Louisa Revealed (11 page)

Henri made sure both were seated before closing
the door and climbing up onto his seat.
 
As the carriage lurched forward, Lucy gave a small squeal and grabbed at
the edge of the seat.
 
Several
papers slid off her lap, and as she bent to gather them, she couldn’t contain a
groan, as the movement pulled against the wheals on her bottom.
 
Mrs. Bremmer smiled, though Lucy didn’t
see her look of contentment.
 
The
girl might have sat on a fluffy pillow, but hearing her now assured the older
woman that the naughty little girl had indeed gotten her bottom properly thrashed
and, if she knew anything about the Lord, it would be thrashed yet again before
the sun set on this day.
 
Satisfied
that Lord Wintercrest would soon have his home running properly, she settled
back against the seat and ignored Lucy the entire journey home.

The house was quiet when Lucy entered.
 
She wanted desperately to speak with her
sister but even as she turned to inquire as to where Louisa could be found,
Mrs. Bremmer informed her, “You are to continue with your lessons in your room
until it is time to dress for dinner.”
 
Lucy simply nodded, wanting nothing more than to escape this woman’s
company.
 
She hurried up to her room
and sighed when she was safely behind her closed door.
 
She placed her papers on her desk and
having nothing else to do, and somewhat afraid to be discovered not studying,
she gingerly sat down and began working on a list of problems.
 
An hour passed when she heard muffled
noises seeming to come from above her head.
 
She looked up at the ceiling, but heard
nothing more.
 
Sighing, she stood
and stretched, a small groan escaping her throat.
 
She was absently rubbing her aching
bottom when she thought she heard a small cry.
 
Looking towards the ceiling again, she
gave a small cry herself when a loud knock sounded on her door.
 
She threw herself back into her chair
and had picked up her pencil when her door opened.
 
Lucy stiffened until she turned around
to see Molly, her maid, entering the room.
 

“It is time to dress for dinner, Miss,” Molly
said in her cheerful voice.
 
Lucy nodded
and watched as Molly went to the closet and returned with a light blue
gown.
 
As the girl puttered about
the room gathering Lucy’s clothing, Lucy stood and stifled a small groan as her
bottom again reminded her of its condition.
 

“Are you feeling poorly, Miss?” Molly asked, her
cheerful face showing her concern.
 
The two had become friends during the past few weeks, and Lucy knew the
girl’s question was sincere.
 
She
forced herself to give her a small smile.

“I’m fine, Molly.
 
Just a bit tired.”
 
The girl didn’t truly believe her words
but, knowing the two women had gotten themselves into some type of trouble, and
having not being able to tune out the cries of Lady Wintercrest, as she
obviously gotten her bottom tended to by the Lord, she didn’t pursue the
conversation.

“Very well, would you like a bath before you
dress?”
 
Though Lucy thought a cool
bath would do wonders toward soothing her aching bottom, she had no intention
of disrobing completely in front of her maid.

“Not today, but thank you Molly.”
 
Again Molly nodded, and was soon
unlacing Lucy’s corset after the woman had removed her blouse and skirt.
 
She quickly helped Lucy step into
several petticoats and tied each around the girl’s slim waist.
 
She held out a fresh chemise and then
replaced the corset, drawing on the laces until Lucy panted that it was tight
enough.
 
A corset cover followed,
and then the gown was pulled over her head.
 
Lucy tried to remain still, as she sat
on her chair and allowed Molly to remove her black stockings and replace them
with thin, white ones suitable for evening wear.
 
As Molly tied the silk blue bows to hold
the stockings in place, she wondered again at the discipline her friend had
endured, as Lucy moaned deeply as she lifted each leg for easier access in
fastening the ribbons.
 
Molly
quickly released Lucy’s hair from its braid, and spent several minutes brushing
out the tangles before fastening a blue ribbon to hold the heavy length out of
Lucy’s face.
 
The last item was to
slip the blue slippers on Lucy’s feet, and finally Molly stood.
 
“There, you look beautiful, Miss
Lucy.”
 

Lucy smiled and said, “Thank you Molly.”
 
Molly gathered up the discarded clothing
and prepared to leave the room.
 
“Ummm, Molly?” Lucy said quietly and the girl turned to face her with a
questioning look on her face.

“Yes Miss?”

“What… what is above my room?
 
I thought I heard something.”
 
Molly looked up towards the ceiling and
then
back
to her mistress.
 

“I don’t hear anything, Miss.
 
The attics are at the top of the house;
perhaps a small animal has gotten inside.
 
Is there anything else, Miss?”
 
Lucy shook her head and Molly quickly left the room.
 
Lucy followed her, and made her way
downstairs dreading having to face Edward again.
 
As she entered the dining room, it was
to see Edward holding out a chair for her sister.
 
Lucy saw Louisa wince a bit as she took
her seat, but heard her thank him and lift her face to accept a quick kiss from
her husband as he pushed her chair to the table.

“Ah, there you are Lucille,” he said, even as he
moved around the table and pulled out a chair for his ward, directly across
from his wife.
 
Lucy remained silent
as she took her seat and placed her napkin in her lap.
 
Edward seated himself, and picking up a
small bell, gave it a short shake, signaling that they were ready for dinner to
be served.
 
As the kitchen maids
brought in the bowls of soup, he turned to Lucy.
 
“How was your tutoring session Lucille?
 
Was Professor Lloyds able to teach you
anything?
 
It must have been very
uncomfortable sitting on your welted bottom.”
 
Lucy thought of the session, remembering
both the patience and kindness of her teacher.
 

“Yes Edward, he was wonderful.
 
He explained several formulas for me and
has given me lessons to study.”
 
Edward’s eyebrow lifted at her words.
 
He found himself wondering at the
meaning of her answer but was pleased to hear she had been given additional
work.

“Yes, I understand that he also allowed you to
sit upon a pillow.”
 
Lucy knew
immediately that the horrible housekeeper had seen fit to tattle on her.
 

“Edward, I wish to speak to you about your
housekeeper.
 
She… ”

“I’m not through talking, Lucille, and you will
not interrupt me, young lady!”
 

Lucy’s eyes flew to her sister’s and though
Louisa didn’t speak, there was a warning to be seen in her eyes.
 
Lucy looked back at Edward and slowly
nodded.
 
“I’m sorry, Sir.
 
I… I didn’t mean to interrupt.
 
It’s just
tha.…
”

“And yet you are still speaking.
 
Be quiet and simply listen, unless you
want me to turn you over my knee!”
 
Her face was priceless.
 
Her
eyes widened and a deep flush stained her cheeks.
 
Her mouth opened again and yet, she
slowly closed it at his look, and nodded again.
 

“Much better.
 
I do not permit comfort after a
punishment, Lucille.
 
Sitting on a
pillow is not allowed and you should have refused it.
 
Headmaster Thorne had good reason to
cane you and you are to feel that reminder for as long as possible.
 
Sitting on a pillow, rubbing your bottom,
lying on your tummy negate the lesson, and that is not the objective, now is
it?”
 
Lucy was mortified.
 
To be speaking of such things –
especially seated at the dinner table, with servants coming and going freely
from the room appalled her.
 
She
again looked at Louisa, only to jump in her seat when Edward said firmly,

“Your sister is not speaking to you,
Lucille.
 
Keep your eyes on me when
I am talking to you!”
 
He waited
until she raised her eyes to his, and was pleased to see the first glint of tears
appear in her eyes.
 
He knew she was
embarrassed, but he firmly believed that humiliation was almost as good a
teacher as a nice, hard paddling.
 

“I’m pleased to hear that you believe you have
learned at least something from Professor Lloyds.
 
You shall spend every hour until your
exam studying.”
 
He saw her look of
dismay and he corrected himself, “Well, certainly not every hour as you do have
an appointment in my study after dinner.”
 
Lucy heard her sister’s quick intake of breath and couldn’t help but
slide her eyes to her sister.
 
Edward allowed the glance, knowing his little one would dare not speak
unless he spoke to her or gave her permission.
 
True to his belief, Louisa said nothing;
she just quietly continued to eat her soup.
 

Lucy looked back at her guardian and asked, “An
appointment Edward?
 
I’m not sure I
understand the necessity of an appointment.”
 
Edward chuckled, and after taking a bite
of the delicious mushroom soup, wiped his mouth with his napkin and leaned back
in his chair.

“It is not necessary for you to understand,
Lucille; it is only necessary that you keep your appointment.
 
I’m sure all will become clear at the
proper time.
 
Now, since you have
found Professor Lloyd’s tutoring to be helpful, you should be pleased to know
that he has agreed to continue your lessons.”
 

Lucy looked confused.
 
“Continue?”

“Yes, I have engaged him to attend you several
hours this weekend, in an effort to assure you learn enough to be able to pass
your exam on Monday.
 
Your actions
have brought great disgrace upon my household, and no more shall fall upon
it.
 
You must study hard, and I
believe his presence during your study hours will do nothing short of
guaranteeing success. You obviously can’t be trusted to your own devices, now
can you?”
 
Lucy felt her face flush
again, as she felt she was being treated as a small child, instead of an adult
woman.
 
She again glanced at her
sister, but only saw pity in her sister’s eyes.
 

Lucy dropped her gaze to her soup bowl and
answered,
 
“I promise to study,
Edward.
 
It’s not necessary for you
to spend money on a tutor.”

“Nonsense, Lucille – and it
is
not your responsibility to worry about my finances.
 
Your only responsibilities are to behave
and to learn your lessons.
 
Your
lesson in obedience will be continued in the study after supper, and your
lessons in mathematics will continue first thing tomorrow morning.”
 
Lucy felt her bottom clench at his
announcement, and her fear grew.
 
Though Edward spent a great deal of time behind the doors of his study,
she had never been inside.
 
Her face
burned as she remembered that there had been more than one occasion where she
thought she had heard horrid crying from the room.
 
When she had dared to speak to her
sister about her fears, Louisa had immediately assured her that she must be
mistaken.
 
Suddenly Lucy was
positive that she had been correct.
 
Bad things happened in the study.
 
Bad things that caused shrill cries and muffled words.
 
Her heart began to pound, and she kept
her eyes on her soup bowl, feeling as if she were going to faint.
 
She didn’t see the satisfied look on
Mrs. Bremmer’s face as she walked into the dining room behind the serving
girls.
 
As the main course was
placed before them, Mrs. Bremmer bent to speak softly with Edward.

“Excellent,” he said at whatever she had
whispered.
 
“Please place them in
the cabinet as I shall have need of both after supper.”
 
Mrs. Bremmer nodded and left the
room.
 

Louisa’s eyes flew to her husband, and she saw
him grin.
 
She blushed hotly,
knowing exactly what the conversation had entailed.
 
While Lucille had never crossed the threshold
of Edward’s private domain, Louisa had spent several hours in the room, very
few of them pleasant.
 
Being given
an appointment always caused her heart to race.
 
She knew she’d spend her time with her
bottom bare and vividly colored by some implement or another standing in a corner
until her husband considered she had enough time to thoroughly learn her
lesson.
 
Her own bottom clenched at
the knowledge it would soon be bared and most thoroughly birched
;
the most horrid and painful lesson of all.
 
She felt her appetite disappear and
simply pushed the food about on her plate.