by Katie Bradford
Caroline sat quietly as James spoke with Pastor Timothy in the church office. She knew it was not proper for her to interrupt the men as they were speaking even though the conversation was centering around her. She must wait until the questions were directed directly towards her.
Sighing softly to herself, Caroline sat staring at her fingers fumbling in her lap. In just a few minutes, James would get up and leave her alone to talk with Pastor Timothy and she was very nervous about that. The pastor had a way of making her feel very naughty even when she wasn't.
She had begged James to give her another chance. Another chance of showing him what a good wife she could be, After all, she was still very new to the role. They had only been married for a year... she still had a lot to learn.
But James was twelve years her senior and very impatient. He had told Caroline she needed discipline and the best place to start was in the church. So, he had called the church office and made an appointment for Saturday morning, and there they were, talking with Pastor Timothy about her supposed disobedience.
Much sooner then she would have liked, James leaned over and gave her a small peck on the cheek and assured her that he and the pastor were only doing only what was best for her. He then stood up and shook the pastor's hand and walked out of the office leaving poor Caroline there to face her fate alone.
"Well Caroline," Pastor Timothy sighed as he leaned back in his chair, "I'm sure you heard everything your husband was telling me just now. What do you have to say for your disobedience?"
A tear trickled down her cheek as she looked at the pastor briefly and then cast her eyes down to the carpet. "I... I try pastor. I really do. But James is very persnickety sometimes."
Pastor Timothy folded his hands in his lap and frowned. "I've known James for many years and he has always seemed very reasonable to me."
"Well... I mean..." Caroline fumbled with her words, "He gets very impatient with me sometimes. I'm still learning how -"
"That's what we're going to help you with today Caroline," the Pastor interrupted. "You are going to come home with me. I have instructed my wife Mary to help mentor you and show you the proper ways for a young wife to behave."
"But James didn't tell me I was to be gone overnight! I haven't packed anything."
"You will be wearing a simple dress which Mary will supply you with once you're at the house. You are not the first misguided young wife we have taken into our home so we have several different sized dresses hanging in the closet. She will find the proper one for you."
"Can I call James first and tell him I won't be home?" she asked anxiously.
"He already knows Caroline. He will pick you up when we think you're ready. Now," he paused, "get your purse and I'll take you to the house."
Caroline stood in the kitchen with her hands completely immersed in bread dough. She had been baking all afternoon, practically from the second she'd walked into the pastor's house. Mary had told her cooking was an area James had complained about and that was a good place to start. So as soon as Mary had selected a dress for her, Caroline had been put to work.
Caroline didn't like the dress she was being forced to wear. It was loose and fell all the way past her knees, it was very unattractive. However, when she'd complained about her attire, Mary had simply chastised her and quoted scripture about the ills of vanity. She'd also told Caroline that if she complained again about her wardrobe, she would get more than a scolding.
Caroline wasn't sure what Mary had meant by that but wasn't going to ask. She'd simply closed her mouth and set about following the woman's orders. If she did everything she was supposed to, maybe James would come get her very soon.
The rest of the day passed quickly and when the pastor came home at six, dinner was on the table and the three sat down to eat. The conversation at the dinner table had been light but the pastor made it quite clear that after the dishes were washed and put away, he expected Caroline to come directly to his study to discuss her situation further.
It was a good hour before Caroline stood timidly at the pastor's door hesitating before finally knocking. Caroline had no idea what the pastor would be saying to her that evening but had a feeling she wasn't going to take to kindly too it.
"Come in," Pastor Timothy called from the other side of the door.
Caroline nervously opened the door and walked in. She saw the pastor sitting at his desk working diligently on something but she couldn't tell what.
Looking up at the pretty young woman, Pastor Timothy smiled. "Sit down Caroline," he gestured towards a chair opposite his desk. "Let me finish this one little sentence and then we can have a nice a little chat, okay?"
"Yes Sir," Caroline replied politely as she sat down to wait.
Fiddling with her fingers as they lay in her lap, Caroline began thinking about her husband. She missed him tremendously and just wanted to get back home to him. She'd already made up her mind that no matter what Mary and Pastor Timothy told her to do, she would do just so she could go home.
Finally, Pastor Timothy put away his work and leaned back in his chair. "Now Caroline," he paused, "why do you think James brought you to me?"
Caroline looked rather confused. "What?"
"Why are you here?" he rephrased.
She wanted to say she had no idea why she was there but that would be a lie. She knew she was there to learn how to be a better wife but somehow saying the words out loud made her feel very inadequate.
Finally, she cleared her throat and said, "Well I suppose I need to learn how to keep house better."
"How do you think you could improve Caroline?" he asked.
"I don't know. I guess cooking. My mama never really taught me how to cook, or clean for that matter."
"Those are good things Caroline but James has also said you tend to defy him at times," Pastor Timothy added thoughtfully.
Looking up quickly, Caroline replied with more agitation then she'd intended, "But married couples are supposed to agree on things. It's not one person making all the decisions in the relationship."
Pastor Timothy sat quietly contemplating on what the young woman had just said for several long seconds before sitting up in his chair clasping his hands together on top of his desk. "In the bible, Ephesians 5:23, the good book says. "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Savior of the body; and then Ephesians 5:24 continues and says that women are to be submissive to their husbands in the same way that the local congregation is to be submissive to Christ."
Caroline hung her head. That hadn't been the first time she'd heard those scriptures quoted lately. James had them memorized!
Seeing that his words were having an effect, the pastor continued. "You must learn when James tells you to do something, you must obey him."
"But it's not fair -" Caroline started to argue but was quickly cut off.
"This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about young lady. Is this what you do with James? Do you sit and question everything he says?"
Caroline looked crushed. Of course she didn't argue with everything he said, or at least she didn't think she did. "No," she replied timidly.
As he stood to his feet, Pastor Timothy leaned down and opened the bottom drawer of his desk. Shockingly, at least to Caroline, he removed a fairly large paddle and laid it firmly across the top of his desk.
"Wh...what is that for?" Caroline stuttered.
"When you were an unruly teen Caroline, how did your daddy correct you when you were naughty?"
Looking away, Caroline didn't answer immediately but finally replied tearfully, "He'd spank my bottom."
"Of course he did," Pastor Timothy nodded. "He spanked you because he loved you and wanted what was best for you. He was the head of the household and that was his job, just as it is James' job now."
Caroline heard all that was said but chose to remain quiet as she kept a steady gaze on the nasty looking paddle. It was at least eighteen inches long and four or five inches wide. Just looking at it told her, it would hurt like the devil.
The pastor saw her eyes riveted on the paddle and asked with a smirk, "Why do you think the paddle is out?"
"I'm going to get a spanking?"
"Yes my dear," the pastor nodded at her childish reply. "You're going to get a spanking."
"B... but I'm a grown woman Pastor Timothy," Caroline pointed out unnecessarily. "Women don't get spanked."
"I'm afraid you're wrong Caroline. I doubt there is a woman in our congregation that hasn't felt the paddle or strap across their bottom."
"But James has never spanked me, ever!" Caroline replied, wide-eyed.
"Yes but that is about to be corrected," the pastor replied ominously. "Brother John is at your house working with James right now in fact, teaching him what to do when you need to be disciplined."
"W-what?" Caroline almost cried.
"It's not your fault my dear," the pastor said. "It's not James' either. You just both need to be educated about the subject. You both have a lot to learn, which is what we are doing right now."
"But-"
"Caroline," the pastor interrupted sternly, "we aren't going to sit hear and argue about this nor will you argue with James in the future. When he decides you need a little spank, you simply reply 'Yes Sir' and go straight to him. Understand?"
Wanting to scream 'No' to the pastor but realizing that wouldn't be the smartest thing, Caroline lowered her head and sighed, "Yes Sir."
"That's a good girl." Pastor Timothy smiled as he once more stood to his feet. This time he walked over to a straight back chair sitting by the sidewall and placed it in the middle of the room. Once he was seated, he turned to Caroline and said, "Bring me the paddle off my desk dear and come stand in front of me."
Part of her wanted to take the paddle and just bolt out of the house but she knew that would be ridiculous. She would just be brought back and probably whipped with the strap! Reluctantly, Caroline did as she was told and slowly walked over to the desk. Picking up the paddle, she realized it seemed rather heavy. It was a lot heavier then the one she'd been spanked with as a teenager.
Procrastinating even more, Caroline ran her fingers up and down the wood dreading the moment she would be feeling it across her bottom. Well at least her dress was fairly thick and some of the heat should be soaked up by the material. Hopefully. That was about the only good thing she could say about the stupid thing.
Finally, she stood before the pastor and handed him the paddle, which surprisingly, he placed beside his chair. "Now young lady," the pastor said looking up into Caroline's face, "please remove your dress and place it on my desk. You won't be needing it any more tonight."
This was too much! "What?!" Caroline squealed flipping her hair back behind her ear.
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