiven."

  "Alma, unless you want another spanking today, you will stay out of Jenny's room. Alex was specific, and I gave my word we would abide by his decisions regarding her. That is the end of it... unless you choose to disobey me...?"

  "I won't, Peter," Alma promised. Earning a second spanking in one day was simply unthinkable!

  * * *

  Alex looked at the two dead men in disgust. He was too late to get any information from them. They'd been staked out and tortured and scalped... Probably to make it appear that Indians had done it. Alex knew better; the two had been discovered missing and killed for running away. He handled the burying of their bodies and then he headed back to town. Someone was going to great lengths to hide their actions, but Alex would find them.

  In the meantime, he had an errant young lady to deal with. His temper had cooled considerably and by the time he got back to town it would be morning. He would have a word with Angus and see if the man could spare her long enough for Alex to impress upon her that he was not amused by her little stunt. If she'd been discovered hiding behind that rock, she would be dead right now, and he would feel as though his world had ended. Jenny needed a firm lesson, and she was going to get one.

  Chapter Eight

  Jennifer put herself together for work with great care. She was incredibly sore from the switching Alex gave her the day before, and the tightness across her sit spots made walking painful. Even the soft fabric of her drawers felt scratchy against her fragile skin. She had one silk petticoat, and she wore it in hopes her skirts would slide across it gently and not provide further irritation for her bottom. If anyone had told her she could be this sore from a punishment she would have laughed in disbelief, but she was, and it did not help matters to know that Alex was still furious with her. Finally, when she couldn't put it off any longer, she opened her door and walked to the kitchen. The cold cloths she'd applied to her face to try and hide the ravages of crying most of the night had helped some with the redness and swelling, but anyone who looked closely would know that she'd been crying her heart out. Jennifer did not want to go to work, but Mr. MacGregor had given her most of yesterday off, and it would not be fair to ask that of him two days in a row.

  "Good morning, Jenny," Alma greeted her. "Do you feel better this morning?" she asked, noting that Jenny's hair was pulled back more severely than usual, and her clothing was not what she normally wore. She was dressed somberly, and Alma wanted to cry for her. Jenny's fun-loving spirit was crushed and she blamed Peter for not allowing her to go to Jenny and offer her some reassurance.

  "I am fine, Alma. I want to apologize to you for worrying you and Peter yesterday. I was rude and inconsiderate of your feelings, and I regret causing you to worry."

  "You're forgiven, and I don't want you to give it another thought. You simply needed to take a walk to think things through. I've done that myself on more than one occasion. Now, please, sit down and I'll get your breakfast," she offered.

  "I think a cup of coffee is all I want, Alma. My stomach is upset and I'm afraid to eat much of anything. Besides, I can't sit down. I'm raw from the switching Alex gave me yesterday."

  "I'm sorry!" Alma said with sympathy. "I wish there was something I could do... Peter wouldn't allow me to come in and talk to you last evening; I felt so bad for you and wanted to do something, but..."

  "It's alright, Alma. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble because of me. I am in enough trouble for both of us, believe me." Her eyes filled with tears again, and she quickly dropped her gaze and added cream and sugar to her coffee. She did not want the added humiliation of crying in front of the other woman. "If Alex does not come within a few minutes would you be able to walk to the store with me, Alma? Alex still fears for me even though Lefty has been locked up."

  "Of course I will," she agreed, wondering if she could get to the Mercantile and back before Peter missed her? He would not like it if she went ahead and inserted herself into a situation that might be dangerous, even though she couldn't imagine what it could possibly be. Lefty was locked behind bars and as far as she knew, Jenny was safe. Still, Peter had already made his view on the subject known.

  Jenny sipped her coffee while looking out the side window and watching Mrs. Nelson hang her first load of wash for the day. It was a beautiful day and the sheets would smell so fresh after drying them in the sunshine. Pretty soon the hot brew was all gone. She crossed the kitchen to help herself to a bit more and just as she did she heard Alex's step on the porch. He politely tapped on the door and then came inside.

  Alex greeted Alma politely and noticed how stiffly Jennifer held herself. She was clearly still upset, and it was just one more thing he would deal with, he decided. "Jennifer, are you going to say good morning, or are you still pouting?"

  "She is not pouting, Alex Martin," Alma shocked him by scolding him sharply. "She is in terrible pain this morning and her stomach is so upset she cannot even eat...! And that is all your fault because you left her crying in her room all alone all night long. That was so cruel of you and--"

  "Alma, that is more than enough. Go to our room and wait for me there." Peter's voice was angry and his blue eyes told her that he meant to spank her again. She'd interfered after he'd warned her not to. She turned and ran from the kitchen.

  "I'm sorry, Alex. Alma was told to keep her opinions to herself." He pointed toward the table. "Please help yourself to breakfast," he invited.

  "Thanks, Alex, but I need to see Jenny to work. Are you ready to leave?" he asked the redhead, noting that she didn't look 'right' somehow.

  Jennifer nodded and then picked up her shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Good bye, Peter. Please don't be upset with Alma. She was only trying to protect me."

  "'Pro
tect you...?'" Alex sputtered in disbelief. "From me?" he demanded. The answer he got was for Jenny to walk through the door and out onto the front porch without him. "Women!" he muttered, giving Peter a look that conveyed his disbelief.

  "They do not think as men do, and that is a certainty, friend." Peter was not looking forward to having a talk with his own wife.

  "Amen to that, Peter," Alex muttered as he hurried after Jennifer.

  Peter got to his feet and went to check on Susie. She was still sleeping soundly and would for at least another hour if she wasn't disturbed. He then went to the bedroom he shared with Alma and found her sitting on the bed and crying. "Alma, did I not warn you against meddling?"

  "Peter, you did not see Jenny this morning, or hear how dejected she sounded."

  "I saw her and she looked defiant, not dejected," he told her.

  "Because Alex was here. She was dressed in black! Jenny wears pretty clothes, not black! She didn't have one single curl in her hair, either! She had it pinned back and into a tight roll. It tells me how upset she is and how dark her mood. Alex has hurt her deeply and he needs to be apologizing to her." Alma was indignant.

  "Alma, it is not our place to interfere. They must find their own way... or not. It is not for you to tell them what to think or what to do. You disobeyed me and disregarded my wishes, and now you are due a punishment of your own."

  "I do not agree with you, Peter," she told him, raising her chin to look at him. "I was trying to help Jenny and I just hope that Alex isn't too stupid to swallow his pride for a moment and see how upset she truly is."

  "Alma, I am not going to discuss Jenny and Alex's relationship. I am discussing the fact that you disobeyed my express orders not to meddle. You may stand up and remove your skirts and take down your drawers, and then you may hand me your hairbrush. You need a lesson that will stay with you for a while." Her face drained of color and for a moment he thought she was going to faint.

  "Oh no, Peter! I could not bear that! Not my hairbrush, please. He did that," she whispered, and burst into tears.

  Peter did not need any further explanation. He was the uncle who took her and her Ma in after her Pa died. He was cruel to both her and her Ma. He punished her for every little thing and her Ma was made to watch and then she was punished, too. They finally ran away out of sheer desperation and her Ma worked as a seamstress to support both of them until Alma got hold enough to help out. "I am sorry, Alma. I wish I did not need to give you a spanking, but I do. I will not use your hairbrush, however, but will fetch a wooden spoon from the kitchen. You do as I said while I am getting the spoon. I do not wish to make this spanking more than it has to be," He left the room, hoping Alma would obey him, and that he could do a good enough job of it that she would respect his wishes from now on. His being so ill for so long had taken a toll on his marriage, and it was time he asserted himself again.

  Alma was shaking as she removed her dress and her petticoats. She was left standing there in her camisole and drawers and she was untying the string on them when Peter returned carrying a wooden spoon. She immediately noted that he did not have the biggest one and she was grateful. She did not want a spanking, but she did disobey Peter and he was right to insist she accept the consequences. "I don't think I can say I am sorry for saying what I said to Alex, Peter, but I am sorry that I disobeyed and upset you. I know I earned a spanking, and I want to thank you for not using my hairbrush. It would devastate me if you did that," she whispered the last.

  "I love you, Alma, and I do not wish to harm you in any way. I take no joy in punishing you. Now then, turn around and lower your drawers and bend over and place your hands on the mattress. Keep your hands there until I am done spanking you. I will add extras if you get out of place for any reason. Do you have any questions, Alma?"

  "No, but what about Susie? I wouldn't want her to come in on us."

  "I checked on her and she is sleeping soundly," he answered with a smile. "I've no wish to embarrass you in front of our daughter, wife."

  "Thank you, Peter," Alma said gratefully. While she did not wish to obey him, she did as he asked and soon her bare bottom was sticking up and out and waiting for him to spank it with the wooden spoon. Alma knew it would hurt. Peter was slowly regaining his strength, and if he put that strength into this spanking, she would feel it for some time.

  Peter did not believe in procrastinating. He drew back his arm, and brought the spoon down with a crack that seemed loud in the small room. The spoon left a bright red oval on her right cheek, and he nodded in satisfaction. He'd had doubts that it was heavy enough to impart a good lesson, but the larger spoon seemed more like a club. He wasn't about to use it on her!

  Alma felt the burning spot immediately and tried not to cry out in pain. She didn't want to act like a big baby, but it did hurt something awful. Peter continued spanking her and she found it increasingly harder to keep her hands on the bed and simply stand there and let him spank her over and over, Not only did he spank her bottom, he spanked just below, too, and it hurt even more. Finally, she couldn't take any more. "Please, not there, Peter! It hurts too much! Please be done now. Please! It hurts. It really hurts!"

  "Are you ready to promise me you will keep your opinions to yourself and stop interfering in Alex and Jenny's problems?" he asked, continuing to spank her sit spots with firmness and determination to make his point,

  "I promise I will try, Peter. I didn't know I was going to say anything this time! I didn't plan to, but it just popped out when he asked if she was still pouting! She wasn't pouting, she was hurt... and he wasn't being fair."

  "I can see it is too soon to stop this spanking," he told her.

  Alma gasped in shock when Peter wrapped his left arm around her to hold her wiggling bottom in place. He spanked even lower and the backs of her legs were his next target. The spanking seemed to go on and on forever, in spite of all her pleading and promises. Peter didn't stop the spanking until every inch of her backside was a deep dark red and she was sobbing and limp. "If you meddle again, wife, you will get another spanking, and reminders every night for a week. Do you hear me?"

  "Yes!" She bawled. That was when they heard Susie's voice calling out.

  "You get back into bed for a while. I'll get Susie some breakfast and keep her entertained while you pull yourself together, sweetheart." He leaned down to kiss her. "I love you, Alma."

  "Am I forgiven, Peter?" she asked, her voice small and quivery.

  "You were forgiven before I spanked you, Alma. I love you, and the lesson was because you can do better than you did. Now, you rest a while." He kissed her again and then gave her some privacy.

  Alma quickly took a peek in the full length mirror and was shocked by how red and sore she looked. She knew it burned like she'd backed into the stove! Poor Peter! He must be really upset with her to do this. She pulled up her drawers, and then went over to the bed and lie down. She cried herself to sleep, wondering when she would be able to sit again, and wondering how she would face Alex and Jenny?

  * * *

  "Jenny, we are not going to the store. I've already seen Angus and told him that we needed some time to discuss certain matters,"

  "There is nothing to discuss, Alex. I was wrong to do what I did, and you have effectively punished me by being so angry and making that anger known to Alma and Peter. I wrote your essay, she reached into her skirt and pulled out the papers she folded neatly, and pushed them at him. "Please take me to work now; I do not believe there is anything further to discuss."

  "Jenny, you are behaving as though I have done something wrong."

  "I did not say that, Alex. I just don't think I am the right woman for you, and I am asking you to leave me alone. I cannot face such disapproval and anger from the man I marry. It is too difficult to bear. I admitted to my fault, and I told you I was sorry... all true, but you still refused to give me forgiveness, and made it clear to the Beckleys that I misbehaved and was to be left alone. I cannot handle such disapproval. It
is very harsh, Alex."

  "I feared being too harsh with you if I dealt with punishing you last evening, and I also needed to hurry after those two men. I was too late," he told her. "I found them dead. Jenny, do you have any idea at all how lucky you are that you were not found anywhere close to them? You couldn't have born watching them be tortured from your hiding place."

  "Oh my!" She looked at him in horror. "We should have followed after them right away; it is my fault you did not get to question them. I am sorry!" she whispered.

  "Jennifer, what do I need to do to convince you that I want you nowhere near the rustlers? I am terrified that someone saw us riding out to the O'Malley Ranch, and will wonder what we have seen. That is why I do not want you alone, not even for five minutes. That is why I don't want your window open. Shutting it wasn't meant as part of a punishment."

  "You switched me so hard that I can barely move," she told him. "It hurts to walk, and I can't sit down."

  "Then how did you write this?" he asked, holding up the papers she handed him.

  "I was lying on the bed and did it," she answered. "Please, Alex... Don't switch me again! I couldn't bear it."

  "I intend to use a strap," he told her, patting his belt. Her green eyes immediately filled with tears. "Are you really so sore, honey?" he asked.

  "Yes, I am. Alex, I need to be forgiven."

  "I forgive you, honey. I forgave you yesterday when you said you were sorry."

  "I'm so relieved," she said, smiling. Then she looked around her in surprise. "Why are we here?" she asked, recognizing the jail from the first time he brought her here. That time he turned her over his knee and spanked her! Surely he wouldn't do that again...?

  "We are here because we needed some privacy and this is the only place I could think of that we could arrange for that." He barred the door, and made sure the thick door to the cells in back was tightly shut. The last thing he needed was for Lefty to see the pretty redhead and start cursing her and spewing hate. "Now then, little lady, I think you managed to earn another spanking yesterday by giving vent to that temper of yours. You also risked your safety again. I can't ignore that."