Miss Strang Chapter 42
By Governess
liviaarbuthnot1@gmail.com

Copyright 2009 by Governess, all rights reserved

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This story is intended for ADULTS ONLY. It contains explicit depictions of sexual activity involving minors. If you are not of a legal age in your locality to view such material or if such material does not appeal to you, do not read further, and do not save this story.
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Chapter 42

When we arrived back at the house, I was made to sit on the carved wooden chair in the hall. It was large and had a smooth seat and arms.

"You will sit there until lunch, Livia. You are in disgrace. But disgrace is not hiding away in a corner. Disgrace has to learn shame and humility."

The anger was boiling up in me. How dare she treat me like this. I tried not to show it. And yet it is difficult for a young child to mask feelings and to dissemble. That is a skill acquired with age. And I was sure my sullen co-operation did not go unnoticed. But I sat there with what I hoped was the appearance of meekness.

There was well over half an hour to pass before we ate. Mary came by but pretended to ignore me, and then Mrs Mountfield passed upstairs to set for our lunch. My face was burning. That I, a twelve year old girl, should be publicly exposed and put on display like a naughty child. But there was the even sharper pain of knowing that I had lost the esteem of my governess. I hated her, yet needed her affection. I was angry and resentful with my heart set against her, yet I wanted her acceptance.

Lunch was dispiriting and lonely. I found my brothers shunned me and, with the characteristic sycophancy of children, sided with our governess against me. Not that Miss Strang allowed teasing. For that they knew they would be spanked at the very least. But their cheerfully ignored me and I sunk into a mire of despair.

After lunch I was returned to the hall and had again to sit in disgrace, exposed to all, with the placard displayed around my neck. As the minutes ticked by I worried about Miss Strang's intentions and whether I would be flogged before Mr and Mrs Innes And would I be birched with the same severity as John? He had received over thirty cuts and each had been laid on with a vigour and relish that I had found both alarming and arousing. My hand went instinctively between my legs. I wanted to reach beneath my dress and stroke myself, comfort myself. But I feared detection in so public a place. And yet the arousal was accompanied by a shivering dread. Dread of the punishment to come, of the searing pain, of the humiliation. It was something strangely desired and yet shrunk from it in equal measure. And the confusion in my spirit added to the agony.

The bell rang signalling the arrival of Mr and Mrs Innes and their daughter. Mary opened the door, and greeted them.

"Good afternoon, Sir and Ma'am. Miss Strang has asked that you be shown into the library where tea will be taken."

I was ignored and they passed into the library. Almost immediately Miss Strang appeared and followed them in. A quarter of an hour must have passed, during which Mary reappeared with tea. Shortly after that the library door opened.

"Livia, will you join us, please."

I followed Miss Strang in. The library was a large room. The shelves were set into large alcoves on all four walls and above each was a carved pediment. It was an imposing room, that defied frivolity or even light-hearted chatter. Only serious things were done there. In one corner of the room was a table at which Mr and Mrs Innes and their daughter were seated. I notice that the gold rimmed red floral tea service was being used.

"Come and stand here, Livia. Place your hands behind your back. Mr Innes is going to ask you some questions. Please answer them."

"What do you see over in the corner, Livia?"

I turned.

"A pail with two birches in it, Mr Innes."

"Correct Livia. And are those the two birches that you bound up this morning?"

"I . . . I think so, Mr Innes."

"Yes, I am sure they are. And what are they there for?"

I felt my face redden and tighten under this interrogation.

"They are there so I can be . . . be birched . . . Mr Innes."

He turned to Miss Strang.

"Tell me, Miss Strang, is this Livia's first taste of the birch?"

"Indeed Mr Innes. Although she has seen her brother birched and birched soundly."

"In that case, Miss Strang, I suggest that you do not err on the side of leniency. The sooner a girl learns to fear the rod the better for everyone."

I could feel Miss Strang bristling under the veiled accusation that she might be over lenient in my discipline.

"I have seldom been accused of leniency when it comes to disciplining children, Mr Innes. My practice is to spare neither the birch nor the child. I can assure you that there is nothing to fear on that count."

"My most profound apologies, Miss Strang. And I assure you no offence was intended. But how many strokes were you contemplating? The offences that you described to me were, I have to say, most serious departures from the behaviour expected of a dutiful and obedient Christian girl."

As they discussed my punishment, I felt, as I am sure was intended, an increasing helplessness.

"I have told Livia that she deserves two dozen strokes of the birch. At the very least. She has been kept in a state of salutary anxiety about the exact number, but she expects no less than two dozen. And over the last twenty four hours there have been other instances of poor behaviour that might certainly be construed as meriting additional strokes."

"May I be told of what that poor behaviour comprised?"

"Certainly, Mr Innes. She was most resistant to wearing the placard to church declaring she was in disgrace. She argued about it in a most unseemly way. And, as I am sure you will agree, she was most impolite to you at the church door this morning."

"And for these additional delinquencies? How many additional strokes, are you proposing?"

"Well, her resistance to wearing the placard is certainly deserving of a further dozen strokes. And her rudeness? Well, I suggest you be the judge of that Mr Innes."

He nodded.

I hung my head. I could scarcely breathe, so tight was my chest.

"Well, Miss Strang, you place at great burden upon me. I am unsure what to say. Of course, Livia was upset at having to reveal the shameful truth about her punishment. But a refusal to speak the truth when required is a serious matter. And refusing to answer an adult, particularly an adult in a position of authority over her, is equally serious. If it were my own daughter, I would not hesitate to administer a dozen vigorous strokes with a birch rod. However . . . "

"Yes, Mr Innes?"

"It occurs to me that as Livia already has to suffer a very substantial flogging, that perhaps . . . and this, of course, would only be with your agreement Miss Strang . . . that perhaps another arrangement might be made?"

"What do you have in mind, Mr Innes?"

"Well, from what you have said, Miss Strang, Livia has a need to acquire greater humility, to submit to authority, and to do so without any spirit of resentment."

"That is so, Mr Innes."

"So may I suggest that you spare her from the schoolroom for a day or two and allow her to live at the vicarage and work as a common servant girl, perhaps as personal maid to Mrs Innes. She would, of course, be subject to the usual discipline of the household."

Mary had told me that the Innes household was run by Mrs Innes with meticulous attention to detail and that the young girls she employed from the orphanage were caned when they failed to live up to her expectations.

Miss Strang said nothing for a moment. Surely, I thought, she would not agree to such a shameful proposal. But I was wrong.

"That seems an excellent conception, Mr Innes. If Mrs Innes is happy to have Livia serving her in such a capacity?"

Mrs Innes was a tall woman with a severe demeanour. Her face was beautiful in a cold, controlled way. She wore small marcasite earrings that added to the severity.

"I would be more than happy with such an arrangement, Miss Strang. But Livia will need to understand that I am a demanding mistress and I do not let faults go uncorrected."

"No more do I, Mrs Innes. As must already be evident to you."

Miss Strang turned to me.

"I trust that you are grateful to Mrs Innes for affording you this opportunity, Livia?"

I could feel an anger in my breast, and despite my sense of outrage, I managed to speak politely, although my face may have betrayed my deeper feelings.

"I am most grateful to Mrs Innes, Miss Strang."

"I am pleased, Livia. It seems to me a most excellent arrangement and one from which you may greatly benefit."

She smiled.

"But that is for another day and something to look forward to. But let us return to this afternoon. I trust you have been attending to what has been said, Livia. And arithmetic is one of your best subjects. How many strokes are you to receive?"

"Thirty six, Miss Strang."

"Yes, Livia, thirty six strokes."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Mr Innes, I confess I am a little concerned. While I am in no doubt that Livia has earned every one of those strokes, I am unsure whether they should all be given as a single correction. Perhaps that is too much for a girl of Livia's age to bear. Have you an opinion, Mr Innes?"

"I have, Miss Strang. Indeed I have. While I believe that it is always preferable to err on the side of severity rather than leniency, I confess that three dozen strokes of the birch, particularly from a stout and springy birch such as I believe I see in the pail, would be a formidable correction for a young girl. I have seen a sixteen year old boy at the reformatory receive such a flogging and by the end he was blubbering and screaming for mercy, and blood was trickling down his thighs. I agree that Livia deserves every one of those strokes, and each must be given with the maximum severity. But in that case, may it not be right to stay a dozen strokes until later in the week? That would seem to combine just retribution with mercy in a wholly acceptable way."

He turned to his wife.

"What do you think my dear?"

"I am afraid I disagree with you Mr Innes. If I have understood rightly, Livia's sins are no small matter. They are deep and ugly stains on the fabric of her soul. And like stains on a garment the sooner they are cleansed and washed away the better. To delay full expiation would be unwise, indeed a cruelty. If the birch draws blood, then that is to be expected. Indeed, as the Apostle tells us without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Livia is not a six year old child. She is a girl on the brink of young womanhood. She should fully settle her account now. I see no justification for easy payment by instalments. None at all."

I listened to this harsh pronouncement and quivered at the thought of being subject to the rule of a woman so cold and pitiless. And yet the very harshness somehow made my heart beat faster. And not just from fear, but from a strange animal excitement.

"But of course, I defer to you, Mr Innes, and to Miss Strang who surely has the final say in such a matter."

I waited breathless and anxious.

Miss Strang compressed her lips and there was a little frown on her brow.

"I agree with you, Mrs Innes. It is seldom beneficial to a child to delay punishment. However, I had occasion to punish Livia only yesterday, and while that was for an offence quite unrelated to her present sins, and while each sin must be separately dealt with, I am inclined on this occasion, exceptionally, to temper the strict demands of justice with mercy. I will indeed hold back a further twelve strokes."

"But not remit them, I trust, Miss Strang?"

"Why should I remit them, Mrs Innes?"

To this Mrs Innes made no reply. I thought that Mr Innes looked pleased that Miss Strang had decided to accept his judgement rather than that of his wife.

"So. A payment of twenty four strokes will be made immediately. And a further payment of twelve will be made later this week."

She smiled, and inclined her head towards Mr Innes.

"And as the child's creditor I may demand payment of the arrears at any time."

She looked at Mrs Innes.

"And I assure you Mrs Innes, that such a procedure is no concession. It is a potent discipline. Livia will be under a permanent cloud of apprehension, until the purchase price of forgiveness is fully paid. And the timing will be my decision. I may choose to call in the debt in small instalments or I may suddenly demand payment in full. I may wait a day or even a week. I recall one obstreperous boy whom I kept in disgrace for a month until he was summoned to the Bank of Chastisement for his debt to be finally called in."

Mrs Innes inclined her head, but I could tell that she would have preferred to see me well-flogged that afternoon. I could detect the disappointment in her voice.

"As you wish, Miss Strang. It is, as I said, entirely your judgement."

I looked at Rachel Innes. She was then in her early twenties. A tall young woman with her hair swept back in a tight bun. I thought she, too, was disappointed at Miss Strang's decision.

Miss Strang looked at me with a grim smile.

"So, Livia. Twenty four strokes.

(To be continued)