Chapter 2: Saturday

From Slave to Desire: Diana rolled Emma onto her side and guided her head between her expansive breasts. Diana, stroking Emma’s hair, whispered, “Sleep some more, little one. We have many more experiences for you to explore before this weekend ends.”

Emma woke to soft lips on her pussy. She smiled, thinking that her new Mistress was sampling her sweet, young pussy. Emma groaned and stretched, luxuriating in the divine feeling emanating from her succulently sweet pleasure nub. Emma reached for Diana’s head, but before she could grasp it, Natalie said, “Good, you’re awake. For a moment there, I thought I’d have to finger your ass before you woke up.”

Disappointment flashed through Emma, but her conscience asked, ‘Are you disappointed it isn’t Diana, or are you displeased that Natalie has stopped?’ Before she could answer that question, Natalie said, “I’ve been tasked with asking if you wish to stay, and if you are, preparing you for today.”

“Do you like it here?” Emma asked Natalie, trying to hedge and delay her answer. “Is staying here and being a slave to Diana and Johan all you do? Is it all you want to do?”

Natalie smiled, and her eyes drifted as she recalled her own initiation into Mistress Diana’s and Master Johan’s Mansion. She, too, had been filled with questions. Questions along the lines of: Is being a slave to these two all I want from my life? Answer: No! Do I want to serve these two powerfully dominant people? Answer: Yes! Have I asked Mistress Diana and Master Johan if they expect me to be just their slave? Answer: No. Natalie almost laughed out loud when she remembered asking Mistress Diana if she (Natalie) was expected to do, to be, nothing more than their slave.

“Good Lawd, no!” Diana had exclaimed. “If I wanted a mindless drone, I would not have taken in an honours student as one of my projects.”

Natalie was attending Charles Sturt University as an online student. Her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) course was fully funded by her honours scholarship. Mistress Diana and Master Johan covered her day-to-day expenses, and all she had to do was serve them willingly to receive that courtesy. Her Mistress and Master currently had eight young men and women whom they supported as they, their slaves, earned various degrees, completed their courses or Mistress Diana and Master Johan funded their protégés’ start-up businesses.

In Natalie’s eighteen months at The Mansion, five other slaves had graduated their courses or degrees and left Mistress Diana’s and Master Johan’s care. Every one of those five could have stayed on. They chose to go, but not because the two dominants had told them to. Natalie had spoken with each of the departing former slaves. As one, their only desire was to find the one who could be theirs alone. They were saddened to leave their Mistress and Master, but they all wished to be in a single monogamous relationship with one they could call theirs.

Natalie thought they were idiots.

Natalie’s reveries were broken when Emma said, “Natalie, are you okay?”

Startled back to the present, Natalie apologised and replied, “I love it here. Mistress Diana and Master Johan are so brilliant and caring that I cannot imagine ever being someplace else. I’m a law student with a fully funded scholarship to Charles Sturt University. I’m going to be a human rights lawyer and fight for the under-represented and downtrodden Australia-wide. Mistress Diana and Master Johan are helping me to attain that goal.”

“So, you think I should stay and commit to them?” Natalie asked.

“I think you’d be the dumbest bitch on the planet if you refused,” Natalie emphatically stated. “You’ll live a life of luxury as you get the education you want and receive all the sex you could possibly desire. Men, women, combinations of both, all holes filled and cum in and orgasms too many to count. What kind of moron refuses that?”

“At what cost?” Emma fearfully asked.

“All Mistress and Master want from you is that you serve them to the best of your ability. Sure, they’ll make you eat their cunt or suck their cock. They’ll casually bend you over and fuck your mouth, cunt or ass, and they’ll cover your face and tits with their secretions, but so what? It’s not like they haven’t already done that as you kept the house awake with your screamed orgasms.”

Blushing, Emma admitted that Natalie was right. “At least until Monday morning,” Emma said. “I need to explore this and see if it’s for me.”

“Oh, it is,” Natalie replied, casually fingering Emma’s swollen with desire clitoris. “You’re already in love with Mistress Diana, and your soaking cunt tells me you’re hoping Master Johan will fuck you again.”

“What happens now?” Emma asked.

“You shower, and I prepare you for today,” Natalie replied.

“Let’s do this, then,” Emma agreed, and Natalie took her to the same bathroom and shower they’d used when Emma had first arrived.

Natalie took Emma through the same washing process as she had the night before. Natalie did add two extra things, though. Natalie got out and unwrapped a new douche bottle. She wrote Emma’s name on it in white ink and showed her how to use it. Emma was shocked when Natalie insisted she (Emma) douched her bottom hole, too.

“You’re going to have fingers, toys and cocks in it, plus fingers and mouths on it. Do you really want them to pull their poo-covered cock out of your ass and make you clean it with your mouth?” Emma quickly shook her head, thinking there was no way she was sucking anything that came out of her ass! “Then you’d better ensure your lower colon is pristinely clean, shouldn’t you?”

Emma obediently followed Natalie’s instructions and filled the bottle with lukewarm, soapy water. She attached the nozzle and carefully inserted it into her tight young vagina.

“It’ll come straight back out,” Natalie pointed out.

Embarrassed, Emma mouthed, “Oh,” before stepping into the shower and squeezing the bottle. ‘Weird’, Emma thought as the soapy water sprayed inside her recently fucked vagina, cleaning the last of Master Johan’s seed from inside her.

“Now, your ass,” Natalie instructed. “You can hold that water in there for a little while before sitting on the toilet.”

Emma removed the nozzle from her pussy, wiped the excess fluid away, and stepped from the shower. She squatted, ready to insert the nozzle in her ass.

“You’re not going to use lube?” Natalie asked.

Embarrassed again, Emma took the proferred tube and quickly smeared some lube around the nozzle’s tip and a little more on her chocolate star. The nozzle slid into her ass easily enough, and subconsciously, she squeezed her sphincter tightly closed before she pressed the douche’s bottle. ‘Weird’, Natalie thought again as her colon filled with warm water.

“Feels weird but quite pleasant, doesn’t it?” Natalie asked.

Pulling the douche’s nozzle from her tightly clenched bottom, Emma agreed. “Weird is right. Not sure if it’s pleasant, but it isn’t unpleasant if you know what I mean.”

“Sure,” Natalie acknowledged. “I quite like it, and I know a lot of the boys adore it, so maybe it’s an acquired pleasure.”

Natalie gave Emma time to adjust to having her ass filled with water, but Emma wasn’t sure if she was to wait for Natalie to tell her when it was time to void her bowels or whether it was up to her. Nature, however, took that decision away from the young submissive. Jerking comically as she held her butt cheeks together by sheer force of will only, Emma rushed to the bowl and quickly sat. Natalie giggled as the sounds of water forcefully hitting the toilet bowl echoed through the bathroom, but that didn’t help Emma’s blush.

Handing Emma the dropped douche bottle, Natalie grinningly said, “Repeat until the water from your bottom runs clear.”

‘If it’s possible to die from embarrassment,’ Emma thought as she flushed the toilet. ‘Then I’m already dead!’ Pretending bravery, Emma douched her rear canal again. The result was clear, but Emma repeated the action a third time to ensure there were no lingering spots. Satisfied she was as clean inside and out as possible, Emma showered again before presenting herself to Natalie, ready for whatever was next.

Natalie smiled at her young charge before readying her to serve The Master and Mistress of the house. First, Natalie wrapped a braided leather belt around Emma’s slim waist and cinched it in place. Next, the vibrating egg from the previous night went into Emma’s pussy, and Natalie attached its remote to the belt. Giggling, Natalie momentarily turned the vibrations to the maximum, sending The Mansion’s newest slave close to a shuddering orgasm.

7-inch stiletto-heeled pumps with slave ankle collars went on Emma’s feet next. Natalie attached the stainless steel, one-metre-long chain to the D-rings on the heels. Finally, Natalie brought a spacious butt plug out. The plug’s end finished with a half-metre-long faux fox tail. Natalie oiled the plug and gently inserted it into Emma’s protesting ass. Emma’s sphincter gaped to accept the widest part of the plug before closing around the plug’s taper, holding it inside Emma’s tight backside. Natalie buckled a slave collar around Emma’s slender neck, attached a thick black leash and hung it between Emma’s firm breasts to complete Emma’s look.

Taking a hard plastic vibrator out, Natalie teased Emma by placing its vibrating tip on the butt plug’s base as she turned the vibrating egg back up. Emma shuddered on the edge of an orgasm until Natalie cruelly removed the vibrations from her young ward’s nether regions.

“No fair!” Emma protested, hoping Natalie would complete the job of causing her to climax.

“Time to present yourself to The Master and Mistress,” Natalie said, ignoring Emma’s whined protest.

Natalie had to support the young submissive down the three flights of stairs. Walking in 7-inch stiletto heels was difficult enough. Having to do it down the stairs with only a one-metre-long pace took practice and skill, neither of which Emma currently possessed. She managed to make it to the bottom without breaking her fool neck or embarrassing herself or Natalie too much.

Even walking across the floor to the kitchen was uncomfortable. Every time Emma’s stride exceeded the chain’s length, Natalie had to remind her to take smaller steps and glide. “You’re not a damned truck driver,” Natalie hissed for the umpteenth time. “Nor are you a soldier marching into battle. Take short, delicate steps as you glide across the floor.” Fortunately, instead of the slender silver chain Natalie wore, Emma had a training chain. It was much bulkier and made of stainless steel, so it survived Emma’s clumsy, stumbling steps across to the kitchen.

Emma entered the kitchen to find the other seven slaves gathered there. They laughed, teased and joked with each other as they bustled about preparing breakfast, first for their owners and the other guests still at the house and then for themselves. Natalie sat Emma at the ‘slave table’ and swiftly immersed herself in the preparations.

One of the male submissives swirled past Emma, laying a cup of coffee and a bowl of mixed cereals before her. Another male servant, also wearing naught but a cock cage and a beatific smile, followed, placing a tray with jugs of cold milk of several varieties, full cream, skim, lactose-free, and almond amongst them, beside Emma’s bowl. Yet another submissive, a female this time, added a tray with bowls of fresh fruit.

Natalie swept by carrying carafes with hot tea and coffee. “If you’d prefer toast with toppings, ask the cook.” She pointed at a naked, except for a mid-thigh length apron, robust older woman working at the five-burner stove, cooking bacon, sausages, pancakes, and fried and boiled eggs. “If you want a cooked breakfast, again, ask Cookie. You won’t get that until the Dominants have been fed, though.

Natalie swirled away before Emma could answer or thank her. Then, before Emma could even take a deep breath, the bustle throughout the kitchen suddenly resolved. Plates of cooked foods were somehow on the lazy susan in the middle of the Dominants’ table. A basket full of hot toast was also there, along with single servings of butter, and the other eight submissives were sitting at the ‘slave table’ quietly eating, teasing, and joking with the others.

Although Emma had worked with some of the submissives the previous night, she didn’t know their names. Well, except Natalie, of course. Amongst the quiet chatter, the others at the table introduced themselves. The men were Charlie, Max, and Hudson, and the girls were Natalie, Zoe, Ivy, Addison, and Anna (the tubby blonde Johan had taken to bed the previous night). Emma was welcomed to the group, and all except Anna seemed happy there was another that might join their group.

Emma couldn’t understand why Anna was so standoffish until Natalie whispered, “Only Anna and Ivy are Master Johan’s slaves. The rest of us serve Mistress Diana first, even though all of us girls also happily serve Master Johan. Anna’s pissy because it’s already apparent that Master Johan wants you to join them, probably as his alpha submissive. Anna thinks Johan will eventually dump Mistress Diana for her. She’s kidding herself, of course.”

“Is this going to be a problem for me?” Emma asked.

“No,” Natalie quietly assured her. “Master Johan and Mistress Diana will keep a lid on her. Diana’s already told Tubby (Anna) she’s receiving the whip next time she exhibits jealousy towards one of the other girls.”

Appalled, Ella asked, “The whip?”

“Oh, yes, the whip,” Hudson dreamily said from Emma’s right. He didn’t expand on his comment, though.

“Hudson’s a bit of a pain slut,” Natalie explained. “He’s also a SAM (Smart Assed Masochist). He mouths off and acts out on purpose so that The Master and Mistress have no choice but to punish him.”

“Which, of course, isn’t punishment at all because he enjoys it so much,” Emma said.

“Precisely,” Natalie said, proud of her young ward’s insightfulness. “He won’t enjoy Mistress Diana’s next punishment, though.”

“Removal of approval and affection,” Emma surmised. “Hudson is needy. If Mistress Diana shows she’s disappointed in him and turns away from him, Hudson will be devastated.”

“Are you sure you’re only new?” Natalie giggled. “Again, precisely. Hudson’s been warned, though. So, tough shit, I say,” Natalie added, sounding quite vindictive, Emma thought.

Natalie looked at the newest addition to The Mansion’s stable. Emma sat tall and unselfconscious in her seat. Emma had, without even seeming to think about it, tucked her ‘tail’ between her butt cheeks and along her perineum as she sat. Emma’s shoulders were back, and the leather leash hung where it was supposed to—between Emma’s high, firm B-cup breasts. ‘Diana is right,’ Natalie enviously thought, remembering her early struggles to fit into The Mansion’s systems and processes. ‘Emma is a complete natural at this.’ After Emma finished her breakfast, Natalie was further amazed when she rinsed and put her plate and cutlery into the dishwasher and began clearing dirty plates from the Dominant’s table.

However, it all came crashing down around Emma’s ears when Jürgen entered the kitchen. Jürgen wore a brilliant white, ruffle front shirt unbuttoned to barely above his naval. Jürgen’s broad, hairy, muscular chest almost glowed in his shirt’s vee. On his powerful legs, Jürgen wore a clinging pair of light brown riding trousers tucked into a pair of dark brown, soft leather calf boots. The immediate flush in Emma’s pale cheeks showed her attraction to the muscly, powerful young man.

Smiling widely, his bright blue eyes sparkling beneath his strong brow, Jürgen almost skipped across to Emma. Emma held still as Jürgen casually groped her firm tits and squeezed her lean butt. Even holding glasses in both hands, Emma didn’t move or protest as Jürgen tapped her butt plug’s base and fingered her stiff little clitty. The problem occurred when, grinning almost evilly, Jürgen turned the egg inside Emma’s cunt on as he simultaneously pinched and twisted her nipple. Emma immediately lost control of her body and dropped the glasses as she climaxed. She orgasmed so hard that Jürgen had to hold her up, or else she would have collapsed to the floor.

Shocked, the submissives gasped before swinging into action. Two of them moved quickly to the hallway cupboard and put on plain rubber thongs. Grabbing the broom, dustpan, brush, and vacuum cleaner, they swiftly removed the larger glass pieces before silently and efficiently sweeping and vacuuming the entire kitchen and dining room floors.

Looking almost apologetic but remaining silent, Jürgen turned off the egg and helped Emma back onto her chair before getting himself a plate of food and sitting with the other dominants.

“You’re getting the whip,” Hudson almost enviously stated.

“Why?” Emma gasped. “I didn’t protest or complain and accepted everything Jürgen did! Dropping the glasses was an accident. Surely Mistress Diana won’t punish me for an accident.”

“Accident or not, you lost control and made a mess, embarrassing Mistress Diana and Master Johan in front of their guests,” Natalie explained sadly. “But worse, you came without Jürgen permitting you to. That breach of etiquette will earn you time on the suspension frame and at least five lashes on your back and ass.”

“Wasn’t Jürgen trying to make me cum?” Emma protested.

“Of course he was!” Natalie explained. “But you’re supposed to beg for permission before you do.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” Emma objected.

“Didn’t The Master and Mistress make you plead to be allowed to cum last night?” Natalie questioned.

“Oh, Gawd!” Emma exclaimed. “Yes, they did.”

“So you can’t claim that you didn’t know,” Natalie pointed out. Natalie also knew she probably wasn’t getting out of this embarrassing incident unscathed. As Emma’s guide and teacher, Mistress Diana would hold her partially responsible for Emma’s reaction to Jürgen’s teasing.

“You’re getting the whip,” Hudson repeated. The envy was palpable in his voice and expression this time.

Emma looked around the table. Most of her fellow submissives looked sadly at her, sorry for her predicament. They, too, had been in similar situations with similar results and could empathise with Emma’s plight. There were two exceptions—Hudson was envious that he wasn’t the one about to be whipped, and Anna looked delighted by the prospect of seeing someone she considered a rival for Johan’s affections in trouble and being punished.

The submissives had all finished their breakfasts and were sitting around their table enjoying coffee, tea or juices in a rare downtime. Their conversations were happy and exuberant but were kept muted to avoid bothering the main table. There was quite a lot of sexual innuendo and teasing between all at the table. Even Emma wasn’t omitted from the barbs and insults.

Emma, to her credit, quickly learned to give as good as she got. Natalie amusedly watched as Anna tried to get under the young Emma’s skin. Emma, however, ignored the increasingly catty remarks emanating from the blue-eyed tubby blonde, or she treated them as jokes and hurled witty comments back.

Anna was close to losing it, and Natalie eagerly anticipated her doing so. If Anna did, Emma would have company on the suspension frame. It would also be Anna’s third strike within a short period, and it could possibly lead to her banishment from the house. Natalie had no personal issues with the somewhat overweight blonde woman but resented Anna’s attempts to wedge Master Johan away from Mistress Diana. Natalie didn’t like Anna’s treatment of Ivy, and she sure wasn’t putting up with her reactions to the newest addition to the stable, Emma.

Natalie smiled when Johan casually walked over with his long, thick cock out, picked Ivy up, bent her over, and lowered her onto his magnificent pole. Effortlessly holding the tiny, dark-haired girl suspended in the air, Johan pummelled Ivy’s hairless cunt from behind until, with an exclaimed, “You may cum on my cock!” he orgasmed into the quiescent girl. It was like Johan’s yelled instruction set a tightly wound spring toy off. Squealing, writhing and bouncing, Ivy climaxed on Johan’s thrusting tool. Ivy was giggling and almost comatose when Johan gently lowered her back onto her chair.

Ivy rested momentarily before excusing herself to the bathroom and cleaning herself up. She then came back to the table with a warm, wet washer, knelt and cleaned Johan’s cock. Kissing its tip before carefully tucking it away behind Johan’s robe, Ivy thanked him for the orgasm before returning to her seat.

Amazed at what had just occurred, Emma muttered, “I didn’t thank Jürgen.”

“You’re getting the whip,” Hudson observed for the third time after Emma’s admission.

The group of submissive men and women waited patiently at their table until Master Johan’s and Mistress Diana’s guests stood and moved away from the table. The small group gathered their slaves from where they waited in the lounge (Margot, the robust chef, had brought a tray of breakfast foods for the four men and women to share), and after exchanging goodbyes, they got in cars and left.

With the guests’ departure, The Mansion’s submissives swung into gear. Emma wasn’t sure what she should do, so he followed Natalie and helped whenever Natalie seemed to need it. Sheets were removed from beds, towels from bathrooms, and everything was replaced and remade. Floors were swept or vacuumed, and basins were cleaned and dried. Toilets, showers and baths were also wiped down, even if they seemed unused. A surprisingly short time later, The Mansion’s slaves regathered in the lounge to await further instructions from their Master and Mistress.

“Good work, everyone,” Diana said approvingly. “Our guests were impressed with your work and willingness to serve yesterday. They were all happy with your sexual performances, and they look forward to our next gathering. We have a couple of minor discipline issues to take care of, and then you may take the rest of the day off. Natalie, bring slave Emma to the dungeon room and bind her to the slave cross suspension frame. Bottom out, please.

“Hudson, you will retrieve a leather blindfold from the supply cupboard and bring it to the dungeon. Anna, you will return to your bedroom and get your largest dildo and widest vibrator. Bring those two items to the dungeon, too. Those of you not mentioned will wait until called to witness the punishments for the three who have broken protocols.”

Running, Hudson and Anna left to comply with their Mistress’ demands.

Natalie shrugged at Emma and said, “This way.” She took Emma to the hallway. Halfway along the hall, a solid wooden door concealed a small flight of wrought iron stairs leading down to a medieval-looking dungeon. Turning the lights on, Natalie guided Emma to the oaken slave cross, dominating the dungeon’s middle. Getting her to stand on the cross’ frame, Natalie used the padded leather cuffs attached to the ‘X’s’ to bind Emma securely to the frame. Natalie then adjusted the padded centre piece to force Emma’s ass to lewdly protrude outward, presenting it sexily to anyone in the room.

Anna and Hudson had entered the dungeon well before Natalie had completed tying Emma up. They knelt before Emma with their bottoms on their heels, their heads up and eyes down, and their palms face-up on their thighs. Both slaves’ knees were slightly spread, and their shoulders were up and back. The items they’d been sent to fetch were placed before them, waiting to be picked up and presented to their Mistress or Master.

After checking that Emma was tied correctly, Natalie moved until she stood behind the two kneeling slaves. She stood with her feet shoulder-width apart and her shoulders up and back. Like Anna and Hudson, Natalie’s head was held high, but she kept her eyes on the floor before her. Natalie clasped her hands behind her back while waiting for her Master and Mistress to appear.

The dungeon door opened, and Diana walked into the room and down the stairs before Johan, stopping beside the cross and between Emma and the two kneeling. The remaining slaves followed their Mistress and Master down the stairs before joining Natalie. They all took up stances matching Natalie’s.

Once everyone was in place, Diana said, “Husband?”

Johan started, obviously unaware Diana would ask him to go first. However, Johan recovered quickly and said, “Anna Marie Ingleston, you are called to account for your jealous behaviour and snide comments to our newest trainee. Do you agree that punishment is due?”

Anna wanted to protest, but she knew Johan’s accusations were correct; she just hadn’t thought he or Mistress Diana would notice or care if they did. Hanging her head, Anna admitted, “Yes, Master.”

“Stand and come with me,” Johan demanded. Anna picked up the two sex objects before her and followed Johan to a leather waist buckler hanging from a suspended rope in the corner to Emma’s left. After taking a piece of braided leather rope and padded wrist and ankle cuffs from a drawer deeper in the corner, Johan used the ratchet pulley to adjust the buckler’s height until he could secure it around Natalie’s waist.

Johan ratcheted the pulley until the buckler lifted Anna about six inches off the floor. Johan took two stands from the corner. One was a straight up-and-down stand, and the other resembled a musician’s microphone stand. After attaching the wide, at least eight-inch-long dildo to the straight stand, Johan reached back into the corner drawer, brought out the lube, and oiled the massive dildo. He removed the plug already in Anna’s bottom and positioned the dildo under her ass. Using the pulley, Johan lowered Anna until the dildo pressed against her anus.

Johan said, “Anna Marie Ingleston, as Master of this Mansion, I find your behaviour unacceptable. This is your third infraction this month. If there is a fourth before the month’s end, I will banish you from my presence and The Mansion. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” Anna bravely said, trying not to show her anxiety.

“Your punishment is to spend one full hour impaled on your dildo and with a vibrator forced against your clit. Every orgasm you have adds another hour to your punishment. Is that understood?”

‘Orgasm?’ Emma wondered from her vantage point on the cross. ‘That dildo’s huge and will hurt like a bitch going in her ass. How could she possibly orgasm from that?’

She was gobsmacked when Anna said, “Yes, Sir.”

Johan placed the cuffs on Anna’s wrists and ankles. He connected the wrist cuffs together and then repeated that with the ankle ones. Then, he took the braided rope, lifted Anna’s ankles up behind her and then, using the braided rope, attached the ankle cuffs to the hand ones. Now that Anna was helpless, Johan used the ratchet and pulley to lower her slowly onto the dildo.

Other than grunting when the massively girthed dildo sundered her ass knot, Anna endured her punishment stoically. However, that swiftly changed when Johan attached the base of Anna’s ‘magic wand’ vibrator to the microphone stand, adjusted it until its broad, rounded head pressed against Anna’s clitoris firmly, and turned it on.

“Oh, Gaaawwwd!” Anna groaned, clearly on the cusp of an intense orgasm.

“Silence, or I will gag you,” Johan snapped as he turned Anna to face the room. He left Anna impaled and returned to stand beside his wife.

Diana took over smoothly. “Hudson ‘Hawke’ Howard, you are called to account for slovenliness, laziness, and disrespect. This, also, is your third infraction this month. I will not abide a SAM in my service. If you commit another infraction this month, you will be told to leave. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Mistress,” Hudson answered.

“Follow me,” Diana instructed. Hudson picked up his blindfold and obeyed

She took Hudson to the corner on Emma’s right. There was a series of chains hanging from ring bolts in the ceiling in there. On one end of the centre chain was another pulley and ratchet. On the other was a broad, padded, leather collar.

A leather harness hung from the outer two chains. Diana put Hudson’s arms through the harness and cinched it behind his back. Undoing the D-rings on the chains, Diana pulled them down until the chains were taut before locking them in place with the D-rings. Next, she put the broad collar around Hudson’s neck before tightening it and running the chain up beside his ear. Diana took up the chain’s slack using the ratchet until the collar pulled against Hudson’s jaw.

After tying the blindfold around Hudson’s eyes, Diana said, “Hudson ‘Hawke’ Howard, physically punishing you for your indiscretions is pointless because you enjoy the sensation. Your punishment is to be held separate from my presence and ignored by the entire house. Only after you have spent a minimum of an hour contemplating your behaviour and meaningfully apologised to me will I allow you to rejoin my service.

“Until that time, know this. I do not approve of you nor wish to even look at your recalcitrant face. You do not have my affection, and you will need to work damned hard to regain it. I’m disappointed in you, but I will give you one last chance to prove you are worthy of my time and attention. Are you willing to accept my judgement?”