Chapter 16: Back In Harness

"I hope," I said to Amanda and Estelle, once we had returned to Highgate from our riverside excursion, "that you can explain your behaviour today."

I was seated in the comfort of my consulting chair. The two girls were standing in the room, heads bowed and quiet. Amanda stole a look towards me but dropped her eyes again at once as she saw my hand toying with a willowy cane that rested on my desk. Estelle spoke first. "Surely, the explanation required is not from us, Sir. Surely it is Miss Mbute that should answer."

"It was not our fault, Sir," Amanda joined her sister. "Surely you will believe us. She took advantage of the submissive nature that you have encouraged in us. We were naturally inclined to obey. That is what you have required of us."

I smiled, incredulous, and got to my feet. "So, this is in some way my fault? That you, of your own free will, both allowed yourselves to be taken advantage of and made use of in such a fashion. Imagine for a moment if your husbands had returned home to find you providing some tradesman with sexual amusement. Would this be acceptable?"

"No, Sir, I suppose not," Estelle ventured.

"Unless there was some benefit to our husbands as a result," Amanda attempted.

My smile turned to a laugh. "A valiant effort, young lady. However, I suspect that your husband will not consider a saving of a few shillings on the week's shopping bill a reasonable compensation for the sexual favours of his wife."

Amanda hung her head again. "No, I suppose not."

"And I suppose not too." I picked up the cane. "Let us take such steps as will help you to consider more carefully whom you offer your favours to in future. Please bend across my desk, raise your skirts and lower your drawers."

"In here, Sir?" Amanda bit her lip realising at once that she should not have questioned my instruction. The speed of her realisation saved her an additional five strokes.

"Yes, in here. Yes, beside the window. Yes, where you might be seen from the road. Yes, as I said."

The two girls sheepishly moved towards my desk without another word and took up the position required of them. The ensuing beating left them sobbing on the floor beside the desk, the backs of their thighs criss-crossed with the bright red stripes of the cane. I waited while they regained their composure and then had them strip there in my study before sending them down to their overnight accommodation and allowing them time to consider their behaviour.

The two continued on their rounds of service, confinement and punishment, slowly progressing towards the goals I had set for them.

There was one area, though, in which additional efforts were needed.

Although I had agreed that the girls should preserve their virginal status throughout their adjustment, there remained the question of how they should best be prepared for the marriage bed. Obviously they were no strangers to sexual arousal but there is a considerable difference between the results of shared erotic amusement with their school friends (or even the demands of Sir Bristow's Bantu) and the likely enthusiastic mounting that the girls could expect to receive on their wedding night.