Page 2 of Papa's Desires
Whack.
Cynny had been so absorbed by her daydreams of life as Lady Kensington, she had forgotten about Miss Wickersham and the fact that she was awaiting the rest of her discipline for picking the lock on the sugar cabinet. When Miss Wickersham struck one side of the chair with a wooden ruler, she got Cynny’sattention.
She startled and nearly lost the book which balanced on top of her head, but from experience she was able to quickly right herself without dropping the tome. A quiver raced across her bottom. She didn’t want a spanking with the awful ruler, but she had a feeling Miss Wickersham wasn’t about to let her off with a warning, especially considering that improving her behavior was of utmost importance at the moment. The very fate of Talcott House might rest on hershoulders.
She had already been filled with regret over stealing from Cook, but now she regretted her mischievousness even more. It had seemed like harmless fun at the time, but now her heart felt heavy with grief. Remorse rolled through her in sharp waves and she squirmed in her seat, dreading the chastisement to come, even though she probably deserved every whack the headmistress planned to giveher.
“Please tell me, Hyacinth, why are you sitting upon the naughtychair?”
“Because I broke into the sugarcabinet.”
Miss Wickersham paced behind her tapping the ruler on her palm as she moved back and forth. The footsteps and the tapping, both where Hyacinth could not see them, had her nerves on edge. She had never known Miss Wickersham to be cruel—firm and determined, yes, but cruel,never.
Still, with the eavesdropped conversation ringing in her ears, Cynny could not help but wonder if the anxiety caused by diminished funds, not to mention the fact that she believed Cynny might endanger the future of Talcott House by stealing once she became Lady Kensington, might cause Miss Wickersham to mete out a more taxing punishment thanusual.
Slow tears trickled down hercheeks.
“You can stop the show, Hyacinth,” Miss Wickersham said as she rounded the naughty chair. “We both know that you have an uncanny ability to pour on the tears whenever youwish.”
Miss Wickersham’s skepticism hurt even more. “No, Miss Wickersham. I am truly repentant. Please forgiveme.”
“Well, if you aren’t sorry yet, my dear, you’ll be plenty sorry once I’m finished reddening your little bottom with thisruler.”
Cynny’s stomach sank to the floor. “Yes, MissWickersham.”
“All right, then.” The older woman resumed tapping the ruler against her palm, and each ominous rapping sound sent a jolt of nervousness through Cynny. “As it’s your twenty-second birthday, young lady, I think twenty-two whacks of the ruler against your bare bottom would be a most fitting punishment, don’t youagree?”
Cynny gulped hard and felt her eyes go wide. Miss Wickersham had never given her more than a dozen strokes of the ruler before. Her behind cheeks clenched and she sucked in a rapid breath as she gazed at the large ruler. Normally, she might argue with her caretaker over the exact nature of her chastisement, particularly during the times she was falsely accused of some naughtiness, which happened from time to time, but right now she couldn’t bring herself to beg for any sort ofleniency.
Guilt surged through her. She had indeed been the one to pick the lock on the sugar cabinet, and in doing so she’d broken Miss Wickersham’s trust and caused her guardian a high amount of stress. She wasn’t even sure why she’d done it now. She’d been giddy as she shared the swiped sugar with several of the girls, which they had all promptly used to liven up their morning oatmeal. But now the warmth she’d felt over her brief popularity among the other girls no longer seemed worth it. If Cammie were still here, would Cynny have given into temptation and picked thelock?
Perhaps Miss Wickersham’s observation about why she’d misbehavednow, after a long period of mostly good behavior, was indeed correct. Cynny had been feeling awfully lonely of late, and after she’d stolen the sugar she’d been the center of attention among all the girls, which had quelled some of her loneliness. Of course, even if she tried to explain herself to Miss Wickersham, her poor bottom wouldn’t be spared the sting of theruler.
“Stand up, Cynny. Let’s get this over with. I will make a proper little lady of you yet. When I finally turn you over to Lord Kensington, you will be polished, poised, and well-behaved, even if I must wear this ruler out on your bottom in the process.” Miss Wickersham removed the book from Cynny’s head and set itaside.
With her spirits sinking and nerves flitting in her tummy, Cynny rose up off the naughty chair and faced the headmistress, keeping her head bowed and her eyes lowered. She sniffled and blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the fresh surge of tears that burned in hereyes.
Odd, she had never felt the need to suppress her tears before. Of course, this might be one of the first times she was crying because she was truly repentant over her actions. This thought startled her and made the burning in her eyes all the worse. Did this mean she was a badperson?
Her heart lurched as a wave of desolation overcame her. She didn’t want to be a bad girl. She wanted to be a good girl. More than anything. Glancing up at Miss Wickersham, she vowed to be as obedient as possible during her punishment. She wanted to be back in her guardian’s good graces now more than anything, and she hoped her cooperation would help ease Miss Wickersham’s worry about Talcott House’sfuture.
“Disobedient little girls get spanked on their bare bottoms, don’t they,Cynny?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Cynny could count the number of times she’d been punished on the bare on one hand, but she supposed this matter was more serious than any other time she’dmisbehaved.
“Gather your skirts up around your waist and then bend over the naughtyseat.”
