The Shunning (12 page)

"Or, she is testing you."

"Testing me...?"

"Yes, testing you to see if you are serious about spanking her."

"Why would she do that?" he asked, obviously puzzled.

"Women think differently than men, Atlee. My guess is that Miriam wants to see if you are a man of your word, or if she can manipulate you."

"I see," he said the words in a clipped fashion. He sat even straighter on the seat, and Sadie could see he was angry.

"I didn't mean to make you angry," she said apologetically.

"I have made my decision," he announced. "If Miriam needs a good
bletching
to prove that I am a man of my word, then she shall have one to remember."

"Please don't do this while your temper is involved, brother. You need to show her love, too."

"You are right," he said after a moment, and then he smiled down at her. "When did you grow up and become so smart, little sister?"

"I learned this lesson the hard way, remember?" she said, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

"Do you feel any resentment toward Samuel, Sadie?" he asked, and she could tell her answer truly mattered to her brother.

"No, I don't. I was extremely embarrassed, Atlee. It was a true punishment, and Samuel made sure I would not wish to have it repeated. But afterwards, he held me and let me cry while he told me I was forgiven. He told me that he worried for the two weeks that I would never speak to him again. I worried that he would think me too childish to court. I was so thankful to see him this morning and know that we were right with each other. It would have been wrong for me to tell him 'no' to the punishment; I honestly think that Samuel would have looked elsewhere for someone to court."

"
Danki
for the advice, little sister. If things do not work out with Miriam I will be greatly disappointed, but if she cannot accept discipline in our relationship it is best I learn it now."

Chapter Eight

"Hello there, Levi's Sadie," Samuel said with a smile as he walked up to lift her down from the buggy. "I am happy you are here. They are about to start singing hymns now."

Sadie held his hand as they walked into the barn. Many of the other young people were there and she greeted her friends, answering with honesty when she was asked where she was two weeks ago. "I was in disfavor with my
Dat
and he forbade me to come."

"What did you do?" one girl asked, but another gave her a gentle push and said, "Mind your business, Mary Elizabeth."

"Oh, I am sorry, Sadie. I sometimes ask before thinking," Mary Elizabeth was embarrassed and twisting the strings on her
kapp
.

Sadie gave her a smile and said, "They are ready to start the singing. Let's all go and find seats."

Samuel was pleased by her behavior and thought that Sadie had grown up considerably in the last couple of weeks. It was obvious to him that she'd spent a great deal of time in thought and prayer, and her attitude was different in many ways. She even had fun during the games, and did not seek to win to the distress of others. He did notice that she kept her eyes on Atlee a good bit during the evening, and he finally asked, "Are you concerned about your brother, Sadie?"

"A bit," she admitted. "I cannot betray his confidence, however," she said apologetically.

"I respect that." They had refreshments, and when he brought a cup of lemonade over to Sadie, he saw Atlee take Miriam's arm in a firm grip and lead her from the barn. It was a bit early to be leaving, but perhaps the two needed some time alone. Atlee did not appear to have romance on his mind, however, and Miriam did not seem pleased to be leaving so soon. Still, Sadie told him that she couldn't betray Atlee's confidence, so he kept what he saw to himself.

* * *

"Why are you insisting we leave so early, Atlee?" Miriam asked. It was obvious she was not pleased with him, or at missing out on the fun. Miriam always insisted on staying until the last moment of the evening.

"I believe you already know the answer to that, Miriam. We have unfinished business between us."

"You surely are not serious!" she said, gasping.

"I am most serious."

"Atlee, you are making too much of nothing," she protested.

"Did you see Beth here tonight?" he asked.

"I wasn't looking for her," was her maddening answer.

"She was too embarrassed and ashamed to come tonight because of all the gossip at church this morning, and I believe you know that, Miriam." He helped her into his courting buggy and then climbed up beside her.

"You don't know that, Atlee. She could simply be ill."

"Ill with worry that gossip will reach her parents, perhaps," he said. "You should be ashamed of yourself, young lady. How would you feel if it was us in Miriam's and Seth's shoes?" he demanded.

Miriam did not reply. He picked up the reins and led his horse away from the gathering. Finally she asked in a small voice, "You are taking me home early as a punishment?"

"I am taking you somewhere private where I can keep my promise to you, Miriam. You earned a serious
bletching
for gossiping."

"But, I am an adult and too old for a child's punishment!" She was clearly upset with him.

"I do not intend to treat you as I would a child. I intend to treat you like the woman I hope to marry someday." Atlee was determined to follow through with the spanking he promised her.

"Even if I tell you 'no' and promise that I will never see you again?" she demanded, looking at him in fury.

"I hoped for a future with you, Miriam, but if you choose not to see me again after I give you the spanking I promised I would give you if you gossiped about Beth and Seth, then I will have to assume that you wouldn't have made me a good wife. I expect my wife to be obedient when I make my wishes known to her regarding a matter of importance, and I expect her to accept discipline when she disobeys. If you can do neither of these things, then there is no reason for me to court you further. But, since I promised you this
bletching
while we are courting, you will have it, or I will take you home and we are finished."

Miriam started crying and Atlee hardened himself to her tears. He would not weaken and let both of them down. He'd prayed over the situation, and when he talked with his sister, her advice rang true within his heart. He would not be married to a woman who loved gossip more than she loved him. "Well, Miriam...? Which is it to be; a
bletching
for disobeying me and gossiping, or taking you home early and saying our goodbyes...?"

"I have told you I am sorry, Atlee. Why will you not believe me?"

"Saying sorry isn't enough, Miriam. There are consequences to go along with the apology." They rode along in silence, the clip clop of the horses hooves on the road the only sound they heard.

"You seriously mean to spank me...?" she finally asked.

"Yes." There wasn't a hint of compromise in the word.

Miriam wished she hadn't told even one person about seeing Beth and Seth in such a compromising position. "I only told one person, Atlee, and she told others. I regret it more than I can say. I thought I was sharing a confidence that would be kept secret, but Sarah quickly told others before I could stop her. I didn't mean to hurt Beth or Seth, and I am ashamed. Please believe me," she begged. "I will take the spanking; I have earned it for being foolish enough to trust Sarah."

"How could you not know that Sarah is a huge gossip?" Atlee demanded, shocked by Miriam's behavior.

"She is also a sweet girl and the first to offer if a sympathetic ear is needed."

"Yes, so she can talk about you behind your back," Atlee proclaimed. "Miriam, telling no one meant
no one
, including and especially Sarah!"

She nodded, and then looked at him in horror when he pulled off the main road and drove to a covered bridge that was secluded and hidden by lots of trees. "You can't mean to spank me here?" She was incredulous at the very idea. "We are outside!"

"Do you wish me to ask someone for the use of their barn or woodshed?" he asked with a grin.

"No! Oh, Atlee, please give me another chance to prove I can obey you! I would just die if we were discovered."

"No, you wouldn't die. We left early enough that no one should think of coming here for some time yet, if they are desirous of privacy." He jumped down, and then raised his arms to her. "Come along, Miriam. I wish this over with as much as you do. I am not a man who wishes it necessary to punish the woman I love."

"If you don't want to do it, then..."

"Miriam, I do not like to clean out the horses' stalls in the barn, either, but I do it because it is my duty. Come now and do not make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Miriam saw the determination in his dark eyes reflected in the moonlight and knew in her heart that she had to either accept the punishment or lose Atlee to another. She could not bear the thought of losing him, so she rose and leaned into his arms and he lifted her to the ground before taking her arm in his and walking her to the bridge.

"We will hear anyone coming long before they can see us," he offered her the simple reassurance. "I would not dishonor you by allowing anyone to see you accepting a
bletching
."

"Thank you, Atlee," she whispered. "I truly am grateful for that." It did seem crazy to thank him for planning to spank her where they couldn't be seen!

He led her inside the covered bridge, and there was enough moonlight to shine through the openings and give him enough light to see what he was doing. "Pull up your skirts," he said.

"What?" she whispered, her face flooding with the heat of embarrassment.

"You heard me, Miriam, and you should know that arguing with me, stalling, or asking questions at this point is going to increase the number of spanks you'll get. I expect obedience now." He paused and then asked, "Do you understand?"

"
Ja
," she replied, but wanted to sink through the floor of the bridge and into the creek below.

"Pull up your dress. I will spank you over your panties."

Miriam did as she was told, vowing it was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her entire life. No one had seen her like this in more years than she could count. Her parents almost never spanked, even when she was a child. And, even then, neither of them ever raised skirts on their daughters, or lowered britches on the boys. This was mortifying, and probably worse than the spanking would be.

"Why are you about to be spanked, Miriam?" he questioned.

"Because I disobeyed you and gossiped to one person, and she told others. It hurt Beth and Seth, and I should have been quiet."

"True, but there is another reason, isn't there?" he asked quietly.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"You were testing me, ain't so?"

Miriam felt as though she'd been turned inside out. She started crying. "I'm so sorry!"

"We will deal with that and talk about it some more after we are done." He knelt on one knee, bending his other to make a nice, convenient place to spank her bottom when she was she was lying across his left thigh. He took her arm and gently helped her down, and then he put his left arm over her waist to hold her so she wouldn't topple off and harm herself on the old floor of the covered bridge.

Miriam cried out in shock and pain as Atlee's hand landed on the seat of her white cotton panties with a loud splat. It was quickly obvious that this was not an indulgent parent giving her a spanking, but an enraged man who was seriously put out with her disobedience. She tried to accept the punishment, but it grew harder and harder to do with each successive spank on her bottom. She was soon burning and wishing with all her might that she'd obeyed his directive not to gossip. "I'm sorry, Atlee! Please stop! I will never do this again, I promise!" Her pleas did nothing to stay his hand. He continued to spank her until she was positive she would never be able to sit down again, and she was sobbing and unable to ask for mercy!

"That, Miriam, is what you can expect if you disobey me in the future. I am not a cruel man, or one who wishes to control every little thing you do, but when I tell you to keep your silence I expect you will do so... unless there is a very good reason for your disobedience. Is that understood?"

"
Ja
," she managed to whisper between hiccups.

"Good. I expect you to apologize to Beth and to Seth at the first opportunity."

"
Ja
, I will do that as soon as I can," she agreed, knowing she had to do so. She would have done this even without a burning bottom to remind her. She tried then to get up, but Atlee continued to hold her in place. "May I get up now?" she asked, assuming he was done.

"No, little one," he answered, his tone gentle. "We have yet to deal with your testing me to see if I really would punish you. Do you know now that I will do as I promise?"

"Ja!" Her face couldn't possibly be any hotter! "I am sorry," she whispered.

"You needed to know what I would do if you disobeyed, and now you know. Now you will find out what I will do if you do something just to test me."

Miriam cried out in pain as she felt him strike her just below her cheeks, just underneath the covering and protection of her panties. "Owwwww! What is that?" she demanded, trying to twist around to look over her shoulder. It wasn't Atlee's hand, of that she was certain.

"It is an old piece of harness, cut into just the proper length for a good
bletching
," he answered, remembering well the first time he was acquainted with a length of harness strap across his backside. It brought about a change of attitude in a big hurry, and he doubted that Miriam would desire to have this particular lesson taught again anytime soon. "I feel a good dozen right where you sit will remind you not to test your future husband, ain't so?"

"I already know that, Atlee! I do not need further schooling," she insisted.

"I will be sure of this," he said, and then proceeded to give her the other eleven, all to the same very tender part of her bottom. Once it was done, he carefully helped her stand, allowing her skirt to fall down over her pretty backside. He rose, and then pulled her close and permitted her to cry while he comforted her. Finally, he offered her a clean handkerchief and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.