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Prologue
“Will I really have suitors, sir?”
Edward sat back in his chair, seeming a little surprised that her first question hadn’t been one demanding he explain his rules. She couldn’t fault him as she hadn’t expected that question to be the first thing that popped into her head, yet she discovered she really would like to hear his answer.
He smiled and answered, “Yes, my dear. I fear you shall have several.”
“You fear?”
Chuckling, he nodded. “I simply mean that you are a very beautiful woman, Lucille, and will draw the attention of most every available bachelor. That alone assures that, as your guardian, I shall have a lot to deal with. However, beauty is not the greatest gift you have to offer, and I want you to remember that you will only be allowed to court those men whom I decide are suitable. I warn you now, my criteria are very strict, and I doubt that many will meet my expectations.”
Lucy listened, a bit unsure how to proceed and wondering what possible gifts she had for any suitor. Setting that question aside, she shyly forced herself to ask another. “What of my expectations, sir? Shouldn’t the choice be mine?”
Laughing as if he found her quite amusing, he shook his head. “Hardly, Lucy. Your father agreed that I was the proper one for Louisa and, Lucille, he also made it clear which type of man he wanted to be your mate. I find I not only agree with his desires but, having you as my ward, I have decided his requirements were still far too lenient for you, little one.”
Lucy was suddenly missing her father and wished she could speak to both of her parents. “What… what did my father wish for me, sir?”
Edward took his time as if seriously considering her question and didn’t speak for several minutes. And when he answered, it was with a question of his own. “I believe you can answer your own question, wouldn’t you agree? After all, you are your sister’s twin. Your father wanted the very best for both of you.”
She looked at him, then looked away. Though almost afraid of his answer, she quietly asked her next question. “Someone like you, sir? Someone who treats his wife more like a child than an adult woman? Someone who has so many rules and… and if he is not obeyed, punishes her?”
“Yes, someone exactly like me,” he answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Someone who loves his wife—his little one—with his whole heart, his entire soul. Someone who would give his own life to protect his wife and what is his. Lucy, you will find that there are many types of men in this world. Your father was a very good man who loved his family fiercely. A man who, though you might not believe me, knew exactly what you require to live a completely fulfilled life. You don’t need and would never be truly happy with a weak man, Lucy.”
His words reminded Lucy of what Lord Eddinberg had said. She flushed, her hands twisting in her lap. “Are you… you going to teach me, sir?”
He smiled gently, saying, “Yes, Lucy. I will be but one teacher in your life. There are more than simple rules to live by in order to get through life. Your lessons begin under your parents’ tutelage and institutions are but another stage of a person’s life. Lessons in grammar, history, geography and mathematics serve to help make someone more intelligent. However, the value of life’s lessons is priceless. Life isn’t simply something to get through one day at a time. Life is something that should truly be lived to its fullest.”
“I’m not sure I understand, sir.”
Edward leaned forward and gathered both of her hands in his. “I spoke of your beauty, but that is but a small part of who you are. You are a strong, spirited woman who has much to offer. Your mind is inquisitive, your heart is large, your soul is kind and there is a hunger, a craving within you that is just waiting to be set free. There were undoubtedly times when you believed you wouldn’t survive under the strap, and yet you not only did, you thrived with every welt painted across your bottom.” Ignoring her gasp and the shaking of her head, he grinned and squeezed her fingers again. “You did, little one, and you will also thrive as you discover passions you have no idea exist. However, you are going to have to trust that I, like your father, have only your best interests at heart. I promise that I will do everything within my power to find your ultimate teacher. You are young and innocent and have so much to learn. Your lessons will continue at the feet of your husband, whoever that will be.” He paused as if giving her a chance to consider what he was saying. Standing, his hands still holding hers, he pulled her to her feet.
“I want you to think about what we’ve discussed. I know you have many questions and most likely will discover many more. Now, it is getting late and it is time for you to find your bed.” He led her to the stairs and bent to kiss her cheek. “Good night, Lucille.”
He waited as if he expected her to ask another question. Instead, she found herself trembling at the answers he’d already given her. She’d thought she had come to know this man, but discovered she had no true knowledge of his identity. Oh, she knew that he truly not only loved her sister but considered her a great treasure, but she also knew she couldn’t comprehend how that love could also involve corporal, embarrassing punishment of the woman he obviously adored. And until she spoke at length and in privacy with Louisa, she’d never come near to understanding how her own twin, an exact duplicate of herself, could not only accept her new lifestyle but seem to find happiness in it.
Edward’s quiet passion in giving her his answers caused her heart to speed up and her blood to race. She found herself wondering if what he said could be true. Was she really as he described? Could she ever find fulfillment with a man she allowed Edward to choose? Could she even consider life with a man who would expect so much from her including things she had never before thought about? Could she find any semblance of happiness in a lifestyle that in any way mimicked the one she was presently living? Her head was aching with all sorts of thoughts and emotions. She felt she could not think of another thing and let out a small sigh.
“Thank you, sir. Good night,” she said softly. She knew that she’d have a thousand more questions to ask, but for now, she needed to think about all that he’d said. As she climbed the stairs, she realized she had been a pupil in her guardian’s ‘class’ since her arrival at Wintercrest Manor though she hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself.
Chapter 1
Charles Lloyds sat back in his leather chair and placed the letter he had been reading onto the surface of his desk. His heart raced as he ran his eyes over every word written across the heavy, cream-colored paper. He shook his head as if unable to comprehend what was being offered. Sitting forward once again, he lifted the letter and reread it for the fourth time.
It seemed he was being considered for the position of headmaster at the school where he had taught mathematics for the past several years. The previous headmaster, Mr. Thorne, had been stripped of his position at the behest of Lord Edward Wintercrest. While Charles agreed wholeheartedly with the school board’s decision to remove the man, he had never once considered that he would be given this opportunity. He finally laid the letter down and stood. His long legs took him across the floor of his very small study. He felt as if he were an animal in a cage and changed direction, quickly striding down the steps of his front stoop, walking with purpose toward the city park.
Headmaster Lloyds? He grinned, discovering that he quite liked the sound of the title. His mind ran through everything that the position meant for him. Not only would his salary more than double, he understood that a larger, more prominent home was also part of the compensation package. He would attain a position that allowed him entry into an upper class of society. Important people who expected and demanded the best would enroll their daughters into his school, placing their precious offspring under his ultimate authority. He would have a position he had never even considered before—a position that required characteristics he was unsure he even possessed. Thinking of what could be in his future made his mind go immediately to whom he wished to share that future with him. Miss Lucille Furniss, his former student, had captured his attention. He had spent a weekend not long ago, tutoring the young woman in an effort to teach her enough to pass her final mathematics exam. Though the girl had indeed passed with a perfect score, he knew she had paid a very high price for her diploma. Charles clasped his hands behind him as he began to walk along one of the many paths that wound through the large park. During his assignment at the highly respected Wintercrest Manor he had discovered a world, the existence of which he had only heard the vaguest rumors. It seemed that among the elitists of society, men no longer worried what most thought of them. They had the means and desire to live their lives exactly as they saw fit. Charles knew they did nothing to break any laws, but also knew they skirted along the edges of what most civilized people would consider acceptable.
Thinking of Wintercrest and the man who ruled his home so completely, he also remembered his first personal introduction to the lifestyle of absolute discipline. The memory of the young woman he was tutoring being paddled within his hearing after failing her first practice exam would remain with him forever. He also remembered how her guardian had required she lift her own skirts and bare her bottom for a strapping when she failed another quiz. He felt his heart hammer against his chest, remembering how lovely she had looked to him, her heart-shaped bottom lifting when commanded, her skin first paling as the leather licked along her flesh and then blooming a bright red with each upstroke of the strap in Lord Wintercrest’s hand. Charles had felt both astonished and embarrassed at his reaction to Lucille’s chastisement. His thoughts caused his stride to falter and he sank onto a bench along the side of the path.
He realized that if he were chosen for the position, he would be responsible for the education of many young women of society. One of the job’s requirement was that he be able to administer corporal discipline. Not merely spanking or paddling. The position represented the ultimate in discipline and meant that he would apply the cane upon any student’s bottom who had the misfortune of being sent to his office for correction. Though he had to admit he had enjoyed watching Miss Furniss receive quite a strapping, he wondered if he were truly capable of wielding such an implement against a pale, bare bottom. The pride of being considered for the position was quickly turning into anguish. He had never had a woman across his lap for even a hand spanking. He was completely ill equipped to discipline some young woman whose parents had seen fit to place her into his care.
Sighing, he stood and turned toward home. Being an honorable man he would, of course, respond honestly to the proposal the letter had included. As just one educator of many in the city, he realized he had a course available to him. His lips curled up into a small smile as his steps quickened. The only recourse that made any sense was to practice what he’d been preaching to his pupils for years: accept your deficiencies and work to correct them. The sooner he could set his plans in motion, the faster he could being his own lessons.
Having a definite plan sealed his resolve. Once back at his desk, he pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and, dipping his pen into the inkwell, began composing his response to the invitation. After blotting the ink of the bold script that filled the page, Charles slipped the folded letter into an envelope. Sealing it, he hoped that his honesty about his inexperience would not seal his fate. He could only post his reply on the morrow and pray for the best.
Later that evening, Charles slid into bed after extinguishing the lamp, his thoughts churning with dreams of a possible future. Though he was desperate to prove his worth to Lucille, he knew enough about the world to realize he must first prove his worth to her guardian. If he could not convince Lord Wintercrest of his ability to care for Lucille, it would not matter one whit what his desires were. Sighing deeply, he dismissed those thoughts as he slid into sleep, dreaming of the woman who had captured his heart and his mind.
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