Anonymous - Caroline

I knew not how to think as we arrived, and no more did Adelaide perhaps. Caroline exuded only happiness. In the hallway of her house where the glass eyes of the stags' heads gazed into eternity, she squeezed my hand in the manner of a child arriving at a party. Adelaide walked on ahead, accompanied by Lady Somner. She held her back straight and her shoulders square. I loved her muchly in that moment, proud and graceful as her carriage was.

“Surely your Mama did not mean…” I whispered to Caroline who did not permit me to end the sentence, but knew well enough what I meant.

“Dearest, 'twill only be twelve strokes with the cane, or six if she is very good,” she answered.

Alarm filled me. I confess it. Was Caroline's nature after all so like to a chameleon's skin that she could change from honeyed words to such a cool appraisal of castigating poor Adelaide's bare bottom?

“But I cannot permit!” I uttered all too feebly, whereat I was shushed, my hand squeezed tighter. Lady Somner and my sister had preceded us already into the drawing room. I heard a gruff but cultured voice, the ownership of which I did not doubt, no more than did my love.

“Come, you must meet Papa,” she said, and led me in to make my first acquaintance with her sire-a man of goodly stature with a goatee beard who greeted me most courteously.

“You are to marry Caroline,” he said with some abruptness.

“If I may, sir, yes.”

“I have no doubt you may and that you will, if such she wishes. Come-let us have a toast to it.”

I felt as though I had been shuffled into a new life, just as a card is shuffled in a pack. All was a whirl, a swirl, yet done with grace. Caroline kissed her Papa-then Adelaide was drawn to do the same. He kissed them both upon the mouth and with no undue haste, thus causing my sisters eyes to look confused before she was drawn down on an ottoman to sit with Lady Somner who remarked immediately on her prettiness.

“And a perfect figure, insofar as I can see. You will stay with us, my dear? Have you played games today?” Lord Somner asked, running the sentences so closely into one another that they seemed as one.

“Masters and Mistresses-or rather, we made a beginning to it, Arnold. Adelaide is of course not fully tutored yet,” replied his wife, whereat my sister received amid her blushes another full appraisal from his eyes which swept up from toes to head. I thought him about to speak to her, but instead he turned to me.

“You believe in tuition, Harry,” I was asked.

“Indeed he does, Papa. We all are keen to learn,” said Caroline while I sat dumb. I wished myself both there and yet a thousand miles away, as often was my nature then. I thought of the “hut,” our jokes thereon, and wished us there in all our secret lovings and in our pleasures.

I was then fixed with a piercing glance from our host as if in sorrow that I had not spoken. I felt a lack in me that I had not.

“The fact is, dear fellow,” he began, and then appeared quite ludicrously to become aware of the presence of the ladies for the first time and asked if we might be excused. At that, Lady Somner rose and drew Adelaide up with her, saying it was natural that we wished to talk alone and that they would show Adelaide to her room and make her acquainted with the house. I thought my sister then to throw me a most appealing glance, shifted uneasily, rose at their exit and then sat down again to have my glass refilled. There was to be more solemn talk of marriage now, I thought.

“Harry, it is said that all females are, like cats, grey in the dark, but I have never found either of the species so,” Lord Somner began and then went on, “The truth of the matter is that there are the willing and unwilling, the sleek of figure and the plump. There are women whose bottoms are like well-filled balloons and whose breasts are heavy- needing the support of stays and such. Such are invariably well-furred between their thighs and wriggle to the merest touch. There are-contrariwise-the younger slimmer girls, such as your sister, such as Caroline. Their bottoms are like polished apples and their breasts are pumpkins, swollen up with promise. Their nests are often tighter and their curls more crisp. It is delightful to feel them when they come fresh from a bath, their cunny-hairs brushed up and dried, but the lips beneath a little moist with joy. Their mouths are fresher, though at times more shy. When such, they must be conquered, must they not?”

I swallowed some wine and wiped my mouth. I felt it best not to reply. I had not expected such and knew not what to say.

“You agree, dear chap? Well-excellent! It shows advancement for your age. Now, as to our little games, I will tell you this. The ladies-and indeed the girls whom they have helped to nurture-fancy themselves as playing the dominant Mistress over us sometimes. This I do not mind, odd as it may seem to you. It brings the pecker up. Yet the secret of the little matter is that we are the Masters all the time, and well they know it! In reality the games are a disguise to nourish and bring on desire where otherwise it might prove shy. You follow me?”

“Sir? I, yes…I believe I do.” I watched him rise and pace around the room.

“Your dear sister, now. She has committed some small peccadillo, has she not? I take my lady's word upon the point. Maybe she did it to attract attention to herself. In any event, she has to be inducted here as all young ladies are who stay beneath our roof. The compensations are such, however, that she will not refuse, I know. I understand she sports well. Is that so?”

I gulped; I blushed, and choked out simply, “Sir…?”

“You have no need to answer me, dear boy. A gentleman does not speak directly on such points as concern those close or dear to him. One does not speak of females, young or more mature, as chattels-they are far too precious, are they not? But women are sly, dear boy: they weigh the pros and cons. They squeal oftimes, may even struggle. Do not be dismayed at that; do not withdraw the lordly prick, but watch their eyes. They always signal the true pleasure they obtain. I may attend upon your sister now?”

“But, sir, I…”

“At the last, dear Harry, watch her eyes. The caning of her bottom will be light, I promise you.”

“But if it should pain her overmuch…”

“Dear Harry, one has always that in mind. A young girl's bottom possesses richer layers than that of the male. There is a great art to the application of the cane, the birch, the strap-as you will learn. The object is to sting, to spur, to bring them on. How happily you will observe her pleasure afterwards!”

He moved then to the door. I could not help but follow. How bizarre it seemed, and yet I followed up. The silk wall-coverings were blue and gave a soft tone to the air, the banisters high-polished and the carpets thick. Moving along the landing we encountered Lady Somner who appeared from a bedroom wherein I heard some fretful though quiet sounds from Adelaide.

“All is prepared, Arnold. The girls are ready. Harry- come with me. Into our camera obscura, as I call it, though it is not really so, but gives the finest view.”

I was a mannikin, I felt. My hand was taken like a child's. While her husband advanced upon the bedroom where Adelaide and Caroline were, I was led into a small adjoining room wherein were chairs, an ottoman, wine bottles, glasses on a rosewood stand. The door closed.

“You will see all from here, Harry. Have no dismay upon the matter, for your sister will enjoy. Kneel up the ottoman. Now-look!”

So saying, Lady Somner pressed a small black button in the wall and drew quite noiselessly to one side a long panel so artfully contrived that it split the wall-covering without a crease and permitted a view into the bedroom, the gap being but an inch in width, but quite enough to show a panoramic view. There within I saw a double bed, the end of which faced the wall. Upon it, covering her face, sat Adelaide, stripped to her gartered stockings and her little boots. Beside her, with an arm around her waist was Caroline who looked equally bewitching in a small black guepiere, or waist corset, above the lace of which her nipples peeped. As usual, she wore no drawers and, her legs being slightly apart, I saw her muff. Her stockings, too, were black and gartered tight. Instead of boots she wore small mules whose toes turned up like Turkish ones. In her left hand she held a cane that lay across my sister's thighs. At the entry of her Papa, she smiled and moved the cane like a bow across a violin. As to Adelaide, she covered up her face.