by Daniel Vince
Emily could not help but raise her eyebrows at the gorgeous vision that stood before her. Long, sleek jet-black hair hung down to the shoulders of the visually flawless student before her. Her mid length strapless dress draped sensually down from a prominent but perfectly proportioned bust, over her slim waist to hug her hips, tapering down to the vision's stocking-clad lower legs. Her make up was discreet but Emily automatically recognised that it was of the highest quality and had been applied expertly.
"Goodness me, Phoebe, is our session interrupting something a bit more important?"
Phoebe Mellington smiled rather enigmatically; her answer was to raise Emily's eyebrows even further.
"Absolutely not, Miss Fotherington, my whole evening is yours, I can assure you. I just rather thought that on such an auspicious occasion as receiving my first ever caning I should make the effort to mark it with respect and due deference. At 19 years old I realise that I have finally blotted my copybook rather late in life, or, more pertinently, have been found out, and it is probably about time I got brought to account and paid my way, so to speak. I feel that the occasion should be honoured and have nothing but acceptance of my guilt, with a deep sense of shame and apologies to offer. No excuses, no pleas for mercy, no ramifications, Miss Fotherington. It is time for me to take it on the chin, although I do realise that it is my bottom that will be taking the strain and feeling the pain.
"I would like to formally apologise and hand you my written statement, confessing to my misdemeanour, owning up to my disgusting deeds, and requesting the chastisement that we agreed was proper to correct my disgraceful behaviour and put me on the path to full contrition and improvement. I have let myself, my family, my college, and you and the college senior leadership team, down by my actions, and I ask that you must punish me to the degree needed to balance the books. I am at your mercy, Miss Fotherington, and promise you my full compliance in your necessary task to correct my abhorrent behaviour." Phoebe kept eye contact throughout her monologue only lowering her gaze as she finished speaking.
Emily Fotherington studied the confident, articulate young woman before her for a few moments. She could not help but be impressed at this unusually acquiescent stance taken, and the calmness and control rarely this plain to be seen from someone facing corporal punishment. Emily prided herself on her preparation and was rarely surprised, or caught off-guard in any manner, by one of her students at the punishment stage. Divorced, childless, 44 years old, she had been appointed Principal Teacher at Dartington Finishing & Correctional College, seven years ago, after several successful years as the senior teacher of English, Demeanour and Bearing; a rather pompous title that was synonymous with her role in assisting students in improving their attitude, aptitude and mindset during an intensive stay at the very exclusive, and expensive, private school.
Stepping up after her predecessor retired, Emily was relishing her senior position at the private school for rather wayward young ladies, aged 18-21, from wealthy families. The aim of the college was simple, if at times not straightforward, in that they were sent female offspring who needed guidance and setting on the right path. What marked it out as unique was its very liberal use of corporal punishment as the means to discipline students who dared to breach acceptable standards of behaviour. The contracts signed by staff, guardians and the intake themselves allowed the college absolute discretion in the means of chastisement and the manner in which it was dispensed.
To the approval of the all-female board of wealthy, powerful and influential trustees, Emily had quickly established herself as a true disciplinarian at Dartington, in her time, the only teacher in the history of the school giving free rein to use the cane in her classroom, traditionally the domain of the principal only. Individual teachers were authorised to punish by leg slapping and over the knee spankings, these could be applied knicker-less and encouraged to be administered in front of the transgressor's classmates, if an offence warranted it. Misbehaviour requiring more severe punishment was down solely to the principal. Woe betides any employee who failed to follow those rules. Every member of the teaching, administration and welfare staff of the college had to accept a bare bottom caning from the principal, as a fundamental requirement and condition of their employment, to prove their commitment and approval of the disciplinary ethos of the college on their first day of employment. The threat of a repeat of that happening was considered enough of an incentive for the rule to be very rarely broken. The rewards for staff were exceptional, the benefits and high salary making this a job to be valued and highly prized.
Emily's reputation was unchallenged as the most severe and unforgiving teacher. Her record for taking in hand some of the more arrogant and unruly young ladies from higher society was legendary. Her results were unmatched, as the waiting list of parents eager for their reprobates to experience her own particular brand of correctional therapy proved. With an annual intake of 60 and class sizes a maximum of 12, it is a hotly contested entry ticket, but perhaps not one that the students appreciate in the same way that their parents do!
The rules were simple, the fees were high, and the expectations set in stone. Girls would be accepted, whether they be rebellious, reckless, wilful or plain troublesome, and they would leave with their imperfections corrected, wiser and prepared for an unforgiving adult life. They would however have paid the price for poor attitude and poor behaviour by the application of corporal punishment. None had yet left the establishment without being grateful, sometimes through gritted teeth, for the positive impact that the college had made on their character and outlook on life. Sometimes it took longer than others but within a maximum of three years attendance, not one had been deemed a failure.
Leaving Phoebe standing in the centre of the room, Emily returned to her desk to reread the report that Marion Ford, Phoebe's teacher of Mathematics, Mindfulness and Manners, had emailed through.
Only a few days into the new year, young Phoebe, a new entrant and one of the youngest students, had acted extremely unwisely, and apparently without any thought of possible repercussions. Giving Marion backchat consistently over the introductory first few days, she had not heeded several warnings, and had seemed intent on discovering where the boundaries lay. Whilst the disciplinary ethos of the school was unforgivingly strict, there was, by Emily's instruction, a certain amount of leeway extended to newbies during their first weeks. To Emily's mind, Marion, the youngest teacher at Dartington, had giving this miscreant far too much rope, before threatening her with being made an example of. The first punishment applied in a new academic year in each class tended very much to be a wake-up call for the rest and usually resulted in a period of almost disconcertingly little disruption, in Emily's experience.
Phoebe had initially been compliant, when summoned to the front of the classroom, and settled over Marion's knees with her skirt raised and her knicker-clad bottom presented perfectly for her punishment, set at a 50-slap spanking. It was traditional at Dartington that the first spanking over a teachers knee each year, was delivered to covered buttocks but severe to ensure that the option of a spanking was not considered a lesser punishment. The message was that all future spankings on the bottom would be applied with knickers down but would be just as severe. However, with her 11 classmates all watching on intently, Phoebe had received six slaps to her bottom, before she began making a running commentary concerning her teacher's technique and the fact that it was quite enjoyable rather than painful. Marion had, quite understandingly and perfectly in line with college policy, whipped Phoebe's knickers down her legs, exposing her buttocks, also informing her that she would now receive 100 slaps, which would be delivered with maximum force. At this point Phoebe had screamed in protest, leapt up and pulled her knickers back up, and refused Marion's entreaties to take her just dues.
Marion's report detailed her attempts to persuade, beg and coerce Phoebe to accept the punishment to a concerning degree. Emily recognised that Marian's authority had been seriously undermined, and she knew that conversations were needed to ensure that the young teacher did not suffer from word spreading of her basic loss of control. Emily's mind drifted back to the initiation of Marion to the school.
Traditionally every new member of staff was subject to a formal acceptance ceremony wherein they submitted themselves to a caning from the whole teaching team. Instigated originally by Emily's predecessor, Beatrice Chesterfield, it was a part of a welcoming ceremony that applicants for vacancies were informed of at final interview stage. Emily remembered her ordeal as if it was yesterday, strapped down naked and being aware of the room filling with future colleagues, all about to wield a cane to apply fearsome strokes to her bare bottom. The ritual involved every invitee striking her bottom twice, with the expectation that she would clearly thank each person in turn as they filed around to face her after passing the cane on. It had been an excruciating time as she lay there, her cheeks burning at both ends, tears left to dry on her face, before eventually being released, still naked, to join her future colleagues in having a glass of wine to celebrate her appointment.
An initiation task, a rite of passage or a test of conviction, Emily had soon found herself being one of the team sharing the cane and like virtually every member of staff who had gone before her, she had found it enlightening and thoroughly rewarding. So, under Emily's leadership, the tradition continued, and no one had yet sacrificed their opportunity to take their place amongst the extremely well-paid staff members at the college.
"You seem to have not recognised that your tutors here have absolute authority in the classroom. You seem to believe that you can choose whether to accept discipline as a student. You appear to believe you control your decreed punishment. This is a pattern of poor decision-making in your early days, young lady. Rather disappointing but not something we cannot turn around by working together to resolve the problem. Please, for the record explain to me why you refused to accept your well-deserved spanking from Miss Ford?"
The student, whose poise had begun to falter as Emily had used long moments of silence and her renowned piercing gaze to unsettle her, took a long breath before responding.
"I am not disputing that I deserved the punishment, Miss. I was disruptive, and although I thought it was a bit severe to be embarrassed by having to go over Miss Ford's lap, I am not saying that I would not accept it. I just do not think it is right or fair to have your private parts exposed to the whole class. It is bad enough to be treated like a naughty child in front of everyone else, but it is not right to have your knickers taken down like that. I would rather be sent to you for a caning on the bare than have other students see my bum spanked, Miss."
Emily moved to place a chair in the centre of the room before clearing her desk, and then opening a cabinet on her wall. She enjoyed the sharp intake of breath from Phoebe as she revealed the array of canes, crops, straps, whips and paddles hanging within.
"I am going to give you the spanking you earned but refused to allow. You will receive 50 with my hand and 50 with a paddle, which I can promise you will be far more painful than the walloping Miss Ford would have delivered..."
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