Sir Thomas’s Bride_Masterful Husbands_Book One, page 5
Hockley, the maid, slipped back into the room and Margaret and she began to discuss which dress Margaret should wear that day, especially for such a prestigious visit.
Margaret descended the stairs, elegantly coiffed and gowned in a confection of cream and burgundy. Her dress was fashionably tight-waisted and her skirts full. The bodice was of solid burgundy and the sleeves of cream. The skirt of the dress consisted of burgundy and cream stripes, the open inverted 'V' of the front revealing a rich cream brocade underskirt. Margaret's hair was piled high atop her head, heavily powdered and decorated with cream and burgundy Ostrich plumes, stuck elegantly into the mass of her hair and secured with garnet tipped hair pins. Rubies sparkled in her ear lobes and a ruby and diamond necklace twinkled around her neck. In short, she could have been attending a ball, rather than an 'at home' visit.
Thomas was horrified.
When the King had first mooted their Majesties' visit, it had been on the understanding that they would arrive incognito, with the minimum of fuss, a standard 'at home' visiting afternoon with friends, no more than that.
This was a simple pleasure that both King George III and his German born wife, Queen Charlotte, enjoyed. They dressed in what they thought an ordinary couple would wear for such an occasion and travelled incognito within a plain black coach with the curtains closed. They often escaped the Palace and went a-visiting amongst their friends within the ton.
Sir Thomas was a kindly man and he knew the fairer sex rather better than most men of his acquaintance. He knew that to criticize his wife when she looked so magnificent and regal would hurt her and undermine her self-confidence and so he smiled and congratulated her on her toilette. He made an elegant leg, took her hand turned it over and kissed the soft pearly skin on the pulse of her wrist.
"Magnificent, beautiful, I am honoured to be thy husband, Margaret, my dear."
Margaret blushed, inordinately pleased by her husband's words and romantic deed.
"Why thank you, Thomas," she answered shyly.
"Come, my lady, and break your fast with me." Thomas offered his elbow and Margaret took it.
"But have you not already breakfasted, sir?"
"I have, my dear, but I will sit and take coffee with you while you eat, that is if you would like my company?"
Margaret dipped her head, feeling a little shy. "Why yes, that would be splendid, thank you, Thomas. I have questions about this royal visit today. Perhaps sir, you could explain to me how I should greet their Majesties' and so forth, while I am eating."
"It would be my pleasure, darling." Thomas waited politely for Margaret to precede him into the dining room.
Chapter 9
"I cannot believe it, Thomas, she is uncommon civil! Have you put a spell on the wench? Mortimer told me I should not worry about your nuptials. He assured me that you had a way with vipers such as the Lady Margaret but by gad, sir, you have worked a miracle, in what is it, four days?"
"Why thank you, Your Majesty."
"Mr. Smyth."
"Ah yes, of course, 'Mr. Smyth'."
"Look, Thomas, she is actually smiling! Do you know, I cannot recall ever seeing Lady Margaret smile before!"
Thomas beamed at his King; he was inordinately pleased by His Majesty's praise, for this was high praise indeed from the pious King George III. A man Thomas knew to be somewhat less than pious in the boudoir with his adored Queen Charlotte; he already had nine children and counting.
They had arrived at precisely three of the clock, in a plain black coach and four, attended by two discreetly armed coach drivers and a single discreetly armed footman. Queen Charlotte was incongruously dressed in a severe and rather ugly grey outfit of dubious taste. She wore dainty silk pink shoes and diamonds twinkled in her ears. The King was rather more sensibly dressed in fawn beeches and a brown cut away coat. His waistcoat however, was of rich and expensive golden brocade.
Of course, he wore his ring with the Royal seal upon his finger, for that was a mark of office that he would never remove, not until the day of his death, when the ring would be taken and slipped upon the finger of the new King.
Tea was served in the withdrawing room and polite conversation flowed more easily than Margaret had expected between the four of them. The gentlemen left them to go and look at Thomas's books on horse flesh in the library after the King expressed a keen wish to see the book that Lord Mortimer had lent to Thomas on race horse breeding. The King was of a mind to hold a race at Ascot again this year and had more or less decided to turn the race into an annual event.
After they had left the room, the Queen asked Margaret whether they would be attending the Foundling Ball that was being organised by Lady Mortimer. Margaret made a little moue of her lips.
"I really could not say, your Majesty. I shall ask Sir Thomas if we are invited," she replied noncommittally.
Margaret disliked the Lady Rose Mortimer intensely. But for her, she would not have suffered 'the cut' by society and been manoeuvred into marriage with Sir Thomas. Margaret quite forgot that it was her own behaviour that had brought about her social decline. She also pushed away feelings of disloyalty such thoughts brought on toward her husband, whom she found to her surprise, she had rather begun to like.
"Mrs. Smyth," Queen Charlotte reminded her in her heavily accented voice. "I am so glad that the dear gel has brought the plight of these impoverished children to our attention. Being the mother of young ones, between you and I, my dear, I am only too pleased to be able to help these unfortunate children. My heart does so bleed for them all."
Margaret suddenly remembered Molly and her promise to promote the young woman.
"I do in fact have need of a scullery maid. I am promoting the one we presently have, she has shown such promise, you see. I believe that she came from the Foundling Home. I shall have to visit there and hire another girl to replace her."
"Excellent, I am seeing Lady Mortimer tomorrow and will ask her to accompany you. It will give you an opportunity to talk about tickets for the Ball." Margaret forced a smile to her lips but ground her teeth in frustration.
"Do you take more tea, Mrs. Smyth?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Oh yes please, and I shall try one of those little mandarin cakes, they look rather delicious."
The gentlemen moved into Sir Thomas's study, where Thomas remembered he had left the book on horse flesh that Mortimer had lent him.
"Thomas, I have heard tell of your infamous collection of canes, might an old friend take a peek perhaps?"
Thomas gave a courtly bow.
"No need to make a leg, Thomas, I have told you that we are just two old friends visiting today."
Thomas unlocked the cupboard and stood back to allow the King to peruse his collection.
The King lifted out the third cane along from the thinnest and swished it through the air.
"I say it is a most satisfying feel is it not? Do tell, Thomas, have you had occasion to use this particular one on a naughty lady's bottom?"
Thomas gave his roguish grin. "Aye, sire, on more than one occasion."
"Well, well and the Lady Margaret; has she been the recipient of any of your collection to date?"
"Oh to be sure." Thomas reached into the cabinet and pulled out the cane he had whipped Margaret with, only moments after their arrival over the threshold. He handed it to the King, who took the rod and swished it at the padded chair. It slashed the padded seat with a satisfying thwack.
"I had occasion to spank my Charlotte only the once since marriage but it certainly gained her attention for I have had no need to teach her such a lesson since. Should I have occasion to, I should love to use this implement, it has a nice feel and weight in my hand."
Thomas immediately insisted that the King take the thin cane for his own, after all, the King had reinstated Thomas's hereditary title as 'Sir' when he had made such an advantageous match, becoming engaged to the wealthy Lady Margaret.
Thomas's grandfather had been a gambling man and dissolute to boot. He had lost the family's fortune and title, landing the entire family in disgrace. Thomas's father had worked hard to reinstate the family reputation, but it had been Thomas who had finally succeeded, along with the help of loyal friends, to lift his family back to their rightful standing in society. Here he stood with the King of England visiting his home, albeit incognito. He was visiting as one friend to another, testimony indeed to Sir Thomas Wiggington's present social standing.
"Since we are sans the ladies, perhaps you would share with me the Lady Margaret's misdemeanour, the one that earned her a caning?"
Thomas frowned, he hated to insult his wife by sharing her shame and humiliation with another person, however if that other person is your King and he is asking to know, well then, it put a different slant on the situation.
"I carried Lady Margaret over the threshold, as tradition dictates I should do and she chose to spit into my eye. So I brought her in here, bared her behind and punished her. I explained that I would not accept such behaviour and this was the consequence that she could expect from now onwards should she misbehave."
"Good God! Oh I do beg thy pardon! I should not take our Lord's name in vain but Thomas, my dear Sir! I would have broken the stick upon her backside for such deplorable unladylike behaviour! I am most displeased to hear of a lady of our haute ton behaving so uncommon bad!"
"Sire, I share this with you as a friend and fellow husband. I beg of you not to talk of this with any other or even with Her Majesty, Queen Charlotte. I would hate my lady wife to be placed beyond the pale by her actions, especially since she had been soundly punished and repented of her sin."
King George nodded his head solemnly. "I understand your misgiving, Thomas, and as you say, the lady has been punished and repented. I think it is a goodly blessing that it was you who married the Lady Margaret and not some coxcomb, still wet behind the ears; one who would never have been able to tame the harridan. Be assured, Thomas, I shall say not a word of this to anyone. It will remain our secret, between the two of us only. Shall we rejoin our ladies? I do hope that your wife has not encouraged mine into any unsuitable misbehaviour!"
Mr. and Mrs. Smyth departed happily and left Sir Thomas and Lady Margaret feeling a huge sense of achievement, their first 'at home' visit had not only gone extremely well but had been an immensely important occasion, with house guests that few others in the land would ever have an opportunity of entertaining.
Chapter 10
Thomas planned to visit Longetlestone at the end of April, however, the trip to their country house was postponed due to the dire news received that hostilities had broken out in the American colonies. This time the Patriots, as they called themselves, would not be placated and on the 19th of April, 1775, the battle of Lexington was fought after troops were sent in to remove gunpowder from the town. King George was devastated and extremely angry that the strategies he and his government had used to avoid bloodshed, had failed miserably. Troops were being deployed to the Colonies and a campaign of recruitment for soldiers to take the King's shilling was underway country wide.
Lord and Lady Mortimer, both good friends of Sir Thomas, called in for an 'at home' visit. They were rarely in London for they had decamped to their country estate at Merriton, situated not far from Margaret's old home at Longetlestone.
Thomas and Benedict decided it would be a good thing to travel down to Sussex together once King George gave them leave to depart London.
Ever since the Mortimer's had arrived in London, they had heard nothing but talk of hostilities in America. The King groused endlessly to his friends about Rose Mortimer's father Henry Randolph, who had returned to the colonies after his daughter's marriage. He was supposed to be soothing troubled waters in the colonies but was more than likely in the thick of the intrigue being a secret patriot.
The King was furious that he had sacrificed a cousin once removed, upon an American chit, simply to bribe her father. It was now quite obvious that the whole enterprise had backfired. The fact that Benedict Mortimer was head over heels in love with his American 'Rose' seemed to be neither here nor there as far as the King was concerned.
"Our troops won the battle at Lexington only to get to Concord and find the rebels..." "Patriots please!"
"Yes, very well, Rose, patriots then, had gathered in force and attacked our soldiers, pushing them to retreat into Boston. This is war wouldn't you agree, Wiggington?"
"I would agree but there is still a chance that diplomacy might bring about a peaceful solution. After all Lady Rose's father Henry Randolph has the rebel's, er, patriot's ear and he might even yet bring peace to the table"
Lady Rose snorted in a most unladylike manner. "I certainly wouldn't hold your breath there Squiggleton!" She sneered, having a very low opinion of her father.
"Rose, behave! Otherwise I shall take you for a tour of Thomas's infamous collection!"
Rose spluttered into her tea and coughed. Margaret sniggered, which did not go unnoticed by her own husband.
"Margaret, I am thinking that I might also ask you to go and choose a choice piece from my collection."
Margaret stopped her sniggering and glared singularly at her husband. He returned her glare with a steady gaze, until she dropped her eyes to her lap.
The Mortimer's watched this byplay with avid interest as neither had any cause to like the Lady Margaret.
Thomas had been pleased by how well the visit between his friends and his wife had gone up until this point. He had expected this first meeting since his marriage to Margaret, to be fraught and he had been pleasantly surprised by how well behaved both ladies had appeared to be up until this difficult moment.
"Why do you call my husband Squiggleton?" Margaret asked suddenly, "I suppose that I should not be surprised by this, for it is foolish and childish, yet so very typical of you, dear Rose."
Rose blushed at the inference that she was silly and childish. "Well now, dearest Margaret, I should prefer to be thought of as sweet and childish rather than waspishly vicious!"
"Rose!"
"Margaret!"
Both husbands scolded their wives, the implacable looks on their faces boded no good for their ladies once they were alone with them but neither lady appeared to care. The snipping and sniping continued, until neither man could risk ignoring the pending flare up between these two self-declared enemies. The Mortimer's departed for their London home in short order.
Margaret was delighted to note the slap Lord Mortimer gave his wife's backside, disguised under a helping hand, as she climbed before him into their waiting coach.
Gates closed the entrance door and departed below stairs, whereupon Thomas turned toward his own naughty wife.
"My study. Immediately." Thomas pointed grimly to the entrance of his study.
Margaret flounced inside with an audible huff.
Once she was seated in front of his desk, Thomas sat down behind his desk, steepled his hands and gazed at his troublesome wife.
"I expect all visitors to our establishments to be made welcome by you, Margaret. I expect you to act the perfect hostess."
Margaret bristled. "Excuse me, but I am the epitome of the perfect hostess! Why the Queen of England sat in our drawing room and took tea only last week! Lest you have forgotten, Thomas, both King and Queen left our home in a happy and contented state!"
"Yet today you were antagonistic and rude to guests who are of a much higher social standing than us. It will not do, Margaret. I will not tolerate such uncommon bad behaviour within my house, and worse, meted out by my own wife! I think the time has come to introduce a system of correctional reminders, a system that will enable you to remember my rules and learn to behave with decorum."
Margaret spluttered indignantly and began to speak. Thomas held up his palm for silence.
"My mind is made up; you will receive a reminder spanking at the start of each and every day. These will continue until I feel that you have adequately learned your lesson. Now then, madam, please go to my cabinet and select a cane for your punishment due to you for your rude behaviour toward our guests today."
Margaret shuddered. "Please, Thomas, not the cane. I promise to willingly accept a spanking but please do not use the cane!"
"The cane is a valid deterrent, Margaret. The very fact that you fear it so shows me that it will work for you. You have more than earned this correction and you shall receive it, my dear." Thomas pointed at the cane cabinet and waited implacably.
Margaret knew by now that arguing further with her husband would only make her punishment the worse for her and so she rose to her feet and moved to the cabinet as instructed.
The instruments of her torture stood neatly in a row. Margaret had no idea which was the least likely to hurt, the thickest looked so inflexible and hard that she shuddered. Running her fingers along the row, she chose a cane that was both smooth and slightly flat as opposed to completely rounded. She removed the cane from the case and went to present it to Thomas.
He took it and swished the stick through the air, it was almost silent but for a soft whistle. "Hands on the padded chair, bottom up high," he ordered.
Margaret complied and Thomas lifted her skirts and petticoats up and over her back, exposing his wife's plump bottom and white silk stocking legs, stockings which ended just above her knees and were held in place by beribboned garters in a pretty pale blue.
"Legs apart and toes turned inward please, Margaret. I do not wish to bruise your soft skin my dear and the position ensures you cannot tense your bottom cheeks, which is a sure way to cause bruising." Thomas tapped his wife's white inner thighs with the cane, encouraging her to part her legs further and she obediently turned her toes inwards.
"Thrust your bottom up, good girl. This time you will count each strike as you receive it and thank me. Understand?"
