“Then go now. Make all reasonable haste and I will see you in our chamber when you return. Do not keep me waiting.”
Chapter Twelve
She has not been tardy, I will grant her that much. I turn from the window having watched Tally traverse the bailey below, a bundle of what might be mistaken for firewood in her arms. I doubt any in our household would be fooled though as to the true purpose of the sticks she carries, though no one will be so indelicate as to ask.
I do not care. I will be master of my house, and that includes my wife. I sense that this is a pivotal moment between us. I expect her to scream and squirm and beg me to have mercy, all of that is a foregone conclusion. I will ignore her pleas and deliver the discipline she needs, the discipline she has come to expect from me. Then we will move on from this.
I do not enjoy punishing my beautiful little bride, not like this. Not when the matter is so serious. But I will do what I have to in order to ensure our future together. This is as much about Tally forgiving herself as it is my requirement for justice.
I am not without sympathy for the circumstances that brought her to this situation. The brutality of the fall of Hohenzollern must have been beyond terrifying for those helpless females and children on the receiving end and it is little wonder that Tally behaved as she did that day. Had I not been so preoccupied with the responsibilities of my command, and had she not scared me almost witless with her flight and subsequent near-death I might have given voice to the questions that nattered me even then. The clues were there, in her obsession with the fate of the children in the chapel, her irrational attempt to regain entry to the castle. I could have pressed her for answers.
But I did not, and here we now are. I will deliver the thrashing she deserves for her deception. Tally will be unlikely to feel able to leave this chamber before tomorrow at the earliest, and then she will still be in considerable discomfort. But she will heal, and she will forgive me. I have already forgiven her.
Light footsteps approach the chamber from the hallway outside, then the door opens. Tally slips inside and halts by the door. I stride past her to closeit, and I drop the latch.
“Show me the switches.”
Head bowed, she offers her bundle to me for my perusal.
“Select one, please.”
“Me, my lord?”
“Is there another here who I might be addressing?”
“No, my lord. I am sorry.” She glances at the tangle of twigs and draws out one of them. “This one, Stefan.”
I take it and swing it through the air. It makes a whistling sound, very satisfying. Tally flinches.
“Excellent. And now another, please.”
“Another, my lord?”
“If you please.” I hold out my left hand, the first switch dangling from my right.
Tally selects a second one and hands it to me. It joins the first, and this time I swing both together. The accompanying sound is louder, more menacing.
“I believe we are getting there. One more though, I think.”
I am aware from her stunned expression that Tally realises where we are headed. She is pale, her fingers trembling as she hands me the third switch. I repeat my test swing, the loud whooshing sound sufficient to strike fear into the most stoic of constitutions. My Tally is right to be nervous, but despite my earlier expectations I note she makes no attempt to plead, nor to beg for clemency. I am proud of her.
“I would have you naked. Put the remaining switches on the floor. Remove your clothes, then bend over the chest.” I gesture to the large clothing chest that usually stands under the window, but which I dragged into the centre of the chamber while Tally was at the coppice. I have made the concession of laying a bolster across the top of it, for her comfort, but also to ensure her bottom is raised sufficiently for my liking.
White-faced, Tally struggles to remove her woollen dress and kirtle. Her fingers are shaking, she fumbles with her fastenings but eventually manages to divest herself of her clothing. I could offer to help, but I do not. Instead I hitch my hip on the window ledge, the three switches clasped in my hand and dangling at my side as I regard her efforts. Whatever the circumstances, I always enjoy watching Tally undress.
She pulls her shift over her head and stands naked before me for a few moments. Then without further instruction on my part, she walks to the chest and leans over it. I watch as she positions herself, her feet on the floor on one side, her hands just reaching the floor on the other.
She never looked more beautiful to me, or more perfect.
“On your toes, please. Lift your bottom higher for me.”
She wriggles, raising her lush derriere as requested. I move to stand behindher, the better to admire the pink globes. It is all I can do not to drool. I consider fucking her first, but dismiss that. She would not protest, but I know how scared she is of the switching she has coming, and I have no wish to draw this out for her.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, my lord.”
She could ask me how many strokes I intend to give her, but she does not.
