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“I am the Lord of Wintercrest, Lucille. As such, this household runs as I dictate. Your sister is not only my wife, she is my special little girl.”
Lucy’s glance slid to Louisa and her face flushed. What he was saying now appeared obvious. Her sister was curled up on her husband’s lap, her long hair loose around her shoulders, her legs covered in white stockings, her feet clad in slip-on shoes. Her dress was more appropriate to a very young child, unlike the long stiff dress that Lucille had changed into for dinner. Lucy looked even more closely at her twin and realized that while she herself was seated rigidly due to the tight corset Molly had laced her into, Louisa appeared far more comfortable. Lucy’s color heightened as she realized that Louisa was obviously unencumbered by the inflexible garment, indeed her rounded breasts pressed against the bib of her juvenile dress, their fullness filling out the dress quite nicely. Lucy saw the lace of a petticoat peeking out from under the hem of the pink dress, and again noticed the absence of drawers. She tore her eyes away from the sight, looking up to see meet her guardian’s eyes once again.
Edward nodded, obviously well aware of the perusal she’d given her twin. “Yes, Louisa is treated not as the lady of the manor but as a precious child. She does not run the household, as most in her position do. While your sister is indeed the rightful owner of the title, Mrs. Bremmer is really the mistress of Wintercrest in that she makes all the household decisions.”
Lucy felt her heart pound as she remembered the forceful woman. She turned her attention back to Edward. “Why?” she managed to squeak out, hoping she wouldn’t find herself bottom-up for daring to ask the question. She twisted her hands in her lap but knew she had to have a far better explanation.
“Because I make the laws governing Wintercrest, and it is how I desire it should be.”
While she was very grateful when Edward didn’t chastise her for the question, his answer didn’t truly satisfy her. “I’m afraid I-I don’t understand,” she said honestly.
He didn’t elaborate for a moment, and Lucy realized that he was indeed the true lord of his kingdom. He took a moment to shift Louisa a bit, bending down to whisper something in her ear. Lucy watched as Louisa shook her head slowly and then settle herself back into her husband’s embrace.
Meeting Lucy’s gaze, Edward continued, “I never wanted to wed a woman strictly to conform to what society deems the proper order of things, Lucille. I do not care what anyone thinks about my household or me. I have a close circle of friends who all share my desires and my lifestyle. Women should be treasured and pampered and most certainly taken care of. However, I have no wish to answer to any female. Though I loved Louisa from the moment your father introduced her to me, I never would have wed her if I didn’t believe that she was exactly what I needed. If I’d ever doubted that she couldn’t be happy living not only as my wife, but as my special child-bride, we wouldn’t be sitting before you today as husband and wife. No matter what you may believe, Louisa is not only content, she is being fulfilled more and more as she continues her training to become all I desire her to be. She will always be safe with me. I love her deeply and will always treasure her.” He bent to press a kiss to Louisa’s temple and she smiled with contentment.
Lucy still found it hard to accept the words she was hearing. Never would she have imagined Louisa happy or content with what she now understood was a lifestyle so alien to her. Though Louisa was now cuddled on Edward’s lap, Lucy had seen her turned over it, getting her bare bottom blistered. Louisa might be coddled but she was also harshly punished. She might be loved and treasured, but at what cost? She didn’t want to listen to Edward any more. What she wanted, what she needed was to be alone with Louisa and be able to talk directly to her. She squirmed on the settee and winced as her bottom reminded her of her last spanking.
Humiliation burned through her, remembering how Mrs. Bremmer had reminded her several times to stick out her ‘naughty little bottom’ as she had spent all that time in the corner. She had heard others moving about the room and with a repetitive clicking sound filling the air, she’d understood that someone had brought Mrs. Bremmer’s knitting bag to her… and, in all likelihood, had taken a look at Lucille’s red bottom so blatantly displayed. Lucy’s embarrassment at being caught sneaking about had kept her from daring to attempt a glance to see who else witnessed her shame. And if she understood what Edward was saying, Louisa had been dealing with such things from the day she’d stepped over the threshold of Wintercrest Manor. She felt Edward’s eyes on her and her anger grew.
“I still don’t understand this, Edward. I can’t believe a grown man wants his wife to behave like a child. If you want a child, then have one and let Louisa be the woman she is. This is unspeakable! You… you diapered my sister and made her… made her wet herself! How can that be what Louisa wants? How can she possibly be happy with you as not her husband, but as her father! You made her call you Papa, for God’s sake. Our father is dead and he would have hated this! He would have called you out for treating his daughter like this.”
As Lucy’s voice grew shriller, Edward finally said, “Enough! You forget yourself, Lucille. I am your guardian, and perhaps you haven’t heard me. I am Master of Wintercrest, not your sister, and certainly not you. I will allow you some leeway as I understand how confused you must be, but I will not condone you shrieking. You are acting exactly like a very naughty little girl who most certainly needs a great deal of discipline and training. You have no idea of what you are speaking and are only showing your ignorance. You are not to raise your voice to me or anyone in my household, unless you want to have your bottom warmed yet again. My rules are to be learned and followed, little girl. It is not for you to question my authority. You are simply to obey me, and I suggest you begin to do so immediately.”
Lucy jumped to her feet, her hands fisted in her dress. She wanted to scream and shout, yet his threat of a spanking caused her mouth to clamp shut. She turned to run from the room.
“Lucille, sit down! You have not been dismissed young lady.”
She twirled back around, her eyes full of tears. “I won’t! You can’t do this. I won’t let you…”
“If you don’t wish another blistering, I suggest you watch your tone and take your seat.”
“Damn you!” she shouted, and with that, she ran from the room, down the hall and out the front door. Lucy tripped on the steps but managed to regain her feet before falling. She ran blindly down the long drive, her breath hitching with her sobs as she tried to put as much distance between herself and this horrid man as possible. She stumbled over her skirts and soon pulled them up in order to quicken her pace. Her breath came in huge gulps, as her corset reminded her of her constricted lungs. She wished she could take time to tear off the garment but continued to flee, not knowing where she would go, just determined to get away.
* * *
Edward didn’t runafter her as he knew she wouldn’t get far. Calmly, he stood up and set Louisa on her feet.
“Please, Papa. She didn’t mean that. She just doesn’t understand. She is confused and frightened.”
“Don’t you fret,” he said, bending to kiss her forehead. “We’ll be back soon.” Leaving her, he didn’t follow Lucy’s path. Instead, he exited the house from the rear and walked to the stables. After calling for a groom to saddle his horse, Edward leapt onto the stallion’s back and, with a flick of the reins, turned him down the drive. Despite the time he’d taken, he rode slowly, assured that no matter her pace, his prey was only a short distance in front of him. He knew he had shocked Lucille but felt a huge sense of relief that Louisa’s role was now out in the open. He would allow Lucille certain latitude as she adjusted to the truth, but cursing and direct disobedience would never, ever, be tolerated.
He gave a sigh, knowing he would soon be administering yet another dose of discipline to her saucy little bottom. Though part of him truly wished he could spare her additional pain, he knew the lesson was needed. He would never hesitate to punish either of his girls, regardless of the condition of their little rumps. His authority would be obeyed without question and, if Lucy continued to defy him, he’d simply continue to redden her bare bottom. As his horse carried him further down the lane, he saw his charge dashing in front of him, her pace slowing as she tired. He kept his steed back as she finally staggered to a stop, bending over, attempting to catch her breath. He could hear her sobs and quietly slid off his mount. Lucy gave a shrill screech when he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. She began to struggle immediately, her hands and feet flailing, trying to escape his grasp.
“Stop it, Lucille, before you hurt yourself,” Edward ordered as her elbow connected with his chest, causing him to grunt.
She continued to fight. “No! Put me down! You are the one who wants to hurt me. You are the one who wants to hurt Louisa. You are a bloody monster. Put me down!”
Edward simply tightened his grip, and ignoring her shriek, hefted her over his shoulder as if she weighed no more than a sack of flour. Her fists beat against his back, her hair loosening from its weave to tumble almost to the ground. She screeched as he used his free hand to swat against her arse. Her skirts gave her protection but having been spanked so much recently, he knew even that cushioning gave her little comfort. Edward strode to his horse, tossed her easily facedown over the saddle and then climbed up behind her. He shook his head seeing her struggle to sit up, but he easily kept her in place before him as he turned the stallion back to the stable.
“I’m disappointed that your behavior has earned you yet another thrashing, Lucille. I know you are upset and confused, but let me make one thing perfectly clear. It might take you a longer time to train than your sister, but I guarantee you will be trained.”
His words caused his ward to sob harder as she realized she had no way of escaping. She’d learn that he ruled not only the manor but every person under his care. She had no legal means to escape him. She would remain his ward, under his authority and his hand whenever she needed discipline until she wed. As he dug his heels into the stallion’s sides, urging him to go faster, Lucy finally stopped struggling, giving a cry as one hand grabbing a fistful of the horse’s mane, the other reaching down to grip his leg.
Edward reined the stallion in at the foot of the stairs. Louisa stood at the door of the manor watching as he slid off the horse, tossed the reins to the groom and then plucked Lucy off the horse and threw her once again over his shoulder. Edward walked up the stairs and Louisa quietly opened the door wider for him.
He paused to smile down at his wife. “I will join you in a bit, my dear. Do you need your nappy changed before I take care of Lucille?”
She blushed but managed to shake her head. “No sir, Papa. I’m… I’m dry.”
