A taster for Miriam Sheafe's book 'Noble desires and loving chastisements'
Punishment by proxy:
A tale of 'three graces' and two whipping girls.
The "NOBLE DESIRES AND LOVING CHASTISEMENTS," is available to buy on Amazon.
The Compte receives the letter in the presence of his widowed daughter in law, La Baronne Adelaide De Saint Simon, and her daughter, his granddaughter, Desiree; the latter being attended by her companion and lady's maid Rebecca. The Comte's friend and spiritual advisor Monsignor Robert and his lawyer Maître Lerière are also present.
The King's letter summons Le Comte to assume an important position in court and orders the two royal officers to take over the defense of the county and town of Saint Simon against a rebel uprising, which is being supported by a small force of Spanish troops.
Earlier that afternoon, the two royal officers had encountered an uncooperative 'youth, who challenged Le Chevalier, one of the most renowned swordsmen in France, to a duel.
Despite putting up a fine performance, the 'youth' has been disarmed and discovered to be a girl dressed in male clothing. Pierre thereupon took the girl over his knee and spanked her, before adding a dozen strokes of a switch for good measure. It is only after she had made her escape that Jean Baptiste realises that the lovely blonde might be the Comte's granddaughter and heiress Desiree.
=== Look inside! ====
The meal was, as expected from a host with the Comte’s well known gastronomic tastes, superb and matched with fine wine of which all but the ladies partook sparingly. The ladies, aware of their coming individual ordeals, imbibed to a degree that they were relaxed but not by any measure inebriated by the time those gentlemen involved in the forthcoming arrests departed quietly; led by the Captain of the Guard, who soon returned. Darkness fell and about an hour later the three tradesmen, having been quietly apprehended, were under guard in the Castle’s cells under the Keep. The day guard were then dismissed and an additional guard of half a dozen dragoons under the troop sergeant took post on the gates of the town, which were now closed.
It was now time for the remaining diners to make their way to the square outside the Church. When Desirée, having returned briefly to her Chamber, re-joined the party; the russet-coloured trousers, that she had been wearing that morning, were draped over her shoulders, the legs hanging forward over her breasts and the seat partially hidden underneath her long tresses. Her eyes downcast, whilst a blush suffused her beautiful cheeks, she wore a determined look. To my eyes she was the most beautiful creature in the entire world and I was full of admiration. Rebecca stood next to her mistress and the two ladies glanced at each other and held hands.
The procession formed up led by the Captain of the Guard with his sword drawn.
Behind him stood the Comte with the Baronne, to his left, holding the birch.
Behind them the priest, holding a bible, stood to the right of the lawyer, holding an hour glass.
The two ladies were next, with Jean-Baptiste and myself side by side bringing up the rear each able to admire the bottoms of the ladies in-front as their skirts swished as we set off in silence.
Torches in sconces at the road side allowed just enough light to see and, keeping to the middle of the road, avoiding the worst of the detritus. In just over five minutes we arrived at the centre of the square outside the church where the pillory and the whipping block were in their usual positions.
Desirée was instructed to stand behind the wooden apparatus and, her grandfather himself lifting the hinged bar, then to bend to place her head and hands in the semi-circular indentations. The trouser legs were then positioned to hang in front and the bar was lowered to hold the beautiful maiden fast. There was a full moon and enough light for me to see that the lovely green eyes had filled with tears. Desirée, her head downcast, could see little of the square except the whipping block over which Adelaide was instructing Rebecca to kneel with her head to Desirée’s left and her bottom to her right.
With the bar in position, Maître Lerière placed the hour glass on top and turned it over. As the sands began to flow and the punishment officially commenced, I noticed that there were marks indicating each five minutes etched onto the glass.
As we had discussed and agreed earlier; I, together with Jean-Baptiste and Roger, took guard; forming a triangle looking outwards so that we could see anyone else approach down the three roads leading to the square. Roger had sheathed his sword and the three of us stood legs astride with our hands on our hips. The position also meant that, to lessen their embarrassment, none of us would witness Rebecca’s punishment, or Desirée’s shame.
Meanwhile La Baronne slowly lifted Rebecca’s dress and then her linen shift revealing her pale rounded bare buttocks in the moonlight; she lifted the little birch high above her shoulder and waited.
The twelve strokes awarded to Rebecca were to be spread throughout the hour-long penance of her mistress, at five-minute intervals; and, five minutes from the start, at a nod from the Comte, Adelaide brought the rod down hard. The twelve twigs spread over the lovely bottom, biting deep. The pretty recipient gasped and tossed her dark hair, but otherwise made no sound. Meanwhile, when she saw the nod from her father, Desirée turned her head and closed her eyes; realising that her actions were the cause of her friend’s suffering, she could not bear to look.
The Comte noticed his granddaughter’s reaction and landed a sharp slap to her right buttock over her dress, which he knew would do no more than sting slightly, and softly remarked: “No my dear, that will not do! Your punishment is also to watch Rebecca’s suffering. Adelaide, give Rebecca another stroke please, Desirée missed that one! “
“No! Grand-Père, please! that is not fair!” shouted the horrified Desirée. Her appeal was to no avail; the rod raised and fell once more forcing a squeal from the pretty maid’s lips.
Furious with her grandfather and with no consideration for the possible consequences Desirée continued “How could you! I always thought that you were a just man! I hate you!!!”; she then burst into tears, her pretty shoulders heaving as she sobbed.
She had calmed somewhat by the time the next stroke was due as the sand reached the ten-minute line, “Are you watching Desirée?” the response was a sob and a whispered “yes, Grand-Père”; the nod to Adelaide and the birch rod descended again, to be met with a hiss as the lovely maid exhaled tossing her hair and with her left heel rising to almost touch her bottom now criss-crossed with fine red lines.
Some five minutes later just after the next stroke had been met with similar fortitude by Rebecca and more tears from her mistress, I noticed a figure approaching; his gait was a little unsteady and I surmised that he was probably returning home from a tavern. I made a mental note to discuss the desirability of a temporary curfew with Desirée and Roger the next morning. The figure approached and noticed with glee one pretty maid being birched and another in the pillory, hopefully awaiting a similar fate. He slowed to watch and then, noticing a rotten onion, bent to pick it up; intending to throw it at Desirée although undecided whether to target her head or her bottom.
As he straightened up, he found the tip of my sword touching his throat. “That would be the very last thing you ever do! drop it!!” The onion dropped to the ground.
“Name!”, I barked.
“Luc Berger, Monsieur”.
“Well, Luc Berger, you are going to go straight home and tell no one what you have seen, or you will be sleeping off your drunkenness in the castle dungeon before standing in-front of the judge tomorrow. Home?”
“Oui Monsieur, right away Monsieur, I say nothing, honest” the drunk staggered off.
There were no further interruptions and the birching continued at a steady pace. Rebecca tried to be brave and lasted thirty- five minutes until the eighth stroke broke her resistance, her cries increasing she started to sob. Her equally distraught mistress between sobs called out “Please, Grand-Père, enough! I can’t bear it, please birch me instead”.
“I am sorry dear, I promised that you would not receive further physical punishment and your mother decreed that someone else would receive it on your behalf. There is nothing I can do”. The next stroke landing on Rebecca’s well marked bottom produced a pitiful wail and the young maid begged for mercy. Adelaide looked towards her father-in law but the kindly features were impassive and he gently shook his head.
Adelaide made a decision and took a deep breath, “Father, I wish to let Rebecca off the last four strokes, I have been thinking about what M. le Marquis suggested and I feel I should take them in her stead. Justice would still be done and Desirée would still have to witness the full punishment that she deserved being suffered by persons she loved, please!”
Everyone in the church square was thoroughly amazed. It was unheard of that a noblewoman would willingly accept severe chastisement to spare an ordinary maid. La Baronne and Rebecca were far removed on the social ladder. Adelaide’s touching compassion and self-sacrificing request came as such a surprise that, for several seconds, it was met with silence.
“My dear, if you are sure, I will grant your request; but only on condition that Jean-Baptiste and not I administer the punishment. Rebecca you may now stand”.
It took some time for Rebecca to understand what had happened, still sobbing she stood and her shift and dress fell back into place hiding her well punished derriere. She turned to La Baronne and, kneeling, kissed her hand. “Merci, Mme La Baronne. Merci”. Looking at the Comte he smiled and gestured for her to stand beside him.
The Comte then spoke “Jean-Baptiste, I have a task for you”. My friend turned but both Roger and I kept our vigil. “At Adelaide’s request I have agreed that she can take the last four strokes in place of Rebecca and that, as it was your idea, I have decided you should administer the punishment. I will take your place on guard”.
=== End of the detail ===
But if you enjoyed this story the further adventures of these characters can be discovered in the first part of Miriam's book 'Noble desires and loving chastisements', we doubt you will be disappointed.
