him. “You were wonderfully kind at dinner, Sir. Perhaps you’ll be so kind to ask me again, Professor when I’ve not been made to pay for another’s mistake.” Charles was still confused but nodded immediately and smiled.
“You may count on it, Miss Furniss,” he promised. Anna rolled her eyes and took Lucy’s hand from Charles’ arm. Lucas chuckled thinking the kitten might believe she was playing with a rat, but might discover instead that he too had claws.
“We shall see what Lord Wintercrest decides, but for now, this little one needs to remember her place or chance going to bed with a hot bottom,” Anna said sternly. Lucy blushed as she remembered the hand that had connected again and again to her bottom. She couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes as she hurried to the library. She knew both men had heard the housekeeper’s words and she was scared that the woman just might decide to make sure they understood that Lucy was not an important guest in the house. Despite the fact that she was the guardian of Lord Wintercrest, in this house, she was nothing more than a little girl who should remember just how quickly she could be turned bottom-up over someone’s knee.
She picked up her dress and dropped onto the settee. She was soon busy working tiny stitches in the fabric to repair the ripped seam. As she stabbed the needle through the seam, she imagined it was that awful man’s skin, instead. She shouldn’t be sitting here mending a dress he had torn. She shouldn’t be sitting here at all. It was his fault that, instead of walking out with a wonderful man who obviously still wished to court her, she was made to do something she was quickly learning to absolutely despise. As she felt the needle stab into the pad of her finger, she moaned and put her finger into her mouth.
“ Bloody hell,” she mumbled, sucking on the injury.
“Lucille!” she heard and instantly knew she was in deep trouble. She found herself being yanked up from the settee, her mending falling to the floor. She saw Lord Huntington standing behind the housekeeper and dropped her gaze. “Vulgar words are never to come from your mouth,” Anna said dragging the girl towards a nearby chair. Lucille understood her intention.
“Please, don’t,” she begged. “I…I didn’t mean to curse...I…I stabbed myself,” she attempted to explain, holding her finger out as if to provide evidence of her injury. Anna had no care what caused the misbehavior; she only cared to correct it. She was about to sit when Lucas stepped forward.
“Mrs. Bremmer, there is no need for this,” he said. His voice was no longer light or teasing. Lucy felt herself shiver at the absolute tone of authority in his voice. She felt Mrs. Bremmer stiffen beside her.
“Sir, it is my duty to correct this little one when she is naughty,” Anna said firmly, her pose stiffening at his objection. Lucas knew she felt he was questioning her authority. Lucas did not want to embarrass the woman, but he also had no intention of allowing her to turn Lucille over her knees for something that he still felt responsible for causing.
“I know, Miss Anna,” he said using a softer tone. “I agree vulgarity is not something any young girl should be allowed.” Anna was nodding with total agreeme nt. “However,” he continued, “as I’ve taken responsibility for the dress, I find I can’t allow Lucille to be punished for my crime. My actions have already cost her an outing with the Professor as well as an injured finger. They shall not cost her a hot bottom as well.” Lucy’s heart stuttered in her chest realizing he was not going to allow Mrs. Bremmer to give her a spanking, but felt embarrassed at the directness of both his gaze and his words.
“Than…thank you, Sir,” Lucy said softly, her bottom relaxing from the clench that had begun the moment she was jerked to her feet. Lucas turned his eyes to
“You may count on it, Miss Furniss,” he promised. Anna rolled her eyes and took Lucy’s hand from Charles’ arm. Lucas chuckled thinking the kitten might believe she was playing with a rat, but might discover instead that he too had claws.
“We shall see what Lord Wintercrest decides, but for now, this little one needs to remember her place or chance going to bed with a hot bottom,” Anna said sternly. Lucy blushed as she remembered the hand that had connected again and again to her bottom. She couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes as she hurried to the library. She knew both men had heard the housekeeper’s words and she was scared that the woman just might decide to make sure they understood that Lucy was not an important guest in the house. Despite the fact that she was the guardian of Lord Wintercrest, in this house, she was nothing more than a little girl who should remember just how quickly she could be turned bottom-up over someone’s knee.
She picked up her dress and dropped onto the settee. She was soon busy working tiny stitches in the fabric to repair the ripped seam. As she stabbed the needle through the seam, she imagined it was that awful man’s skin, instead. She shouldn’t be sitting here mending a dress he had torn. She shouldn’t be sitting here at all. It was his fault that, instead of walking out with a wonderful man who obviously still wished to court her, she was made to do something she was quickly learning to absolutely despise. As she felt the needle stab into the pad of her finger, she moaned and put her finger into her mouth.
“ Bloody hell,” she mumbled, sucking on the injury.
“Lucille!” she heard and instantly knew she was in deep trouble. She found herself being yanked up from the settee, her mending falling to the floor. She saw Lord Huntington standing behind the housekeeper and dropped her gaze. “Vulgar words are never to come from your mouth,” Anna said dragging the girl towards a nearby chair. Lucille understood her intention.
“Please, don’t,” she begged. “I…I didn’t mean to curse...I…I stabbed myself,” she attempted to explain, holding her finger out as if to provide evidence of her injury. Anna had no care what caused the misbehavior; she only cared to correct it. She was about to sit when Lucas stepped forward.
“Mrs. Bremmer, there is no need for this,” he said. His voice was no longer light or teasing. Lucy felt herself shiver at the absolute tone of authority in his voice. She felt Mrs. Bremmer stiffen beside her.
“Sir, it is my duty to correct this little one when she is naughty,” Anna said firmly, her pose stiffening at his objection. Lucas knew she felt he was questioning her authority. Lucas did not want to embarrass the woman, but he also had no intention of allowing her to turn Lucille over her knees for something that he still felt responsible for causing.
“I know, Miss Anna,” he said using a softer tone. “I agree vulgarity is not something any young girl should be allowed.” Anna was nodding with total agreeme nt. “However,” he continued, “as I’ve taken responsibility for the dress, I find I can’t allow Lucille to be punished for my crime. My actions have already cost her an outing with the Professor as well as an injured finger. They shall not cost her a hot bottom as well.” Lucy’s heart stuttered in her chest realizing he was not going to allow Mrs. Bremmer to give her a spanking, but felt embarrassed at the directness of both his gaze and his words.
“Than…thank you, Sir,” Lucy said softly, her bottom relaxing from the clench that had begun the moment she was jerked to her feet. Lucas turned his eyes to
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