Our story began here.

Jenny had been too embarrassed to get dressed in front of Miss Bowman but it felt strange standing in the hallway of the hotel naked from the waist down. She suspected that Alice had only allowed it because they were the only guests, but all the same she felt vulnerable and exposed. So instead of returning to her room she ducked into the bathroom to get dressed. She was extremely aware of her bare legs and the hump of her throbbing behind and in the event the ski-pants were too tight to slip over her swollen bottom. But there was nothing for it but to persevere and she had to bite her lip to stop crying out as the stretch fabric dragged at her tender flesh until she gave up. So after a quick wash and a clean of her teeth, she wrapped a towel around her waist and returned to her room.

Janet was sitting on the other bed smelling of cigarettes.

“What happened to you?” she asked the sorry looking Jenny.

Jenny blushed and tossed her clothing on her own bed.

“Oh my God,” Janet squealed, “Someone got their tush blistered.”

“You don’t have to go on about it,” Jenny muttered.

“Come on, let me see,” Janet giggled as she made a grab for the towel.

“Get off,” Jenny wailed and twisted away.

She hated that Janet was there. It was more than embarrassing; it was an intrusion into something private between Alice and herself. But as she stepped back the towel fell to her ankles and she had to whip around to hide her front half.

Janet whistled.

“Wow wee, mama spank eh,” she sounded impressed. “Come on, lie down and I’ll get a cold flannel for that hiney of yours.”

Jenny might have protested but Janet grabbed the towel from the floor and guided jenny to lay face down on the bed. Then dashing to a bowl on the dresser she dipped in a cloth and then wrung it out. The wet flannel was soothing and she felt a warm glow from Janet’s sisterly concern.

“So the rumours are true,” Janet said.

As she spoke she lifted the cloth for a moment for a closer look at the two oval blisters marring Jenny’s pert bottom.

“Hey,” the spanked girl complained.

“What she use anyway?” Janet asked as she replaced the flannel.

“If you must know it was a hairbrush,” Jenny said tartly.

“Well at least now we know where we stand,” Janet said in a voice draped in awe. “Stand being the operative word here.”

Jenny blushed and made a face.

“Come on kid, by the time we get our release papers we will be closer than sisters,” Janet chuckled.

Jenny sighed. She quite liked that idea somehow. She had never had a sister. She had never had a mother for that matter and Aunt Edith didn’t count on that score. But maybe Alice… the thought hung on the edge of her mind and she relaxed as she laid her head on the pillow.

In response to Janet’s comment she absently murmured, “I suppose.”

*

By breakfast Katherine and Mary had also heard about the confrontation between Alice and Jenny, Janet had made sure of that. But as yet the punished one had yet to show at the table. Neither had Alice come to that.

“You don’t think she would spank us do you?” Mary asked Katherine in a hushed whisper. “Alice, I mean. I mean we are older and… and well I mean…”

The cool Katherine picked up her coffee cup and glanced quizzically at her new colleague. What a ninny, she thought.

“You did read the small print in the application? Come to think of it, it wasn’t that small,” Katherine said icily.

“Well sure, but I mean to say…” Mary was blinking fast as she recalled the odd feeling she had gotten from perusing the guidance notes on the application. Secretly it had been part of the reason for signing up, but it was a sentiment well-hidden from her conscious thought.

“You mean to say a lot don’t you?” Katherine rolled her eyes, “But you don’t really say it though.”

Mary blushed and snapped back into her shell. In any case Jenny chose that moment to appear and walked shyly through the door. Katherine noticed she was wearing a more conservative skirt this morning and one that was rather loser fitting than the one she and Alice wore.

“Alice said she has had breakfast and that we are to be ready to leave in 35 minutes,” Jenny announced without looking up from the floor.

She took a couple of moments and then went to sit down. An action that was doomed to failure and she grimaced at a crouch while hovering over the chair.

“Here,” Katherine said, tossing a cushion from one of the armchairs at the edge of the dining room.

Jenny blushed, but accepted it gratefully and made another attempt to sit down. This time with a wince and a groan she made it. But she was not looking forward to the onward journey towards Seattle.

*

The largely empty bus pulled out on time and the only other passengers were an old somewhat Hispanic-looking woman and a black lady with four small children. Neither party was particularly talkative, much like the small company led by Alice and as they hit the road she noticed that Janet was a lot less brash than she had been and the other women too were more thoughtful. Although strangely Jenny was in a better mood and became quite chatty once Alice tolerated her standing up or kneeling on the empty seat forward of their group.

“Where are we going Miss Bowman, what’s it like? I have never been to Washington State before I heard it is beautiful,” she gushed.

“Yes it is,” Alice replied, somewhat amused.

“And what about the Sinclair Method, the thing in the application my aunt signed, what is it exactly?” Jenny continued.

“Yes, I would like to know more about that,” Katherine spoke up.

“The Sinclair Method is a well-tested mentoring system developed by Elizabeth Sinclair. She was an educationalist of a kind,” Alice sounded as if she had begun a lecture. “She came from England in the 1890s and founded a women’s college in Boston. But it did not thrive and she was forced to become a governess for a time. However, she later developed a system for the training of governesses with a special interest in reforming young women who were… lost or on the wrong path. She believed that women who had been reformed in later life were best placed to help others.”

“Were you a lost young woman on the wrong path?” Janet asked with proverbial butter dripping from her lips.

Alice studied the delinquent hard and considered her next words carefully.

“As a matter of fact in a manner of speaking I was. During the war I joined the navy and served in the Philippines among other places,” Alice told them.

“Were you a nurse?” Katherine asked.

“Did you get stranded there when McArthur left?” Jenny added excitedly.

“No, neither of those, I was a clerk. I was evacuated and glad to be so. But my point is I had a purpose back then, an order to my life that being a civilian lacked.

Alice saw that Katherine was nodding and even others were thoughtful as if recognising something in her words.

“But isn’t it all a bit extreme and old-fashioned?” Mary asked.

Alice saw Katherine frown and almost glare at the other girl.

“You tell me,” Alice said, “What attracted you to this scheme?”

“The lack of bars,” Janet put in ruefully.

Jenny blushed furiously and looked down as if something in Janet’s words had struck a chord. But the whole turn in the conversation was excruciating. Nonetheless she seemed to find her courage.

“It is not all extreme is it Miss Bowman, I lost my parents at an early age and I know what you mean about being lost. My aunt meant well but never seemed to know what to do with me. I don’t want to end up in gaol, really I don’t,” she said all of a splutter as if quoting someone and her eyes fell upon Janet as she said the last part.

Mary was chewing on the inside of her cheek as she pondered the discussion. Alice was certain that the woman had given no thought this at all. It was often that way with the most lost girls; they seemed to almost to fall into it by accident as if by instinct rather than design.

“But last night, you spanked Jenny, boy that was a hoot but…” Janet began.

Jenny went crimson, every bit of her that could be seen and she looked around in a panicked fluster at the other passengers. Even Katherine and Mary looked uncomfortable.

“But it is a bit old fashioned isn’t it,” Janet added lowering her voice.

Alice was impressed at her consideration. Not such a loss soul after all.

“Yes it is,” she said, “From top to… eh bottom, so to speak, so make your minds up to it girls,” she replied.

It was enough to stop all chatter for a while and the road to a new life began to swallow up the miles.

*

They arrived in Beaumont, a small town a few hours’ drive from Seattle, at around three in the afternoon. They could see at once that the white painted community was going to offer few distractions and on their way in the girls counted no more than a dozen shops, a church, a gas station, a movie house, two bars, a diner, an ice cream parlour and the public library. The town was so small that there wasn’t even a bus depot and the Greyhound made only a cursory stop. Just long enough for the women to gather their bags.

“Now girls, I have to get to the realty office to collect the keys and get the car out of the garage. I want you to wait right here,” Alice said once the small company was assembled on the corner, “Katherine you are in charge. I won’t be long.”

“What a dump,” Janet said in a tone of disgust as soon as Alice had gone.

Jenny too was pulling a face, although Mary looked less nervous than she had since they had all met up.

“I expect it is what is,” Katherine said enigmatically.

“They have a church anyway,” Mary said in a neutral voice.

Janet smirked and included Jenny in a rude gesture with her hand behind Mary’s back. Then pushing herself away from the brick wall she had leaned against Janet began to size the place up.

“I am going to look the bar over, maybe they have some decent men in this town,” she said.

“Janet, I think you should stay here, you heard what Alice said,” Katherine suggested.

Janet dismissed the older girl with her hand and strolled cat-like, one foot before the other, across the street to survey her new domain.

“Do you think she should do that?” Mary whined.

“I’m going to stay right here like Miss Bowman said,” Jenny put in piously.

You soon changed your tune, Katherine thought, as she looked impotently after Janet.

“Come back, wait for Miss Bowman,” the older woman raised her voice.

But Janet waved her away and with a lick of her lips headed down the street.

“I guess we could get a soda,” Mary suggested. It seemed like the thing to do, not being as bad as going somewhere they sold beer.

Katherine shot her a look of incredulous disdain and shook her head in disbelief. Then turning she watched as Janet wandered down as far as the first bar. There the wild youngster wheeled around and threw up her arms in consternation, evidentially finding the bar closed. Katherine urgently waved her back. But Janet responded with a two-handed salute and swept on down the street towards where the mom & pop stores had been and the other bar.

“Do you think Alice would mind if I went to the church then?” Mary said absently, “They sometimes have nice dances and other things on and I could find out. Besides it might be a Methodist minister, which would be neat.”

Jenny giggled at the idea but fell quiet at a glare from Katherine. By now Janet had gone from sight and Katherine hoped that the other bar would be closed too. So she stood staring after her shading her eyes from the sun.

“Katherine, where is Janet?” Alice called, suddenly appearing.

In her hands she held some keys. There were too many for just one house and Katherine recognised some for a car of some kind.

“She is… just checking out the neighbours I think,” Katherine said hesitantly.

“I told you to stay here,” Alice barked.

“But…” Katherine began.

“And that meant Janet too,” the governess continued sharply.

Katherine opened her mouth and arms to protest before closing them again.

“Katherine, I left you in charge. This simply won’t do,” Alice scolded, “Janet is a ward of the court and I am responsible if she absconds.”

“I don’t think she has gone far,” Jenny suggested helpfully.

Alice snatched a look at her watch and then impatiently up and down the street.

“Are we in a hurry Ma’am?” Katherine asked.

“That is not the point,” Alice snapped.

Just then Janet strolled into sight at the far end of Main Street and began to amble back. Alice looked like she was fuming and her glare encompassed them all.

“I am going to get the car,” she sighed, “This time wait here.”

*

They sat in stony silence as they made what was to be a short ride up into the hills. The mountains beyond looked high and were capped in snow and Katherine thought them rather beautiful. However, she was somewhat subdued having been left in charge and letting everyone down. Not that she had any real idea what she could have done about Janet.

Seeing Alice had her eyes fixed firmly on the narrow winding mountain road Katherine stole a glance at Janet who sat sullenly to her right. The latter girl returned a look that said ‘what did I do?’ But although she would never admit it the butterflies in her tummy warned the rebellious delinquent that this time she may have overstepped the mark. From their demeanour, Jenny and Mary obviously seemed to think so. And so they drove for almost an hour until they reached a white picket fence running along the edge of the road anda  right turn up a dirt track into the trees.

The mountains ducked in and out of view now, being not so easy to see through the closed-in woodland that cocooned the track in a soft green tunnel around them.

“Welcome to the boondocks,” Janet said scornfully.

But she didn’t say it loud and only Katherine heard her. Then all at once the trees fell away on one side revealing a paddock bordered by an identical white picket fence they had seen at the road. Beyond that was a white painted house with a colonial feel and a front porch that dominated the front of the building. Although not over-large it had three stories, with box-framed windows getting progressively smaller at each as the eye travelled upwards.

“Alright girls,” Alice said brightly as the car pulled up, “Get your bags and go in. At the top of the stairs on the second floor go to the left and choose a room.”

*

Despite themselves the women were all of a twitter as they explored their new home. Much comparison was done between rooms and given that there seemed to be six rooms between the four of them there was little bickering.

Janet had made a bee-line for the biggest room but Katherine had ignored her and dropped her own bags there first. The younger woman glared for a moment and then shrugged. It was easy enough to encourage Mary not to compete and Jenny had grabbed the smallest room anyway, one with pink flowers and a view.

The girls were still getting settled when they heard someone clapping. There hard short smacks from the half-landing on the stairs.

“Alright girls, gather round,” Alice was calling.

She waited until all four had collected at the rail on the upper floor before she fixed them with her gaze and continued.

“I am not entirely happy with you so far and as for this morning… well I will come to that. From now on you will adhere strictly to the rules, some of which are on the back of your bedroom doors. Others you will learn as we go along,” she began, “You will notice that Katherine is well-turned out. She has a hat and gloves as all ladies must wear in public and is dressed neatly and tastefully.”

Janet scowled and Mary shifted uncomfortably.

“Mary, while not exactly breaking the rules… well we will talk privately. As for you younger girls…” Alice continued, now examining Jenny’s ski-pants and Janet’s tight sweater and skirt, “I will be charitable and allow that you have opted for some kind of sports attire. This will now cease unless you are playing tennis or some other authorised outdoor activity.”

Janet now looked even more disconcerted and opened her mouth to protest.

“Janet is already in my bad books and would do well not to test me,” Alice pre-empted her, backing her words with a hard look in the girl’s direction, “Wait for me in your room directly that I dismiss you all,” she added sternly.

Janet continued to show her irritation while Katherine sucked in her cheeks and shifted uncomfortably.

“I see you are aware of your shortcomings, though they are not as serious as Janet’s,” Alice said almost kindly as she addressed the older girl. “My room is to the right at the end. Come see me later and we will talk.”

Katherine nodded.

“Dinner is at eight so if Jenny and Mary would attend me in the kitchen before seven we will prepare it. In due course I will engage some help, but until then we must shift for ourselves,” Alice told them. The with another brisk clap she dismissed them with, “Alright then, cut along girls.”

As the others drifted away Janet pursed her lips thoughtfully and pondered her options. She didn’t relish a confrontation with Alice and she supressed all thoughts of Jenny’s fate that began gather at the back of her mind. What was the big deal, she wonered, but thought better of testing the governess further. So with a sigh she trudged sullen to her room and dropped dejectedly onto the bed.

*

Alice knocked and entered Janet’s room without waiting and for once the latter looked somewhat nervous. After a moment’s hesitation Janet got to her feet under the older woman’s gaze and looked at her feet.

“You haven’t unpacked,” Alice accused her.

“No I…” Janet was ready with a snide comeback but Alice cut her off.

“Show me your clothes.” It was a terse tight order and immediately set-up and air of disciplined tension.

Janet frowned and grabbed her two bags from the floor and tossed them indolently onto the bed. One was a battered cream suitcase and the other grey duffle bag. Alice didn’t wait for Janet to open them and pushed the girl aside to flip them open.

“These are unsuitable,” Alice said sharply, snatching up some of the underwear.

“Hey, those cost me…” Janet wailed.

Alice glared her to silence.

“These are for recreation only,” Alice continued making a pile on the bed. “I will direct you when to wear them. This dress is fine, and that. The skirts… we will see. The rest will go into storage.”

“But…”

“You have no gloves or hat?” Alice asked.

“Do I look like…?”

“A ‘no ma’am’ would suffice,” Alice snapped, “We will get some for you in town.”

“That dump? I wouldn’t be seen dead anything from there,” Janet snorted.

“Death might be preferable if you ever defy me there again,” Alice growled.

“Eh…?”

“You remember what I did to Jenny?” Alice asked.

As she spoke she dropped down to sit on the bed and eyed the girl sharply.

“That was…” Janet gulped, not knowing what to say to that.

“That was nothing to what will happen to you next time you test me in public. Jenny at least had the benefit of her pants where as I won’t hesitate to spank your little bare bottom outside the drugstore where everyone can see,” Alice’s voice was hard-edged and serious. Enough so that Janet blushed hard and hugged herself nervously. Before she could answer Alice continued asking her, “Do you have a hairbrush?”

“A what…?” Janet spluttered, understanding, “Hey come on, now.”

Both women’s eyes alighted on the object on the dresser at the same time.

“Oh, I see that you do,” Alice said, “Please hand it to me.”

Janet’s eyes went wide and she gaped.

“No listen,” she wailed.

“Please hand me the hairbrush,” Alice said in a slow hard voice, “If I have to ask again you will spend the rest of the afternoon and a good part of the evening in the corner downstairs with your bare bottom displayed for the edification of your new friends.”

Janet looked at the brush as if it were snake and then at Alice. If she surrendered now… anyway how could Alice make her stand in the corner, she wasn’t a kid?

Alice extended an arm and gestured with her fingers as she waited while Janet hovered nervously, now overcome by disbelief. The was a long pause as the girl swallowed hard and looked from the hairbrush to Alice’s hand and then slowly and deliberately shook her head.

Alice nodded and sighed. What happened next was fast. Alice half stood up and grabbed Janet with one arm and the other the brush in the other. Then somehow the girl was over her knee in a flop and staring at the rug half a foot from her nose.

“It’s hard to surrender the first time, I know,” Alice said gently.

As she spoke she loosened the button at the waist of Janet’s skirt and unzipped it down the back. All the while a wide-eyed the prone girl gaped like a fish, barely resisting as the skirt slid from under her and down her legs. In fact it wasn’t until Alice tackled the panties that Janet came alive.

“Nooo, nooo, no,” she suddenly sputtered to a wail.

“Hush now, you just know you have this coming don’t you?” Alice soothed.

“Get off me you bitch, get off,” Janet spat angrily but already her words were tailing off into something like tears of frustration.

The snug thigh-hugging panties were slid right down and off Janet’s legs sweater and stockings that now left nothing much for covering below the waist. Her bottom was snow-white just where her panties had been, revealing a daring sunbathing habit and Alice frowned. Her curves were full and round, vulnerable to some serious attention that had been too long neglected.

“Oh my,” Janet said breathlessly, “You can’t, you just can’t…” she said in panic.

But Alice did, bringing the flat side of the brush fiercely down onto virgin territory.

“Hyghuh,” Janet grunted, or something like it. Alice was ceaselessly amazed at the number or different ways that spanked girls expressed pain and surprise.

The red oval patch left by the hairbrush puckered up in a thousand goose-bumps where it turned red and Alice struck again.

“You bitch, you goddam Jesus sucking bitch, you…. Ahhhh-yah,” Janet carried on.

“Now if you continue with this I am going to wash your mouth-out with soap and if that doesn’t work I have more thorough ways of cleansing you,” Alice told her.

“Oooh,” Janet growled in frustration.

But nothing deterred Alice and she spanked in regular hard sweeps, one following the other until God alone knew how many swats there had been. All the while Janet grunted angrily, determined now to outlast the indignity so that she could spit in Alice’s eye.

“Make no mistake girl; once we are done here you are going to spend a long time in the corner I assure you,” Alice reminded her, “You are going to be so sorry you didn’t cooperate.”

“Go to hell bitch,” Janet yelled.

Alice sighed and reluctantly put the brush down. The grabbing the hapless Janet by the ear she hauled her to her feet. “Very well,” she said and led the kicking protesting girl to the door and through it where she could be seen by anyone around.

“You can’t… hey…” Janet wailed.

But nothing helped and the thoroughly miserable Janet was led down the hall past an openly shocked Mary and faintly amused Jenny all the way to the bathroom.

“Get off me, you can’t do this,” Janet spluttered in uncertainty.

Alice shoved the girl into the old tiled room and blocked her escape. Then she pointed at the rubber tubes, funnels and some rubber bags hanging there.

“We can tackle one end or the other,” Alice said firmly, “You decide.”

Janet had heard of such things and stared at the paraphilia in horror. Worse still she could see Mary and Jenny still watching the scene through the open door and self-consciously she hunched over to guard her exposed front.

Alice chose the moment of hesitation to grab a bar of soap from its dish and present it to the hapless girl.

“Open wide,” she demanded,

“You can go and…” Janet raged, but she was gagged by the soap bar jamming into her mouth.

Alice held it there, pinning the girl by the nape of her neck.

“Now bite down hard and hold it,” Alice told her, but as soon as she let go Janet spluttered away.

Undeterred Alice tried again smearing Janet’s tongue and causing her to make choking sounds.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Janet wailed.

“Now bite it or I will turn you over the edge of the bath and introduce your bottom to an enema tube,” Alice warned.

Janet looked askance at the varying tubes and nozzles hanging on the wall and thought about the threat and her failure to prevent everything else so far. Then the mortified Janet went strawberry and averted her eyes from anyone who might be watching outside. After one final scowl of defiance she reluctantly took the bar of soap between her teeth.

“That’s a good girl;” Alice said quietly, “Now hold it for two minutes and I’ll let you rinse your mouth out: this time.”

Finally Janet was allowed to spit and rinse before being led back down the hall to her room again.

“Wh-where are we…? Oh come on, I said I was sorry,” Janet wailed.

“And I am glad to hear it, but we have a spanking to finish don’t we?” Alice sighed, “In fact we had hardly got started you little hellion.”

“But…” Janet gasped.

But this time she was much less resisting as she tumbled over Alice’s knee and took the first of another onslaught to her bare bottom.

“Now let us see if we can make an impression on this bottom of yours,” Alice said in a determined voice. “Is that alright with you now?”

The brush bit down with a crack heard down the hall and Janet yelled.

“Is it?” Alice pressed her. “Or do we need another visit to the bathroom?”

“No Ma’am,” Janet gasped, “I mean yes Ma’am.”

“Well, which is it?” Alice asked silkily.

Janet worked her mouth as she tried hold back her distressed panic, she was confused now.

“I am asking you if you need a good sound spanking,” Alice pressed the young woman.

“Yes Ma’am,” Janet wailed.

“A good sound spanking on your bare bottom?” Alice added, supressing a chuckle. When they caved the crashed, she thought.

“Yes Ma’am,” Janet said tears pricking her eyes.

“Tell me then,” Alice scolded, “Say it.”

Janet noticed the door was ajar and sobbed.

“I gave you the option of a nice ladylike private spanking and you decided to play the hellion,” Alice reminded her.

“Please Ma’am, I’m sorry,” Janet said finally breaking to tears.

“I know you are, but now I need some public contrition,” Alice soothed, “Now ask me nicely.”

“Please Ma’am… I…” Janet swallowed and thought she would die and then she chokingly spluttered, “Please Ma’am… please give me…” she gulped, “A good s-sound sp-spanking…” she gulped again, “On my… on my… ooh, bare bottom,” she finally bawled.

“I am glad to oblige,” Alice sighed and brought the brush down hard again as the first of a volley that began to raise rubber-welted pads on the crowns and sit-spots of both of Janet’s bottom cheeks.

In a very short time Janet was crying freely like a kid, telling herself that it hurt, which it did. But it was the fall of her castle so cynically constructed over years that she so thoroughly lamented. She sobbed and sobbed until there was nothing else.

To be continued.

The sun was unexpectedly warm as she crept from under the trees where it was still winter cool. Stepping from the shadows, she revelled in the contrast as she moved from the chill into the summer-like blaze that set a fire in her copper-sheened hair.

Blue flowers now peeked out between the first of the daffodils and for the first time she could see the house. A haven of stone now glowing in the sunshine, a place of safety she should never have left.

He had told her not to go out. They didn’t need any more shopping and the weather was not yet reliable enough to ignore the cough upon her ample chest. He was right, she conceded, not that it mattered. He had said she should remain and she hadn’t.

But the yellow blooms were so lovely and she thought of Easter and chocolate and shopping… It was all a dance between them, played out over and over from love and submission and he was her Lord. She smiled wanly and bit her lip. Maybe he hadn’t noticed her departure; maybe.

But he had.

As soon as she entered she saw the cane and the hairbrush on the table.

“Hello,” she called nervously.

But there was no reply.

“Come on, I’m sorry,” she said lightly to the silent empty room.

The sun poured through the mid-Victorian panes in dusty beams forming curtains of light in the room. They shone onto the far wall by the corner and at any other time it would have been beautiful.

“Balls,” she moaned.

She hated the next bit. Did she dare duck out and pretend she hadn’t come home? Of course not, he was lord now and this was his domain. So with a sigh she began to remover her dress and tights until she stood in her underwear. Then half of that too descended to her ankles as she moved over to the corner. She hated it. Here she would remain until he returned, patient and compliant for his return and the rest of her punishment.

She thought of the cane then and gulped. Stick followed brush every time; one sore-making and worthy of contrition and the other mean and bitey.

“Oh balls,” she said again and stamped her foot.

*

Ten minutes is an age for a girl in the corner. Forty is a world dragging eon and she sighed. She had stood here for hours in her time, bare bottom to the room and wondering if anyone at the window could see.

Once or twice there had been visitors. Just voices in the hall threatening to bear witness but he had politely guided them away as she meekly blushed into the corner. Even now she could not be certain they did not see, not for certain sure. She was a good girl and she hadn’t looked back. She blushed now at the memory before remembering where she was.

“I see you have at least learned something.” His voice was sudden and from nowhere; she had not even known he had been there.

“Yes Sir,” she said quickly after a pause.

Her voice sounded small from where two walls met and her ears burned.

“You will think long on what you’ll get later, but for now come here,” he growled.

He already sat in the chair fixing her with a hard gaze from under thick heavy brows. They were still mostly dark compared to the silver dashed close-cut on top, but it was his thick arms revealed to the elbows that drew her attention. She always trilled as he rolled them up, but this time she had missed the action. Why was that sad?

“I didn’t… I mean, I was only…” This and other excuses tumbled meekly from her mouth.

His deep blue eyes flashed in warning and she all but scampered to her doom.

Doom was it? His hand stung her bare bottom well-enough, but he hadn’t even touched the promise of the hairbrush. She still had that to come. The cane did not figure in her thoughts then, she had not yet the courage.

Sometimes when he was mildly chiding, his hand was a nice sting to make her a good girl and she had to try not to giggle. It was like that now, or it would have been, but this time she had been bad. The spanking reflected that, just a tingle at first, but soon really tanging her to her a burn.

He spanked her until she was panting and kicking her legs, then he upped his game. Taking up the hairbrush he patted it to her bottom, making an impatient growl in his throat as he did so.

“I told you not to leave,” he said in a hard deep voice and he spanked her, “I told you.”

“Yes Sir,” she managed, but it was hurting now.

He listed her crimes as he spoke and she tried to listen. He would have her repeat them later as she bent over with a bare bottom awaiting the cane strokes. It was a kind of test and failure was so sore-making.

Finally she broke to mewling and kicked out her legs in a dance of pain, but he spanked on determined to make his point, the first of many. Only he would decide when it stopped, for he was Lord of the Dance.

Ends

He studied the lines of canes that hung above the solid Jacobean drawers. In them, he knew, were paddles and straps and all manner of tools for his trade. The furniture had been darkened with age until it was black with authority. He ran a finger along its curves in appreciation, an echo of more appreciated shapes.

Bottoms came in all shapes and sizes and in his mind there was an endless parade of gut-crunching beauty for him to appreciate. Shape was more important than size, but curves that suited one woman would never do for another, they were all unique. In any case he had never met a woman who did not think her bum was too big.

It was folly really, when he was in the business of taking girls down in size in order to make them grow and swell; sometimes literally. A harsh game but someone had to play and there was no shortage of players.

He was not a young man, not anymore; well it came to us all in the end. But neither was he old. He stood straight and firm without the niggling complaints that tormented his contemporaries; a consequence perhaps of years of working out and always taking the stairs. Nevertheless, his hair was thinning, but only a little, but it was whiter now than the rugged dark of his youth, rendering it grey.

He considered again the 17^th century furniture that held his little tools. It was a craftsman’s piece rather than a finery for a noble house. It had been perhaps ordered by a yeoman farmer for some corner of his room. He liked that. It was used as it was intended with a job in mind and was not some pretty-pretty for visitors to gawp at before they moved on to admire the antique Belgium drapery.

He smiled at the thought and then looked back at the canes. His visitor would be here soon as she had been before. Did she ever notice his acquisition, he wondered? Or was she more concerned with what was in it and what they would do?

It never occurred to him that for her it began and ended with her mentor.

*

She stood at the end of the lane where the tarmac met the more rugged unadopted road. Behind her the field of rapeseed glowed so brightly yellow that it hurt her eyes to look and she even shed a tear. The scent of it was sweet and heavy in the air, a marked contrast to the immature green buds in the field that ran alongside the lane.

His house, here she smiled at the secret pretence, his house was at the end, just one of three down the track, separated from the others by a good 30 feet and a stand of silver birch. It was an old brick affair with dull yellow London brick details around the doors and windows. It stood high and gothic like a castle and although not sinister, she felt sick with nerves as she hung back working up the courage. It was ever thus.

Not that she was a kid in the first year of her explorations. She had been on this road for 10 years or more and was now nearer 40 than 30. Still beautiful she hoped, but her thick red locks were occasionally chemically assisted and her figure tending to be fuller than she liked. She was certain that her bottom was too big and wore carefully chosen cute patterned skirts as obfuscation.

It was her needs that troubled her, great overwhelming desires that she could no more live without than she could turn into a man. But she was who she was.

It wasn’t that she liked spanking or being spanked. She hated it. Her fear of punishment was hard like the knot in her tummy and almost as strong as her wide-eyed need. But that was just it, she needed it with a passion. But not today, not when she didn’t know what he might do.

Worst of all was the cane. The sight and sound of it made her tremble. The hard scrape of wood on wood as he picked up from the desk reminded her of the dentist drill. The swoosh thwack sound it made as he cut the air. The crack across her behind was louder but by then she was overwhelmed by sharp biting pain that overrode all else. Then came the indelible lines that could be felt for sometimes weeks and left her unable to sit down properly for a day or two after.

But at least the cane was honest. It announced itself boldly and a girl always knew where it had been. It brought with it a sharp clear pain that could clear the head. Not like the birch. That seemingly feeble bundle of rods clattered like old bones and when it struck it tingled all over imparting a gentle sting. But each tingling assault grew hotter until a girl was taken by surprise. Just as she thought it couldn’t get any worse the fire really took hold and then she would do anything to make it stop.

The texture on her bottom in its wake was always interesting. The chaffed sore skin had an after burn like nothing else and where the cane left reluctance at sitting, the birch stole chair privileges for the duration, and that could be days.

The birch however was not as bad as the strap. The hard baked leather meant business from the start, imparting a heavy sting to take breath away. And that was just for an opening. No a dozen blows into a good strapping and she was sobbing that she would be a good girl.

The aftermath was a glory too. Deep red leathery welts clung to the curves of her bottom like giant Nicorette patches that were all itchy and sore. The blisters were hard and spikey to the touch with an undercurrent of deep seated soreness she could feel for days.

The strap could be made worse still if he used the rough side like sack-cloth canvas or one of his sandpaper specials. She had to be a very naughty girl indeed for such treatment. She shuddered.

Then there was the paddle. The dull hard relentlessness was endurance itself. Both sting and ache during and deep ‘never sit down again’ bruises for a long, long time afterwards. Such interesting colours too.

A naughty girl she wasn’t, she didn’t dare be. Once or twice when she had been, he had used a combination of two or more corrective techniques. After the cane on a strapped or paddled bottom he owned her.

Throw in a birch session in between for added texture and she would contemplate her never used safe word and pray that she never see him again; a resolve that lasted hours sometimes.

But there were so many sanctions and punishments to contend with. A humble over the knee spanking could be very effective. Beyond the sting, which could be imparted over a very long time, then there was the embarrassment factor. A grown woman could really be taken down a peg or two by a simple hand-spanking; especially when it was coupled with corner time.

The thrill of shame and submission was a complex matter.

She remembered reading about a girl who had sought out a mentor in her college years. This young woman would beg to be given dozens of cane strokes rather than get a spanking in front of her mentor’s friends.

That girl said that being bare bottomed in the corner after a spanking while men commented on her punishment was right at the edge of her endurance. Yet still this woman went back for more.

She knew too that such things were not for everyone, not even those who sought out such a guiding hand. For her it was about him and what he could do to her. But she procrastinated and he would not tolerate that.

The lane was still now and she looked up the track to the house. The scent of late spring was almost cloying and in that moment she thought that she would remember it forever. But he was waiting.

*

Her face held a permanent startle as she looked around the room. The canes had been polished and there were two taws on the desk. At least there was no paddle yet and no evidence at all of a birch rod. She looked into the corner to double check, everywhere in fact but right at him.

He regarded her like a work of art as he tried to compose himself. The secret was to remember that she was a being with her own needs, but to never to quite let her know that she was the focus of his every motive. She had to be off-guard never knowing what he might do or what she might have to endure. For this there was trust between them developed over many years.

“You look nice today,” he said with a warm smile.

She blinked.

“It is a pity that I have to ask you to remove your skirt and take your knickers down,” he continued, the smile instantly vanishing.

She blanched and clutched at her throat. He had said such things before, but they never failed to shock her. But still she fought back; just a little.

“I am not wearing any knickers,” she said boldly.

“And who told you to do that?” he asked, his voice sharp with an edge.

“I…” she was off-guard again.

“You will be punished for that,” he told her.

She blushed and looked at the floor.

“Well?” he barked.

She jumped and hastily scrabbled to remove the clothing he had specified. Then once she was naked below the waist and shyly cupping her sex he sat down in his padded leather armless chair and began appraising her again. She couldn’t quite meet his eyes and made girlish kissy pouts out of the side of her mouth.

“The strap before the cane today I think,” he mused aloud, “But that will take a while.”

She sighed heavily as she struggled to keep her breath even. But her mouth was open like a jogger who quailed before a marathon.

“Don’t worry, we have time,” he said reassuringly. “I might even add something extra for your outrageous lack of underwear.”

She visible gulped; her eyes suddenly wide.

“But I thought…” she stopped herself lest he decide she was questioning him. She had thought the cane and strap combination was her punishment for not wearing her knickers.

“Don’t think,” he snapped, “When was the last time I put you over my knee for a good spanking?”

“Eh…?” she was off-balance now.

In a moment her bare bottom was a dome over his lap and smoothed out her skin.

“Rose pink with my hand and then a nice cherry red with a hairbrush,” he muttered as if choosing from a menu.

She blinked rapidly but the spanking had already begun. Crisp smacks where the sting in her bottom met the burn of his hand.

“No rush, no rush,” he drawled adding a volley of spanks.

From her head down position she could see that there was some dust on the skirting board. She would have to see about that tomorrow, she thought, but then he began to spank her with a will and she was lost again.

Our story began here.

Alice realised that Janet and Jenny had allowed her to mark time and had given the training schedule some shape.

While they were there then keep two basically good kids in line just about justified Alice’s existence but now thing were getting serious. Mrs Baxter expected great things from Alice and the Sinclair Method and so did Katherine and Mary; her two eager volunteers.

Mary eager, what a turn up, the little mouse had come a long way and in no small part due to Alice, but this was no time to rest upon her laurels. Katherine too needed her and the governess knew she could take little credit in that direction. Even without her guidance, Alice knew that within a year or two Katherine could very well be standing in her shoes.

Not so many years before, in the dying days of the 1940s, Alice herself had come to Muriel Baxter as a cynical ex-WAVE looking for some direction. She remembered clearly standing in the hall of Sinclair’s house with her one bag and dressed to kill. She had all but dared the world and Mrs Baxter to show her something new, to show her who she really was even.

Mrs Baxter had obliged and by supper time she had found herself tumbled pell-mell over the formidable woman’s knee for a bare bottom spanking she would never ever forget.

For an ex-naval officer, corner time had been an excruciatingly embarrassing experience, especially as a dozen or so other girls and women had filed past on their way to the refractory barely batting an eyelid at her predicament.

The utter shame of exposure coupled with the casual indifference had been hard lesson in humility and one she had taken to heart.

But how to handle Katherine and Mary, that was the question. Mary needed a confidence boost, but Katherine reminded Alice of herself and had yet to be truly humbled.

“Time to get serious,” Alice sighed and took a long hard look at herself in the mirror.

*

Katherine and Mary too were enjoying the calm before the inevitable storm. Now that their younger friends had gone they knew that soon Alice’s entire attention would be turned upon them.

Both of them were sitting in Katherine’s room on the bed and missing the unearthly quiet that had descended now that Jenny and Janet could no longer be heard bickering. In fact the only sound was the hush of wind in the trees outside and the ticking of a clock somewhere.

It was strange in the house now. No one was being spanked and all the corners were empty of penitent girls. They both missed it and wondered what Alice was planning.

“I want this to work,” Mary said anxiously.

Katherine smiled and nodded encouragingly. “I want to go to the mother house as trainee governess, not just one of the girls. Do you think…?”

“You will easily make that, but me? I have no idea what to do. Do you think Alice is really going to teach us?” Mary gushed.

“Why don’t we ask her?” Katherine said thoughtfully.

“Oh, you know I get tongue-tied and… well you know, it is so embarrassing isn’t it?” Mary sighed.

“Hmmm,” Katherine pondered. “We could write a letter.”

Mary came alive and bounced up on the bed.

“What do you mean? A letter to Alice, but that’s silly,” Mary said, but hoped she was wrong.

“No it isn’t,” Katherine said sharply, but her mind was fixed on her idea now. “What we need to say is…”

“Please Dear Alice, hmm, we really want to make this work and we know what a great opportunity you and Mrs Baxter have offered us…” Mary offered tentatively.

“Something like that, yes,” Katherine agreed, “Let’s start a list of what we think…”

Mary nodded eagerly.

An hour later they had a half decent draft.

Dear Miss Bowman,

Can we start off by thanking you for the great opportunity that you and Mrs Baxter have offered us and we truly hope to make the most of it.

We know that there will be difficult and not to say painful times ahead for both of us, I doubt if either of us will be sitting down much for many weeks to come. But this is what we truly need and we both want to assure you that despite our girlish protests we both respect and appreciate your firm hand. If we may be so bold as to say so, never were two bare bottoms blistered so thoroughly in a good cause.

You have taught us both that there is nothing so good for a young woman as a thoroughly spanked bare bottom and a good hour or more standing nose tight to the corner, but we know that there is more to it than that and we don’t just mean the canes, switches and other needful horrors that our training might entail.

We don’t mean to be impertinent when we say that we know that you went through this too and we desire very much to follow in your footsteps. That is, we both very much wish to be trained as governess in the Sinclair Method and urge you not to spare our behinds or minds in any regard when training us to this end. The end being very much to the fore if you pardon the pun.

Please Miss Bowman, Alice, know that we are ready.

Yours very sincerely and very humbly,

Miss Katherine Anders and Miss Mary Welling

*

Alice had read and re-read the letter while the two young women sat in patient nervousness on the couch. All the while Katherine adopted a stance of nonchalant poise, her apprehension only hinted at by the constant twittering of her hands, while Mary couldn’t sit still and insisted on chewing her lips.

“Are you sure about this?” Alice said at last.

Katherine pursed her mouth and gave a single nod as she smiled. Followed by Mary, who stole a glance at the older girl and then finding her brave said, “Yes Ma’am.”

“Very well,” Alice said slowly as she drew in a breath. Standing up she frowned and then carefully folded the letter and put it away. “Mary, go to my room and fetch a hairbrush.”

Katherine let the bridge of her nose furrow as a thousand nameless things nibbled at her tummy. She couldn’t think what she had done, but copious reading of Alice’s training manual had suggested that regular maintenance spanking was a desirable practice and she gulped. If that was her governess’s intent then there was nothing either of them could do about it.

For a long second Mary didn’t obey and worked her mouth in confusion. Then with one last glance at Katherine she dipped her head and slowly found her feet.

“Yes Ma’am,” she sighed before marching away.

“Miss Bowman, Ma’am, have I… have we… well I know it is entirely up to you but…?” she shifted in her seat and moistened her lips. Before she could continue Mary returned and the older girl fell silent again.

“Mary,” Alice scolded as she took the brush from Mary’s nervous hands, “You were late getting up this morning and you failed to make your bed.”

Mary blanched and then sucked in her lower lip. “Yes Ma’am,” she agreed.

“From now on neither of you will make the slightest error in any regard,” Alice snapped.

“Yes Ma’am,” they both parroted before Katherine added, “I think we mean, no Ma’am.”

“Then it is understood,” Alice sighed, “Mary come here, I am going to spank you.”

Mary’s jaw dropped and then she closed her mouth and nodded. There was a moment of awkwardness as she moved forward and haplessly half-bent over before Alice slapped her arm and gently held her back.

Mary blushed and still at a standing crouch she reached under her skirt and tugged down her panties. Then as elegantly as she might she eased herself across Alice’s knee as the older woman flipped up the skirts and slip in back.

Katherine help a fidget as she fixed her eyes on Mary’s two pert domes now exposed across Alice’s lap and she felt a hint of giddiness. One day she would have to spank a girl too and just then she hoped it might perhaps be Mary.

“I am going to spank you using what we call the thorough method. Mrs Baxter rarely uses any other way, but I have tended to be more lenient,” Alice explained as she patted Mary’s bare bottom and parted the cheeks slightly. “I will spank you soundly and relentlessly until you are quite, quite miserable and your whole demeanour displays adequate humility. By this time I expect you will be properly crying at the very least. Now where some may call a halt to the spanking at this point I shall not. Taking note of the time it has taken to so reduce you I will spank you for at least as long again. Is that understood?”

“Yes Ma’am,” a rather wooden-voiced Mary answered; her nose just a few inches from the rug.

Katherine thought the explanation somewhat clinical but she got the point and anyway she was here to learn.

Alice was in no hurry and the spanks landed in tight short bursts that didn’t tax the governess’s arm too much. But for seemingly light spanks they got a reaction from Mary all the same and in moments she was yelping and kicking her heels.

“I think we have you somewhere nice and prominent for your corner time, I am not expecting any visitors but principles need to be upheld don’t they? From now on your shame will be as public as possible, you are going to learn,” Alice said sharply as she got into her stride. “That’s another aspect of the thorough method, not only should a spanking be as long thorough and painful as possible, but it should be as public as possible.”

Alice remembered her early treatment at Mrs Baxter’s hand, a grown woman and an ex-WAVE yet, spanked where teenagers and even delivery boys might see her… heat rose and fuelled her steely arm.

Mary squealed and renewed her squirming. But as yet there were no tears or real contrition; after all it wasn’t something one could fake. In the end it took almost 20 minutes to break Mary down and Alice made a note of the time.

“Are you learning your lesson?” she asked the sobbing girl.

“Yes Ma’am, oh yes ma’am,” Mary sobbed between gasps.

Katherine was breathing almost as heavily as Mary and had to cross and re-cross her legs frequently as a distraction. This was better than the movies, she thought to her shame, surely Mary misery shouldn’t be fun.

“Now we can begin,” Alice said sharply as he did her duty.

The spanking turned out to be one of the longest Katherine had so far witnessed. It was quite an education for the both and one neither would ever forget.

To be continued.

The noise from the street seemed close, but it could have been worse. The old block of flats was up a side street and they were three floors up with only one level above them.

The young woman danced before her three friends in some consternation as she trawled her air-headed brain for an excuse.

“Yeah, I know, I know but…” Kimberly blustered as she batted down the air in agitation. She was willowy long-haired blonde who always had an answer to everything, “But come on guys…”

Sarah cocked her head to one side and made a face of mock sympathy, rolling her bottom lip down. She was little Miss Sensible most of the time, a head shorter than Kimberly and raven haired. At 24 she was a year younger, but far less impulsive.

“I had to,” Annie put in eagerly, “Last month I mean.” The 23-year-old suddenly wished she hadn’t said that and she blushed.

“But Greg wasn’t here then… I mean, it was just us,” Kimberly gasped as she squirmed in the middle of the room. She even eyed the door.

Greg grinned and a made a slow roll of his head to stare at Annie. “You never told me that,” he laughed. His new girlfriend was full of surprises. Like the strange arrangement she had with her flatmates.

Annie shrugged and shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.

Greg wasn’t sure he believed any of this. Sure Annie had told him about the strange arrangement the girls had to enforce flat discipline. About how Sarah had been getting spanked at home right up until she left home after college. How Sarah had convinced them that none of them were too old for a bare bottom spanking and some corner time. But when pressed she had said ‘it’s no big deal’ and had been somewhat vague.

“So no one actually gets spanked?” he had asked, “It’s like a threat or a kind of a joke?” Grinning, his train of thought was broken by a still protesting Kimberly.

“But what about Rachel?” she whined, now looking like a cornered mouse among Cheshire cats.

“We’re waiting for Rachel to get home,” Sarah said smugly and grinned.

“Look you can’t do this,” Kimberly stamped her foot and made her best assertive face.

“Oh we can,” Sarah said archly as her eyes became fierce and began staring her friend down.

“Look you agreed, we all did,” Annie remonstrated. “Like me last month,” she added shyly and risked a side-glance at Greg.

“Look,” Kimberly tried again to assert herself, “I’m older than you, and… and… so is Rachel…” and failed.

“Kimberly Jane Coleman, you agreed to the arrangement and you messed up. Now you’re going to get those jeans down and you are going to stand in the corner until Rachel gets home,” Sarah stood up as she spoke and fixed the older woman with a hard stare.

Kimberly allowed her mouth to drop open and rolled her eyes. “Not with him here,” she said with a pout.

Greg stood up and reached for his coat. “Maybe I had better go to the pub,” he said gently.

He wasn’t a big guy, only half a head taller than Kimberly, but he was stocky like a bulldog and always looked more at home in a rugger shirt than the blue business one he now wore.

“No, no Greg you aren’t. Kimberly knows that our arrangement calls for no one getting inconvenienced when one of us have to be punished for screwing up,” Sarah said sharply as she glared at Kimberly.

“It is alright for you to say… you haven’t been spanked yet,” Kimberly muttered sullenly.

“Maybe that’s because I got all of mine at home before I moved in,” Sarah replied, her eyes narrowing.

“I’m tired of hearing about your weirdo family and how you were spanked and sent to the corner. I mean who gets spanked at over 21 for God’s sake?” Kimberly complained and rolled her eyes again.

“We do,” Annie winced and found the courage to look at Greg. He nodded. “I mean when we have it coming. You agreed Kimberly, we all did, and you know it.”

“Fine,” Kimberly spat, “Fine,” she repeated and turned around to fumble with her jeans.

The front door opening announced the arrival of Rachel and Sarah fixed a determined a gaze on a spot on the carpet as if steeling herself for a confrontation. By the time the other 25-year-old entered the room Kimberly’s jeans and knickers were already a puddle at her ankles and her hands were firmly on her head.

“Oh,” Rachel gasped as she stopped in her tracks. “Is this about the dishwasher?” she asked nervously.

“I’m afraid so,” Sarah agreed in a voice dripping with regret.

Annie thought she was overdoing it and smirked.

Rachel looked at Kimberly’s displayed bare bottom and crinkled her nose. “Whoops.”

“I think you need to join her, don’t you?” Sarah said, her mouth a determined line.

“But what about…?” she flicked an embarrassed glance at Greg.

Sarah shrugged.

“Shit,” Rachel muttered and then crossed the room towards the humiliated Kimberly. “Looks like the kids have us bang to rights,” she added as she undid her work trousers and slid them down to her knees.

“It’s alright for you,” Kimberly muttered in annoyance.

“Oh that’s right,” Rachel chuckled, “Your first time.”

Then without further ado she lowered her underwear and put her hands on her head too.

“Enjoying the show Greg,” she called out over her shoulder.

“Oh yeah, Greg chuckled and sat back.

“Now we have an interesting situation here,” Sarah said in a voice reminiscent of a cat with cream and a small smile danced on her lips as she regarded the two bare bottoms waiting in the corner.

Rachel made a pout and blushing she looked back wondering what was coming next.

“Wellllll,” Sarah drawled, “As you know our arrangement says that the oldest in our little family not getting punished gets to spank those girls that are…”

“So that’s you then,” Annie said quickly, “I’m not doing it, I mean… I couldn’t that’s all.”

Annie was the youngest and despite her confusion over Sarah’s unusual plan, it at least had the advantage of being simple; for Annie anyway. Behave no problem. Don’t, and one of the others would spank her.

It had been a shock that first time and Rachel had done the honours. It had hurt and she had been so embarrassed; especially as they had sent her to the corner with a red bottom for the duration of two whole movies. But there was a kind of clarity in it and she saw what Sarah meant.

“No I get that,” Sarah said patiently, “But strictly speaking, well I’m not the oldest now.” Sarah sucked in her cheeks and let the idea resonate.

“Now hold on,” Kimberly wailed from the corner, she had already guessed what was coming next.

“You mean Greg,” Annie gasped.

Sarah grinned.

“Seems fair,” Rachel muttered. She wasn’t thrilled by the idea, but somehow the idea of being spanked by a man rather than Sarah wasn’t so bad.

Greg gaped and sat up, the grin disappearing from his face.

“See it is agreed,” Sarah giggled and folded her arms in satisfaction.

“Look I don’t think…” Greg began.

“No way,” Kimberly spluttered, her face was bright pink.

“Shut up you,” Sarah snarled.

*

Sarah extended her arm offering Greg the hairbrush like it was a trophy. Rachel was sprawled across his lap and trying to laugh it off. Although the truth was the man’s thighs felt solid and having one’ bottom bare just an arm-length away was unsettling.

“I see,” Greg nodded as he took it.

“Spank hard, I mean hard,” Sarah said, “Let’s see what you’re made of.”

Greg looked at Annie who shrugged and after studying Rachel’s vulnerable bottom as if it were a curio nodded.

“Yeah, let’s see what you’re made,” Rachel teased.

Greg spanked her. The swat was harder than he meant and Rachel went cross-eyed and she stiffened like an ironing board across his lap.

“That’s it,” Sarah chuckled, “Maybe a bit harder though.”

“Wh..” Rachel began, but her words were robbed as Greg duly obliged.

“What am I made of Rach?” Greg asked.

“Jeez,” she hissed as he spanked her again. “Okay, okay… I…ah… ow, I get itttt.”

It didn’t take long for Rachel’s bottom to get red and Sarah noticed small ridges of welts rising where the white skin met the torment area.

“That’s good, keep going,” she urged.

“Sarah,” Rachel yelled.

“Yes?” Sarah leaned in close and pulled Rachel’s face towards her.

The girl’s eyes were watery and she was mouth-breathing. “I’m just saying, it hurts that’s all.” She sounded sullen.

“Let me handle this,” Greg said sharply and resumed the spanking.

“I’ve created a monster,” Sarah giggled.

Greg had no idea how long or hard to spank, but he took his cue from the girls who were looking on with fascination rather than horror. He would spank Rachel until she was good and sorry or until Annie began to look troubled by his attention to her friend’s bare bottom.

Sorry was a long time coming and neither of her flatmates looked at all troubled. The problem for Rachel was her pride and her competitive nature. She didn’t mind losing, but she wasn’t going to give in.

It was 10 minutes before Rachel’s laboured breathing became strained and her occasional yelps became so that they greeted every spank and she began to cry.

“You’re done,” he said at last and let her up.

Rachel was wet-faced and utterly miserable, but there were no hard feelings as she jumped up and down massaging her rear.

“Thanks,” she said sarcastically, “I’ll eat standing up for a week.”

“Nah, just a day or two,” Sarah giggled.

“Now for Kimberly,” Greg said, crooking his finger.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Kimberly moaned.

“Isn’t he just,” Sarah grinned, “Me too, are you enjoying this Annie?”

Annie bit her thumb to stop an open laugh.

“Not too hard please,” Kimberly said in a worried voice as she submitted and flopped down over Greg’s lap. Then she gasped, “Hey what’s that?”

“Sorry,” Greg said sheepishly as he surveyed Kimberly’s super model curves. His eyes sought out Annie’s, who shrugged indifferently.

“Why does she get all the fun?” Rachel said ruefully from her position back facing the wall. She had already felt an early sample of Greg’s appreciation.

“You can have some more fun if you like,” Greg said.

Rachel rolled her eyes and made an exaggerated attempt at standing to attention facing the wall. “No thanks.”

“Now is everybody ready?” Greg asked.

There was a click in Kimberly’s throat as she swallowed something down and tensed-up.

“Oh I think so,” Sarah said brightly.

Annie bit her lip and made a wincey face.

The hairbrush gained an over the top yell from Kimberly as it cracked down on her bottom and she kicked up her heels. Getting neither resistance nor comment from the spanked girl, Greg struck her again and she yelled.

“It doesn’t hurt that much,” Sarah sighed.

Greg gave a lie to that and spanked Kimberly again.

This time she hissed and crossed her ankles as she rode the first true wave of pain.

“And we have lift off,” Sarah said excitedly.

“Oh God,” Kimberly gasped as Greg began spanking her for real.

“Oh, oh, oh, oh,” Kimberly squealed as she kicked her legs theatrically under the volley of spanks. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she repeated breathlessly.

“What exactly did she do anyway?” Greg asked belatedly.

Sarah was impressed at the way he didn’t miss a swat, which continued to land on target at three or four second intervals.

“They were both supposed to empty and refill the dishwasher,” she told him.

“But they forgot and to cover their tracks they rushed it and someone forgot to scrub the big pans and someone overfilled the whole damn thing…” Annie added sounding annoyed.

“And now we have a blocked up dishwasher,” Sarah finished for her before Annie got too colourful in her choice of words.

“You know I left it with Kim to do,” Rachel said sullenly from the wall and pouted.

“No excuse,” Sarah rolled her eyes.

“Ow, okay now,” Kimberly shrieked, as she squirmed under the spanking.

Greg looked at Sarah who answered him with a small shake of her head.

Kimberly sniffed and slapped at the edge of the chair. She was no longer plying them with crocodile tears and very real ones began to overwhelm her.

The spanking lasted for a good few minutes more before Kimberly sagged and began to cry in earnest surrender.

“I think we are done,” Greg said letting her up.

Annie looked at him in awe and even Sarah was nodding slowly in admiration. But nether expression matched that of Kimberly who now stood heedless of her pubic display and both hands clamped to her bum. Through two very moist eyes she regarded the man with horrified wonder.

“Face the wall,” Sarah ordered the sorry looking Kimberly and she was obeyed. “I think a nice long stretch of corner time is required today; after all I think Greg deserves a leisurely eyeful for all his efforts and I know two little brats who could use the embarrassment.”

Annie grinned and nodded in agreement as she plonked down next to Greg and took his arm. For some reason her tummy tingled in excitement and she wondered if she wouldn’t mind being spanked by him too much when her turn came again.

*

The two girls were kept in corner time purgatory so long that their three guardians got bored and moved into the kitchen to make coffee.

“Oh come on,” Rachel muttered and stamped her foot, this was getting more than just embarrassing. She cast her eyes left for any sign that her partner in punishment was up for a rebellion.

Kimberly was still cowed and stood quietly with her eyes glued to the wall in front of her. Rachel had to hand it to Greg, he knew who to take a girl down a peg. He and Sarah were a formidable pair of disciplinarians. Rachel could almost admire them.

Then she smelled the toast and smile erupted on her face. With no one looking she crouched down and fumbled for the zippo in her trouser pocket puddled at her ankles. Then she swivelled her gaze to the fire sensor an arm’s length away and with a flick of her thumb ran a flame under the plastic cover just enough to scorch it.

The alarm was the piercing kind that wailed low and then went high; mostly though it was loud, ear killingly loud.

“Turn it off,” Annie yelled covering her ears.

“What started it?” Sarah screamed back now running from room to room doing a hasty check.

“It’s not the toast,” Greg shouted as he pulled it from the grill and shut it off.

Sarah found the sensor and sniffed. The melted plastic was foul but it was obvious what had happened. The trouble was now the unit was damaged and the digital shut down ignored her frantic fingers.

“I can’t shut it off,” she yelled, glaring at Rachel in an accusation.

Rachel tipped her head back and feigned innocence, but a tiny smirk betrayed her.

“We have to get out until it shuts off,” Greg bellowed, his hands pressed to his ears.

Annie was already out the door and Sarah nodded in agreement.

“You two, come with us,” she yelled at the two miscreants, adding angrily, “Leave those knickers down, you don’t get off that easily.”

Once outside the five siren-evicted 20-somethings had to go a flight down before the noise was bearable.

“It is okay, there’s no fire,” Sarah yelled to anyone who might have come out of their flat.

She was joined by Annie and Greg at the foot of the second flight while Kimberly and Rachel struggled with their disarray on the landing and hoped against all hope that no one came out and saw them half naked.

“Looks like no one else is home yet,” Annie said, “What happened?”

“They happened,” Sarah said angrily nodding at the two girls standing on the stairs above with their jeans still at their ankles looking sheepishly down at them.

“I didn’t do anything,” Kimberly wailed.

“Can we get dressed?” Rachel asked.

“No, face the wall,” Sarah barked.

A miserable looking Kimberly obeyed and turned around to put her hands back on her head in the corner.

“Oh come on,” Rachel protested.

“You, I know what you did, just you wait, now you can stand down here,” Sarah barked.

“B-but if someone comes home…” Rachel said in a whiney voice.

“You should have thought of that,” Sarah scolded her.

Greg looked pensively up at the flat and sighed. Reaching for his mobile phone he smiled sardonically. “Looks like it’s not shutting off, what’s the landlord’s number?”

“Ooh, do you think he’ll get here before the rest of the house does?” Annie giggled.

Her eyes glanced to the now mortified Rachel standing at the wall with her bare and well-spanked bottom displayed to the stairwell.

“Who knows? But at least he will get an eyeful in any case,” Sarah giggled.

“Oh Jesus,” Rachel groaned, “Shit, shit, shit…”

“Serves you right and don’t think that’s the last of it,” Sarah said sharply.

Part 1 here

Carolynn dropped into an easy chair by the door and offered John Dacia a rueful smile.

“As forewarned I came out short,” she said with a shrug. “Thanks for giving me options though, you really took the pressure off.”

Carolynn sat back with a calm resignation and cast a lazy eye around the office. She guessed she would be seeing a lot of this room from now on. The décor was early 1950s with a tasteful mix of 18^th and early 19^th century antiques.

Troubled by her unfamiliar calm he wondered if she was alright. It had been a crazy deal they had made and not one he would have recommended to anyone else. Mixing business with pleasure was a fool’s game.

“I could still swing you another 100k,” he said, matching her shrug.

“So close,” she croaked, her voice straining with regret, “But the point is I needed to make it work and anyway a deal is a deal.”

“I can’t say I am complaining, but seriously… my recreational arrangements aren’t your bag and… why don’t we forget the whole thing and just make a 50:50 deal?”

“No dice John. Besides, I bet my arse and I lost. Don’t treat me like a child,” she snapped, “Oh, but I guess that exactly what you intend,” she laughed uneasily.

“Not exactly, that’s a typical outsider view,” John told her.

“So teach me,” she said firmly as she leaned forward and fixed him with a steely gaze.

“Are you sure?” John countered sharply, meeting every bit of her steel with a few kilos of his own.

“I didn’t choose the path I am on, but after what I have achieved I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is probably exactly what I need,” she said seriously, but he noticed she had averted her eyes.

“What a good spanking?” he chuckled.

“To be taken out of my comfort zone,” she laughed too.

“I already did that,” he smirked, “How is your behind anyway?”

Carolynn blushed and shifted uneasily in her seat. Not that there was the least tenderness from a month before, not outside her mind anyway. “My behind is just fine Sir.”

*

John Dacia had found a tame lawyer from within his circle. There were two contracts, one formal and as tight as they come. Dacia now owned 25% of Carolynn’s company. The other while not exactly legally binding, went along way to outline their new relationship and would serve well enough between friends.

There was a list of new rules for Carolynn, mostly about business practice, but others related to her personal affairs; nothing to arduous except for one.

She had to report to his office once a week for a good sound spanking regardless of her behaviour or observance of the rules. And once a month she was to come to his home for a more serious lesson in humility and bottom torment.

“I am presuming there will be sex?” she said after she had read the papers and noted the absence of such provision.

“I am more than half again as old as you… I really don’t think…” John became uncomfortable; such provisions were taking it too far in his view.

“I put my bottom on the line for full usage, so you are totally within your rights. Besides…” she blushed before continuing, “I scarcely get any action as it is and now I am going to be working double time. Also what am I supposed to say when some guy sees my tail end and asks about the bruises?”

“Let’s just see what happens then,” John agreed.

Carolynn nodded and then to change the subject she said, “I have a couple of likely properties, but I guess you need to be consulted now, or do I have to consolidate still?”

“Consolidate first and last,” he sighed, “For now anyway. But it won’t hurt to for me take a look I suppose.”

“You are going to love it,” she grinned.

*

The butterflies in Carolynn’s tummy were wearing boots and as she approached John Dacia’s door she felt as if she were visiting the dentist, the doctors and taking an exam all at the same time. Nor did she like the look the secretary gave her as she came in. But then everyone she had passed in the street had looked as if they knew about her visit to John’s office. Remember, it isn’t paranoia if everyone is really out to get you, she told herself. The silent joke didn’t make her feel any better.

“Wh-what’s that?” she asked on entering the office; now trying and failing to sound casual.

Her eyes were looking at a large paddle-shaped brush on John’s desk, which looked totally out of place for a man’s office.

“Ah that,” John said proudly and picked up the object. “It is a Mason Pearson hairbrush,” he said.

“What’s it for?” she asked, as if she didn’t know.

“I bought it for your visits,” John said with a wink.

Feeling queasy now, Carolynn wanted to change the subject so she glanced at the clock. It was a chest high grandmother kind, but on her last visit it had stood in the corner to the right of the desk. Now it had been placed in the middle of the facing wall.

“The clock,” she tossed her head, “You’ve moved it.”

“I needed an empty corner,” John replied enigmatically.

Carolynn noticed he was still holding the brush. “Oh yes?” she replied in a vague voice, most of her attention on the Mason Pearson.

“Another gift for you,” he said.

Carolynn frowned and took a fresh look at the empty corner to regard it suspiciously. She was missing something.

“I did think about arranging for the left hand corner behind me to be empty, you know, the one facing the door…” he tailed off and watched her.

Carolynn shook her head now puzzled and quickly compared the corners.

“Why don’t you try it for size?” John said in a tone she hadn’t heard before.

Carolynn frowned and pointed lamely to where he was looking.

“You stand facing the seam with your nose just about touching,” he explained.

“You can’t be serious,” she said breathily. But one look at his face told her he wasn’t playing.

She blushed and then licked her lips. No biggie, she thought, but it was somehow embarrassing in a way she hadn’t thought of before.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” John asked pointedly when she finally moved forward. “Your jacket and skirt, do take them off.”

John waited until she was correctly positioned and half stripped before he continued with his instructions.

“After you take your knickers down step out of them and clasp your hands into the small of your back,” he said sternly.

“My… yeah, makes sense,” she coloured hard and had to work her mouth to slow the dryness.

His property and anyway, he has seen it before, she reminded herself as she haltingly stepped out of her underwear and pressed herself close to the wall.

John sat back and admired her long straight legs tapering up to the curves of her tight round bottom as peeked from under the hem of her blouse. She wore expensive hold-up stockings that were darker at the top and served to emphasise her curves where it mattered.

“This spanking, is it going to be worse than that first one? Or… I mean, this is the deal every week now… I just…” she babbled.

“Carolynn, be quiet,” he snapped.

She swallowed hard and wondered if anyone would come in. It was then that it dawned on her that anyone in the middle office could see the far corner through the glass. Was that why she was tucked away out of sight here, or was he saving that added humiliation for later? It was entirely his call, but she was grateful for the small mercy while it lasted.

*

John swung his chair around and contemplated the trim naked bottom presented to him from the corner. Carolynn had been standing quietly for almost 40 mins now, a long time for a novice, and he was pleased to note that the fidgeting had been kept to a minimum.

“We didn’t put any limits on the use and abuse of your tail end did we?” John intoned.

“No,” Carolynn whispered, “But I trust you.”

“Good, but I wasn’t thinking of that?” he chuckled. “I was thinking that I could either turn up the heat or go easy, depending on how cooperative you are?”

“You can do what you like and I’ll do what I’m told, isn’t that how this works?” Her voice was light in tone and heavy in humility.

“I was thinking that my guiding hand doesn’t always have to be directed at your bottom,” he continued. “So long as you…”

“Yes,” she said quickly. She took her head from the wall as she spoke and half looked back over her shoulder, as far as she was able while her body still faced the wall.

“Keep your nose pressed into the wall,” he chided.

She blushed and did as she was told. “Sorry.”

“Yes what?” he asked, now curious.

“Yes Sir,” she replied hastily.

“No I mean… yeah okay, that’s good, but you said ‘yes’ before, but what were you agreeing to?” She was running before she could walk and wrong footing him. Was this a bid for control?

“Yes, I’ll accept your guiding hand in a wider arena and the consequences that go with it. Isn’t that what you were going to say?” She sounded almost insolent now.

“Yes it was, but next time don’t interrupt and let me finish,” he sighed.

“Sorry,” she said, not sounding it.

There was an awkward silence.

“I’m sorry… Sir,” she said at last using a more conciliatory tone. “I am not very good at this am I?” she added in a giggle.

“Not yet,” he agreed.

“Look, I have never had a boss,” she said thoughtfully, her nose coming off the wall as she did a half turn to look at him. “For the next three years I have got one with bells on. I-I think… I… well it might do me some good.”

“Nose, wall,” he barked, “If I have to tell you again there will be some of those consequences you spoke of.”

“Yes Sir, sorry Sir,” she said obeying him instantly. He could have sworn there was still a hint of a giggle in her voice.

“I don’t think you are quite getting this are you?” he sighed, “I think we will need to work on that and put you in your place a little.”

“Yes Sir,” she said making an unseen wincey face into the wall.

*

It was another 20 minutes before he let her come out of the corner and he was gratified to see her demeanour was rather less cheeky now. She was almost cringing as she shielded her exposed from with cupped hands and she shot a glance out into the middle office for any signs of a witness.

“We won’t be disturbed,” he told her, “Not today anyway.”

“Just you, me and…” she gulped, “Henry there.”

“Henry?”

She nodded at the Mason Pearson still lying on the desk.

“Henry, I like that,” he laughed as he picked up the newly named object, “Yes, just the three of us.”

Then crooking his finger he took hold of an ornate Victorian dining room chair that Carolynn had previously dismissed as a decoration and sat down.

“I don’t suppose we can talk about this?” she said by way of stalling.

But after a quick glance through the glass she reluctantly tottered forward and allowed herself to be tumbled across his knees. With her head down towards the floor and her bottom pointing at the ceiling she felt a little shy.

“Now Miss Blake, meet Henry,” John said brightly and patted her bottom with their new friend’s flat surface.

“Hello Mr Henry,” she answered breathlessly.

The first spank was beyond sharp. The circle of pain around the impact zone burned and blossomed and she remembered the slap of his hand the month before with fondness.

“Oh God,” she gasped, adding at a shriek “G-goddd,” as the second spank landed.

Dacia’s arm rose and fell like a pendulum counting out the seconds: a steady unrelenting blasting of spanks that left Carolynn Blake no refuge from the growing sting.

“Please Sir,” she wailed, “I don’t like Henreee,” she squealed as Henry made his point.

“I do,” John chuckled, “And in time you will come to see him as an old friend. You might even ask nicely for a meeting with him when you know some of the alternatives.”

That was what she was afraid of, even though right now she surprised at how readily she was coming to tears. Not that she was bawling, not quite. Eyes merely leaked as she gasped and groaned amid increasingly laboured breaths.

“This is hard work,” he said in all seriousness, feeling a damp patch under his right armpit and noting his own breath was coming with an effort. “Two minutes on and one minute off for your first serious outing,” he told her.

“No-no-noo, please,” she spluttered, “I’ll be good, pleeeese…” but the spanking was getting the better of her.

“Oh I think so. Two minutes is nothing, especially in say… eight sets over 20 or 30 minutes. You’ll have plenty of time to recover between.”

Carolynn hoped he was joking.

*

As it was the first two minutes was just about within her limits and despite some dampness at the eyes she was fine. She was, her bottom sang like fried tomatoes in a pan. The second two minutes’ worth was not much worse and she wondered if she was getting used to it.

The third and fourth sets learned her different and when it came to earnest tears there was definitely no holding back.

“I’ll be good, I’ll be good,” she wailed, now crying freely, “I won’t move my nose, I won’t be cheeky, I won’t… I won’t…” she was desperate now for a promise that would please him.

After the fifth set John winced at the shock of swollen red that was her bottom. Maybe he was being too harsh for only her second spanking.

“You know you are my first civilian,” he said with a hint of regret, “This is nothing to some of my friends.”

“I’m… sorry… I’m… such… a… wimp…” she gasped between wet heaving sobs.

“Not at all,” John said encouragingly. “I’ll give you and extra couple of minutes and then I’ll cut it short after one more little round. We’ll call this a learning experience. At least we found the base line.”

“Thank you,” Carolynn sniffed and reached back to rub.

“No, no, I am not that soft,” he chuckled and swatted her hand away. “And you won’t think so after another 30 minutes in the corner. Not when I tell you what comes next.”

*

“How did I do?” Carolynn said ruefully as she turned away from the corner and finally got to rub her throbbing behind. A little dance accompanied her indulgence and she did a little bounce on the spot.

“Not bad, not bad at all,” he said approvingly.

“Are we done?” she asked hopefully.

“Not quite,” he said.

She looked anxious and clawed at her bottom as if the ache could be banished.

“I know it is up to you, but please no more tonight,” she begged, “I’ll do whatever you want.”

“No I agree, your backside is cooked, for now anyway. No, I told you early we need to take you down a peg or two…”

Carolynn blushed and looked nervously through the glass to the outer office. She dreaded any potential public humiliation, and sooner or later she was sure he was going to teach her some. I signed on for this, I accepted this, I… oh God she wasn’t ready.

“I want you to write out 1,000 times in big red ink… ‘Self-important brats are not too old to have their bare bottoms spanked,’” He said.

Carolynn almost laughed. This was a kind of joke punishment.

“You will make sure it gets to me by next Wednesday, which will give me two days to check that it is complete, legible and devoid of spelling mistakes,” he continued. “Success, will earn you a base-line spanking… I’ll be generous and use my hand. Fail in any regard, and I don’t care if you post it and it gets lost… and you will do the exercise again, right after a full session with Henry as you should have got tonight.”

Carolynn was relived, but somewhat puzzled. Maybe there was a catch? But she shrugged, “Fair enough.”

He glared.

“I mean, yes Sir, thank you Sir.” See she was learning and an odd unfamiliar tingle assailed her.

To be continued.