From the Top Shelf - A Generous Offer

One of the first blogs I discovered and returned to regularly is Abel's blog, The Spanking Writers. I have featured one of Abel's stories here in the past; he's an excellent writer with a vivid and lively imagination, and has several published collections of his work as well as a website devoted to his stories.

Abel is now offering one of his books - The Punishment List - for his readers to download free. It's a charming collection of 16 short stories about spanking that will appeal to those of you who prefer M/f tales.

 Here is a short excerpt from one of the stories in the collection. It's from "A Maid of Two Masters" and concerns a young lady who is newly employed as a maid in a large residence. She is serving at dinner for the first time, and reminisces about doing so at her previous place of employment.

A Maid of Two Masters

It had been another dinner, if anything even more formal – not surprising, given the kudos associated with hosting their guest of honour at Delaware Hall. Prince Aleksander of Prussia. A tall, intense, serious, deeply dislikeable man – one born to privilege, to expect the very finest, and to scarcely notice when it was laid before him.

Everything imaginable had been done to pamper the Prince. The finest wines had been dug out of his Lordship's cellars, the freshest salmon brought twitching from the stream to the kitchens, the best stag on the estate persuaded to walk across the line of fire just as the Prince had raised his gun during the hunt.

Becky had been serving the wine: a red, she recalled, with French writing on the label. He must have been on his third, fourth glass. She'd leant forward to refill his crystal; he'd nudged her arm as she did. The wine missed him – thank goodness – but splattered the table.

“You should take care,” he bellowed.

“I was trying my hardest, sir,” she replied.

And then the table fell silent.

Silent.

Silent.

Silent.

Every eye was looking at them.

The Prince turned to his Lordship. “I cannot recall being spoken to with such insolence by a servant girl.”

Her master looked pale. “Your Highness, I can only apologise. Butler – relieve the girl of her duties immediately.”

The Prince protested immediately: “And that is it?”

“Your Highness?”

“A girl who spoke like that in my palace would surely be flogged until she learned to hold her tongue.”

“I am sure the butler will discuss her conduct with her, Your Highness.”

“In Prussia, a true gentleman would avenge a grave insult personally, not pass responsibility to his staff to 'discuss'.”

Silence.

Silence.

“Then you may rest assured that I shall indeed punish the girl myself. But might I suggest that we leave that to the morning, and enjoy the rest of this evening's festivities.”

“But of course.” The Prince raised his half-empty glass: “To justice.”

“To justice!”

Becky fled to her bed, of course, inconsolable. What would happen to her? Surely her master would not… could not… He’d know she’d not meant to sound insolent. He'd leave it to morning until the Prince, placated by the splendour of the previous evening's meal, would be calmer; he'd have a quiet word; explain how things were done in England.

An hour, more, must have passed by the time the butler appeared at her bedside. No friend, he: the manner of her original arrival meant that the Prince was not the only one keen to see her brought down.

She stood, brushed down her dress, awaited his news.

“His Lordship will see you in his study after breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Mr Watkins. Is he very angry with me?”

“That is for him to tell you, girl. But you should know that he has asked me to take a walk into the forest at dawn and to cut him a selection of the finest birches.”

If that  piqued your curiosity, you'll have to download the book here in order to read the rest.