by Arthur James
"I have received a very serious complaint about your behaviour from matron, Catesby," remarked Miss Keller. She was standing at the foot of the new boy's bed with an expression of mild amusement on her pale attractive face. There was complete and utter silence in the dormitory. All the boys knew Miss Keller and were therefore most careful to allow no hint of amusement to show in their own youthful faces.
Catesby had been caught red-handed by matron engaged in an energetic pillow fight on the staircase with three girls whose dormitory was directly above the boys' dormitory. A group of twelve-year-old girls from a boarding school in Surrey were on a short hockey tour and were staying at St Meredith's for a week. This was not the first case of youthful high spirits that had occurred since the girls had arrived. Miss Keller was of the opinion that the girls concerned needed a firm hand preferably applied with some force across their bottoms. However, the visiting hockey team were not really her responsibility although she would speak to the young schoolmistress who was meant to be in charge.
Catesby was looking at her with an expression reminiscent of an angel who had just finished saying his prayers. The child was not so much handsome as pretty she thought, indeed if he had grown his hair a little longer he could all too easily have been mistaken for a girl himself.
"Have you anything at all to say in your own defence, Catesby?" enquired Miss Keller. She sat on the very end of the boy's bed and the boy's expression tickled her sense of humour. Her bright blue eyes twinkled frostily, a smile quivered momentarily on her lips.
"It wasn't his fault, Miss Keller! It was a dormitory raid. Catesby wasn't to blame. It was really the girls that started it!" said Bennett-Brown.
"Bennett-Brown, you will remain silent or suffer the consequences. Catesby can speak for himself. Now did those girls attack you or were you attacking them?"
She had no doubt they were all equally responsible. Doubtless most of the other boys were involved as well but they had almost certainly scampered back to the dormitory by the time matron made her unwelcome appearance.
"It was my fault entirely, Miss Keller. The girls weren't in the least bit to blame," he said; his face looked rather pale as he spoke. In all likelihood the other boys had told him what to expect if he ended up on the wrong side of Miss Keller. The young schoolmistress was strangely touched by the boy's quixotic attempt to shoulder the entire blame. Trust matron to poke her sharp little nose into the affair. Usually, she would have been happily engaged in watching her favourite soap opera on a Monday evening. As she stood up, the mattress springs creaked. Miss Keller looked impossibly elegant in a navy blue dress and black academic gown. No one could ever remember her looking anything less than immaculate.
"I am sorry but it is my duty to punish you severely, Catesby. Put on your dressing gown and wait outside my study. I shall be there in a few minutes. Any more nonsense from this dormitory this evening and you will all be punished. Do I make myself clear, Bennett-Brown?"
"Yes, Miss," he said quickly. Still, he looked as if he was burning with the injustice of it all, though he knew Miss Keller far too well to have risked another word on the subject. With a stern glance in the direction of Bennett-Brown, she swept out of the dormitory, her gown flowing like a black sail behind her.
Miss Keller was moved by the fact the new boy had chivalrously attempted to deflect the blame from the three girls. She much preferred gentlemanly boys. However, she was fully aware that matron could have just as easily taken her complaint to the headmaster. The fact that she enjoyed a reputation for not sparing the rod meant that complaints usually came to her as the boys' housemistress. She had very little choice in the matter, the child would have to be caned. Six of the best was the usual punishment for less serious misdemeanours.
"It's not fair," groaned Bennett-Brown, once he was sure Miss Keller was out of hearing. There was a chorus of sympathy from the other boys although several of the more adventurous spirits were relieved they had ducked out of sight before matron had decided to investigate. Catesby tried to appear unworried as he slipped his dark brown dressing gown on over his pyjamas.
"Are you wearing any underpants under those pyjamas, Catesby?" asked Meredith anxiously from the next bed. It looked as if the new boy's popularity was improving by leaps and bounds. Everyone it seemed was suddenly offering kind words or practical advice.
"No I am not wearing anything at all under my pyjamas. Matron said it was unhygienic to wear anything under one's pyjamas," replied Catesby earnestly. It was obvious to the other boys that he was a complete innocent. No one ever listened to what matron said and no boy would think of going down to Miss Keller's study without wearing at least one pair of underpants. Experienced old hands like Meredith knew that it still hurt terribly even wearing two pairs of underpants. Wearing more than two pairs though might be chancing one's arm as Miss Keller invariably awarded any boy foolish enough to attempt such a deception an extra hard caning on the bare bottom.
"Look," said Bennett-Brown, in the manner of an expensive lawyer giving his advice for free, "there is still time to shift the blame. The girls will get off scot-free in any case. Take my advice and do yourself a favour, Catesby. Tell Miss Keller that the girls started it and you just got caught up in it by mistake."
Some minutes later, Catesby stood waiting outside Miss Keller's study, still convinced that honesty was always the best policy. He hadn't put any underpants on not only because matron had told him it was unhygienic but because he could see he was already in Miss Keller's bad books and he certainly didn't want to annoy his young housemistress even more. The trouble was his adoring mother had recently sent him a new pair of light blue pyjamas which were quite unlike the striped heavy flannel ones he had been wearing previously. These new pyjamas had a smooth silky feel and were made of a rather thin material. He reached into his dressing gown and placed his hands tentatively across his thinly protected behind and sighed. Really they offered next to no protection at all. He would definitely ask his mother to let him buy his own pyjamas in future.
He turned suddenly as he could hear footsteps softly padding down the nearby staircase. It didn't sound like Miss Keller as she always wore shoes with heels which made a clicking sound as she walked. It was the three girls that matron had caught. Of course at least a dozen girls had been involved but the others had fled as soon as they had heard matron's heavy tread. It had been just as well for the boys in Catesby's dormitory as they had been clearly getting the worst of things. Catesby in particular had been getting the worst of things because he had been trapped against the banisters and he had been almost relieved to see matron, as angry as she was. So much for girls being the weaker sex thought Catesby. All three girls dressed in their dressing gowns and pyjamas were staring at him as if he, and he alone, were to blame for their misfortune.
"Did you try and put the blame on us, you little sneak?" accused a girl with bright red hair. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief and Catesby was unsure whether she was actually being serious. All three girls now surrounded him grinning as if something had greatly amused them. They were all at least a year older than he was and the blond-haired girl was actually a couple of inches taller than him. The girls told him their PE mistress, Miss Cook, had thought it only fair they suffered exactly the same punishment as the boy who had been apprehended. It had to be admitted that the three girls didn't look in the slightest bit worried at what Miss Keller might have in store for them.
"What is your name, boy?" asked the tall blond girl, whom he couldn't help notice was remarkably pretty. Her manner, however, was rather superior. He could tell at once that she was the sort of girl who was used to getting her own way.
"Catesby," he replied.
"Well, Catesby, this is all your fault I hope you understand."
"I am sorry that you think that," he replied.
"I think you should be punished," she said, glaring at him.
"Well I am sure I shall be just as soon as Miss Keller arrives," he said.
"He is being deliberately stupid, Sarah!" exclaimed the girl with bright red hair. The third girl with wild shoulder length black hair suddenly grabbed him from behind. He didn't resist at first but he could feel that she was she was at least as strong as he was. Not that he was particularly strong for a boy although he always stuck up for himself, with other boys at least. With girls he was unsure what he should do as he had been told they were the weaker sex who no gentleman would ever raise his hand to. She now had his arm twisted behind his back and it was most painful.
"Don't you see, Catesby, we are going to punish you!" said tall blond Sarah. She looked directly at him as she spoke.
"But honestly I didn't sneak on you!" he exclaimed. Catesby could feel himself held securely. Another pair of hands pressed against his thin shoulders as he struggled to break free.
He felt his dressing gown being dragged off then his pyjamas were tugged downwards as the dark-haired girl, assisted by the girl with bright red hair, bent him over so his bare buttocks were proffered at a suitable angle for chastisement. By now his pyjama trousers were caught around his ankles. The two girls struggled with Catesby whilst Sarah joyfully chastised him with hard well aimed smacks across his behind. It really hurt and he had to bite his lip to stop himself crying out in pain. Then all of a sudden the impromptu spanking ended almost before it had properly begun. At first he thought the girls had stopped out of considerations of mercy but as he slowly stood upright he could see the slender tall figure of Miss Keller standing motionless on the staircase with an amused expression on her face.
He quickly pulled up his pyjama trousers and retrieved his dressing gown from the floor. During this time nothing was said. After he had tied the cord of his dressing gown around his waist the young schoolmistress began to speak...
"I am afraid only I am allowed to smack bottoms. So if the four of you would like to form an orderly queue please." Her voice was surprisingly soft for a young woman who enjoyed such a fierce reputation. Indeed some of the boys were apparently so terrified of her they used to tremble whenever she as much as gazed in their direction.
Catesby stood close by the doorway hoping that he would be punished first. The three girls lined up reluctantly behind him under Miss Keller's watchful eye. A smile quivered on her lips as she continued staring as if something was not entirely to her satisfaction.
"Catesby, surely you are not forgetting your manners?" she enquired gently; still she looked amused but dangerous none the less. Her black hair was tied with a bright green ribbon.
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