not know one piece of cutlery from another.’ Her eyes widened as I delivered my lecture. She knew well what her failings were and clearly feared for her position.
‘Oh ma’am, I’m sorry!’ she cried. ‘I do try and learn, and I will try harder! Please don’t send me away!’
‘Send you away? Why, Molly, I intend to do nothing of the sort.’ I told her. Knowing my father as you do, Connie, you will realise he would take not one jot of notice of any recommendation I should give him about dismissing any of the staff, yet the hapless Molly was not to know this. ‘You will not get off that lightly, my girl. I intend to teach you.’
‘Teach me?’ she repeated.
‘Indeed. And it shall be a lesson you will not forget in a hurry.’ Molly looked at me blankly. I decided to make it clear for her. ‘When I make mistakes in my classes with Miss Prior, what do you think happens?’
‘I – I am sure I do not know, miss.’ The girl’s bottom lip was beginning to tremble, and her eyes were moist with tears. I believe by now the entire household is aware of Miss Prior’s methods, so I saw no harm in spelling them out to Molly.
‘I am whipped, Molly. I am whipped with a cane upon my bare bottom.’ She stared at me, her mouth wide open. Perhaps word of my punishment had not yet filtered that far below stairs, and for a moment I regretted telling her, but the cat was well and truly out of the bag and I had no choice but to continue. ‘Miss Prior makes me bend over and raise my skirts, and then she lowers my drawers and canes my bottom, and you can be sure I learn my lessons well with such a threat hanging over me. I believe you need a similar incentive to improve your ways, and I intend to provide it.’
‘Miss? I … I don’t think I understand?’ Molly was possibly trying to appear ignorant, maybe hoping I would consider her too stupid to punish, but she was wrong.
‘I will test you, Molly,’ I told her, as simply as I could manage, ‘using the set of cutlery on the chest of drawers.’ I indicated where the knives, forks, and spoons had been laid and Molly looked at them apprehensively. ‘For every mistake you make, I shall punish you, with this –’ and I produced the martinet from beneath my coverlet ‘– and this,’ I said, taking out the cane with my other hand.
Molly stared at the implements I held with something approaching dread. The likes of the martinet she might never have seen before in her life, but its purpose she clearly divined. The cane, I believe, is widely used to keep order in the less disciplined schools and homes of the lower classes; Molly knew precisely for what it would be used tonight.
‘Oh lord, ma’am, no!’ she whimpered. ‘Please don’t whip me. I’ll be a good girl and get it right in the future.’
‘The amount of your punishment will be determined by the knowledge you demonstrate for me now,’ I told her sternly. ‘But you have made many mistakes in the past. Did my father not have to scold you this very evening? You must be punished for that immediately!’
‘Oh no, ma’am, not the cane,’ she wailed, springing from her seat.
‘No, not the cane,’ I told her, leaping forward and seizing her wrist, ‘but something far more infantile and humiliating. You shall be spanked over my knee.’ She wriggled and tried to evade my grasp, but I was stronger than she, and soon dragged her to the chair. Seating myself upon it, I pulled the struggling girl over my lap, her breath being knocked from her as she landed. Once she was there I twisted her left arm behind her back, believing this to be the most effective way of ensuring she did not slip my grasp. It took no small effort on my part, but she was soon restrained enough for me to begin the task for which I had summoned her.
I raised my right hand, then brought it down on her defenceless bottom. She squealed, more in shock than genuine pain, I believe, since the blow was not that hard, and was given
‘Oh ma’am, I’m sorry!’ she cried. ‘I do try and learn, and I will try harder! Please don’t send me away!’
‘Send you away? Why, Molly, I intend to do nothing of the sort.’ I told her. Knowing my father as you do, Connie, you will realise he would take not one jot of notice of any recommendation I should give him about dismissing any of the staff, yet the hapless Molly was not to know this. ‘You will not get off that lightly, my girl. I intend to teach you.’
‘Teach me?’ she repeated.
‘Indeed. And it shall be a lesson you will not forget in a hurry.’ Molly looked at me blankly. I decided to make it clear for her. ‘When I make mistakes in my classes with Miss Prior, what do you think happens?’
‘I – I am sure I do not know, miss.’ The girl’s bottom lip was beginning to tremble, and her eyes were moist with tears. I believe by now the entire household is aware of Miss Prior’s methods, so I saw no harm in spelling them out to Molly.
‘I am whipped, Molly. I am whipped with a cane upon my bare bottom.’ She stared at me, her mouth wide open. Perhaps word of my punishment had not yet filtered that far below stairs, and for a moment I regretted telling her, but the cat was well and truly out of the bag and I had no choice but to continue. ‘Miss Prior makes me bend over and raise my skirts, and then she lowers my drawers and canes my bottom, and you can be sure I learn my lessons well with such a threat hanging over me. I believe you need a similar incentive to improve your ways, and I intend to provide it.’
‘Miss? I … I don’t think I understand?’ Molly was possibly trying to appear ignorant, maybe hoping I would consider her too stupid to punish, but she was wrong.
‘I will test you, Molly,’ I told her, as simply as I could manage, ‘using the set of cutlery on the chest of drawers.’ I indicated where the knives, forks, and spoons had been laid and Molly looked at them apprehensively. ‘For every mistake you make, I shall punish you, with this –’ and I produced the martinet from beneath my coverlet ‘– and this,’ I said, taking out the cane with my other hand.
Molly stared at the implements I held with something approaching dread. The likes of the martinet she might never have seen before in her life, but its purpose she clearly divined. The cane, I believe, is widely used to keep order in the less disciplined schools and homes of the lower classes; Molly knew precisely for what it would be used tonight.
‘Oh lord, ma’am, no!’ she whimpered. ‘Please don’t whip me. I’ll be a good girl and get it right in the future.’
‘The amount of your punishment will be determined by the knowledge you demonstrate for me now,’ I told her sternly. ‘But you have made many mistakes in the past. Did my father not have to scold you this very evening? You must be punished for that immediately!’
‘Oh no, ma’am, not the cane,’ she wailed, springing from her seat.
‘No, not the cane,’ I told her, leaping forward and seizing her wrist, ‘but something far more infantile and humiliating. You shall be spanked over my knee.’ She wriggled and tried to evade my grasp, but I was stronger than she, and soon dragged her to the chair. Seating myself upon it, I pulled the struggling girl over my lap, her breath being knocked from her as she landed. Once she was there I twisted her left arm behind her back, believing this to be the most effective way of ensuring she did not slip my grasp. It took no small effort on my part, but she was soon restrained enough for me to begin the task for which I had summoned her.
I raised my right hand, then brought it down on her defenceless bottom. She squealed, more in shock than genuine pain, I believe, since the blow was not that hard, and was given
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