Page 5 of Her Lord's Claim

The two men easily carried their small charges up the stairs to the door. It was promptly opened, and they stepped into the house. Mrs. Bremmer stood waiting in the hallway as Edward turned to speak quietly to Lucas.

“I will hold you to your word, Lucas,” he said and then grinned. “Although if she manages to go long without giving you cause to bare and redden her bottom, I shall be surprised.”

Lucas nodded. “Redden her bottom I shall no longer hesitate to do, Edward. That I can also promise you,” Lucas said.

Nodding, Edward motioned Anna to precede them up the stairs. Anna said nothing but smiled as she unabashedly listened to their quiet conversation. They all paused before Lucy’s door.

“I’ll take care of her, sir,” Anna said after opening the door. Lucas gave her a smile and walked into the room, placing the sleeping girl on her bed.

“She’s to be my wife, Anna,” Lucas said proudly.

Anna smiled but it was obvious she wasn’t surprised after hearing the men speak. “Congratulations, Lucas, I always had faith that you’d capture our Lucy’s heart,” she said quietly and reached up to stroke his cheek. “You will make her a fine husband,” she said, and then chuckled. “I warn you though, these little ones might be twins, but you, sir, are taking on a sweet little hellion.”

Lucas smiled and bent to kiss the housekeeper’s cheek. “Edward has already said the same, Miss Anna,” he said sincerely. “And as I told him, I wouldn’t have it any other way. If Edward isn’t careful, I just might persuade you to come to Hunter’s Ridge. I have a feeling our little one might need you.”

Anna chuckled as she walked him to the door. “I’m needed here, sir,” she said and saw Edward smiling at her after shooting Lucas a warning glance. “I have no desire to leave Wintercrest. However, if you truly decide you need more help than you currently have, I’m sure we can work together to find a proper nanny. Now, scoot. I need to put your little one to bed and find my own. It is very late, and church comes early.”

* * *

Anna shutthe door behind Lucas and soon was coaxing Lucy to wake enough to allow her gown to be removed. As she turned Lucy to unlace the tight corset, Lucy wondered if, like Louisa, she’d soon see the uncomfortable garment removed from her wardrobe altogether.

“I hear congratulations are in order, little one,” Anna said as she began to remove the pins from Lucy’s hair. “Lord Huntington is a good man. You made an excellent choice.”

Lucy was incredibly sleepy but smiled. “I love him, Mrs. Bremmer,” she said, unable to keep the happiness from her voice. “I know you’ve known him such he was a small lad and I want you to know that I will try to make him happy.”

Anna smiled as she ran the brush through the girl’s waist-length hair before plaiting it. She pulled a nightgown over Lucy’s head and helped her climb between the sheets. “I know you will, Lucille,” she said. “Your life changed the moment you made your choice.”

Lucy smiled and nodded as she felt herself begin to drift into sleep. “I’m ready,” she whispered.

Anna smiled and swept her own lips across Lucy's cheek. “I pray it is so, but you’re going to learn that while your Lucas is a gentle giant, when he is riled he won’t hesitate to set your feet back onto the proper path, even if only after he reddens your bum. Sweet dreams, little one.”

Lucy’s brow furrowed at the woman’s words. She remembered that her very first introduction to her fiancé had been his hand smacking against her bottom. She felt her face flush at the memory and also remembered he had never apologized for the spanking. Instead, he had actually warned her a few times since that she should never question his intent to discipline her misbehavior. She closed her eyes and buried her burning cheek in her pillow, realizing again just how close she had come to testing his words at the ball. She hadn’t been spanked since that day but couldn’t help but wonder how Lucas’ hand would feel slapping against her bare bottom instead of simply spanking her through her layers of clothing. Thinking about his hand caused her to shiver and her heart to pound. She would not think of discipline, could not allow her mind to travel there. However, she smiled softly and knew her dreams would be full of images of his huge yet tender hands roaming elsewhere across her body. Pushing the shadow of a man wearing black robes, eyes full of judgement away, she told herself that she would not be ashamed of the thoughts that Lucas prompted within her. Snuggling down in her bed, she fell asleep with a naughty smile on her lips.

Chapter 3

Anna’s words proved true as Lucy was awakened the next morning. Lucy buried her face in her pillow as Molly drew her curtains back to allow the harsh morning sun to light the room. “Congratulations, Miss Lucy,” Molly said cheerfully as she crossed the room to the bed and attempted to pull the covers away. “I am so happy for you and Lord Huntington,” Molly continued and then frowned when she realized her mistress was attempting to pull the covers from her hands. “Now, Miss Lucy, come, you must get up and prepare yourself for the morning services,” Molly said as she forcefully uncovered Lucy.

Lucy managed to push herself into a sitting position. “I’m just so tired, Molly.” Lucy moaned as she watched her servant hustle about the room, gathering items to prepare Lucy for her day. “I don’t see why we can’t skip today’s services. I feel as if I haven’t gotten any sleep at all,” Lucy complained.

Molly giggled as she helped Lucy from the bed and led her into the adjacent water closet. “I know you are tired,” Molly said as she quickly stripped the nightgown from her mistress. “I waited a bit longer to awaken you, Miss Lucy, but I fear we must hurry now. The lords are already at the table, and I fear trouble if we don’t have you join them as quickly as possible.”

The mention of trouble reminded Lucy of spankings, and she didn’t protest as her drawers were discarded. Molly quickly piled Lucy’s hair up onto the top of her head and handed her a sponge and a bar of soap after helping her mistress into the tub. It had evidently been filled as she slept, and Lucy was grateful for its fragrant warmth.

“Do you wish me to bathe you, miss?” Molly asked, when Lucy simply held the items in her hands as if she had no memory of their intended use.

Molly’s words caused her to come out of her stupor, and she quickly soaped the sponge and began to lather her arms. “No, Molly, I am capable of bathing on my own,” Lucy said, her face flushing as the servant stood at the side of the tub, her face showing her uncertainty that Lucy could or would properly cleanse herself. As Lucy moved the sponge over her arms, Molly finally nodded.

“Very well, miss,” she said and turned to the door. “I shall prepare your clothing, but please hurry.”

“I will,” Lucy promised and began to bathe in earnest when the girl left the room. The activity served to help wash away the last remnants of sleepiness from her, and by the time Molly returned with a large towel, Lucy was ready and stood, quickly climbing out of the tub and gratefully accepting the covering. She still had an extremely hard time being nude in front of anyone and blushed even hotter when Molly took over, quickly rubbing the towel over Lucy's glistening body until she was dry. Lucy kept the concealing wrap tight around her, wishing Molly had remembered to bring her dressing gown into the room. As she followed the servant back into the bedroom, she had to admit that the maid had not been dawdling while her mistress bathed. The bed had already been properly made, the pillows fluffed and placed at the head of the bed and her clothes laid atop the smoothed quilt. Lucy’s smile slid from her face as she took a closer look at the clothing.

“No…” she moaned and looked beseechingly at her maid. “There’s been a mistake. The girls in the laundry must have given you the wrong clothing.”

“No, miss—”

“They have,” Lucy insisted. “Those look like Louisa’s clothes. The mistake is easy enough to correct. Simply run down and fetch the proper items. Hurry now, you’re the one who said we don’t want to be late,” Lucy instructed, her voice shaking as her eyes returned to the dress laid out on the bed.

Molly shook her head, though from her expression, Lucy knew the girl knew exactly how her mistress felt. “There is no mistake, Miss Lucy. Mrs. Bremmer gave me your clothing for today,” Molly said in the way of explanation. “She has instructed us to have the remainder of your new wardrobe in place by the time you return from church.”

---