“Is she well?” she asked-but I had best name the lady now. Her name is Vivienne. It suits quite aptly her dark hair and oval face.
“Extremely so. I do not mis-use my girls. You came to ask that and no more? You came so far?” I might have added that a letter would have sufficed. I confess that my tone was a little curt and should not have been. It was unusual for such a visit, I said, and inferred as delicately as I could that I preferred the girls not to have visitors while they were in teaching. “I understand. Yes-this I understand,” she said, and with such seeming sympathy for me as did amaze me. “You do? She has been birched, you know. Fret not on that,” I said with a trace of sarcasm in my voice. “She has? How did she take it?” “She was quiet,” I said, to which she replied-as one who speaks to herself rather than to another-“Yes, she always was. I could not help myself…” I interrupted. It was scarce my business, though I rather wished it to be! “You need say no more,” I told her. “May I see her, then? I shall not stay too long.” I could not then resist asking her if she were staying in the neighbourhood, since to make a journey of over fifty miles as she had done and all for the sake of an hour or so appeared to me extraordinary. “I may, yes,” she answered absently and looked all about my study as if expecting to find Adelaide secreted there.
“I will inform her of your presence. Will you wait, please?” I arranged for her to be given tea and then sought out Adelaide, who was at that time sedately imbibing French grammar. Drawing her outside the room away from other girls, I informed her of Vivienne's visit and, as though to soften the effect as I thought, employed the lady's Christian name. “She is here?” she echoed and fell quiet.
“If you wish to see her privately-or in my study with myself,” I suggested helpfully. Her fingers twisted. She looked a little tense, though not so annoyed that I felt she might have been at this intrusion. “No. I will see her on my own. Perhaps…?” She gazed at me questioningly. “In your dormitory, yes. I will not disturb-though call me if you need, Adelaide. Go now, and I will send her up.” She was gone. I stood and pondered this strange matter for a moment and wondered even if the Colonel was unwell or some such, but dismissed the thought, for Vivienne would have mentioned that, or used it as an excuse. Upon presenting myself again in the study, the lady looked pleased at my news. “I shall not intrude for long,” she said again. “As you will, Mrs. Patherington,” I said, thus providing her with a polite honorific! I then guided her up to the dormitory that Adelaide occupied and then absented myself… agog with curiosity! I returned to my study, but could restrain myself no more than you could have done. I braced myself. After all, it is my own establishment and residence! The doors to the dormitories upstairs are close together. On reaching the landing, I opened quietly the door adjoining Adelaide's, mindful that I could use that room as a bolthole, so to speak. The doors are not too stout, thank heavens, and I could hear some words within where the two were. “Because you were wilful,” I heard Vivienne say, and then Adelaide-in that dull voice she occasionally puts On-replied, “I did not mean to be.” There was then a silence as if neither knew what to say. “Papa is well?” Adelaide asked, to which Vivienne replied briefly, “Yes-as ever. Did your birchings sting you much?” “No more than yours-his,” Adelaide replied as if correcting herself. “Had you but let me do it, Adelaide-” “He would not permit it-and besides…” said Adelaide. “And besides, what? Do you think I wished to have your skirts taken up before him and your drawers displayed? I did not, and you know I did not-” “I do not know of what you speak or what you mean,” replied Adelaide, and then there was a squeak from her and I heard a movement on the bed. “No!” she blurted. A scuffle, rustling, all the usual sounds came to me then! I put my hand to the doorknob, knew not what to do. Should one disturb a family quarrel? Was it truly such? “Bend over as I tell you. Do it now!” I heard to my astonishment from Vivienne, and then a choking cry from Adelaide. Oh dear! My indecision grew. What would you have done, Julie, in such a contretemps? My authority was being over-ridden, so I thought. A smack! A cry! Another smack! How dearly and ridiculously I wished to fly like a bird to St. Germaine-en-Laye, ask your advice, and then return-all in seconds, as it were!-Smack!
Smack! “I will not! Oh! Don't make me!” Adelaide sobbed out, and I had never known her cry before when her bottom was being attended to, as I have told you. “You would not take them off before him, Adelaide.” “I would not, no!” Smack! “Ow! No, don't! Oh god!”
By some instinct as we all possess, I divined somehow that Adelaide's last exclamation was not drawn out by the obvious smack on her bottom, but by something else. And, very obviously, her drawers had been descended. To what purpose, though? What was the secret of it? That I dare not let it continue and have my authority removed was obvious, and yet I waited still- again by instinct-for another moment or two. Smack! Smack! again and an utterly babyish “Gooo! Gooo!” from Adelaide that quite astonished me-if I were by then not utterly beyond astonishment! “You will, you will!” from Vivienne. Smack! Splat! “I w… w… won't-lah! Ooooh!” Again I sensed that her cry was of some otherness. Dare I intrude on this bizarre and unaccustomed scene? You will fret with impatience, I know, at my indecisiveness, but I trust will find sympathy with it. The smacks ceased, and still I waited. Sounds, though much muffled, were apparent. I interpreted them well enough to feel a slight moisture of excitement between my thighs!
I counted. How desperately I counted up to a hundred-yes!-and then turned the brass handle, not making an abrupt entrance but looking within with all the casualness I could summon. You will have guessed what I came upon, but who would not? Both lay full length upon the bed. Adelaide's rosy bottom was half cupped by Vivienne's soothing hand. The girls hands trembled at Vivienne's shoulders. Their lips were merged as if in the longest and most dreamlike kiss. Before either could recover I drew the door to quietly and made my way back down. Neither had seen me, but Adelaide at least would guess that it was I. A glass of wine was called for, though whether to still or to increase my excitement I was not sure! Having imbibed to my satisfaction, I replaced the bottle and the glass and composed myself, giving every apparent attention to the papers on my desk when Vivienne at last reappeared, though the interval could not have been longer than ten minutes. She was suitably flushed, I might say, and I guessed her to be at a loss for words, just as I guessed at the rather frantic conversation that must have taken place upstairs! Nor did I need to conceal my intrusion upon the amourous scene, for after all I was in my own domain and must be seen to be in charge. Even so I modulated my tone of voice and, speaking first, asked her whether she would not like some refreshment. She thanked me quietly but otherwise appeared speechless. I produced my bottle again and, as we drank, uttered one or two quite mundane things-Such as one does when working towards the real subject of conversation! Giving every appearance of but half listening to me, Vivienne twisted the stem of her glass restlessly and half drank the wine, whereat, to encourage her, I rose and refilled it. Her discomfort not lessening, I rose from behind my desk and invited her to join me on the couch, the which she did hesitantly and delicately, perching herself nervously on the edge.
I waited for her to speak. The moment then seemed appropriate for her to do so. “He would birch us both,” she said suddenly.
“Pray tell me. I am not unsympathetic, I rejoined. “I know.
Adelaide has told me so,” she said and, at that, sank back beside me with her shoulder touching mine. “Men take pleasure from it. Some women also do,” I remarked quietly. “I know. You will think me utterly strange. From the very first I was attracted to her. You must be aware, I am sure, that I am not married to the Colonel-that I am… well… his mistress.” “I am not easily shocked, Vivienne. You may confide in me. Adelaide-and of course I but surmise this now-was caught between the two of you and knew not where to let her affections fall. You wished to birch her for the love of her-to bring her to your arms. If I did not surmise this, what a simpleton I would be! But you said that he wished to birch you both.” “Together, yes.” Her voice broke a little, “He often tried to urge me to it-said that I should offer my bottom up beside her own while he was birching her. I knew too well what would be the end of that! Once I tried to kiss her and she spurned me.” Tears glistened in her eyes. So moved I was that I made bold to turn her face to mine and kiss her lips. She has lovely ones. The temptation to continue doing that was great, I can tell you! “It is different now,” I said and clasped her hand. Her eyes gazed into mine adoringly. I had no need to tell her all that I had heard and briefly seen, for she had guessed. “Yes. We have an understanding now. Even so, we must return. What will become of us?” she asked. “My dear, she must need a normal life, and so must you. Let me speak frankly. She has not taken the cock now, but I believe is not averse to doing so-and plainly you are not. We are all women together. We have an understanding of such things. Leave her in my hands a little longer. She will have benefited much from your visit-the ice is broken; she is less constrained than otherwise would have been, without my intervention and without your own, I mean. A month will suffice in her case. Let her then return. What have you told her upstairs? All? I guess that you have, and all is better for it. Now that she knows, then let him have his will.” “His will?