Chapter 5

The habit at this school was to undress from the waist down. The two girls went to a corner of the room, divested themselves of their lower wear and walked back in a kind of crablike walk with their blouses pulled down. It really didn’t hide enough. They were individually bent over Miss Achor’s knee and the slipper – a size nine gym shoe, courtesy of a particularly large footed pupil – was applied hard and often. Twelve times in fact. Miss Bellingham found herself breathing heavily by the end, she had edged round to get a better view, and drawn Mr Small with her. He had had no opportunity to adjust himself after the first girl, who stood looking at his significant bulge as the second girl was assailed. Miss Bellingham had noticed, but Miss Achor took no interest in the male physique and was less aware that the assault was not just inappropriate for the display of a girl’s private area, but also for the effect that had on a man watching.

That done, they asked if they might take a quick look at the senior common room – in truth two rooms and a small kitchen. They were directed to it and left to their own devices. So it was only the two of them that walked in to one room to find that the domestic chores to be performed by younger pupils were generally done in underwear alone. This for no particular reason than to embarrass the girl concerned. She would hardly complain, because if she did then the rest of her time at the school she would be seen as a snitch. So there were two thirteen year olds scrubbing the fireplace on their hands and knees in nothing more than knickers and vest.

Miss Bellingham, who was already hot and flustered from the slippering, became even more confused. She went to the other room to let Mr Small deal with this. “Oh, no, this won’t do at all I’m afraid. You two, dress this instant and leave; you will not say anything about this deplorable state of affairs. The rest of you will stay.”

Next door, Miss Bellingham’s unannounced visit caused dismay. It had been accepted that only Head of Year would call in, and she always said she would be coming; it allowed girls to hide their cigarillos and open a window. Everybody was content. Now a mature young woman walked in on a girl naked from the waist down, being held against the fire. A senior was warning her. “Confess or we’ll turn you to face the fire and singe your pu-” The words died on her lips. Miss Bellingham was unsure of the appropriate action.

“Ah. Umm. You, girl, step away from the fire.

Now, yes, umm, what is this about?”

“Forgive me, miss. But are you lost? Perhaps you do not realise this is a school?” This was a last ditch attempt at a defensive action. It gave Miss Bellingham the opportunity to think.

“What? I am here on a school inspection. Even were it to be true that such punishments were justified ... Girl, put your knickers on for heaven’s sake! I do NOT wish to see that any longer! ... as I say, even were such punishment to be justified; it is highly unlikely it could be justified in a school report. You are three very silly girls to think to punish a girl in such a ... an ... erotic fashion on the day of a school inspection. What were you thinking?” Miss Bellingham had been to Rowardeen Ladies College, where ‘singeing the pubes’ was a popular game – see who could stand closest to the fire for longest. – so she wasn’t entirely as shocked as she might have been. As she said, she was more shocked that intelligent young women did not think of the consequences, ramifications, and implications of what they did.

Next door, Jack Small was having a challenge too. The two thirteen year olds had scurried away, thankful that their punishment had been brought to a close early. But what should be done with the four young ladies who were now ashen faced before him. Miss Bellingham looked her head round the door. “Do you have a minute Mr Small?”

“Of course, you four shall wait!”

Outside the two rooms, a hurried conference took place. Both explained the nature of what had been found, and their conundrum was the same. What to do with the girls who had ordered such punishments? It appeared that they both felt this should not be officially reported; perhaps a bland statement that the senior pupils’ common rooms should be supervised more thoroughly.

“At the primary school we visited, Mrs Dolmaine and I, I need not trouble you with the details, but we concluded that if a teacher found a short sharp shock was appropriate for children, it should apply to her as well if necessary.” Said Jack.

“Oh ... you think ... well yes ... I suppose that does make sense. They have probably all been similarly punished when younger, perhaps they have forgotten what it was like. Shall we deal with my room first?” She and Mr Small entered the other room and told the occupants to stay there until released; then they went to the room where the cleaners had been in their underwear.

“We think” said Mr Small “that you should complete the work yourselves, as punishment” The four girls sighed, stood and then bent to start cleaning the grate.

“Ah, excuse me, have you forgotten something? Your two skivvies were in their essentials. You four should be similarly attired for the purpose. It is your choice, Mr Small can put this fully into his report, and you can be responsible for closing the school.” Miss Bellingham did not mention the ‘goings on’ next door; they were far worse.

The four girls reluctantly divested themselves down to their underwear. This was definitely not school approved; school knickers were large and full and thick. Each of the young adults was wearing thin silk undies that did nothing to hide the shape and contours of their contents as they bent to their tasks. A sheen of pink flesh shone through one girl’s white panties, the dark line between her buttocks was easily visible. With four doing the work, it was completed quickly, and then they stood. “Face the front then” demanded Jack, and then realised that white-pantie girl (as he had designated her) also showed a dark triangle at the front, plus two dull red circles were visible under her silk vest. The other three had coloured underwear on which only showed their prominent nipples, a result of the energetic scrubbing resulting in nipple-friction.

“Oh, ah, right. Well you four may go. If you mention this to anyone, it will bring shame and closure to the school I think; so you can feel pleased, at least, that your sense of honour has allowed this little peccadillo to go unreported. I am sure it never happened before and will not happen again” Of course they all knew that not to be true. It had clearly been the normal approach to punishing lower school. It would not happen again though. “Now, to the other room”

In there, the three seniors were concerned, in fact they were very concerned. They knew they had overstepped the mark. Jezebel O’Hanlon was sure they would be expelled. Even the ‘spraty’ (the name for year four pupils) was saying that she would say nothing and she hoped it would be alright. Jezebel O’Hanlon was also desperate for a pee. “Now ... what are we to do with you? We attended a slippering earlier, but I think this is beyond such punishments. Even a caning seems light.” Said Jack, he was playing ‘bad cop’, softening them up.

“Oh, Mr Small, surely something can be done to keep them at the school? It would seem such a pity ... Girl! Yes you! Did I not tell you to get dressed? Oh, I only said put your knickers on? Well, obviously put on your pinafore as well.”

“Yes, that’s better.

Now, you three. What should we do? You were roasting her, why?”

Silence

“I shall not ask again! Very well, Miss Bellingham, shall we go and see the head?”

“No! Oh, sir. They said I had drawn a rude picture in the toilets” said the spraty. The girls did not believe in telling tales to others, this was an internal problem.

“I see; and did you. Come! The truth now!”

“Yes sir”

“What did you draw?” asked Miss Marjorie Bellingham.

“Umm, I drew a male phallus, miss”

“In small mitigation, it showed significant artistic merit, being, as far as we know, accurate and well drawn. True to life you might say” said Angela Dumble-Vane

“I shall not enquire how you come by such information; but you are correct. It IS only a small mitigation. Still, she is not in the dock now, you three are.” said Mr Small, primly. “Look, there is no easy way to come to this. We conclude that for the punishment to fit the crime as those droll operattas by Mr Gilbert and Mr Sullivan would have it, then the punishment must replicate the crime” The girls looked unenlightened.

“He means, you three will remove all your lower garments and stand before the fire. And you,” Miss Bellingham looked at the spraty “Will bend over now and receive the punishment from Mr Small’s hand that you should have received from a teacher for this lewd drawing. After, we shall all proceed to the ladies ablutions so you may show us this picture. And Mr Small, the only person who can judge, will tell us the artistic accuracy of the drawing.”

Jack looked at his companion; she had just said he would tell a group of girls how accurate a drawing of a cock and balls was. Things seemed to have a habit of running away from him. The girl was already bending over, the older girls already attempting to undress unnoticed.

Without thinking, he pulled down the girls pants. Miss Bellingham hadn’t suggested that, but was content if he thought that right. She had rightly surmised that he would not object; she was beginning to get the measure of this man, he was like most other men when presented with such an opportunity; but he was at least pleasant and professional.

He slapped the girl’s bare behind hard. She watched and noticed the subtle positioning of his hand that enabled the apparently accidental finger between her legs. She would jump a little each time, it was not from the slaps, Marjorie suspected. It was the finger caressing her very personal place. Miss Bellingham began to find the room hot; and not from the fire.

“Very good. Stand up girl.” He took a last look at her young, sparsely hairy front “Now pull up your knickers. No! Do not leave. You have displayed yourself to these young ‘ladies’” he made the quotes in the air, showing how much he believed they were ladies. “Now they will display themselves to you.”

“You! Yes, you girl” said Miss Bellingham “What is that?”

Jezebel O’Hanlon had lost the fight, and a thin trickle was appearing from her exposed puffy slit. Mary Martin and Cynthia March were laughing. “Oh, you think that funny? You are standing, exposing your most intimate place to a man and you think it funny that your colleague, here, has lost control of her bladder?” Asked Jack, manfully keeping a stern face. He was looking at three older teenagers, naked from the waist down; their groins were thatched prettily, one of them gently dripping from the watering it had.

“You are a disgrace to the school. You, pull up your pants.” Jezebel pulled up her pants, which promptly showed a damp patch in the middle. Jack opted not to pretend he was unaffected by all these sights. He reached into his trousers in full view of the females. Some actually thought for one brief moment that he would bring his erect cock into view. One hoped so. He did not; rearranged, his bulging trousers were less protuberant. “Now, you two! Turn towards the fire. Jezebel! That is your name? You were not given leave to leave!” Marjorie Bellingham was enjoying herself “Put your hand inside your pants and press hard. It will help.” Jezebel did as she was told, and the leakage slowed to a stop, but it was only a matter of time.

Now, you two. Reach round hold your bottoms open. Yes! I do mean to expose that other place! You need to be as shamed as your friend here”

Jack Small looked astounded at two single, winking eyes appearing from these girls’ bottoms. “Very good, now you may all go. Umm, no! You two will proceed to your rooms without your underwear; be careful not to fall over!”

Once they had all left, with strict understandings all round that nothing would be said, and nothing reported on; Jack let out a long sigh; as did Marjorie. “Well, that’s a turn up.” She looked at him, this seemed to be an understatement for what they had just been involved in “I had not expected girls to be so spiteful.” Oh! He meant the original crimes!

“Ah, Mr Small, we have all fallen from the Garden of Eden, I fear. But, may I say that your innovative action and leadership are an inspiration.”

“I could not have persevered without your help, I do assure you. But also, I would not have a girls’ school closed for paltry reasons when it is so important that girls receive a quality of education equal to boys. If we can ... let us say ‘bypass’ the strict rule of law on some cases, then all well and good I think”

“Indeed, I am gratified that you think this way.

My school made a game of one of the punishments, though I perhaps should not go into detail.

Oh! We forgot to inspect the picture!”

“My ears are amazed, Miss Bellingham. I am sure it was not true to life. Perhaps we could discuss this over dinner since we are to stay tonight? Oh, or perhaps you do not think we should dine together; alone, together I mean?”

“Mr Small, I think we are professionals and may eat in an open environment with no criticism attaching to either of us?” she was thinking ‘certainly that is the least of our problems if this comes to light’ They opted to eat at the Railway Restaurant. They had left their bags at the station for ease in the morning and so had to collect them there. They thought it better to dine first.

“So, will you tell? What was this game you played?”

“Oh, well, now, perhaps not” was all she would say, understandably.

They walked down the main street, Jack Small carrying both valises, to The Magus. It was late now, and took a little time to get the receptionist to the desk. She doubled as a bar woman in the saloon.

“Ah, yes, Mr and Mrs Smaith? Welcome.”

“No, Mr Small and Miss Bellingham.”

“No, Mr and Mrs Smaith. Mr Small and Miss Bellingham have already checked in”

“That is hardly possible since we have only, this instant, arrived”

How is it possible that, when a confusion has clearly arisen, people do not resort to attempting to clarify the issue by breaking it into smaller parts? Instead each party insists of the truth of their assertions when it is clear that all is not as it should be, or is assumed to be.