From the Top Shelf - The Maids

I hope you're not tired of caning stories, because here's another disciplinary scene from B A Bradbury's Obliged to Bend. While James was away Elizabeth, his eldest ward,  was in charge of the household. Upon his return:

I demanded a full report on everything that had occurred during my absence. Her answer was that nothing whatsoever had happened...

"That's reassuring," I said, "if perhaps a little dull. And tell me, how many punishments have you administered during the week?"

"As many as were necessary, Uncle," she replied. "None."

"None?" I echoed. "You must tell me the secret of your success, my dear. Getting staff to perform satisfactorily without flogging them is no easy matter. Although perhaps we'd better make sure everything is satisfactory before handing out any laurels, eh? Kindly accompany me on a tour of inspection.

The two of us went from room to room and as I suspected, the house was in a pitifully neglected state...

"I shall punish Alice and Rose for slovenly work, and I expect Mrs Hammond will make her displeasure with Willy equally plain."

She stiffened. "The servants are not to blame," she said, in a tone as icy as my own. "They were acting under my instructions. If you are determined to punish someone, then let it be me."

I laughed without humour. "Oh, rest assured, Elizabeth, you won't be spared..."

We returned to the study, and having made the decision to punish Alice and Rose, I advised Elizabeth she would remain and witness their castigation... I tugged on both bell-pulls to summon Alice and Rose simultaneously, and while we waited for them I went to the cupboard and took out the heavy cane...

The two maids duly arrived. They must have guessed what was in store for them, for they looked none too happy as they stood before me. Even Rose's customary impertinence was noticeable by its absence.

"I am most dissatisfied with the state of this house," I said to them. "It is clear to me you have both been slacking in my absence, and for that there is but one remedy." As I was speaking I noticed they both glanced at Elizabeth. If they were looking to her to save them, they were in for a disappointment.

I had them bring a chair apiece out to the middle of the room, place them side by side, and stand facing them. I then told them to bend over and place their hands on the seats, whereupon I raised their skirts and lowered their drawers in the usual manner. The two maids waited side by side, buttocks bared for whatever I chose to inflict on them. I contemplated this happy scene for a moment or two before announcing their fate.

"Two dozen each," I said, "and you have Miss Elizabeth to thank that is is so few. She took the blame upon herself, and pleaded for clemency on your behalf; otherwise it would have been four dozen."

...I flexed the cane and eyed the unfortunate girl closest to me, namely Rose. I drew back my arm and whipped the cane across her buttocks. She gave a shriek of pain and stood up straight, then shot me a fearful glance and quickly assumed the position once more, pulling her skirts hastily up about her waist.

Her reaction was perhaps understandable. In the past, with the principle of escalation in mind, I had invariably started out relatively modestly. Not so today, however. Every single stroke was to be a hard one.

"Yes indeed," I snapped. "You will remain bent over, unless you wish me to reconsider the two dozen."

The room was deadly silent, and Rose trembled as she awaited the onslaught. Alice, waiting her turn, trembled even more.

I swung the cane and struck Rose a second time, and then a few seconds later, a third. The force was no greater or less than the first, but she was expecting it now and was able to control her reaction. She still let out a most pitiful cry and jerked as though branded, but her grip on the chair seat remained firm, and she did not rise from her allotted position.

I paused after the third, and stepped forward to bring myself in line with Alice. She whimpered, and her legs shook dreadfully. A punishee of no small experience herself, she knew from Rose's reaction just how bad this would be.

I did not disappoint her, delivering the three strokes with gusto. Now Alice generally took her punishments in silence, a firm stroke drawing from her lips a gasp or faint hiss at most, but these strokes were considerably harder than normal and poor Alice wailed just as loudly as Rose before her, gripping the seat so hard her knuckles showed white.

With Alice's three delivered it was back to the older girl once more; and so it went, with me moving back and forth between the pair of them, delivering the cruel strokes three at a time.

I paused somewhat longer after the first dozen. They would be expecting a change of position, of course; but instead I had them remain there while I surveyed the damage. Their pale buttocks carried virtually identical marks, for I had been as even-handed as possible, favouring neither one nor the other. The weals were deep red, tinged with purple. The skin was not broken, but I judged it had been a close thing.

"One dozen gone," I said, "one still to go."

Next week: round two.