by Dina Chapel
“Honest, sweetheart, I’ve been to these socials before and yours will be the best dish and pie there.” He leaned over and gave Mandy a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back out to hitch up the team for the ride into town.
Mandy watched him go out and the realization hit her. Of course, he’d been to the church social before. With Susannah! All these people had known his late wife and she was meeting them for the first time.
Mandy got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Would they all compare her to Susannah? Would they dislike Mandy if they had liked her? Why hadn’t she realized this until just now?
Maybe she could claim to feel ill and beg Hank to let her stay home. She did feel a bit queasy all of a sudden. But it was too late now to try to make an excuse for herself. She knew Hank well enough by now to know that he wouldn’t fall for anything she could conjure up at this late hour. Mandy decided to muster what courage she had and face whatever the day had in store for her.
* * *
Hank wanted an answer and intended to spank Mandy until she gave it to him. She was being awful stubborn.
“Now, young lady,” Hank emphasized his words with a hard smack to Mandy’s round, bare behind, which to Hank’s satisfaction had filled out nicely since she had come to live with him, “I want you to tell me what those two women said to you.” Hank raised his arm and brought his hand down firmly on her backside right where her thighs creased against her buttocks.
Mandy cried out but remained silent otherwise.
“Now, Amanda.” Hank’s voice became sterner. “Or I’ll take off my belt.”
Mandy squirmed at the threat of being spanked with Hank’s belt. But she still didn’t answer him.
“I’m not telling you that whatever they said to you justifies what you did. It doesn’t. But I still want to know so I can put a stop to any further problems.” Hank brought his large hand down hard on Mandy’s left thigh first and then her right. Then the left again.
“I guess I’m not making myself clear enough.” Hank stopped spanking then in order to lean back a little and remove his leather belt from where it was threaded through the loops of his wool britches. He saw Mandy glance back and catch sight of the belt. Hank felt his resolve waver for but a moment at the look on Mandy’s face when she saw he meant to spank her with the belt, even though he had spanked her bare behind to a bright red already with his hand.
She just looked so dejected and forlorn, in addition to the fact that she wasn’t speaking to him about what happened. That was definitely a curious thing, as far as Hank was concerned. It must have upset her some, that was for sure, and that fact only strengthened Hank’s resolve to get some answers.
After the service, Hank had been standing and chatting with some of the other nearby farmers when they all heard a high-pitched shriek. Turning toward the sound, Hank and the others saw Jenny Atwater and Millie Connors covered in pie and screaming and crying. The men started to chuckle at the sight. Several of the other women stood back a bit from the hysterical scene, but his Mandy was right there front and center, looking madder than a wet hen and glaring at the two women. It was obvious at first glance who did what to whom.
Hank had just sighed with resignation, plopped his hat on his head as he wished his neighbors a good day and headed over to gather his little troublemaker and set out for home. He had pulled Mandy from the scene without so much as a word. In fact, neither of them spoke a word the entire trip back home.
Now he steeled himself to Mandy’s tears, which always bothered him, and folded the belt in half as he questioned her once more.
“Now, Amanda Rose, are you going to tell me what was said at that church social that elicited such a response from you?”
Mandy started to struggle, bucking and squirming, on Hank’s lap and he had to readjust her, moving her forward a bit and then locking her legs under his right leg to keep her still.
“Amanda?” Hank’s arm pulled back and brought the strap down on her red behind.
Mandy cried out.
“Tell me right now, young lady.” Hank strapped her again, raising a puffy red stripe across the center of her bare buttocks.
“Stop, please.” Mandy begged through her tears. “It hurts so.”
“As soon as you tell me, I’ll stop this lickin’ you’re getting. But I intend to strap you until you talk to me.”
“Please, Hank, please.”
Hank could barely understand her she was blubbering so much and trying to speak at the same time. “Tell me,” he ordered.
“I can’t. I just can’t.”
“You can and you will, young lady, if I have to spank you all night.” He stopped questioning and focused on spanking.
Mandy cried and Hank spanked. The only sounds in the cabin were Mandy’s sobs and the strap slapping down on her swollen behind. It took several more licks from Hank’s belt before Mandy spoke.
“They said I wasn’t pretty like Susannah!” Mandy cried it out then practically choked on the words, coughing and sputtering afterward.
Hank immediately stopped the strapping at Mandy’s words.
She continued relaying the hurtful comments that were laid upon her that morning. “I don’t behave proper like Susannah did.” She seemed to be crying harder as she spoke.
“I don’t dress as nice. My shepherd’s pie wasn’t so good. Susannah made it better once for the church potluck.” Hank was lifting her up and turning her to sit on his lap. Mandy hissed at the contact with his rough woolen britches.
Hank cradled her on his lap. He was careful to place her on his left thigh resting on the backs of hers, with her punished and tender behind not pressed against his leg. She pressed herself against his chest and just cried.
She did the same thing each and every time she was spanked. And Hank did the same thing each and every time too. He held her and stroked her hair and spoke softly to her until her crying stopped and her breathing had evened out a bit.
“I’m sorry that those ladies acted so hurtful toward you.” Hank spoke in a low voice. “I had hoped that you would have a nice day and maybe make a friend or two.”
This statement just seemed to renew Mandy’s tears.
“No,” she cried, “I’m the outsider here just like I’ve always been.” She paused to catch her breath. “And...and...it sounds like Susannah was p...p...perfect.” Mandy was coughing her words out because she was crying so hard again.
Hank shook his head, as much to himself as to negate Mandy’s comment. He had loved Susannah with all his heart, but she had been far from perfect.
“Mandy, sweetheart, no one is perfect. No one.” Hank readjusted Mandy a bit on his lap in order to get her full attention. “Now I want you to understand something. I loved Susannah. She was my wife. But she wasn’t perfect.”
“But they liked her. They don’t like me.” Mandy sounded forlorn.
“You just need to give them some time, sweetheart,” Hank assured her as best he could. “It may be they’re still missing her. I know it’s a difficult thing to do, but try to be patient with them. And if they don’t come around to liking you eventually, well that’s their loss as far as I see it.” Hank smiled at her, but Mandy answered him with a frown.
“Oh, no,” she shook her head at him. “No, I’m not going to any of those functions ever again. Ever.”
“I’ll be the one to say whether or not you go and you will be going.”
Mandy was shaking her head at him as Hank spoke.
“Yes, Mandy. You will go again next week, and the week after. If I’m going, you’re coming with me.”
“No, Hank, please. I don’t want to go ever again. I don’t want to see those women ever again!” Mandy’s voice held a hint of desperation, but Hank was adamant.
“It’s not open for discussion, young lady. You’ll come with me.” He knew he couldn’t waver on this point. He had to be firm and not allow her to hide from Susannah’s memory, as hard as it may prove to be for her. And him.
“Sar
a wasn’t there today. Hermann told me she’s been feeling poorly. Otherwise, she would have been a friend to you.”
Mandy perked up a bit at Hank’s words. “Sara is Hermann’s wife, right?”
“Yes’m. Hermann said she’s been looking forward to making your acquaintance,” Hank assured her.
“Why is she not feeling well?”
“She’s expecting a child soon and Hermann says she’s just real tired.” Hank paused. “It’s their sixth child.”
“Goodness, that’s a lot,” Mandy said, sitting up a bit straighter now and wiping her wet eyes on the backs of her sleeves. Hank reached into his chest pocket and produced his handkerchief for Mandy to use. “It’s no wonder she’s tired. Maybe I could go over to their place one day this week and help out.” She blew her nose and looked at Hank hopefully.
“That’s a real nice idea, Mandy. I’m sure Sara would appreciate it and then you two would get to meet each other.” Hank was struck by her thoughtfulness. She really was a sweet thing. “I’ll figure which day would be all right for me to take some time away from my chores.”
Mandy continued. “I could help with the birth too, if need be.”
Now Hank was intrigued. “Really? You have some experience with those things?”
“Yes sir,” Mandy replied, her voice full of assurance. Hank couldn’t recall hearing this exact tone from her lips before now.
“My cousin Hattie was a midwife. I assisted her with quite a few births when I lived in their house.”
“Well, I’ll be sure to let Hermann know about that.” Hank was impressed and proud.
He tilted her face up gently to his and kissed her, rocked her a little, then kissed her again. At that point following her punishment, Hank would decide whether or not Mandy needed to stand in the corner. He didn’t always make her do that. It depended on the offense and whether or not Hank thought that she needed to do some thinking.
Tonight, Hank felt that some corner time was most definitely warranted. Perhaps even more so than any other time. Hank knew that Mandy needed to be held accountable for her behavior today in order to want to behave better the next time. He also knew that she needed to have some guilt over her actions lifted from her, and her punishment was a means for doing so.
The last time Mandy stood in the corner, she had kept dropping her dress whenever she had reached up to wipe her tears. Hank wanted that dress up around her waist and her punished backside on display. It helped to drive home the lesson, he felt, just as did the fact that she would have to sit for meals the next few days.
He decided this time that he would tie something around her waist to hold up the dress and keep it up. When Mandy’s tears had dried (and although Hank knew that, once she realized she needed to stand in the corner, she would be crying all over again), Hank gently but firmly took hold of her upper arms and proceeded to turn her away from him, causing her legs to fall to either side of his left thigh. Mandy was straddling his leg and Hank pushed her forward a little so that once again her backside wasn’t pressed against the rough fabric of his pants leg. Mandy looked back at him, seemingly unsure of what was happening.
“I’m going to tie your dress up around your waist,” Hank explained, as he watched Mandy’s face fall in understanding, “so that it stays put while you’re standing in the corner.” Mandy started in to crying again, just like Hank knew she would.
“Please Hank,” Mandy started.
“Hush right now.” Hank was having none of this. She knew better by now. “You’ll stand in that corner and think about how to better behave yourself the next time a situation like that occurs.” Hank tied the length of thin leather tight enough just to keep the dress up. “I’ll tend to the evening chores. When I come back in, you’ll be done.” Hank had finished fastening and rested his hands on Mandy’s upper arms. “I’ll help with the supper dishes after that, and we’ll talk some more then. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
* * *
Mandy wasn’t sure what had possessed her to try plead with Hank about her punishment. She knew well and good by now that he never changed his mind once it had been made up. She started to stand when she felt Hank lifting her from his leg. When she stood, he didn’t let go of her.
Mandy turned her head to look at him, wondering why he was still holding her by the arms. She saw Hank staring down at his pants leg and a rather large wet spot on them. Hank met her eyes then, and the look he gave Mandy was unreadable. She found she couldn’t hold his gaze for more than a second before she looked quickly down at the floor.
Hank stood up and turning Mandy to face him, he lifted her chin so that she had to look at him. But he still didn’t speak. He kissed her instead. A long deep kiss. The kind of kiss he gave her when they lay down in bed together. The kind of kiss he kissed when he was being a husband to her.
And then Mandy felt his hand between her legs.
“Hank!” Mandy was shocked. “We’re standing. In the middle of the cabin! We’re not in bed! We’re not covered!”
Hank just grinned at her. “It’s all right, darling, it’s all right.” His finger was feeling around down there and Mandy was certain that he just wasn’t supposed to be doing that while they were just standing in the middle of the cabin. And the sun wasn’t even fully set yet! “If you like, get on the bed,” Hank instructed. “But I want you to kneel on the bed on all fours. Facing away from me.”
Mandy just looked at him as if he was crazy. “No, I will not.” What had possessed him? One minute he was preparing her to stand in the corner, the next he had this very strange look in his eyes and was wanting to do husbandly things to her.
But Mandy’s outright refusal to Hank’s direct instruction earned her exactly what she should have known it would. He immediately spun her around and planted one solid swat to her red backside.
“You’ll do as you’re told. On the bed on your hands and knees. Now.”
Mandy obeyed; she didn’t think she could bear another spanking so soon after the one she had just had.
Mandy climbed on the bed with her dress still secured around her waist and her underclothes bunched around her ankles still from the spanking. She also still had her boots and stockings on. Mandy felt a bit exposed. She felt Hank’s large hand caress her stinging backside then. That same hand then traveled down her right leg to where her underthings were bunched at her ankle. Hank slid them off the one foot easily, then spread her legs farther apart so that he could kneel between them on the bed.
“I know that you don’t really understand what that was on my pants, sweetheart, but I do.” Hank voice was gravelly and deep. “That was your body telling me that some part of you likes to be spanked, likes to be punished by me.”
Mandy’s head whipped around. “I don’t like it, I don’t. “ She cried out, only to be rewarded with another sharp slap of Hank’s hand on her raw behind.
“Now is not the time to sass me, Amanda.”
“Yes, sir.” And he was right; she didn’t understand any of this. She didn’t understand it at all. Why did it always seem that the more she knew the less she understood?
“It’s a part of yourself that you’re not completely familiar with just yet. I don’t want you to be upset or confused by it. Your understanding will come with time. And it’s all right.” Mandy nodded since she really didn’t know what to think or do. She could feel Hank’s fingers going inside her and running all over her womanly parts, and it made Mandy feel wicked because it felt so good. She liked it. She liked what he was doing. She started moving against his fingers, pushing back on them, and moaning without even realizing what she was doing.
Since Mandy was facing the opposite wall, she hadn’t seen that Hank had pulled his manhood out of his britches and was rock hard and ready to go. She just felt his fingers one second and his hardness the next entering her with a force and speed she hadn’t yet experienced. It stole her breath away and she cried out.
Hank didn’t waste any time, either
. He started right in to pounding hard and fast into Mandy. She was shocked at his sudden urgency, but it felt so good that she didn’t take long to get over her surprise and start in to moving against him in time to the pace he was setting.
Mandy felt something inside her building and she couldn’t have him go into her hard enough or fast enough, until it felt like he did and there was an explosion within her. Mandy shook from the feeling and its intensity. From somewhere far off it seemed, she heard Hank shout out and slam into her.
Then everything went still.
Mandy heard Hank, who was now leaning over her, breathing hard in her ear. She felt she could hear her own heart pounding in her ears also. Mandy didn’t even try to move. She wasn’t sure if she could anyway. Her legs didn’t feel like they would hold her much longer either.
With that, Hank moved off to her side and lay down on the bed, pulling Mandy down beside him and holding her close, her back to his front.
They stayed like that, together, for a spell. It took a little bit of time for Mandy to catch her breath and she listened to Hank’s breathing also as it went from labored to slow and steady along with hers. Finally, Hank spoke.
“I’ve got to tend to evening chores.” Hank stroked Mandy’s hair as he said this. “I’d like you to stand up so I can adjust your skirts.”
Mandy sighed, resigned to the fact that Hank would still make her stand in the corner while he saw to his chores. He never went back on his word. Never.
“Yes, sir.”
When Hank had finished, Mandy took her place in the corner to finish her punishment.
Chapter 5
Mandy listened to the rain beat against the small window in the kitchen as she hung damp clothes from a line strung near the fire. It was cold and wet outside and dark even though it was midday.
Hank had said he needed to mend some fence posts out in the far pasture and he wouldn’t come in for lunch. Mandy was on her own all day. She was finding that she missed him now when he didn’t come in for lunch; her first few weeks here, she had loved being alone. Things were changing.