My Little Pixie

Chapter Fifteen - A Punishing Run

Conveniently, the next morning, a Saturday, dawned bright and sunny, so all I had to do was pull the curtains open to blast the trio into a protesting wakefulness.

"Silence!" I said in response to the wave of grumbles and they obeyed instantly. They must have recognised how angry I was.

I just stared at them for a moment before I began. "Elizabeth, were you eating and drinking last night in violation of your dietary restrictions?"

She hesitated for much too long and Naomi had to give her a nudge before she replied, "Yes, Sir."

"Thank you for telling the truth. Up, all of you. Time for a punishing run! You have..."

"But I can't run!" Elizabeth exploded. "Are you mad?"

I glared at her in fury and the three seemed to huddle together for safety.

"Get out of bed, Elizabeth," I told her at last, forcing myself to remain calm. "Bend over the table, raise your shirt and place your hands and forehead flat on the tabletop."

The silence of the room seemed to intensify as she obeyed my instructions, exposing a pair of tent-sized knickers for my beating pleasure.

Although I did not have the array of flagellation tools that are available in my Room of Reflection, I pride myself on my ability to improvise. I selected a training shoe from the pile of athletic clothes that James had delivered.

"Do you know why you are being punished?"

"For not doing your diet thing?" Her voice was wavering slightly.

"No. The run is your punishment for that misdemeanour. If you recall, I warned you that there would be unpleasant consequences if you ever interrupted me again. You are to receive six blows and, after each, you will count for me and repeat the phrase, 'I will not interrupt my elders and betters'."

I had to suppress a smile as she bridled in outrage at my choice of words but I gave her no chance to think about it and delivered the first blow to that enormous bottom.

I waited for her to repeat the phrase but she remained obstinately silent so I delivered another blow. "I will carry on until you do as you are told," I warned her.

She did repeat the words but her tone remained truculent.

"Not good enough," I told her and gave her another. "You will submit utterly to my authority. Furthermore, should you continue to defy me, you will find the other two here alongside you."

There was a gasp from all three girls and then a plaintive wail from Emily, who was almost in tears, "Please, Ellie!"

Elizabeth gave a sigh then repeated my phrase in a satisfactorily compliant tone.

When I had finished, I folded the tail of her shirt down but left her in position. "So, yes, you will be going for a run," I informed her. "You are going to find yourself performing a great many activities of which you hitherto thought yourself incapable, particularly..." I paused for a moment... "particularly if you ever choose to break the strictures of your dietary regime again."

I left another brief pause to give her the chance to say something. Fortunately for her, she was not that stupid.

"Right, the three of you have five minutes to change and get yourselves downstairs." I threw the collection of sporting clothes onto the bed.

I was about to leave but was interrupted by a plaintive wail from Emily. "But it's just Ellie who's supposed to be doing the diet thing," she protested. "Why do we have to do it?"

I almost smiled when I saw Naomi wince... almost. But I managed to contain myself. "Would you care to explain, Naomi?"

"Because he thinks we're responsible for helping Ellie sort herself out," she replied with a sigh."