The Inheritance (12 page)

Raising his
hand he let it fall quite smartly and decided to make it a quick
sharp spanking. He smacked his hand from side to side then moved it
across her entire backside, landing the slaps with some gusto but
not enough to make her cry. After a few minutes he believed he had
made his position perfectly clear.

Pulling down
her petticoat then her dress, he helped her up by the shoulders.
Her face was red but there was a telling sparkle in her eye. He
smiled inwardly. It would not surprise him if her sex had enjoyed
the attention as much as her modesty had not.

"Now then,
Grace. I believe you now know I am very serious about guarding this
secret. You must be very careful when you go about the task I am
setting you, and be sure that no one, absolutely no one, is aware
of your actions. It will be your naked bottom that will hear from
my cane if you are discovered."

"Sir," she
whimpered, "what can you possibly be asking of me?"

"After lunch I
will be sending Elizabeth to her bed for a nap. You will meet me
outside her door and I'll show you everything," he promised. "Now
please go to your room and tidy yourself up. Your hair and hat are
a little askew and your face is quite red," he remarked. If anyone
saw her they would know immediately something was amiss.

"You're a very
good girl, Grace, and I will reward you handsomely for your
service," he promised. "Just as I will punish you severely should
you let me down."

"Yes, Sir,"
she replied, feeling a little better with the thought of a handsome
reward. "I promise you, Sir, I will do exactly as you ask and not
breathe a word."

"Good. Off you
go now."

He watched her
hurry from the room and wondered how she might feel a bit later
once the shock had worn off. She had that telltale sparkle in her
eye.

Checking his
watch he saw it was almost twelve-thirty. It had been a most
rewarding and productive morning and he had one more errand to do
before lunch. As he headed out the door he thought about the
stranger who had attempted to corral Elizabeth. He would
interrogate her during their meal and find out exactly who he
was.

C
hapter Six

Andrew
Carrington

Lord Michael
watched Elizabeth, a twinkle in her eye, consume an excellent lunch
of cold meats, various cheeses and breads. After spanking Grace
he'd had just enough time to secret the necessary supplies back to
the hidden chamber. Now it was time to find out about the man he
had seen riding Zeus.

"His name is
Andrew Carrington the third and he is - I mean - was, Uncle
Alfred's horse trainer and rider," she informed him. "He's ever so
good. He comes three times a week to ride all the horses and keep
them in form."

"Why is it I
haven't seen him here before? I've never heard mention of him,"
Lord Michael said, finding the entire story a little suspect.

"Oh - I'm not
exactly sure. Maybe we just didn't notice him riding around. But
anyway, he was riding Zeus and jumping him over the big logs. Very
exciting to watch. I cannot wait to ride him. Andrew said he would
help me when I'm strong enough," she declared, clearly thrilled at
the prospect.

"I see," Lord Michael said, thoughtfully.
Andrew indeed!

"Well," he
began, taking a deep breath, "you are not to ride Zeus at all,
under any circumstances. Not until we discuss it further Elizabeth.
I want you to be very clear about that. This is the third time
you've brought it up," he said, irritation in his voice. "I don't
understand why you continue to do so. You will not ride that horse
without my express permission. Andrew Carrington or no Andrew
Carrington!" he proclaimed, most forcefully.

He saw her
brow crinkle and knew her protest was a heartbeat away, but she
held her tongue.

"Tell me more;
I want to know everything that happened while you were riding
Mindy. Is she a good horse?" he asked, waiting to see if she would
confess her almost fatal mistake. A mistake that would have found
her in serious trouble.

"Oh yes. Mindy
is a very sweet horse. Very easy to ride. But I miss Constance,"
she said wistfully. "She is much more fun. I am so grateful that
you arranged to bring her here."

"Did you do
anything else besides canter around the front field?" he prodded.
"Anything else I might find of interest?"

He would give
her one more chance, and one only.

"Um - well -
there was one thing," she said, hesitatingly.

Elizabeth had
decided not to mention the 'almost ride' on Zeus. She'd been having
a wonderful time watching Andrew galloping and jumping. He was so
handsome and had been so friendly when he pulled up next to her,
when he suggested she join him aboard the magnificent horse she
simply couldn't resist. To be able to sit astride the big beautiful
steed with the handsome Andrew Carrington seemed too wonderful to
pass up. It was only when she was starting to dismount that the
warning voice in her head stepped in.

Your Master will not be pleased if he hears about you riding
on a horse with another gentleman, let alone on
Zeus
.

She had
glanced back at the house. There were so many windows overlooking
the lawns it was entirely possible her Master might happen to
glance out and see her. Or someone else could and ask her about it
later. She decided it wasn't worth the risk. The last thing she
wanted to do was displease Lord Michael, so she had pulled herself
back into her saddle and declined Andrew's tempting offer.

If we were out in the woods
, she had
thought,
I would happily accept your
invitation
.

But now that
she was actually facing Lord Michael, her decision to keep the
secret was wavering. Should she tell him? She didn't actually do
anything. Well, not really. She was only half off the horse...

"Elizabeth?
I'm waiting," he pushed, his voice a little testy.

"Andrew asked
me if I would like to ride on Zeus with him," she blurted out,
remembering, as his eyes bored into hers, it was always far better
to tell the truth than not.

"And, did you
accept?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"Um - well,
Master," she said in hushed tones. "At first I did. I thought it
might be all right since I wouldn't be on the horse by myself. But
then I realized it wouldn't be acceptable for me to be mounted on a
horse with a gentleman," she admitted, her voice quivering. "I
mean, a gentleman other than you, Master," she added quickly.

She cringed.
Hearing her little tale out loud her actions sounded far worse than
she thought they would.

"And you would
be correct," Lord Michael said firmly. He was pleased she had told
him the truth, but not happy at all that she had actually
considered the idea even if it was for just a moment.

"Elizabeth,
you are a good girl for giving me a full account of what
transpired. Now you must tell me that which displeases me," he
said, sternly. "And if you can do so, follow with what you believe
would be an appropriate punishment."

Elizabeth
breathed a sigh of relief. He had known. It was clear her story
came as no surprise to him. If she had not confessed all that had
happened there was no doubt she would be the recipient of a very
sound spanking, and possibly more.

"I'm sorry,
Master," she apologized in a low voice. "I should never have
considered accepting Andrew's invitation to join him on that horse.
Not even for a moment."

"That is
correct," he replied. "And your punishment?"

"Oh dear.
Master I just don't know," she said, honestly.

"Very well,"
he said firmly. "You shall retire to your room immediately and stay
there until six this evening. Some of that time I expect you to
nap. You still need your rest to fully recover. At some point
during the afternoon I shall visit you to administer your
punishment."

"Yes, Master,"
she said, solemnly.

She was glad
of it. She realized she had been feeling guilty ever since the
episode. After her punishment she knew she would feel better. She'd
have a sore bottom but she'd feel better.

"And one more
thing."

"Yes
Master?"

"You will not
remain in the company of Mr Carrington on horseback or otherwise,
nor will you converse with him. Should he arrive when you are at
the stable you will leave immediately. And you will address him as
Mr Carrington henceforth."

He saw the
familiar crinkle of her brow. It was obvious she had been quite
taken with the horseman, but Lord Michael believed Andrew
Carrington quite a scoundrel. What type of man would attempt to
bring an innocent such as Elizabeth up on to his horse? He couldn't
prevent him from doing his work but he could certainly stop
Elizabeth from being too familiar and make sure she kept her
distance.

"Do you
understand what I just told you, Elizabeth?" he pressed.

"Yes, Master,
though I—"

"You what?" he
asked, gruffly.

"I don't wish
to be in more trouble," she said, meekly.

"You may state
your case," he replied, thinking it might be wise to let her say
her piece.

"I don't see
the harm in sharing his company and having a new horse friend," she
said, pouting a little.

"My dear," he
said gently, walking around the table to her side and taking the
chair next to hers.

"There is much
in this world you have yet to learn. I can assure you this man is
not of good character and cannot be trusted," he said, holding her
gaze intently. "You must believe me, and Elizabeth, make no mistake
about this. I expect you to obey me."

Elizabeth
sighed. She didn't understand why Lord Michael could possibly think
badly of such a nice chap. He hadn't even met him. But her Master
had allowed her to share her thoughts and for that she was
grateful.

"Yes, Master.
I shall do as you say."

"Good girl. Up
to your room then," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Yes, Master,"
she said quietly, and rising from the table made her way to the
stairs. The scolding and promised punishment was making itself
evident between her legs. She was moist and warm and very much
looking forward to his visit, regardless of what her discipline may
entail.

Lord Michael
had some coffee, giving Elizabeth enough time to settle in and
discharge Grace. When he approached her quarters he found the young
maid standing nervously in the hallway.

"Now Grace, I
don't have to remind you how important this is. I am trusting you
to maintain your silence and I don't have to remind you what will
happen if you do not."

"Oh no, Sir,"
she quivered, giving a little curtsy.

"Very well,
follow me," he said curtly, and headed off to the great hall.

Five minutes
later Grace was standing in the chamber in absolute awe. Lord
Michael instructed her to leave the supplies by the coat rack next
to the outside door once she had completed her task. Should anyone
ask about her absence she was to tell them she was feeling poorly
and Lord Michael had instructed her to stay in the room next to
Elizabeth's until she felt better. To validate the fabrication she
was to go there immediately after she finished the work.

He couldn't
take the chance of her saying she was in her own room for fear that
someone might have gone there to find her. There was a small set of
rooms adjacent to Elizabeth's quarters. They weren't in use and it
was the perfect place to create a plausible alibi.

Having spent a
good half hour with Grace going over the many duties she was to
perform and making sure she had everything she needed, he
discovered she required an additional bucket of water. By the time
he was able to surreptitiously deliver it almost an hour had
passed. He decided it was time to visit Elizabeth and administer
her much needed discipline.

Checking in
the downstairs areas first, he discovered Mrs Danvers and Carstairs
were busy supervising the large staff and their various duties, so
he felt confident about slipping quietly into Elizabeth's chambers.
Locking the door behind him he glanced around the room. She was
nowhere to be seen.

If you have decided to sneak out you'll be
sorry
, he thought, as he moved to the
windows to look across the lawns.

"I'm in here,
Master," she called.

Lord Michael
turned in the direction of her voice and found her soaping herself
in her tub.

"I decided to
take a bath," she declared. "And I thought to wait for you
here."

He wandered
into the tiled room and stared down at the naked girl. The smell of
lavender was in the air and her hair was piled up on top of her
head, a few loose tendrils falling down the side of her face and
neck.

"Are you ready
for your punishment, Elizabeth?"

"Yes, Master.
And I know I deserve it. I've been thinking about it ever since you
scolded me. I shouldn't have even entertained the notion of joining
Mr Carrington - not even for one single second and I'm very sorry,"
she confessed.

"Thank you,
Elizabeth. You're quite right. I do appreciate that you understand
the error of your ways, but I still have to punish you," he said
firmly.

"I know,' she
sighed.

"Since you are
so nicely positioned in the bath I wish to watch you play with
yourself as you did last evening," he declared. "But of course this
time you will not be allowed your moment," he decreed.

"Yes, Master,"
she sighed.

He removed his
jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and taking a large towel set it on
the floor next to the tub.