Southern Discomfort (8 page)

The bowl was over
half way full when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
There was a snake in the garden next to her. It had stopped moving
but as soon as she moved it would attack. Should she run to the
house? Would they think she was a baby, like she had been because of
her spanking yesterday? They had made her stay in bed all morning.
First when her breakfast and lunch had stayed had Nathaniel let her
get up.

Should she grab
for it like she had as a child in their garden? Their neighbor boy
had dared her to pick up a garter snake. He had teased her something
terrible and called her a baby.

When she couldn't
take the teasing anymore she reached out and grabbed it. He had been
very impressed with her, so he told everyone about what she could do.
She had to repeat the task many times in the next couple of years
until her father found out about it. He had put his foot down and
said, no, to her touching snakes.

But didn't they
eat snakes around here? Emily didn't care to try it, but she didn't
want to just stand there and wait for it to bite her either. She
quickly bent down and grabbed it just behind its head. She had
learned that that was the best way to do that as a child. The tail
was going wild, but she held fast. Snakes out here got a lot madder
than the ones back home did.

She walked back
to the kitchen door, holding the snake away from her body, but still
tight in her hand. She knocked on the door with the toe of her shoe.
Bessie opened the door and shrieked at the sight of the snake.

Katie had her
wits about her. She took the bowl of beans from Emily and set it on
the table. Emily had moved in towards the stove with the angry animal
whose tail kept rattling and flying in Emily's direction. Emily was
reaching for a knife when Katie had a better idea. She held a cutting
board over the head.

“Bessie, take
the knife and cut its head off but make sure you don't let it fall.
It sure is mad.”

The three women
killed the snake. When they were finished Emily had to sit down,
despite her sore bottom. This life was so much harder than she
thought it would be. She watched Katie skin it and chop it into
pieces. The sight of that was making her feel sick again.

Bessie was also
in shock. She scolded Emily asking her what she had been thinking.
Bessie didn't want to lose her friend to stupidity.

“Emily?”
Katie asked, “Did the snake bite you?”

Emily shook her
head and went out to finish filling the bowl with beans. The
rattlesnake stew was well under way when she came back in. She
quietly set the table. She had a feeling like a goose walked over her
grave.

Emily cut the
bread and did as she was told but she was even quieter than she
usually was. The men came in and smelled the stew. They all commented
on how good it smelt. They sat at the table and the women placed the
stew in front of them.

“What kind of
stew are we having tonight?” Edward asked Katie who was in charge
of the meals.

“Rattlesnake,”
she answered.

He thought about
that for a bit. When she joined them at the table he said, “Odd we
didn't hear a gunshot.”

“We didn't need
the gun.” Katie avoided his eyes as she took a piece of bread.

“And pray tell
why not?” he asked her.

“It got
caught.”

“Katie, I don't
like the way you are answering my questions. Did you catch it?” He
stood as he asked his question.

She shook her
head. Edward sat down and Charles looked at his wife. “Bessie,
explain how this snake got into our pot.”

“We sent Emily
out to pick beans. She came back with the snake and the beans. We
killed it by chopping its head off.”

“How did you
catch the snake?” Nathaniel's tone told Emily that he was
displeased with her.

“I – ” she
hung her head. “I grabbed it behind its head.”

Nathaniel sat
still for a while as he thought about that. “How were you able to
pick it up while it attacked you?”

“It wasn't
attacking me – yet.”

He let the
meaning of her words sink in. The whole table was staring at her.
They all thought she had done something wrong.

“Emily, go up
to our room. I will join you shortly,” He had a terrible picture in
his head of her trying to do that, and not succeeding. He pulled
himself together. It was time. He had to really punish her even
though she had been so sick yesterday. She had put herself in danger.
She had left him no choice.

Nathaniel excused
himself from the table. He grabbed the thick leather strap that they
had on the way up. He could hear the women's appalled gasps, but he
walked on, with purpose, only pausing before he opened the door for
his sorry-looking wife. There was nothing for it, this was a lesson
she bitterly needed to learn. He reached for the knob and opened it
determined.

He saw her
sitting on his side of the bed. Her head was hung. She wasn't playing
any games with him yet. He was prepared for everything at the moment.

“Emily, take
your clothes off.”

He watched her
shaking form reached down and remove her shoes and stockings.

She stood,
opening her dress with hands that were shaking so bad, that she could
hardly manage the task. She stepped out of her dress and then started
to work on her corset.

Emily was crying
and sniffling already. He could probably hear her, she thought. That
thought embarrassed her greatly. He already thought she was a spoiled
northerner, of that she was sure. Her fingers weren't doing what they
were supposed to. She was worried that he would give her extra
punishment for not obeying fast enough.

He thought she
was being very brave even though she was obviously so scared. She had
every right to be scared. This would be the spanking of her life. She
wouldn't be sitting for at least a week after he was finished with
her.

Emily's corset
finally opened and came off. She quickly opened her knickers and
pulled them down so he could see that the good will was there. She
stood next to the bed and hung her head. Be brave, do as he says.
Take what he will dish out. You can do it. Take it with as much
dignity and pride as you can. She was so busy talking to herself with
her thoughts that she didn't hear him calling her.

“Emily, I won't
stand for any of your games! Now come here.”

“I'm sorry.”
She moved over to him. She saw the strap in hands. Panic took her
heart and her shaking got even worse. She just wanted to run as fast
as she could and as far away as she could but she had done that
already, she had landed here.

“I want you to
place your hands on the baseboard of the bed. Your hands stay there.
If they come back I will give you extras. Trust me Emily, you don't
want extras.” He was starting to feel sorry for her but he was
resolved to doing this and doing it right. She wasn't fighting him
like yesterday. He hoped she wasn't because she knew that what she
did was very very wrong. He thought of the snake biting her and him
losing her. “Get into position now, Emily.” He was careful not to
raise his voice again. He knew they were being listened to.

She rested her
hands on the base board at the foot of the bed. She had stepped very
close to the baseboard.

“Take a couple
steps back to me but leave your hands in place.” He watched her
take two steps back. Her back was still straight and proud with her
long hair covering her back and bottom. “More.”

She took another
step back. Her arms were as straight as they could be. He said more
again. She looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a look,
showing him that she was confused.

Nathaniel reached
out and moved her the way he wanted her. He pushed her back and
shoulders down with one hand and moved her hips back. He took the
opportunity to move her hair out of the way.

Nathaniel hadn't
wanted to touch her. He felt stirring in him now that couldn't get in
the way just now. That stirring would never be satisfied if she
wasn't around to take care of it because she played with snakes or
because she had done whatever other foolishness popped into her head.
He would make sure that she would be around for a long time. It was
his job and duty to protect her, even from herself.

Nathaniel stepped
to the side of her. He meant to make this memorable. He raised the
strap and brought it down in an arch that smacked into her behind.

The force of the
blow pushed her forward and she straightened up to the point that she
had tucked her tummy in and was arching her back like a bow. Her
shoulders had come back and her breasts pointed to the ceiling. She
hadn't made a sound other than a gasp of surprise.

“Get back into
position, Emily.”

She wasn't sure
she could. Emily slowly relaxed her back and moved her feet back
again. She bent forward, feeling so vulnerable. The heat coming from
her backside was like a very uncomfortable bee string. “How many?”
she dared to ask.

“Thirty.”

She gasped again.
She had thought three or five, ten at the most but thirty. Emily was
certain that she couldn't take thirty of them. This wasn't one of
those moments in life where a person rises about themselves. She knew
that she was going to fail desperately. Would she end up begging him
to stop?

As she worried he
brought the strap down sharply across her backside again. With the
same results.

“Emily, if you
get out of position one more time I will add two more on to your
punishment.”

That broke her
floodgates. She was sobbing something terrible. He longed to hold her
in his arms but this lesson was just too important. He waited for her
to bravely get back into position.

Once she was he
brought the strap down again. Her muscles were tensed up so tightly
that she did stay in place. He gave her her next two a little more
quickly.

She wasn't trying
to maintain dignity and her pride was long gone. Survival was the
name of the game now.

He gave her her
next five quite rapidly. Always moving it just a little so her whole
bottom received the same attention. Her feet were sliding into the
floor. She would push one foot back and then lift it back into place
and then the other went off sliding. He let her absorb her first ten
before he started in with the next set.

Drops of water
from her tears were on the floor.

She couldn't
believe that anything could hurt so bad. At the moment she wished the
snake would have bitten her. Her bottom burned and felt like the
snake had bitten her there several times.

She felt the
strap again and her body went flying again. “No,” she cried out.
She hadn't been ready for it and she was so disappointed in herself
for moving.

“How dare you
tell me, no. Get back into position, Emily. You just earned yourself
two extras.” He had misunderstood her and she was in no position to
correct him. He strapped the set very quickly to an end.

She had received
her first twenty and was crying pretty loudly. She didn't even waste
a thought if the others could hear her. Embarrassment could come
later. She had to concentrate on getting through the next twelve. She
was clenched so tightly not knowing when he would start in again and
not wanting to earn herself anymore extras. He backside stung
something terrible.

He started in
again. She could hardly breathe. Her chest was jerking as it let only
tiny bursts of air in or out. He stopped. Was it over or was he just
taking another break? Her face was laying on her arms. She didn't
remember moving that way. She was too afraid to move into the
original position, but what if he was waiting for her to do just
that.

Emily started to
slowly move her feet forward. She was in the awkward position of
lifting one foot when he brought the strap down again. She fell to
the floor.

Panic racked over
her heart. She was clearly out of position. Her hand still hadn't
left the bed. She couldn't let go. Her grip was too tight. She sobbed
hysterically on the floor. She was so afraid of how many extras he
would tack on for this.

“Emily?” He
sat down with her on the floor. She had her eyes squeezed shut so
tightly. He reached out to her face and pushed some of her hair away.

“Emily, we're
not finished. I need you to get back up again. No more nonsense. I'll
help you up. Give me your hand.” Nathaniel stood up and tried to
remove one of her hands from the bed, so he could pull her up. He had
to jerk it away with all of his strength. He did the same with the
other hand.

Nathaniel didn't
know what to make of her. He picked her up and brought her back into
position. She was still sobbing. He wanted to quick, but he wanted
her to know that he meant what he said. He needed her to obey him.

“That's two
extras more.” He started in strapping his sobbing wife again, but
he hurried. He wanted this to be over with, too.

On the second to
the last her hands shot back and covered her bottom. Emily was
hopping from one foot to the other. She knew she couldn't survive
this. She just couldn't avoid the extras. They would never be
finished. Her disappointment in herself was becoming obvious for him.
She was trying to be good, he realized.

“Emily, put
your hands back and hold on tight. I warned you. Do it now.” He
watched her shaking hands as they slowly moved away from her
backside. Her knuckles turned white as she held on. He continued. Le
it be over with soon, she prayed.

Her legs started
to shake after the first blow. She concentrated on staying on her
feet. Her knees tucked in and she forced them straight with the last
of her will power. The same thing happened after the next blow. The
shaking was getting worse and worse. She was repeating straight legs
to herself in her head over and over.