by Anthony Alba
by Pat Jones
Audrey was furious with Sebastian; his tone was arrogant and overbearing, and he treated her as if she were a petulant child instead of a 22-year-old woman from one of the finest families in Queen Victoria's England. The nerve!
"There is no, simply no way I can possibly permit you to witness a punishment, Audrey," Sebastian said, his voice betraying his exasperation. "It's quite simply impossible."
"You're the Governor of the reformatory, Sebastian," Audrey countered. "You can do anything you want! You're simply being stubborn."
"A trait we share," Sebastian replied dryly. "Yes, as the Governor of Gatwood Reformatory I have absolute authority over my charges. But I don't write the laws of decent society, young lady, any more than you do."
Audrey's lovely jaw clenched at the phrase 'young lady'. She was young, and (of course) a good and proper lady. But slamming the words together as 'young lady' was Sebastian's way of demeaning her, of minimizing her arguments, and of treating her like a petulant child instead of a grown woman.
It never failed. The angrier she got, the more condescending and dismissive Sebastian became. Which made her all the more furious, and so the cycle continued.
"With my father in India, I'm free to go where I wish. Other ladies watch the punishments," Audrey countered. "Lady Randall's husband is the Queen's third cousin, and..."
"Lady Randall is married," Sebastian said. "The rules for married women are different." Sebastian paused and took Audrey's hand. "Now, if you and I were married..."
Audrey rolled her eyes. She was trying to get into the reformatory to witness a punishment, and he was offering up another bloody marriage proposal. Men!
"A girl of my station can't marry a Reformatory Headmaster, Sebastian," she countered. "It simply isn't done!"
"I'm richer than you are. Your father approved the match. He seems to feel it's respectable work," Sebastian said.
"Yes, I suppose, as work goes," Audrey said disdainfully. "But the things you do there - strapping little tarts down and having the knickers off them. Spanking their bouncy little cabooses fire engine red. Really!"
"You obviously approve, since you never stop pestering me to see it," Sebastian replied.
"I approve of it on every level," Audrey replied. "It's the law, and you are giving the little strumpets precisely what they deserve." Audrey paused, as she devised yet another reason for going. "In fact, that is why I must attend: to demonstrate my moral disapproval of their scandalous behavior!"
"That's quite admirable of you, my dear, but since we don't allow unmarried women into these things, England's going to have survive without your exemplary example. Argue as you will, but the fact remains that you are single. Since you are far too ladylike and law abiding to earn yourself a trip to my reformatory, courtesy of her Majesty's judiciary, your girlish curiosity must suffer unquenched."
Audrey clenched her fists in frustration; Sebastian was patronizing her again! "Sometimes I envy those harlots you drag into court," she said, her temper building. "At least they're free to do as they wish!"
Sebastian smiled. "They are until the gavel comes down and the Magistrate passes sentence. After a few days of correction, I doubt any of them are as anxious to see the inside of Gatwood as you are."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Audrey shot back. "I'm beginning to think I'm the one who's in prison!"
"I think that little chit of a maid of yours would disagree. What was her name again?"
Lady Audrey paused at the thought of the young woman who was once her maid, and was now an inmate at Gatwood. "Uh, Abbey," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Abby had been something of tomboy, and had come into Audrey's employ after she had caused quite a scandal by having an affair with the Lord Letterman. When Lady Letterman found out, Abby simply had to go, and Audrey's father agreed to help hush things up by taking the little vixen on to work in the stables.
Abby was a rough-and-tumble, mischievous imp. She was quite lovely, and Miss Audrey often found herself staring out of her bedroom window and watching as Abby mucked out the stables and hauled the heavy feed bags across the yard. Although she couldn't explain her feelings, Lady Audrey found that she couldn't take her eyes off Abby, in her tight pants and plain white shirts. She looked boyish, and yet...
Although she couldn't explain why, when her regular maid became ill Miss Audrey ordered her Butler, Henson, to have Abby dress in one of the special French maid uniforms her father sometimes ordered the prettier maids to wear, and attend Audrey in the bath.
Abby didn't look at all comfortable in her adorable little maid's outfit, but Audrey didn't mind since it allowed her to finally see something of her lovely employee's legs. Abby's discomfort didn't bother Abigail; in fact it amused her. The little tomboy always seemed cocky and confident when she spoke, a trait that annoyed Audrey no end, since it reminded her of Sebastian. It was gratifying to knock the little chit off balance.
Lady Abigail's normal procedure was to let her maid draw her bath, and then order her to leave. But tonight was... well, different. After the bath was drawn, Lady Abigail rose and ordered her maid to remove her clothes.
Abby took her time undressing her, but Audrey didn't mind. As her maid stripped her, Audrey entered a dream state, delighting in the feeling of Abby's hands brushing against her skin as her garments were loosened, unfastened, and removed.
The dream ended abruptly as Lady Audrey suddenly found herself standing in front of her maid wearing nothing but her flimsy shift. Abby smiled as she looked up at her blushing employer. "I can leave now," she said softly. "Or I can stay, and strip you down naked, and put you in the tub like you're a naughty little girl who needs Abby to scrub behind your ears."
Lady Audrey was shocked. She was used to being in charge. Indeed, only a few moments before she had enjoyed watching her little chit of a maid squirm in embarrassment as she appeared before her in her brief maid's uniform. But now the power had shifted. Lady Abigail was nearly naked, and it was clear to both of them that the maid was the one in charge.
Lady Audrey did not respond, so Abby took charge.
"Put your arms up over your head." Abby's voice was not angry, but it was insistent, as if she were speaking to a small child.
Audrey obeyed, and was treated to Abby's smug, superior smile as she slowly pulled Audrey's shift up over her knees, her waist, her breasts, her head, and finally her arms before dropping it on the floor.
Abby, insolent chit that she was, continued smiling as she looked her ladyship up and down. Embarrassed, Audrey moved to cover herself, but Abby gently but firmly placed her blushing employer's hands back at her sides.
Abby moved behind Abigail, taking her time to enjoy her employer's rear view. When she finally spoke, it was in a maternal tone, which was all the more galling since Abby was three years younger than her 22-year-old employer. "Into the tub, before you catch your death of cold. Spit spat!"
Abby punctuated her command with a playful spank across Audrey's naked fanny. Audrey was surprised to say the least, but obediently scampered into the tub.
The smiling maid soaped up a cloth, and for the next hour luxuriously bathed her mistress. The performance reached its climax (in every sense of the word) with Audrey up on all fours in her tub, with her maid's gentle but insistent fingers gently washing and rewashing her most secret place.
As she struggled to catch her breath, Lady Audrey ordered her maid to leave. Much to her disappointment, Abbey obeyed, and Audrey was left to repeat the performance on her own.
Although she greatly enjoyed her bath time encounter, the entire experience also left Audrey uncertain and confused. Her feelings about her Abby, which had been inexplicable before, were now deeply disturbing her, and she found herself struggling not to watch as Abby tended to her chores.
Several times, Lady Abigail actually caught the impudent little piece of baggage smile at her. Although to the casual observer Abby's lovely smile might appear to be the picture of innocence, Lady Abigail knew its sinister implication. Over time, her anger built and she became determined to see her cheeky maid get her comeuppance!
Little Abby had grown too big for her britches; that much was sure. When Lady Audrey's ring turned up missing, there was no doubt in Audrey's mind as to whom the culprit was.
It was an old ring. The stone had fallen out and the metal was badly tarnished, and Audrey was unsure why Abby had stolen it, given all of the other exquisite jewelry in her collection. Nonetheless Audrey called Sebastian immediately, and had the satisfaction of looking down from her bedroom window as Abigail was led away by the Constable in cuffs.
Audrey had the pleasure of watching in court as Abby, still pleading her innocence, was quickly shuffled through her perfunctory trial. Lady Abigail, afraid of what tales her maid might tell, had made a point of telling Sebastian that Abigail should not be allowed to spread lies during her hearing. Since there was no one to speak on her behalf, the trial moved along at a delightfully sprightly pace, and within minutes the stunned Abigail was standing in front of the bench and listening as the Magistrate thundered his verdict:
Abigail Watson, by the order of her Majesty's Court you are hereby officially declared DELINQUENT and ordered remanded to the custody of Gatwood Reformatory for a period of no less than two years. During this period of correction the court further orders that the delinquent shall, without appeal, be subject to whatever discipline her betters deem necessary, and that the sentence commence with two dozen strokes of the birch rod across the prisoner's bare backside.
Abigail would have dropped to the floor if the Bailiff hadn't caught her. Audrey smiled with satisfaction. The normal sentence would have been a dozen strokes of the razor strap, but Audrey had convinced Sebastian that the birch would be more appropriate, given Audrey's station. After all, an example had to be made, so that girls like Abby knew not to steal from their betters!
As they dragged her out of the court, Abby turned to her former employer. "Please, Miss!" she pleaded. "I swear I didn't take it!"
Audrey was unmoved. "Who's smiling now?" she asked, grinning smugly as the tearful Abby was dragged off to begin her sentence.
Sebastian had refused to invite Audrey to witness her maid's birching, a slight that irked Lady Audrey to no end. Instead, Audrey was reduced to lying in bed at night, and gently rubbing herself as she imagined Abby's cute bare bottom dancing under all those birches.
That had been nearly four months ago, which meant that Abby was well into her sentence at Gatwood. Sebastian's mention of Abby's name reminded Audrey of some information she felt compelled to share, seeing as how Sebastian was Governor of the reformatory Abby was imprisoned at.
"Sebastian, do you remember that ring I thought Abby had stolen?" Abigail said, her voice quivering. "It turns out I had accidentally placed it in my summer bag."
Sebastian looked at Audrey with surprise. "So Abby's innocent after all?"
"Yes, quite innocent," Abigail said. "It was an innocent mistake on my part. I hope you're not angry with me."
"Of course, not my dear," Sebastian said suavely. "These things happen."
"Still, I suppose Abby should be released at once."
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