Homecoming

by Maggie Ryan

Lucy’s shame made her wish the floor would open, swallowing her whole, as she heard his command. The room was silent, as if holding its breath. Her fingers fumbled with the ribbon at her waist, the bow releasing to loosen her drawers. Clutching the soft fabric, her eyes met his, silently beseeching him to remand his order or to allow her to maintain her drawers for her spanking. Seeing nothing but his unwavering gaze, she gave a soft sob before turning back to face her chair, her hands shaking as she slowly pushed her drawers down to her knees, baring herself as he had directed. Once her bottom was completely bare, she was instructed to bend over the back of the chair and place her hands on the seat. Lucy sobbed but obeyed, the position requiring that she go up onto her tiptoes, her bent posture lifting her bottom towards her husband. As she saw him raise his hand, she screeched and moved a hand back to protect herself from his spanking, her face crimson with the knowledge that she was actually going to be spanked right at the table, in full view of not only her sisters, but her brother-in-law, her nanny, the awful governess and any staff that happened to walk into the room.

  “You know better, Lucille. Put your hands where they belong,” Lucas ordered, a trifle shocked that she even dared to attempt to cover her bottom. When she didn’t immediately obey, Lucas slapped his hand down onto the tender skin on the back of her thigh. Lucy shrieked and dropped her hand to cling to the edge of her chair. “Attempt to cover yourself again, little one, and you will ask your nanny to hand me your tawse.” He saw her nod frantically, her bottom cringing with the reminder of the horrid tawse that resided in one of Molly’s deep apron pockets.

  Lucas pressed one hand to the small of her back and brought his other hand down onto her bottom with a crisp slap. He spanked her hard and fast until her feet were dancing in place, her bottom wagging from side to side. “Be still!” his voice demanded, swatting her thigh again and again until she submitted and stood still. She was no longer concerned who was watching her being spanked; she just wanted the spanking to be over. Her bottom burned, and Lucas continued to stoke the fire as swat after swat was delivered to her rapidly-reddening cheeks. He finished her spanking with a flurry of swats directly on her sit spot, each one lifting her small cheeks, the normally pale and unblemished area soon becoming a mottled, painful crimson. He removed his hand from her back.

  “Molly, please put Lucy in the corner,” he instructed, pointing to the one he desired. “Lucille, you will stand as you did on the train,” he continued. The position would allow her punished cheeks to give testament to what happened to girls who chose to be naughty, while allowing her to maintain her modesty. Molly slipped from her chair and helped Lucy to stand.

  Lucy was sobbing, her embarrassment returning full force as she was guided across the room, her feet shuffling due her drawers tangled around her ankles. Molly helped her press her nose to the wall and bent down to adjust her clothing, making sure not a stitch of fabric covered the red, throbbing bottom of her naughty charge. Lucy felt her drawers being rearranged at her feet and her hands guided to fold properly across her back. Once in proper position, Lucy sensed Molly leaving her to serve her corner time alone … alone but in a roomful of witnesses.

  Lucas took his seat again and turned to speak to his sisters. “Let this be a lesson to you, as well. I understand that rules may have been forgotten in my extended absence. However, each of you knows far better than to speak with such rudeness to any person in this household. If you disagree with someone, you may put forth your opinion or questions only if done so with respect. Let your sister’s spanking remind you that I will never hesitate to take any of you in hand if you allow your mouth to spew such ugliness. Is that understood?” All three girls nodded. It was obvious with Bea’s nod that, though she might be married and accountable to her husband, even she was not exempt from her brother’s rules while in his house.

  “Yes, Sir,” three voices chorused together, three pairs of eyes drifting to the corner to see their new sister, their brother’s bride, standing in the corner, her red bottom displayed. All three knew exactly how she felt, all three having been in the same position many times throughout their own lives. Bea felt her husband’s hand on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. She flushed but didn’t speak at the gentle reminder that marriage did not release her from corporal discipline, even though her role was not that of child-bride.

  Though it was past time that luncheon was normally completed, the girls didn’t move from their seats as the servants began to clear the table. Miss Browning remained as well, sipping a fresh cup of tea as she waited to see how the delightful scene caused by her question would end.

  “Lucille, come here,” Lucas said, after a quarter of an hour. She had stopped sobbing, hiccupping occasionally as she brought herself under control. Lucy turned from the corner, extremely grateful that the adjustments to her clothing allowed her to remain completely covered in the front, only baring her bottom. She bent to pull up her drawers but remembered that it was forbidden. Her face heated as she straightened and saw Lucas watching her closely. She shuffled to stand next to his chair, her drawers bunched around her ankles.

  “I’m … I’m sorry, thank you for … for spanking me,” she said, her voice breaking with her shame.

  “You will make your apology to me upstairs, Lucille. For now, I believe you have a different apology to make.”

  Her face flushed with his reminder of the penance always required after she’d been spanked. Grateful that it would take place in her nursery and not in view of others, she forced herself to meet the eyes of her family, trying desperately to ignore the many servants moving about, knowing all could see her spanked bottom. “I’m … I’m sorry. I ask you to forgive me … Un … Uncle Frank. I’m sorry, Nanny. I’m sorry Bea, Frannie, Ettie,” she said, tears welling at the kind sympathy she saw reflected in each of their eyes. It took every bit of Lucy’s inner strength to turn to the governess. “I’m sor … sorry, Miss Brown … Browning. I … I’m sorry I was ru … rude and spoke dis … disrespectfully. Plea … please forgive me.”

  Lucinda had found the entire scene extremely pleasing. Despite years of being under this roof and observing dozens of spankings given to the girls, she had doubted if Lucas would actually spank his wife, especially outside the privacy of their rooms. She had seen nothing but Lucy's being coddled and spoiled, carried about like a doll and kissed and cuddled repeatedly. Witnessing the spanking, as well as listening to the girl make her tearful apologies with her crimson bottom displayed, gave her hope that Lucas would soon see how ridiculous and spoiled the little twit truly was. What man would want such a silly, disrespectful child as a wife? Seeing her bent over, her bottom bouncing beneath his hand, her pleas ignored as he roasted her bottom made her feel vindicated.

  “I shall see you in class the moment your uniform arrives, Lucille,” Lucinda said, ignoring the girl’s request for forgiveness. “I suggest you adjust your attitude before then, as I do not appreciate—nor will I tolerate—such ridiculous misbehavior in my classroom. If you have any doubts about that fact, I suggest you speak to Beatrice. Perhaps she will share the theme of her latest essay with you.”

  Lucy could only flush and nod. “Ye … Yes, Ma’am,” she whispered, her eyes dropping to the table.

  “Girls,” the governess said as she stood. The three girls stood and silently followed her from the room. Lucas stood as well and bent to guide Lucy’s feet from her drawers, slipping them off and handing them to her to carry.

  “You were spanked at table for your rudeness and disrespect to Miss Browning, Lucille. You will be punished in your nursery for throwing yet another tantrum, and tonight we will tend to your need for constant interruption and disrespect of your husband,” Lucas informed his wife before addressing Molly. “Enjoy another cup of tea, Molly, before you come upstairs. By the time you are done, I’ll have paddled our little one and she will have her corner time before you prepare her for her nap,” Lucas said, and Molly nodded. Taking his wife by her hand, he led her out of the ro
om and up the stairs.

  Lucy’s eyes never lifted from the floor, her shame intense as they passed servants working at their duties. She remembered making a similar trek, skirts raised, beet-red bottom on display, after being punished at Wintercrest and knew each one would turn to at least get a glimpse of the punished posterior of the new Lady Huntington. Hearing her husband speak of an additional paddling had her bottom clenching again.

  Once in the nursery, Lucas led her to the padded bench. She watched as he opened the small white cabinet and took a thick wooden paddle from its hook. “Bend over and present yourself,” Lucas ordered, tapping the paddle against the end of the bench.

  Lucy wisely remained silent, nodded and stepped close to the bench, bending and laying her torso across its length. Her hands reached out to grip the sides. With her eyes tightly closed, she forced herself to spread her legs widely, turning her heels out before lifting herself onto her toes, her bottom pushed out towards her husband.

  “This paddling will pay for your tantrum and disrespect to me with your rudeness, Lucille,” Lucas informed her as he moved to stand at her side, laying the paddle across her bottom. Her cheeks were still pink from her earlier spanking and would soon return to their crimson color under the application of the paddle. “I have told you before that you may speak to me if something causes you concern. I’m not without understanding that at times you will disagree with me, Lucille. I understand that despite the fact that you vowed to submit and obey me, you have questions, and I have assured you repeatedly that I will never fail to listen to your concerns. Knowing that, tell me why you are presenting your bottom to me instead of sitting on my lap to discuss those …”

  “I’m sorry. I just don’t want …” Her sentence was interrupted by her shrill cry as the first stroke fell with a loud crack directly underneath her cheeks, lifting them and jolting her further forward. Lucas placed another stroke in the same exact spot. He was done discussing her tendency to interrupt him when he was speaking. She absolutely had to learn he was serious about the lesson and he intended this paddling to teach her that painful lesson. He began to paddle her hard and fast, until she was screeching out her pain, despite her plan to accept her punishment quietly. Every time the paddle connected to her flesh, the sound echoed throughout the room to join the sobs that the cushion failed to muffle.

  After he had placed a dozen strokes across her rear, he spoke for the first time since the punishment began. “Lucille, I didn’t ask for your apology. I didn’t ask for what you did or didn’t want. I asked if you knew why you are across your bench, legs spread, offering your bottom to me to receive a paddling on top of your spanking. Even now you can’t seem to stop interrupting me, instead of listening to what I am saying. I want you to tell me, why exactly are you in this position having your rump blistered?”

  Lucy shifted on her feet, her bottom burning but knowing its fire would burn far hotter by the time the paddle was replaced in the cabinet. When she felt it rub against her bottom again, she shuddered. She knew exactly why she was presenting her bottom to that paddle and made her confession to the man holding it. “I … I threw a tantrum and interrupted you, Papa … I … I wasn’t only rude to Miss Browning, I … I was horribly disrespectful to you.”

  “Lucille, I can’t begin to tell you how extremely disappointed I am in your behavior. I don’t know why you can’t learn to politely state your case without screaming and throwing tantrums, but you’ll pay an additional price for that choice. You might be a stubborn little girl, but little one, I promise I am even more stubborn when it comes to enforcing the rules for my little bride.” He heard her sobs and saw her bottom dropping from its raised position as she lowered her feet flat to the floor.

  “Keep that bottom well up, Lucille! We are nowhere near done with your paddling for your tantrum.” Lucy sobbed harder, her bottom burning, but she obeyed, lifting her bottom up, pushing it out as far as she could. The paddling resumed and didn’t end until another two dozen strokes had been given by a man determined to reinforce his rules to a sobbing miscreant who was slowly learning it would be a wonderful idea to obey whatever rules this man put into place.

  Though she had often accepted far more strokes with a paddle, as well as a strap or switch, Lucas knew she would have to submit to an additional spanking that evening. He stepped to her side, presenting the paddle to her lips. Lucy pressed her lips to the surface of the paddle, her tears splattering against the wood.

  It took another several moments before she could speak. “I’m s … sorr … sorry, Pa … Papa,” she stuttered, her chest heaving as she attempted to take a deep breath. “Tha … thank you for … for padd … paddling me, Papa.” Her face was a mess, her hair clinging to her tear-stained cheeks, her nose running, her eyes swollen and still leaking tears. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her face and helped her to blow her nose.

  He replaced the paddle on its hook and closed the door to the cabinet. Lucy shuddered at seeing the additional paddles, as well as a couple of straps, including a horrid-looking tawse, and even a thin rattan cane hanging on the other hooks. She didn’t dare move from position, straining on her toes to keep her punished rear as high as possible until given permission to release the humiliating stance.

  “You may go stand in your corner,” Lucas said. He watched as she pushed herself up, her hands at her sides as she walked towards her naughty corner. Before she bent forward, he heard her soft voice.

  “Pa … Papa, may I … may I say something, please?”

  “Yes, Lucy,” he answered proud that she had asked so respectfully.

  “Thank you for … for allowing me my … not embarrassing me … in … in the dining room,” she said sincerely understanding just how much he had protected her modesty, despite baring her bottom.

  “I will allow you to maintain your modesty when in front of your sisters or the staff, Kitten,” Lucas said as he went to her, turning her to face him, one hand moving to caress her cheek where a fresh tear was following the path of the many previous ones. “I have no desire to shame you, Lucy, only to teach you to behave properly. While I firmly believe that when you choose to misbehave in front of your family or the staff, the additional embarrassment of having to present your spanked bare bottom in front of others is a necessary part of your lesson, but when in view of others you shall be given the same consideration I give my sisters.” She nodded and remained silent as he continued.

  “However, when required to display in your nursery, my chambers or elsewhere when we are in private, I will require you stand with your legs well apart and your bottom pushed up and out so that I might see your cunny and bottom flower as well as your red bottom-cheeks. That, little one, is an additional requirement of my wife.” She nodded, her eyes meeting his, the understanding of the difference, as well as the relief at his leniency, evident in the violet depths. “Show me that you understand.”

  Lucy turned back to the wall, aware he was watching her every move. She leaned forward, pressing her nose against the wall before spreading her legs as far apart as possible, pushing her bottom up, folding her arms across her back. She knew it not only afforded him a view that did absolutely nothing to allow her any semblance of modesty, he would also see that despite her spanking, despite her paddling, her inner thighs were slick. As she settled into position to spend her corner time, it was not lost on her that, though she had only been in residence a very short time, she was becoming quite familiar with this small portion of the huge estate.

  Lucas was very pleased to see her obey him as she positioned herself properly, her red bottom pushed up and out, her cheeks naturally separating by the spread of her position, allowing her slick quim, as well as her puckered flower, to be exposed to his view.

  “You are to remain in position, Lucille. I shall be back in a few minutes, and young lady, if you have any desire to allow your bottom to cool before the completion of your punishment this evening, I suggest you don’t move a single muscle.” Si
nce he hadn’t asked her a question, she knew better than to speak but did nod to show her understanding. She heard him leave the room.

  Chapter 13

  It was only a few moments before Lucas returned to the nursery. He placed his package on her changing table and then went to the rocking chair and seated himself. She had stopped crying and was standing without fidgeting. It was only necessary to remind her once to lift her bottom higher. She stood for a half-hour before he called her to him. She went to him, her hands fluttering behind her in a desperate desire to clutch and rub her aching cheeks.

  “No! Touch your bottom and I shall paddle it again,” Lucas warned, and watched her hands instantly fall to her side.

  When he didn’t immediately draw her between his knees, she was confused. “May … may I make my penance, Papa?” she managed to ask, though her voice was so soft that he wouldn’t have heard if he hadn’t been looking directly at her.

  “No, Lucille, you’ll make a proper penance this evening,” he said. Before she could ask what he meant, a soft knock sounded on the door.

  As he warned her to be remain as she was and went to the door, Lucy pondered his words. She had never waited to make a penance before. She’d been placed onto her knees, her mouth around his shaft, the moment she’d been released from corner time. She felt a shudder run through her body as she remembered his earlier words about an additional punishment for interrupting him. Though she had tried to tell herself that he had meant the second round of the paddle, she now admitted to herself that he had meant an entirely separate punishment, one she was sure would be even more painful than the paddling she had just endured.

  “Thank you, Molly,” Lucas said, as her nanny entered the room. “You’ve come just in time to learn what is required when our little one has been especially disobedient.”

  “Certainly, Sir,” Molly said, giving Lucy a somber look. “I must say, I was quite shocked at your behavior, Lucille. I can’t imagine what your sisters must be thinking, seeing you throw such a fit, screaming like a banshee. I certainly hope you understand why your Papa punished you for your ridiculous diatribe.”