even more as he stepped from behind his desk and reached out to hand her the item.
Lucy took the offered drawers. He knew that she had spent the whole day first removing the entire center seam from all her drawers. After the seams had been meticulously picked apart, he’d heard Mrs. Bremmer instructing her on how to turn under the raw edges and hem the long seam as two separate seams, leaving the crotch completely open. He was sure that Lucy was ignorant of the fact that he’d seen tears slide down her cheeks as she’d worked. How he’d seen her wince and place the tip of her finger into her mouth to suckle each time she pricked it with her needle as she worked.
He was also aware that his young ward had been informed that even when granted the right to don the newly stitched bloomers, Lucille might be covered, but with a very simple pushing apart the volume of fabric, her bottom would be both bare and very easily accessible to a spanking, paddling, switching, strapping or worse. She would quickly learn that fighting about her wardrobe earned her nothing but the punishment of wearing open-crotch drawers for the foreseeable future.
“Go ahead, Lucille. Put on your new drawers,” Edward instructed. Lucy whimpered but stepped awkwardly into the drawers and pulled them up underneath her new dress. Edward didn’t move or offer her privacy. He watched as her fingers fumbled to tie the ribbon around her small waist and adjust the fabric. After she had removed her hands from under her skirts and smoothed them down, he spoke again.
“Tell me, Lucille, do you find yourself now grateful for the clothing provided to you?” he asked.
She slowly nodded her head. “Yes, sir, than… thank you. I-I’m very sorry for the way I behaved this morning.”
Edward smiled. “I’m quite sure you are. Lift your dress and stand by the chair, Lucille,” he ordered stepping back and turning to walk to the armoire. As he unlocked the door, Lucy began to cry softly. He knew she was most likely wondering why he’d even bothered to give her the bloomers to wear when he was obviously going to punish her. He watched as she stepped to the chair and slowly drew her dress up to her waist. Her face turned a deeper shade of rose as her newly donned drawers came into view. Edward’s lips curled into a quick smile of amusement knowing the poor girl had no true idea of exactly what her new drawers offered. Looking at his choices and considering her behavior lately, his hand passed over the heavy wooden paddles, the small leather tawses, the crop and landed on his choice. Picking up the small, thin paddle, he returned to stand next to her.
“You have been a very good girl these past weeks, Lucille. I’ve been pleased that you’ve been working to learn your proper place at Wintercrest. Though my first view of you this morning was of you upended over Mrs. Bremmer’s knee, I was very proud when your first thought was not one of shame of having me see your bare little bottom, but was to apologize for your misbehavior. However, it was that very misbehavior that had me giving you an appointment this evening. I had sincerely hoped that you had learned that being naughty is never a good choice.”
She’d been unable to draw her eyes away from the paddle he was casually tapping against his leg, but he couldn’t blame her for that. They were both aware of exactly what a paddle could do regardless of its small size.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” Lucy said. “I-I wasn’t really awake yet and… and didn’t understand you had changed… changed my wardrobe. I… I know I shouldn’t have shouted or been rude to Mrs. Bremmer,” Lucy confessed. “But, sir, I did apologize and… and I asked for a tawsing. I didn’t mean to be disobedient—”
“And yet you were, Lucille,” Edward said. “You are having a problem taking a moment to both think about your words before they spew from your mouth as well as remembering to treat every single adult in your life with respect. Mrs. Bremmer’s word is second only to mine. You are to do as she instructs every single time. If she decides you need to have your bottom reddened, you, young lady, will ask her to redden it for you. She is only doing her duty and attempting to raise you to be a