Page 39 of Papa's Desires
Chapter 15
Athief. His beautiful wife was a thief. The irony of it was, she had told him that on their first meeting in the garden at Talcott House. She had been a pickpocket and thief, part of a vicious gang called The Weasels, she hadsaid.
And he hadlaughed.
No one was laughingnow.
Hyacinth had confessed all. Liza had been restored to her status as a respectable downstairs maid, given her reward for finding the watch and an additional morning off for hertroubles.
If only the issue of his wife’s numerous transgressions could be resolved with so little trouble tohimself.
With a sigh he surveyed the situation in his bedchamber. His sticky fingered wife lay upon the bed, naked. The plaits he had made in her hair that morning—which now seemed like an eternity ago— had nearly all come asunder and hung in hanks around her shoulders. Her sobs of remorse had ended, though she still reeked of despair and self-loathing. He did not enjoy it, but could not deny it wasappropriate.
He had allowed her to wear herself out with crying. For one, he needed the respite in order to determine an appropriate punishment. For another, he needed to get his emotions under control. The girl had a good, hard strapping coming and he dared not allow his anger and disappointment to get the better ofhim.
Resolved, he finished his drink and set the empty glass next to the decanter and commenced rolling up his sleeves. Moving to the bed, he gathered several pillows, making a mound in the center of the mattress. He picked up his little wife, and arranged her atop the pillows, her bottom high and in position for punishment. She gazed up at him, her large blue eyes filled with anxiety that pinched his heart. His hand caressed her cheek and she moved her mouth to press a kiss to his palm. “Please forgive me, Papa,” shewhispered.
What shocked him most was that he had already forgiven her. He realized that he could and would forgive her of anything, including the long list of infractions she had tallied up that day. No, he would not allow her to run roughshod over his rules or expectations, but feeling anything other than love and utter delight in her wasimpossible.
The bigger obstacle was for her to forgive herself. By the time he finished with her, she would know she had paid herpenance.
He gave her cheek one final caress, then retrieved the strap and got into position. He stroked his hand across the flesh of her backside and it quivered beneath hisfingers.
“I am going to use the strap on you, Hyacinth. It is reserved for the most serious punishments and I believe it is fittingtoday.”
“Y-yes, Papa,” she said and he could tell she worked hard to soundbrave.
“I am going to give you ten strokes with the strap. No warm up. It is going to be hard and fast. Do not move or try to avoid it, as it could cause harm and I will be forced to start the count over. Do youunderstand?”
Cynny wrapped her arms more tightly around the pillows and dug her knees into the mattress. “I understand,Papa.”
He raised the strap and landed the first blow to her left cheek. She yelped, but held her position. Immediately a red mark showed bright on herbottom.
Nine more togo.
* * *
Cynny wasafraid of the strap, no doubt about it. But she would endure anything her papa meted out. She deserved it. He had not ordered her from his home as she had expected, and for that she was immensely grateful. Not that he could not punish her and then send heraway.
Where would she go? The only people she knew in the whole wide world were Cammie and the people at Talcott House. She blocked the thoughts of her dismal prospects from her mind. She needed her wits about her in order to withstand the rest of herpunishment.
Her heart thudded against the pillows and she gripped her wrists, tightly holding the pillows in place and giving her something to do with her hands lest she be tempted to block Papa’s efforts to punish her with thestrap.
She closed her eyes as tight as she could and buried her face against the softness of thepillows.
The strap landed on her right cheek with stinging heat and she yelped into the pillows, but held herposition.
“There is no need to stifle yourself, Cynny,” Papa said. “No doubt the entire household is aware of your transgressions andpunishment.”
As if her shame was not sufficiently profound already. How would she be able to look any of the staff in the eye, especiallyLiza?
She gave herself a mental shake. That embarrassment would be a small price if only she could remain Papa’sgirl.
True to his word, Papa laid on the strap fast and hard. Her shoulders ached from holding herself tight in her position, but she followed Papa’s instructions and stayed in place. Each blow a reminder of her unspeakable behavior andshame.
Her bottom burned. Her heartached.
Although Papa had announced her punishment as ten strokes with the strap, he had not indicated that would be the entirety of it. Her arms and legs quivered and she wondered at her ability to endure much more beyond thestrapping.
