by Robin Harrington
Sue bent forward and gripped the sides of the chair. Paul lifted her skirt. She held her breath and waited. She heard the cane move through the air. As it landed, she exhaled with a slight gasp, though she didn't think Paul would have heard it. A pause. He never rushed. Then the second stroke scorched across the silk of her knickers, searing into her bum. She rocked slightly.
Paul said, "Right, now it's time to pull down those fetching panties."
It was expected. He had told her it would be six; the first two with the minimal protection of her underwear, the remaining four with no protection at all. Sue half straightened, hooking her thumbs under the elastic and easing the small garment down to her knees. She bent again, pushing her bottom out.
It was her own doing. The previous evening, while they were driving home, she had wondered out loud if he might be thinking of punishing her.
"Why?" Paul had asked.
"Because I've been a bit of a bitch," she'd said, looking out through the windscreen.
"Have you really? I wonder if I noticed?"
"I bloody well know you did. I deliberately haven't let you near me the whole time we've been at my parents."
"It's what always happens. You revert to a blushing maiden as soon as we get within five miles of them."
"Not them, him, Daddy. I mean, well it's genuinely difficult for me. Even though we've been married for nearly two years, I feel I can't do it knowing he's just down the landing. I worry he can hear or something. I can't explain, except it makes me keep my legs tightly closed. I don't expect you to understand, I don't fully understand myself."
Sue finally turned and looked at her husband, his profile picked out against the dark of his window. She smiled. "You're always very kind about it, but this time I was quite provocative. I know I was. Deliberately walking around the bedroom in my very nice underwear. My nightie isn't the most modest in the world, either. I could tell I was getting you going. It showed in the pyjama region." She giggled. "And then I'd go all frosty once we were in bed. I knew the way I was playing hot and cold was unfair. That's not to say I didn't secretly enjoy it. I do like how I can get you all randy." She smiled. "A girl likes to know she has an impact."
The next morning at breakfast Paul said, "You were quite right, you know, what you were saying in the car last night. While we were at your parents you did behave... now, how did you put it? Oh yes, like a little bitch. So I have decided that later this afternoon I shall cane you."
Sue caught her breath. "Oh God, really? I thought because nothing happened last night the moment had passed."
She was clearly mistaken. Gripping the chair, bottom out, legs straight, she waited for stroke number three, heard the sound of the stick moving through the air. A split second later an explosion of fire bloomed across her bottom. Though he had not hit really fiercely, the bite of the cane on her naked flesh was shocking - shocking but bearable.
The anticipation of a caning to come grew through the day. They were invited to lunch at the McFarland's, so at about quarter to twelve Sue went upstairs to get ready. Paul looked into the bedroom and said, "Fetch the cane from the wardrobe and take it down to the sitting room. It needs to be handy for later."
Sue was familiar with canes. At her parents' house, two or three were always in the umbrella stand. The one to be used on her though, she held slightly behind her, between thumb and two fingers.
In the car on the way there, she said "You know what you've done, don't you? Got me worked up, that's what. My tummy's all butterflies."
"Oh really? I wonder why?"
She laughed and smacked his shoulder.
"Careful!" he said. "Attacking the driver is not a good idea."
Whack! The cane landed again. For some seconds nothing existed in Sue's world but the scalding torment radiating through her backside. She heard herself say, "Oh God!" The flare of pain built for a second or so then began to diminish. Once her eyes were able to focus again she found she was staring at the fabric of the chair seat. For no apparent reason, she remembered they had bid for the chairs at an auction at Aylesbury just before they moved into the house.
The lunch went been better than Sue expected. Ian McFarland was the senior partner in the electronics company he and Paul owned. Inevitably the men talked shop. Marjory McFarland, always friendly and well informed, chatted with Sue about fashion trends. Sue drank several glasses of wine, smiled and chatted, and ate some roast meat and potatoes; all the while knowing what was waiting for her at home made everything unnaturally clear. It was as if whatever she looked at had a crisp outline around it. She glanced at the other three, wondering if any of them realised her belly was churning and the tell-tail signs of her arousal were well underway down below.
Another stroke seared her skin. Sue gripped the chair so hard she could see her knuckles turn white. The gasp she gave was almost a cry as the bite of the stick reached its crescendo. Her legs trembled, but she kept her knees braced. She knew Paul would make her wait for the final stroke. She swallowed and closed her eyes. Her bum was on fire. Between her legs was so wet. A second passed... two... three. She stopped counting, and then it came, the hardest saved for last.
"Oh no! God, that hurt," she said. It was not a shout, not even quite a cry, just a statement of fact. She stayed bent, just in case he was going to add a bonus stroke. It was not the cane she felt next, but his hand caressing her seething bottom.
She stood then, letting her skirt fall over her rear-end. She kicked away the knickers, which had slipped down to her ankles. Paul was still holding the cane when she turned to him. Taking hold of his other hand, she led him purposefully into the hall and up the stairs. There was a lot of lovemaking to catch up on.
Caning had been there from the start of them getting together: well, almost the start.
They met at a party in November 1962. Sue was there with Mary's brother, Chris. Sue and Mary shared a flat and Chris came round from time to time, so when he asked her out Sue couldn't see any reason not to say yes. He took her to the pub, the occasional film, and parties. For Sue, it was more a case of having a boyfriend, rather than feeling she had found the love of her life. They cuddled and kissed, but she was very firm when Chris's hands strayed to the hem of her skirt or the buttons of her blouse.
Sue was standing by Chris, listening to the music, watching the dancing enviously. Chris didn't dance. She noticed a tall, well-built man moving through the crush towards them.
"Oh Hello," Chris said. "Didn't know you knew Avril and Yvonne."
"I don't really," the man said. "Well, Yvonne more than Avril. How're things going? Your in-line signal booster still making progress?"
"Not supposed to talk about it really, but okay we think. There are still issues with establishing the most efficient spacing between relays, but we'll have it cracked sometime next year."
Sue rolled her eyes. "This is a party, not a damn electronics conference," she said, "and I want to dance."
"Well," Chris said, "don't look at me, I'm just off to get another beer. Perhaps he'll dance with you."
"Will you?" Sue asked.
"Yes, if you'd like."
"I would." She caught a slight blush touch his forehead and throat. "Come on." She took his hand and led him into the small group of dancers taking up the middle of the room. "I'm Sue, by the way."
"Sue. Right. I'm Paul. I'm not much of a dancer, I'm afraid."
"Really? I'd say you're doing pretty okay." She smiled at him. He smiled back. Sue noticed how his eyes creased at the corners. For a while there was a lot of twist and other energetic numbers but later came slower, smoochy dances. At some point, Paul kissed her.
They met up several times over the next couple of weeks. Sue made inquiries about him. Everyone who knew Paul said he was exceptionally bright. Straight from university, he had started an electronics business with an older partner who had put up most of the capital. Chris worked for Cable and Wireless and knew the business. He reckoned they were ahead of the game in a specialist field which would be really important in the next few years. They were doing all right, he thought, probably making money. No one seemed to know much about Paul before he had turned up at Imperial College.
Sue broke up with Chris just before everyone disappeared for Christmas. Over the next few months she and Paul met up regularly. By the end of March it was generally understood they were 'going out' as people said. Sue knew she was falling in love with Paul and was fairly certain he loved her.
On the second Friday in September Paul collected Sue from work and took her to the early showing of Burton and Taylor's Cleopatra at an Odeon Cinema. Afterwards they went to a Golden Egg to eat. Having chatted about the film for a while the conversation petered out. They held each other's gaze not speaking. Then Paul came out with it. "Sue, you know I'm crazy about you. Will you marry me?"
She sat completely still looking at him, past him, but didn't reply.
"Well?" Paul said. "Will you?"
"I don't know," she said.
"Sue, please..."
"No. Let me go on. I really like you. You're lovely to be with, you're kind, and when we kiss and all that I get a real charge. Oh dear. Look, I can imagine myself married to you and setting up home and having babies and all that, and I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you. It's just me shilly-shallying. I love you, there I've said it, and..." She paused, holding his gaze. "I believe you love me."
"I do, I really do. So where's the problem?"
Sue was silent for a moment. "It's difficult to explain. Oh goodness, I don't know what to do."
"Is there someone else?" he broke in. "You're not already married are you, living apart, you know, child-bride, marriage gone sour?"
"No, no nothing like that. It's just, there's just something I have to be sure about first."
"About me, or you?"
"A bit of both I think." She blinked several times to clear the tears which were forming in the corner of her eyes.
The colour had drained from Paul's face, and he was frowning. "Sue, I don't understand what you're going on about. You say you love me, you know I love you. We clearly excite each other, if you know what I mean. What else is there to feel sure about? I'm doing all right. The business Ian and I started is going pretty well. It's likely to be very successful in fact. I'm never going to be rich, but we'll be financially fine."
"It's not to do with money or having the right stuff and all that." She realised that that had come out rather crossly. "You're right, we should make a perfect couple. Waltz down the aisle and live happily ever after. And it's not that I'm totally shocked you've asked me, it's just I have been putting off working out what to say when you did."
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