Southern Discomfort (9 page)

“Emily?” he
called out to her. She didn't respond. He went to her side, again.
She was as stiff as could be. He pried her hands away from the bed
again.

She just stood
there confused and frightened. Had she earned more extras? Was he
going to scold her before he continued? He got the blanket from the
bed while she watched him wide-eyed and hiccuping. He threw it over
her shoulders and moved her with him to the chair in the corner.

She started
crying thinking that he was going to continue with her over his lap
again. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap.

“Don't you ever
do anything so foolish again. Do you understand?”

She nodded.

“Never make me
punish you that severely again.” He pulled her head into his chest.
She seemed to roll into a tiny ball on his lap. He pet her hair and
talked very softly to her. He loved her so much and wasn't prepared
to lose her to silly nonsense.

Nathaniel picked
up a book that was lying on the window sill. He had placed it there
before she had even arrived. Someone had wiped away the dust that had
started to collect on it. It was a book of romantic poems. He had
planned to read them to her, but he had preferred to make love to her
instead.

Nathaniel paged
to his favorite poem. He cleared his throat and began to read to her.
If things had turned out differently then he would have continued his
studies at school and become an English teacher.

He read
She
Walks in Beauty
by Lord Byron to his beautiful wife, who slowly
stopped shaking on his lap.

Nathaniel read
other poems to her until she fell asleep on his lap. He laid her
naked form in bed and stared at her beauty. His desire was stirring
again. He got undressed and laid down next to her. He watched her
sleep for an hour. She sure was pretty, he thought.

He felt lucky to
have her as his wife. She had tried so hard to take her punishment
like a good girl. His manhood was throbbing as he looked at the
curves of her body. She was all curves. The curve of her creamy
shoulders, the curves of her breasts and her tummy, those hips the he
so like to be in between, even the curve of her bottom.

“Emily, wake
up. I need you.” He cuddled into her as close as he could. He moved
under her shoulder.

She was waking up
and when he rolled her on top of him her eyes flew open. He was rock
hard and he had already told her yesterday, that he wasn't about to
go without love-making, just because she was punished.

Emily did it how
he had taught her yesterday. She reached back and found his hardened
penis. She moved so she was hovering over it. Emily slowly lowered
herself around him. She whimpered as her bottomed came to rest on his
thighs. The pain of that wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. It
was just an uncomfortable burn now, but it had hurt like the dickens
while he was administering it.

He reached for
her hips to guide her and so he could control the rhythm. He held her
higher than he usually would. Nathaniel wanted to be certain that his
hand wasn't gripping her where the strap had met her skin. He was
surprised that she had been so wet for him again today. He had needed
her so long and had denied himself so she could sleep that he quickly
came.

Nathaniel pulled
her body down on his and held her tight. “You are such a good wife,
Emily.”

“Do you really
think that?” It seemed so unlikely to her.

“Yes, I really
do.” He held her even tighter. He was surprised that she would
think that he wasn't happy with her. She wasn't just shy she was also
unsure of herself. “Emily, why did pick up the snake?”

She didn't
answer. She was afraid that he would want to punish her again.

“Tell me.”

“I – um. I
wanted to see – If I could – still do it.” She told the story
about her getting teased by the neighbor boy. “The snakes around
here get a lot madder when you pick them up,” she finished her
story.

“The husbands
do, too.” He laughed at her story and explained that if the snake
would have bit her she would have died.

“I know, Katie
and Bessie told me. I promise, I won't touch anything around here
ever again.” Her tears were returning. She was glad that it was
dark out in the meantime.

He could feel the
teardrops as they landed on his chest. “Emily, you can touch me
whenever you want,” he teased her. He went on to tell her that he
was very proud how well she took her punishment. He told her that he
loved her so much, and that his heart would have broken if he would
have come home to her dead body.

Nathaniel scolded
her a little as she cried and apologized. He believed that she was
sorry.

“I'll be so
good that you never have to take the strap to me again. I promise.”

He wished he
could have seen her face as she made that promise. It was probably so
endearing that his heart would have melted. “My sweet little Emily,
you are making a promise that you probably can't keep.”

He heard her gulp
air and then he felt her teardrops on his chest again. He reached for
her eyes and wiped her tears away. “Emily, sometimes a person is
trying so hard to be good that they just snap and do something wrong,
or sometimes trouble finds a person. Other times a person is
convinced that they have made the right decision but they forget to
look at all the consequences.”

They talked until
late in the night. Nathaniel was so glad that Emily was a part of his
life. Emily was glad that Nathaniel wasn't mad at her anymore.

The next morning
they made love again. After they washed up and got dressed they went
down to breakfast hand in hand, as always. The only sign that
something was different was when Emily had to sit down. She drew her
breath in so sharply that everyone noticed it. Nathaniel held her
hand under the table as she fought against the tears forming in her
eyes.

She gave him a
kiss before he rode out to work. Nathaniel was feeling mighty proud
of himself. He had his pretty little wife under control. He would be
the envy of every single man around these parts, and some of the
married ones, too, he mused.

Nathaniel rode
off with his brothers. He felt that they had more respect for him
now.

Emily helped
clean the house and did what her sister-in-laws told her to do. They
were all getting along really well. They didn't ask Emily about her
strapping and she was glad about that. She was also glad that she
didn't have to do any tasks that required her to sit.

All to soon it
was lunchtime and the men came home, meaning she had to sit down
again. She masked her pain better this time, but still the others
noticed.

Nathaniel held
her hand again. He noticed that she wasn't eating much again. He
squeezed her hand and she looked at him. Nathaniel gave her plate a
look and she ate a little more. He thought that was something that he
could spank her for next Wednesday if she didn't shape up right
quick. He wondered what the reason could be for her not eating.

Nathaniel
continued to think about that as he rode out to the range to watch
their cattle.

Emily wondered
when her Aunt and Uncle were coming. She thought the most likely
thing would be on Sunday. They would probably arrive here on Saturday
night and spend the night in town. She would talk to Nathaniel about
them this evening.

Katie sent her
out to collect eggs. She was always given the easy tasks. They were
worried about her. She was just so much more fragile than they were.

Emily heard a
wagon. She peeked out of the barn. If it wasn't her family than she
would stay put and wait for whoever it was to leave. It was her aunt
and uncle. She raced out to them. Her uncle jumped down when he saw
her. He picked her up and twirled her in a circle.

Nathaniel and his
brothers had heard the wagon approaching. They rode off quickly to
see who was coming.

Nathaniel saw
strangers and his Emily. He got his rifle out and looked closer. A
strange man was holding onto his wife. He was about to aim and shoot
when the man set her down and a woman took her in her arms then. He
rode in fast.

The man who he
had wanted to shoot was short and fat. He was even balding and gray.
The woman was also a little plump but she was taller than the man.
They seemed to know Emily.

Nathaniel rode up
to them. He looked at his wife, who was smiling bigger than he had
ever seen her smile. He gave her a questioning look.

“Nathaniel,
this is my aunt, Victoria Stuart and my uncle, Edmund Stuart. They
brought my dowry.” She looked to see if he was mad at her but he
looked more confused than anything else.

He stepped
forward and introduced himself to them with perfect manners. He had
never been rude before but somehow she was surprised that he knew
exactly what to do. Her aunt looked very pleased. Her uncle was still
looking him over. He wasn't sure what he thought of the lad yet.

His brothers had
also rode up in the meantime. Katie and Bessie both came out to say
hello, too. Emily introduced everyone. They were all surprised that
she had a dowry and a family who knew where she was. They all look at
Nathaniel, but he showed no emotion other than being pleased to meet
her family.

Nathaniel ushered
them inside. He was very gracious.

Emily went to him
and back to her aunt and uncle and back to him again. She knew her
place was with him now but it would probably be years before she
would see her aunt and uncle again.

Nathaniel kept
his eye on her. She seemed unsure, but she kept coming back to him
again and again. If she hadn't wanted him anymore than she would have
stayed by them. She was making him very happy again.

Katie was
insisting that they stay at the house. They had a couple of extra
bedrooms and insisted it would be an honor if they stayed.

Her aunt and
uncle had agreed quickly. They wanted to see how their niece was
getting along here. They were very pleased with how things were
settled. Nathaniel's hand was usually holding Emily's. They liked
that.

The men still had
a bit of work to do on the range. So they carried in Emily's many
things quickly. The piano had been a highlight. They didn't even have
one at church here in town. The saloon had one, but nobody was
willing to admit that they knew that.

Her aunt pulled
her aside while the men were carrying in trunks and furniture. She
gave her a basket. It was one that had flaps that could close.
Nathaniel watched her give the basket an odd look. She was standing
in the parlor by her piano. It was a room that they only used on
Sunday when Edward led their bible group and they all read in the
bible.

Emily took the
basket and opened it. She made a funny noise and sat down on the
floor, well she knelt down. She reached into the basket and pulled
out a white cat with a pink collar. The collar even had a bell on it.
The was the perfect cat for a princess.

He watched her
hug it and give it several kisses. “I never thought I would see you
again.” She held the cat up and look at it in the eyes.

“We brought her
basket and toys along too. I hope your husband will allow you to keep
it.”

Emily looked to
the door and saw Nathaniel watching her. He was smiling. She asked
with her eyes, too shy to say the words.

“Who do we have
here?” he said it as friendly as he could.

“Her name is
Snowball.”

“Welcome to the
family, Snowball.” He was grinning as he left.

After everything
was in the men took off to the range. Uncle Edmund expressed an
interest to go along. The men gladly took him with. He thanked them
and had the time of his life playing cowboy with them. He had a
really good feeling about Nathaniel in the meantime too.

Aunt Vicky, as
everyone was calling her, unpacked the dowry with the women. Katie
and Bessie admired the beautiful things that Emily pulled out.

“You made these
things?” Bessie asked. There was just so much.

“I have been
working on it all of my life. Things accumulate that way.” She
shrugged her shoulders. She had come from a very privileged life.
They hadn't, she didn't want to say anything to hurt her feelings.

“I sent along
plain sheets and lots of wool and bolts of cloth and everything that
the three of you could need. You can all make things this winter. But
mostly socks for your men. Just in case I have things here that would
be perfect for a baby. In case one of you would need that.” Aunt
Vicky smiled at the girls sitting by her knees. “Emily told me that
you have all been very good to her. Let us be good to you too. Our
little Emily's happiness is the most important thing in the world to
us.”

“Aunty, I'm
happy. You don't have to worry about me.” Emily set her cat aside
and hugged her aunt.

After everything
was unpacked and put away in the wardrobe, that Emily's aunt had sent
along for her, they went to work unpacking the rest of her dresses.
Katie and Bessie were surprised by the number that she had and the
quality.

“Why Emily, you
must have been a fine lady. Why did you come here?”

“She still is a
lady. A lady is a woman who has respect for others and for herself.
She is kind and gracious and a pleasure to those around her.” Aunt
Vicky smiled at her niece. She was very proud of her indeed. “Now
if you would excuse me, ladies. I would like to rest and wash up
before dinner.” She smiled at the girls and left them.

“She's right we
better get supper on.” Bessie took off.

Katie gave Emily
a look as she folded her arms over her chest. “Are you ever going
to tell us why you are here?”

“Yes, I will,
but I have to tell Nathaniel first.”

Katie left
satisfied.