Southern Discomfort (7 page)

“Emily, I love
you so much and I don't want you to hate me, but I need you to follow
the rules. I want you to know that I will enforce them.” He pulled
her tight to him.

Why was he being
such a monster to her? He even said it himself, she hadn't done
anything. This had been so unnecessary. She cried as
he spoke to her. She felt like she had been punished for something
she didn't even do.

“If I ever need
to really punish you then I won't tolerate any games. I will tell you
to come up here and if you fight me, for whatever reason, you will
pay for it dearly. This is how your new life is now. I was clear what
I expect from you. If you ever cause problems like that again I will
use my belt on you, like my brothers do with their wives. Have I made
myself clear?”

She was so
shocked. “But they are so much stronger. Why would they need a
weapon, too?”

He tried not to
laugh. She was really so precious. “That's their business. I
decided my hand should be enough for the Wednesday spankings but if
you push me I will have to use the belt and if I have to use it once
I will use it every time. Have I made myself clear now?”

She nodded, and a
new wave of tears rocked her.

“No games next
week?” he asked.

She nodded again.

“I'm glad to
hear that. I have some things to do. You are to stay in bed and take
a nap now. You can wake up when you're ready.” He got out of bed
and put on some fresh clothes and left.

Emily couldn't
really believe that that had just happened. She didn't understand
what the purpose was. She had never been anything but nice to him,
and she had been so brave coming here. Braver than what she truly
was.

She had forced
herself to stand up to her beloved aunt and uncle. She had insisted
on marrying him, and only him. Emily had been so totally obsessed
with getting away from Victor, that she never considered that he
could be the same way. She should have turned around and left as soon
as she saw him. A good looking man could always find a wife, unless
there was something wrong with him.

She had jumped
out of the frying pan and into the fire. Nathaniel had hit her so
relentlessly. He didn't care for her. He was probably even
disappointed that she had come, and not someone else.

Her husband
didn't cherish her. She needed protection from him. She had done
everything wrong.

Her aunt and
uncle had warned her and she didn't listen. She had been such an
idiot. She sobbed into her arms. Her face still hidden.

“Emily? Look at
me please. Katie, she's burning up. What should I do?”

Emily felt a hand
on her face. “Emily, we want to wash your face. Please sit up and
come with us.” Katie tried to pull her hands away from her face but
Emily held fast. “Emily, you are scaring us. Please, Emily.”

Bessie grabbed
her around her shoulder and pushed her up to sitting. Still Emily
left her arms over her face. Her wrists were firming planted into her
eye sockets. Her heart was broken. She had trusted him not to hurt
her and he had. “Get a cloth. We will wash her face here. She is
cooking. She is really sick.” Bessie was laying her back down when
Emily jumped out of the bed and was sick in the chamber pot.

“Katie what
should we do? The men will be back soon.”

“The only thing
we can do. We'll pack her back into bed. She's sick. That's all there
is to it.” Katie held a wet cloth to Emily's forehead. She
carefully undressed her and dug a nightgown out of her trunk. They
changed her and laid her back in bed.

Bessie was
already very worried. “I'm so sorry you are sick, Emily. Don't
worry we will take care of you.” Bessie sat down on the chair next
to her friend and watched her while Katie got dressed. Bessie only
left when she heard the men coming home on their horses. Emily had
just fallen asleep. Bessie changed and checked on her friend before
she, too, went downstairs. Emily was still asleep.

Bessie saw that
the table had been set for five. She wondered how they were going to
explain this to Nathaniel.

The men all came
in and looked at the table. Edward and Charles sat down and looked at
their plates. Nathaniel looked up the stairs and then at the women.
Bessie turned away so he wouldn't meet her eye.

Katie met his
eye. “Emily is sick. She won't be joining us this evening.” She
laid her hands on her hips.

Nathaniel took a
big breath again. What game was she playing at now? Maybe she needed
another talking to like this afternoon. He wouldn't put up with her
pouting like this.

“What is wrong
with her? Should I take a look at her?” Charles asked.

Katie turned to
him. “She has a high fever and she was sick, which surprises me
because she never eats anything. She finally fell asleep about a half
hour ago.”

Nathaniel ran up
the stairs. She was sleeping in their bed. He quietly stepped forward
and laid his hand on her forehead. She was burning up.

She was really
sick.

He undressed and
laid down next to her. He slid his arm under her and pulled her
close. She was so warm. What had he done to her? She was fine this
morning. This could only be his fault. She had been nothing but good
and nice since she arrived.

He had been
worrying about this all morning. First he decided not to. Then he
thought it was only fair to the women that they all be spanked
weekly. What worked for his brothers wasn't working for them.

Emily didn't wake
up, not even as he moved her. She didn't know that he was holding
her. She was really sick. Nathaniel was very worried. His Emily was a
fine delicate lady.

Katie was right,
she never really ate anything. She was probably even weak because of
that. But she hadn't appeared at all weak while he was trying to get
her up here and then over his knee. He didn't want her to be sick
once a week like she was now.

There was a knock
on the door. Nathaniel gently laid his wife down and went to the
door. His brother Charles was standing there. “Is she really sick?”
He gave Nathaniel a look that said he didn't think that she was.

Nathaniel stepped
aside and let his brother in. “She's really sick.”

Charles went
right to work. He had been a doctor back home but he and Edward had
wanted a simpler life life after the war. They had moved out here for
a bit of peace. Nathaniel had gone with them. He didn't want to be
alone. He was the type of person, who needed others around him.

Charles laid a
hand on her head. “She's burning up. Why didn't you call for me?”
He listened to her heart. “Her heart is fine even a little slow. I
want to listen to her stomach. Could you free it up for me?” He
stood and turned away. Nathaniel quickly lifted her pajamas up and
pulled the blanket up so just her stomach was visible. Nathaniel
stepped aside so Charles could help her. Charles listened to her
stomach. “This is where the problem is. We need to wake her up.”

“But the women
said she didn't sleep all day,” Nathaniel protested.

“She needs
water and something to eat.”

Nathaniel picked
up the wet cloth and rubbed her forehead with it. “Emily, Emily,
time to wake up.”

She was slowly
coming around. She gave a shocked gasp when she saw him. “Please,
don't hurt me. Please don't.”

“I won't hurt
you. I just want to make you feel better.”

“I don't
believe you. You lied about everything.” She feebly tried to get
away from him.

“No. I didn't.
Emily you can't say things like that.” Here she was so sick she
couldn't even sit up without help, but her mouth could shoot off.

“You promised
to cherish me and protect me and then you said if I followed the
rules we would get along. You even said that I didn't do anything
wrong.” She broke into heart wrenching sobs.

Charles left so
they could be alone. He had a feeling that punishment spankings would
have been enough for her. She was so upset.

Bessie brought up
water and a plate of food.

Emily had been
sick again and Nathaniel was at his wits end. She just wouldn't stop
crying and when she spoke it didn't make much sense. She spoke a lot
about frying pans and fire when she was half asleep and half awake.
He held her and didn't let go of her. Once she said very clearly
while she slept, 'if this is week one, what happens in week two?'

That was when he
realized that she was worried out of her mind. She had worried
herself sick. He thought that that was kind of sweet of her. He loved
her so much.

Nathaniel kissed
her and told her that. He told her he wouldn't spank her weekly
anymore. He told her that he did, indeed, cherish her, and that he
didn't want her to be afraid of him. She trembled and sobbed on his
chest.

He fed her and
gave her water. Her fever broke in the middle of the night still he
held her in his arms. He felt so guilty. He was all she had and he
had lost her trust.

Nathaniel felt
it, she was awake. Her breathing had become deeper. She didn't want
him to know that she was awake. He could tell that. What would she
say when she finally said something. Today had been so confusing.
Usually he did what his brothers did and he had rode well by
following that path. They had been good examples for him in his life.

But Emily was his
wife and he had to make the decisions for the two of them. Maybe she
didn't need a maintenance spanking, like the other two did? He
couldn't put her through this once a week. He would only punish her
when she needed it. If, in time, she got bratty then he could add
weekly lighter spankings.

Emily could tell
by his breathing that he was awake. She wasn't sure what she should
say to him. Her life seem to stretch out in front of her. He would
hit her and she would be afraid of him. She tried not to but she
couldn't stop herself. She was crying again. He pulled her in tight
and he repeated his promises.

“Why did you
hurt me? I never did anything wrong. You even said so.” Her voice
was soft and high pitched, like a puzzled child's would be in the
same situation.

He pulled her
close and answered her as honestly as he could. “I told you that my
brothers had this system and it works for them. I was worried that if
I didn't spank you too, that the other two would resent that and take
it out on you. I think we need to talk about things, how we should
continue.”

She nodded her
head slightly. She wanted to hear how the rest of her life would be.

“I think we can
quit the weekly spankings. Nothing is worth upsetting you this much.”
He gave her a squeeze. “But if you ever break a rule then you have
to promise to take your punishment with no fussing. Can you promise
me that?”

She nodded. “I'll
be really very good. You don't ever have to worry about me. I'm very
good by nature. I swear I am.”

“I know you
are, darling. I didn't want to scare you. You are just a lot more
sensitive and gentle then the others. I'll take that into account.
But if you ever do pull something I'll give it to you good. You now
know that I will. You are warned. I'm trusting you to be good. If you
aren't than we will also have weekly spankings. Do you understand?”

“Yes, thank
you.” She was so relieved. “It means a lot to me, that you think
of me as being good.”

“Emily, you are
the sweetest little thing I have ever seen.” I reached out and
touched her face. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
His body was once again reacting to their closeness. “Emily, I need
you.”

She trembled in
fear at those words.

“Shh darling.
We'll do it in a way that won't hurt you. I won't hurt you.” He
moved her so she was on top of him. “This is important. You need to
see that we still love each other. I love you so much.” She was
afraid that he would punish her if she didn't stay where she was. He
sensed that and shh her again. He kissed her and pet her, lovingly,
slowly rubbing her between her legs until she was whimpering in
pleasure, and then in frustration.

“Now please,”
she begged in a very soft voice.

He directed her
how she should take him in her hand and lower herself down on him. He
reached up and took her by her hips. Then he made love to her as
gently as he could. They reached their pleasure at the same time.
Emily cried out his name. Nathaniel whispered that he loved her.

He held her
tightly afterwards. She was so precious to him.

He held her in
his arms afterwards, telling her stories about his childhood. Things
that he and his brothers had done to get into trouble. He told her
about the punishments he had received for what he had all done.

Emily could
hardly believe that he was laughing about that. She had been a very
good little girl. Only rarely had she earned herself a spanking. When
she was little her father had spanked her but after her mother had
died of pneumonia she had gone to live with her aunt and uncle. They
didn't punish her. Sometimes her father still would when he visited,
but it was an uncommon occurrence.

With time both
settled into sleep.

Nathaniel dreamt
that Emily was walking away from him. He tried to catch up with her,
but she run faster when she saw him coming. He would almost be able
to reach out to her, she was so close, but he couldn't get a hold of
her. He had a bit of clothing in his fingertips, but he couldn't get
a decent grasp on her.

Emily had a
similar dream. The difference was that, he caught her in her dream.

Katie and Bessie
took pity on Emily. They only gave her chores where she could stand.
Now they had sent Emily out into the garden to get the beans they
needed to make their supper with. She took a bowl with her and went
to work.