Fourpennies
by obohobo
Chapter 1. Early years at Rosebury Hall
Ruth Lavenby stumbled painfully along the rough unmetalled road. The rain had
stopped and the moon was just beginning to shine through the scudding clouds
that raced across the sky. She pulled the towel around her sore shoulders trying
to keep some of the cold from biting into her flesh but the effort was futile.
The towel was soaking wet from the heavy rain. This apart from the rags tied
around her feet was the only garment she wore. Mud from her not infrequent falls
mixed with blood oozing from the whip marks that covered her body. She had to
keep going. She had to get away from Rosebury Hall, her home for the last
eighteen years. Her hell for the last month.
**********
Lord Robert Lavenby adopted (or had taken in as there were no formal adoption
procedures), Ruth while she was still a baby and Ruth, to this day, had no idea
who her real parents were. Lord Robert wanted her as a companion to his
daughter, Sarah after his wife, Lady Rebecca Lavenby, died whilst giving birth
to Sarah. Sarah was then a year old. The two girls grew up as sisters and Lord
Robert treated them both equally as his daughters. He employed a governess to
educate them. Ruth was very bright and quickly mastered reading and particularly
mathematics. Sarah was bright too but was more adept at practical things like
embroidery and painting. The pair complimented each other.
Living in a large rambling mansion with servants to tend to their needs, they
lived a life of relative luxury although Lord Robert did insist they did some
chores themselves "To prepare yourselves for when you become wives." They made
their own bed and often helped cook prepare meals. It was a happy household with
the staff well treated.
The only fly in the ointment was Edward, Sarah's older brother. He was eight
years older and was a demanding, spoilt brat. A bully who liked to torment the
girls whenever he was able. By the age of sixteen he had seduced many of the
female staff and enjoyed a reputation as a hard drinking, rough womaniser. Most
of the younger female staff went in fear of him because if they refused his
advances they were likely to receive a thrashing from his belt. They didn't dare
complain to his lordship either because of fear of further punishment. However,
when he tried to seduce his nine year old sister, Marie, one the less timid
staff immediately went to the master and Edward was caught red handed with his
trousers down and with Sarah trying unsuccessfully to prevent his unwanted
attention. Lord Robert gave the boy a small allowance and banished him from
Rosebury Hall.
Serious punishments were not a common occurrence. Ruth was only spanked three
times in the eighteen years she lived with Lord Robert. The last time when she
was 14 years old. Workmen were renovating part of the structure and Ruth was
told to keep away partly because of the rough, down to earth language used by
the men and partly because the site area was a quagmire of mud. Curiosity got
the better of Ruth and she went to see what was being done and in doing so
managed to get her dress very muddy. Before she could change her father had
spotted it. He was very angry and sent for the cook. "Take this disobedient
child Mildred, and give her a good spanking and then make her wash and iron the
dress herself. Perhaps then she will learn when I say not to go to the building
site, it means exactly that." Despite her pleas she was led to the kitchen.
"Take the dress off Ruth and anything you have underneath it. I'm not going to
spank you through your clothing." Once again Ruth pleaded she would be good. "I
know you will," Mildred continued, "Especially when you've a sore bottom to
remind you. Now stop trying to worm out of it and get yourself ready or I'll
have to get a couple of the boys in to hold you."
Blushing with shame, Ruth took off her dress and underclothes and laid over the
cook's lap with her bare rear ready presented for its punishment. Cook picked up
the long handled wooden spoon normally used for jam making. Lifting it high she
brought it down hard on Ruth's arse. The loud THWACK was followed by and equally
loud scream from Ruth.
"We'll have less of that screaming, girl," commanded Mildred, "I haven't started
on you yet." Mildred wasn't a cruel woman and she liked Ruth and normally
allowed her in the kitchen to help with baking. Today though, she had been
ordered to chastise a disobedient child and that is what she was going to do. It
was for the girl's own good.
THWACK, THWACK, THWACK. The spoon resounded and reddened the now sobbing girls
bottom. After a dozen good spanks Mildred stopped. Placing her hands on the sore
flesh she decided it was warm enough. Ruth would remember that for a long time.
She knew the girl wasn't usually naughty and didn't want to alienate her.
"There we are young lady, its all over now. Go and stand in the corner with your
hands on your head and think on why I had to do it." She left Ruth for about a
quarter of an hour while she carried on with her work, then called the girl to
her. Pulling her close to her bosom she gave her a long hug and a kiss and said,
"Sorry I had to do that Ruth but its over now. You know what you have to do next
don't you?"
Ruth nodded and went and collected the dress. "I'm sorry too, Cook, I only
wanted to see what they were doing but I won't go again. It's too painful." She
couldn't really complain about her treatment. It was after all the same general
punishment the staff had for their misdemeanors, certainly nothing like the
birching Ella had last month.
Ella was an upstairs maid who was leaving to get married. The boy was only a
lowly farm worker whose wages would hardly pay the rent on a one room cottage so
when Ella spied a ring that had belonged to Lady Rebecca she slipped it into her
apron. "She doesn't need it now," she thought. Unfortunately she forgot it was
there and it flipped to the floor when she took the apron off in the kitchen at
mealtime. Most of the staff saw it and she was taken to Lord Robert. He was
absolutely horrified. The ring had great sentimental as well as intrinsic value.
It was the last piece of jewellery he had given his wife before her untimely
death. For the first time for many years he ordered the birching horse to be
brought up from the cellar and new birch rods obtained and pickled ready.
That evening the wretched woman was stripped naked and fastened to the horse.
She cried and pleaded for forgiveness but the sentence was to be carried out.
All the staff and family members were present to witness the birching. Richards
the butler was assigned the task, a task he had never previously undertaken and
had only once seen a man receive the birch. Nevertheless he stood ready to do
his best. He had been butler at the Hall when her ladyship had died and had fond
memories of her. Like the others he was mortified that Ella could have even
thought of stealing her ring.
"Two dozen and lay them on well, Richards," commanded his Lordship.
"I will that Sir." The birch was actually three, three foot long rods bound
together at the handle end. Each stroke would leave three welts across the
victims flesh. Richards laid the first one on with moderate force across the
tops of her thighs. Ella shrieked and screamed and struggled in her bonds but
they were too well fastened. Three slightly diverging stripes appeared across
her flesh. Richards aimed the second stroke at the bottom of her buttocks, this
time he used more force and the welts raised were larger and more vivid in
colour. It brought renewed screams and pleas from Ella. Ten strokes were applied
to her arse. By then the thirty welts had mingled into one vast area of
blistered pain.
Realising any more strokes in that area would break the skin, Richards started
at her shoulder and worked down stopping before he reached the kidneys. Ella's
screams had turned to loud moans and it was obvious that she had reached the
maximum amount of pain her body would allow without becoming unconscious. After
the twentieth stroke Richards looked to his master, who nodded and then said,
"That's enough. Leave her there for everyone to see for fifteen minutes and then
Cook, you see to her." Everyone including the two girls, were made to file past
the sobbing woman to get a close look at the punishment marks. Everyone prayed
they would never have to suffer a birching like that. Most thought it a fitting
punishment for a heinous crime. She could have been sent to jail or even
received the death sentence.
