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Lucas met Edward’s eyes and nodded. “I don’t understand how she could think she would stay at Wintercrest,” he said, his voice showing his disbelief. “She is married now. She is my wife, and her home is at Hunter’s Ridge with her husband,” he said, his voice growing firmer with each word as shock at his wife’s reaction faded and reality took its place.
“Then I suggest you find your little one and remind her that her behavior is unacceptable and that her papa makes the decisions,” Edward suggested. Lucas nodded and looked toward the door. He had no idea where to look, and Wintercrest had several places where a small girl could hide. He began to step to the door when a small, soft voice halted him.
“Please, sir, I don’t think she meant it. She’s just scared,” Louisa said, looking between the two men. “She’s probably in the garden, Uncle Lucas. I’ll show you,” she offered.
Edward nodded, taking her hand. Lucas understood where she was likely to lead but allowed her to guide him. They were soon in the gardens, the paths dropping with each terrace as they meandered deeper onto the property until he saw the huge weeping willow tree off the path. Louisa stopped and pointed.
Lucas nodded and then bent to speak quietly with the young woman. “Would you like to go speak with her first?” he asked. Louisa nodded gratefully, and when Edward released her hand, she stepped off the path and walked to the tree. She could hear soft crying inside the hidden room. Louisa took a deep breath, looked back at the two men and then carefully parted the curtain of branches and slipped inside.
* * *
Louisa sawher sister lying on her stomach on the thick groundcover where they had made their flower chains. She knelt without a word, her hand going to stroke her twin’s back. Lucy seemed unaware of her presence for several moments. When she opened her eyes and saw her twin, she sat up, and the girls were soon clinging to each other.
“Shhh, Lucy,” Louisa said, her arms tight around her sobbing sister. “Shhh, it will be all right.”
Lucy shook her head, her tears again falling rapidly as she moaned. “No, it won’t,” she gasped. “I can’t leave you.”
“Yes, you can,” Louisa said softly, giving her sister a long look. “The good thing is that I don’t believe you are saying you can’t fulfill the vows you made to Lucas or the roles those promises encompass. I think you were just scared of the thought of leaving the comfort of the place that became your home after Mum and Father died. We will always be here for you, Lucy. That will never change regardless of where you live.
“Lucy, Lucas is your husband and your place is with him at his own home.” When Lucy tried to pull away, Louisa simply tightened her hold. “You know that what I say is true. I left you and our home when I wed Edward. My place is with him at Wintercrest. Your place is with Lucas at Hunter’s Ridge.”
Lucy’s tears gradually stopped as she accepted the truth of her sister’s words. She remembered that while she had felt saddened when her sister moved away, she had known it was the proper step into her future. She suddenly felt exactly like what Lucas had called her, a silly little girl. Remembering how she had screamed, how she had torn her pinafore off and actually thrown it at him, she began to tremble. “He is going to be so angry,” she said, her eyes meeting her sister’s.
She shuddered as she saw Louisa nod. “I think he would have understood if you’d just told him your feelings, but you… well, you threw another tantrum, Lucy. It was a very naughty thing to do,” Louisa said, not offering her sister false hope. “All you can do is apologize and accept his decision as to the consequences.”
Lucy swallowed hard, her hands swiping at her cheeks to remove her tears. “But-but what if he decides to… spank me?” she whispered.
Louisa reached out and hugged her again. “Then you will be the best little girl you can and accept his discipline,” she said. “It will always be so, Lucy. You’ve learned that while at Wintercrest, and I fear it won’t change, even with your move to Hunter’s Ridge.”
Lucy blushed as she remembered her husband had already spanked her twice. She shuddered as she thought about how he would remind her of her place. “No, I suppose it won’t,” she admitted with a nod.
Louisa offered her a small smile. “He’s waiting outside,” she said, her eyes moving to where the branches hid them. Lucy followed her gaze and nodded. Louisa stood and offered her hand to her twin. “It would be better if you go to him. Don’t make him come for you.” Lucy nodded again, and Louisa gave her another hug and kissed her cheek before stepping to the branches.
“I-I just need a… a moment,” Lucy whispered.
“Just remember you love him and he loves you,” Louisa reminded, before stepping through the concealing limbs.
Lucy could see Edward and Lucas standing a few feet away through the parted limbs. She couldn’t see exactly what Lucas was doing, but saw Edward take Louisa’s hand and lead her back toward the house after Louisa said something to Lucas too softly for Lucy to hear. After watching the couple walk away, Lucy focused on what her husband was doing as he’d made no movement toward the tree. Her breath caught in her throat when suddenly his actions became clear.
Her husband was paring leaves from a long willow branch he had evidently cut from the tree while she and her twin had been talking. Her heart began to pound as she saw another tucked beneath his arm and watched him fold his knife and slip it into his pocket. Running her eyes up the length of the switches, she shuddered, knowing exactly where they would be applied. Memories of a thick bundle of such branches ran through her head. The birching Edward had given her had been horrid and yet she’d forgotten about it until this moment. Taking a deep breath and remembering that she loved Lucas very much and that she trusted him with her life, she slowly parted the branches further and stepped forward, not pausing until she stood before him.
“I’m sorry, Papa,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I yelled at you and threw my apron.” The words reminded her of how silly she must have looked, screaming and tearing at her clothing, throwing yet another tantrum in front of the man she loved.
Lucas looked down at her and she saw the disappointment in his eyes. “I'm sorry as well,” he said. For a brief moment, Lucy found herself hoping he would toss aside the switches and take her in his arms, assuring her that she was forgiven. Instead, he reached down and took her hand and led her back to the path and to a small bench. He turned her to face it. She felt his fingers on the buttons down the back of her dress. She barely breathed as each was undone, until her dress was open. He turned her back to face him and then lifted its hem.
“Arms up,” he said, and when she obeyed, he drew the dress over her head. She blushed as he laid it aside, her breasts now covered only by a thin chemise. She felt him untie and then lower her petticoats. “Step out,” he ordered and they were soon on the bench as well. Standing outside, dressed only in her thin chemise, drawers, stockings and shoes, she felt horribly exposed.
“Please, Papa,” Lucy begged, looking around her. “Please, not here… not out-outside.”
“Bare your bottom,” he said, ignoring her pleas.
Lucy began to cry even as her fingers fumbled at the tie to her drawers. She felt them slip down and forced herself to release them to puddle at her feet. Lucas bent and helped her step from them where they joined the rest of her clothing. Her tears flowed faster as he made a point of raking his eyes up and down her almost nude form.
“Tell me, Lucille,” he ordered as his eyes captured hers, “why are you standing basically naked outside, where anyone might come along to see you?” Her face flooded with color as she again looked around as if expecting to see people gawking at her body. Lucas reached around to give her a quick swat, which quickly returned her attention to him. “Answer me.”
“Be… because you are going to spank me,” she said, trembling under his unwavering gaze. She saw him shake his head as if her answer were incorrect.
“No, Lucille,” he said. “You are not going to be spanked, young lady, you are going to be quite thoroughly switched.” She gasped, her eyes dropping to the switches he held in his hand. He cupped her chin, raising her face back to his. “All I’d need do is lift your skirts and petticoats, and lower your drawers to have access to your bottom. Tell me why I had to remove most of your clothing to prepare you for the switching you have coming.”
