Blessed Beginnings (Hunter's Ridge Book 4) (12 page)

"Count these, please," Molly instructed, as she tapped the tawse against a rounded globe. "You'll begin at two."

"Yes, ma'am," Ettie said, her buttocks clenching in anticipation.

Thwack

"Oh… two."

Thwack

"Three."

Thwack

"Ow, four… oh, please," Ettie moaned, her hand lifting.

"No, sweetie," Molly admonished gently. "Hands on the floor and unclench your bottom. Accept the punishment that you've already admitted you need to feel forgiven."

Thwack

"Five."

After another five, Ettie's count was given through tears, her bottom beginning to wag from side to side.

"I'm sorry!" Ettie wailed as she gulped in air, her fingers digging into the rug and her toes scrabbling to find a grip as she'd already been chastised for kicking up her feet.
Thwack
"Eleven, oh please, Miss… please. It hurts so!"

"I know it stings, Henrietta, but allow the pain to remind you that acting without thinking is a certain path to trouble."
Thwack

"Twelve!"

The tawsing continued, every stroke landing with the distinct sound of stiff leather striking bare flesh, followed by a cry and, after a few deep breaths, a number being offered. At eighteen, Molly had to use all of her strength to keep the small body tucked in tight against her waist. She knew it was her responsibility to deliver the discipline, and yet also knew that this girl had no idea that the strokes she was receiving were light compared to those she'd witnessed being delivered to the twins' backsides. Still, this was Ettie's first experience under the Scottish implement that many a young lad or lass referred to as belonging to the Devil as they learned it was able to light a raging fire in a naughty bottom.

"Last one, Ettie," Molly informed her, giving her a moment to recover from the nineteenth one that had been placed along the crease where buttocks met thighs. Rubbing the tawse along the same spot caused Ettie to whimper and attempt to arch back. "No, relax and let's finish this."

"No, wait…"

Thwack

The loudest wail of all filled the room as Molly ignored the plea and gave the last stroke in the same place as the previous. This sensitive spot, now reddened, would ensure that Ettie felt the physical reminder of her punishment for a couple of days. Molly hoped it would serve to remind her that she was but one member of a family, and her behavior could have unpleasant consequences for others. Setting the tawse on the table, Molly pulled Ettie up, intending on allowing her to stand. Instead, the girl wrapped her arms around her neck and curled up in her lap. Holding her and gently rocking back and forth, the nanny gave Ettie all the time she needed to calm from her discipline. Only when the cries had stopped and her face wiped and nose blown, did Molly lean down and kiss her forehead.

"You did very well. I'm proud of you and know that your brother will be, as well."

Ettie nodded and after allowing herself to be put onto her feet, she quickly gave her backside a rub, knowing it wasn't really permitted and yet totally incapable of resisting the urge to give her poor, hot nates a teensy bit of comfort. If Molly observed the illicit rub, she ignored it.

"You need to stand in the corner for a bit in order to allow the full punishment to make its mark in your heart. I'm going to go get your clothing for the day and then we shall join the others for breakfast."

"Yes, Nanny Molly. Um, may I please use the necessary first?"

"Yes, and then place yourself in the corner as you did earlier. I was very proud of you this morning, Ettie."

"Thank you, I'm so sorry you had to punish me."

Molly gave her a hug. "I am as well, but I have no doubt that you will not be as quick to disobey me again."

"Oh, yes, of that you can be positive," Ettie said with her first giggle of the day. Molly shook her head, a small smile on her lips as well.

"Go potty and then go to the corner." Molly waited until Ettie moved into the water closet before leaving the room, showing that she truly did trust Henrietta to finish her punishment.

Ettie was startled when they left the nursery to find Lucas waiting in the hall. It seemed that not only had she forgotten about the sudsing she'd earned for cursing, she'd also forgotten about the additional strokes she had earned. Though she'd wanted to prove her contrition by presenting herself in the corner early that morning, she wasn't eager to have five additional bands of fire added to the furnace that was her bottom. Sighing, she turned and walked back into the room without a word, Lucas following, and Molly giving them both a sympathetic glance before she went downstairs.

"I believe that finishing this will be far better than allowing it to hang over the both of us," Lucas said as he pulled the chair from its place.

"I-I guess…" Ettie agreed reluctantly. "Are-are you going to use a tawse?"

Lucas shook his head and pulled her to his side. "Ettie, it is difficult for me to discipline you or your sisters, but it is my responsibility. I'd much rather be building snowmen, decorating trees or simply playing games but, little one, it wouldn't do you any good to allow you to believe that being naughty and then being recalcitrant in admitting to that naughtiness has no consequences."

"I know," Ettie said, sighing deeply as she allowed him to pull her across his lap. He lifted her skirt and petticoats and then tugged down her drawers until her bottom was bare. Five rapid fire strokes were delivered to the very center of her cheeks, and though they were given with nothing but his hand, she cried out with each solid clap of his hard palm against flesh that was already quite tender. Lifting her up, he allowed her to restore her clothing and then pulled her to sit on his knee.

"Ettie, I love you so much and I realize that you might have questions about your future. Honey, you need to think about what it is you want and what sort of life you wish to lead. You have such a generous heart and a loving soul, and so much to give to others. Any man you choose will be receiving a wonderful gift." He bent forward and kissed her forehead. "You have grown up in a household that offered a different view of marriage than the example set for most young ladies in society, and we all know how much Maman and Father adored each other. However, the choice of a different lifestyle is not one to be made easily."

"I-I don't know what I want, Lucas," Ettie confessed. "I see how happy you and Lucy are and remember our parents. But I'm not sure if that is the path I want."

"All I can tell you is that you need to listen to your heart, sweetie. I promise, if you do, you'll discover the answer." After another kiss, he grinned and patted the back of her skirts. "I will tell you this, though. Regardless of the path you choose, is also a husband's duty to discipline his wife. And, sweetie, it would do you well to remember that husbands who are also papas, discipline far more often and far more thoroughly. I think you need to be doing quite a bit of thinking."

"Yes, sir," Ettie said softly. She'd done quite a bit of contemplating her future over the past few hours, but with her bottom throbbing and her family all aware of how horridly she had behaved, she knew it was time to give all things serious consideration.

Lucas lifted her from his lap and gave her forehead another kiss. "I adore you, Ettie, and just want you to be happy. Please, give yourself all the time you need. Deciding on a future is far more important than deciding on which candy to sneak."

"I think I'm going to stay away from sweets for a while," she said with a giggle. "But I would like something to eat to cover the taste of soap in my mouth. Nanny Molly is quite thorough in both spanking and mouth washing!" Her brother chuckled as he led her into into the dining room.

Ettie promptly moved to where Franny was seated. "I'm very sorry for everything, Franny. I promise I will try very hard to think before I act in future," she said.

Franny nodded and gave her a smile. "Thank you. I heard you were ill last night. Are you okay?"

Any remaining tension about the previous day's events evaporated as Ettie nodded and then rubbed her bottom, rolled her eyes, and giggled. "My tummy is fine but I'll have to let you know about my backside. I'm just glad that we aren't Scottish." Lucy and Louisa couldn't hold back their own giggles, both nodding in total understanding of the statement. Ettie carefully took her seat with only a slight wince and proved her tummy had fully recovered as she filled her plate with her favorite breakfast fare.

After finishing their meal, the girls went into the library to find Molly instructing them to sit at the table as they had letters of apology to write.

"Miss Molly, I would like to work on my sketch of Cleo," Franny said, gathering her drawing pad and some pencils.

"That's fine, dear," Molly said as she rummaged in the desk drawers, turning to place the stationery before the other three girls. Franny left the room, and Molly pulled her knitting basket close, keeping a watchful eye on the repentant miscreants as she worked on finishing a scarf she was making for Joseph.

After searching downstairs for the cat, Franny went upstairs. Not finding Cleo in Molly's room, she entered the nursery and smiled. The white ball of fluff was curled up on the windowsill with her tail wrapped around her body. Taking a seat at the desk, Franny was quickly lost in her own world as she sketched. Her pencil had soon transferred the image to paper as her mind thought back to the previous day. Despite her assurance to her sister that she didn't believe Mr. Benedict had been truly angry, she felt her pulse race just a bit. After being courted by only one man, who had been so demanding to the point of causing her to feeling actually afraid, she'd thought perhaps she'd never wed. Living a life in quiet was far more preferable to one where she felt as if she were on pins and needles. Meeting Samuel at the dinner party had revealed that perhaps she'd been a bit hasty in deciding she'd remain a spinster. A soft smile played on her lips as she remembered the touch of his fingers against hers and hoped that Mr. Benedict wasn't already thinking of a way to inform her that he had no wish to court a girl who was related to such naughty creatures.

Turning a page in her pad, she began another sketch from memory. She gave a startled cry when Cleo, having awakened from her nap, leapt onto the table, scattering pencils and knocking a book to the floor.

"Goodness, you scared me," Franny said, reaching out to pet the cat, smiling when the animal purred and rubbed her cheek against her hand before jumping to the floor again. Franny picked up the book which had opened in its fall. Checking the spine for possible damage, she was relieved to see that the book appeared to be undamaged. Closing it, she realized a few pages had wrinkled corners and opened it again to attempt to straighten them. Despite herself, her eyes skimmed a few lines of neatly written text and she felt her cheeks heat. Closing the book, she read the title and understood that the volume was not truly a book but was instead some sort of journal. Looking around the room, she opened it again and skimmed another page. Blushing hotly, she slammed it shut. Glancing around again, she truly took in the nursery. While she'd actually seen it before Lucy ever took up residence, she'd not given it much thought. Seeing it now, and reading evidence that more than sleeping occurred in this pretty room, she felt her hands shake as she set the book back onto the desk. Standing, she wandered about the room, her fingers drifting across furniture. Another startled cry was given when the door opened and she turned to find Molly standing in the doorway, her own cheeks a bit pink. The two women looked at each other, both obviously unsure what to say. Franny walked back to the desk and picked up her pad.

"Um, thank you, Molly," she said, flipping the page back and holding out the pad. "Cleo was the perfect model."

Molly looked at the drawing and nodded. "You are very talented, Franny. This looks just like her. I, um, admit I didn't really consider that you'd have to come up here to draw her."

"I didn't mind," Franny assured her. "I haven't seen the room since I finished painting the furniture. Does… um, does Lucy like the flowers?" She watched Molly relax with the understanding that this was not the first time she'd been in the room of her sister-in-law.

"Yes," Molly said, looking at the artwork. "I'm not sure if she realizes you were the artist but I'm sure if she knew, she'd be even more appreciative of the work." Offering Franny the pad, she continued. "The girls have finished their correspondence and are waiting to deliver the missives to you."

"Oh, they didn't need—"

"Yes, I believe they did," Molly countered. "Are you done here?"

Nodding, Franny quickly gathered her pencils and followed the nanny from the room.

The family had just finished lunch when the butler appeared with a silver tray. Lucas took the envelopes and then accepted a card. "It appears you have a visitor, Franny," he said, giving her a smile.

"Really? Who?"

"Mr. Benedict," Lucas answered, and instructed the butler to escort the man to the front parlor. "As Molly will be busy putting the twins down for their naps, I will chaperone your visit."

"I can do that," Bea said. "I slept in this morning and I'm sure you have other things to attend to."

"May we give Mr. Benedict our letters?" Ettie asked. When permission was given, there was a rather large crowd who entered the parlor. Franny stood back a bit until Ettie and the twins had presented their letters and another verbal apology for their behavior.

"Girls, I appreciate your apology and want you to know that all is forgiven," Samuel assured them yet again.

"Does this mean we can come see Sadie and the puppies again?" Ettie asked, causing the man to chuckle.

"You are welcome anytime," he said. "I need to apologize for the timing of my visit. I realize that little ones take naps in the afternoon and yet this is the only time I had today to come."

Franny flushed, wondering if he knew that she, a woman of almost twenty, was still required to rest every afternoon, and prayed that her little sister wouldn't find it necessary to inform him of that fact.