Free Dealing With Discipline by Golden Angel

because that’s what she wanted to believe? Was she already
dooming herself to be her mother?
    She had a moment of pure envy for
Irene. If Hugh wasn’t in love with his wife already, he was more
than halfway there and she knew her brother wouldn’t hesitate to
express his feelings for the woman he loved. He’d probably never
spank her either, she thought sourly as the press of Edwin’s hard
stomach against her poor, abused bottom made her wince. But not
because Hugh didn’t know how to be a disciplinarian, she just
couldn’t imagine Irene ever transgressing so badly that he would
feel the need to.
    Of course she could do the same
thing. If she chose to. Still if she ever behaved badly enough that
Edwin sent her away, the way she’d originally planned, then his
feelings towards her would be rather clear. While he obviously
wished that she wouldn’t need discipline, there was no denying the
effect it had on him. She thought wistfully back to the rather
playfully pleasurable spanking that he’d given her in
Paris.
    Somehow she just didn’t think it
was in her to behave well enough to only ever receive that kind of
punishment to her poor bottom. Besides, being spanked and kept
close rather than banished from his presence… well, strangely, it
made her feel loved.
    *******
    Hugh studied his bride from across
the carriage where she was looking out the window as if the scenery
outside was the most fascinating thing in the world. That had
seemed somewhat plausible while they were in London and perhaps a
bit plausible for the first hour in the countryside, but they’d
literally been riding past the same scenery of meadows for close to
an hour and a half now. The silence that had lengthened throughout
the ride was making him uncomfortable. After all, he could have
chosen to ride beside the carriage out in the open air – which he
would have preferred – but he’d thought it would be more
considerate to ride in the carriage with his bride.
    “Well… Irene,” he said, reaching
across to take her hand, deciding that she’d had long enough to
gaze out the window. She started in surprise, those wide green eyes
finding his and blinking rapidly as if she’d truly expected to ride
in silence the entire trip. Then again, thinking about her mother,
it wouldn’t surprise him at all if Irene was used to riding in
silence – it was probably better than starting a conversation with
that harpy. He gave his new wife his most charming grin and had the
pleasure of seeing her flush in response, her fingers fluttering
against the palm of his hand the way a frightened baby bird might.
“Are you looking forward to seeing Stonehaven?”
    Stonehaven, the great house
located in Harrington, center of his father’s Earldom. Irene
swallowed, trying to focus on the conversation rather than on the
way Viscount Peter- Hugh ’s fingers were caressing her
palm. It was his family seat and their first stop on their
honeymoon. Although he’d asked if she wanted to travel abroad,
Irene had insisted they stay in England. Secretly she’d always
wanted to see more of the world, but that was when she’d had hopes
of marrying Alex. Now she preferred to stay in England, close to
her family and her childhood love, the white knight that she could
always count on to protect her when the situation called for
it.
    So she’d informed Hugh that she’d
like to stay in England for their honeymoon and he’d suggested that
she see her new lands. He’d told her that they’d visit two other
estates, the last one being his primary seat in Westingdon until he
inherited the entirety of it upon his father’s death. Westingdon’s
lands were the ones which abutted her family’s, although she’d
never visited the great house there, known to the locals as the
Petersham Seat. Named after the heir’s title of course. The house
was called Stanley House. Now it was her home. How very, very
strange.
    “Oh yes,” she said, a little
breathlessly and she told herself