Lucy Surrenders (19 page)

"Several trunks were delivered yesterday when you were indisposed," Edward informed Lucas. "I've had them placed in the parlor. I gather you wish to make sure everything you have purchased is in order before sending them on to the station?" Lucy looked up at her husband, her eyes showing her confusion.

"Trunks?" she asked, and Lucas looked down at her.

"Yes, Kitten," he said, though knew he should probably remind her not to interrupt when adults were speaking. "I've purchased many items for you that you will need when we leave." For the first time, Lucy realized she would indeed being leaving Wintercrest.

"Leave?" she said as if the word was foreign.

"Yes, we shall leave for home in the morning," Lucas said. Lucy's heart began to race as her eyes darted to her sister. Louisa gave her a soft smile, but Lucy did not return it.

"But ... but, I don't wish to leave," she said, and saw Louisa's smile slip. Lucy looked at Edward and saw him frown. She sat up on Lucas' lap, her eyes returning to his. "I won't leave. This is my home ... Louisa is here!" Lucas would allow her questions but had no intention of allowing her to be disrespectful.

"Lucy, be still," he said. "You are being a silly little girl..." he said and then was utterly shocked when his sweet, submissive little one jumped from his lap, her hands ripping the white pinafore from her waist and throwing it onto her husband's lap.

"I am NOT a silly little girl," she screamed and then burst into tears, racing from the room before any of the three could react. Lucas looked stunned; Louisa briefly shut her eyes, knowing what was coming, and Edward stiffened. Lucas finally stood, the pinafore slipping to the floor. Edward set Louisa onto her feet.

"I see that your little hellcat is already testing your authority," Edward said, not truly surprised. Louisa stood quietly, her own hands twisting in the fabric of her pinafore.

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; she is my wife, and her home is at Hunter's Ridge with her husband," he said, his voice growing firmer with each word.

"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 towards 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.

"She's probably in the garden," Louisa said, hating that she was tattling on her own twin, but knowing the longer they looked for her, the harsher her punishment was likely to be. She also hoped to be allowed to talk to her sister before any punishment was exacted on her bottom.

"I'll ... 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 meandering 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. 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.

She saw her sister lying on her stomach on the thick bed of clover where they had made their flower chains. She knelt without a word, her hand going to stroke her sister'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.

"Shhhh, 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. "
Nooo..." She gasped, "I can't leave you." Louisa smiled softly, hearing not that her sister couldn't fulfill the roles she had vowed she would, but was fighting the thought of leaving the known comfort of her sister and the home where she had found shelter upon the deaths of their parents.

"Yes, you can," Louisa said softly. "Lucy, Lucas is your husband and your place is with him at his own home." She felt her sister pull away but kept her arms around her. "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. "It was a very naughty thing to do, Lucy," 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 ... 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.

Louisa saw her nod and 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. "You love him and he loves you," she reminded, before stepping through the concealing limbs. Edward and Lucas were standing a few feet away. Louisa shivered as she saw what Lucas was doing but nodded and went to her husband. Edward took her hand and led her back towards the house.

Lucas continued paring leaves from the two long willow branches he had cut from the tree while the girls talked. Edward had remained silent as he watched his friend prepare the implements. Lucas had just folded his knife and slipped it into his pocket when the branches parted, and his wife slowly stepped forward. She hesitated at the sight of the switches, understanding exactly where they would be applied. She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue forward until she was but a few steps from her husband.

"I'm sorry, Papa," she said softly. "I ... I'm sorry I yelled at you and ... and threw my ... 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 knew she was indeed sorry. "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 to a small bench next to the path. 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 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 ... 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 her bottom 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 gave her a quick swat, which quickly returned her attention to him. "Answer me."

"Be ... because you are going to spa ... spank me," she said, trembling under his unwavering gaze. She saw him shake his head as if her answer wasn't correct.

"No, Lucille," he said and saw her confusion. "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.

"Lucy's confusion vanished as she thought of how he had prepared her in the study the first time he had taken a paddle to her bottom. "I.... I tore my pinafore," she admitted. "You ... you can't tuck my ... my clothing up because ... because I ripped it off and ... and threw it at you."

"That's correct," he said and then released her chin and stepped back. "Bend over and put your hands on the bench," he said, and though her heart was galloping in her chest, Lucy obediently did as she was told. She shut her eyes, praying that no one would come along and witness her humiliation. As she heard his next words, she no longer worried about her shame; she worried if she would survive it.

"Spread your legs wide; put your elbows down and lift your bottom," Lucas ordered, stepping to her side. Lucy sobbed as she did as she was told, her legs spreading, her bottom lifting as if asking to be thrashed. She felt him tap the switch against her bottom. "Tell me, Lucille, why you are almost totally naked in your guardian's garden, your legs open, your bottom lifted," Lucas said softly as he continued to gently tap her pale, unmarked bottom.

"I ... I was naugh ... naughty. I ... I threw a tan ... tantrum. I ... screamed and threw my pinafore at you. I ... I'm so
sorry.... Please ... please don't ... don't swi ... switch me ... hard," she begged, her words broken by her tears and her earnest plea for mercy.

Lucas was pleased with her confession and proud she had not asked for him to not punish her at all. He understood her request for him to only lightly apply the
switch, as he knew exactly what fire it could produce. He also knew that her request would be ignored. "The first switch is for that naughtiness," he informed her and pressed the end of a switch to her lips. She dutifully kissed it and saw him lay the second switch down on the bench, directly under her face so that she could not miss it. "The second will thrash your legs for running from me. You are never, ever to run from me, Lucille. If you do, you'll find your legs whipped each and every time." Lucy sobbed, her eyes glued to the switch beneath her. She then screamed as he began.

Line after line of white fire landed on her proffered bottom, each stroke leaving its mark upon her pale skin. Lucas whipped the switch expertly, landing it exactly where he aimed, each stroke only a hairsbreadth beneath the previous. Lucy was soon dancing in place, her legs kicking, her bottom wagging up and down and twisting from side to side as he switched her hard and fast. She had no idea of how many strokes she had taken or how many he would place upon her bottom. "Please!" she screamed, her wails causing birds to take flight as the shrill cries rent the air. "No ... no more ... please, Papa ... it ... it burns!" Lucas knew it did, the evidence appearing in perfect marks down the crest of her bottom. He covered the entire surface of her buttocks before pausing.

"Lift your bottom, Lucy," he ordered tapping the switch against the curve of her cheeks. "I want your sit spot offered to me properly. Keep your head and shoulders down, bottom well up to prove your submission to your punishment." Lucy was beyond caring who either heard or saw her punishment. She felt his tap again. "Lucy, do as you are told or I shall repeat the switching of your bottom before I switch your sit spot." Sobbing, Lucy dropped her shoulders to the bench, her cheek now lying on the switch that was yet to be used. She pushed her bottom up, sticking it out as far as she could, her legs spread wide.

"Good girl," Lucas said before laying the switch into her tender spot. She wailed as he gave her a half dozen strokes with the switch, each welt overlaying the previous until her sit spot was a mass of welts that he knew she would feel for many days. When he finished, he stepped to her and helped her to rise. Lucy was sobbing, her tears streaming down her cheeks as her hands reached back to rub frantically at her aching bottom. She saw the switch being lifted to her lips and dutifully kissed it.

"Th ... than ... thank you ... Pa ... Papa," she gasped, her bottom burning as it had never before.

Lucas nodded and laid the switch on the pile of her clothing. "Hand me your other," he said. Lucy froze a moment as she realized her punishment was only half-done.

"Oh no ... please ... please, Pa ... Papa. I ... I can't ... can't bear it," she begged, feeling she would surely faint away from the pain he had already placed onto her bottom. Lucas simply shook his head and held out his hand. Lucy burst into fresh tears as she picked up the horrible switch, obediently pressed her lips to the tip and held it out to him.