The Lady and the Sheriff Page 9

  Bob held her in his arms, very tempted to give her a sound spanking to drive the message home. “Don’t cry sweetheart. I’m just trying to keep you safe,” he soothed. “You have a beautiful voice and you play the piano so well.”

  Emma brightened up and dried her eyes. “Daddy taught me to play, back in England. He loved to listen to me play and sing. I miss him so much,” she said, looking at the sheriff who was smiling kindly at her.

  “Emma, please don’t ever let me catch you in that saloon again,” he warned.

  “But Bob, that one was full of ladies, just like me.”

  Bob laughed and shook his head. “Sweetheart, those women were not ladies. They’re prostitutes. They sell their bodies to men who don’t care who they sleep with. I dread to think what would have happened if I hadn’t come along when I did. I certainly don’t want to be busting you out of the brothel,” he said angrily. “Let me tell you that if you ever set foot in that place again, I’ll spank your bottom so hard that you won’t sit comfortably for a week.”

  Emma scowled and squirmed on his lap. “I liked being able to play the piano again. I really miss my piano,” she sulked.

  Bob kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sure it would be OK for you to play the piano and sing in one of the nicer saloons, but only if someone is with you. You must never go in those places alone,” he sternly warned her.

  Emma nodded and quickly changed the subject, brightening up as she remembered why she had gone out looking for Bob. “I got a letter in the mail today. Mary and John, my father’s friends who were looking after Windmere while we were in America, wrote to tell me that they’ve managed to keep the estate going. Their son has done well on the stock market and he’s put some money into the upkeep of the estate. They said I can go home if I want and they’ll stay with me and help me to run it.”

  Emma noticed that Bob looked very sad when she suggested leaving, but she wasn’t ready to go yet in any case. She wanted to see more of the west before she headed home.

  “They said they were happy to keep running the estate if I want to stay here a bit longer. There’s so much more I want to see before I head back to England and I wondered if you might be able to show me?” Emma asked, looking hopefully at him.

  Bob immediately cheered up. “I’d love to show you around. I’ll take you out riding and we can explore more of the area if you’d like that?”

  Emma nodded enthusiastically.

  “I’ve loved having you here,” Bob admitted. “I’ll be really sad to see you leave, but you must promise me that if you want to go into town you’ll ask me or one of my deputies to take you. It really is not safe out there for a young woman. Do you promise you won’t go out unescorted again?”

  Emma nodded reluctantly. She had no intention of staying at home and only going out with an appointed “babysitter”. She would just have to be more careful in the future.

  “I’m going back out to work now,” Bob told her. “I want you to be on your best behavior otherwise you know what will happen. Do you understand, young lady?”

  Emma pouted and nodded.

  She was good to her word and behaved impeccably for the rest of the day, but the following day when Bob had gone out to work and left Emma alone, she immediately left the house and headed into town, with his warning the previous day pushed completely out of her mind.

  She decided to go to a different saloon this time and she walked a little further into town. She again went on the piano and enjoyed the attentions of two young men who soon started to argue over her. One of the men told the other he would fight him for Emma’s hand and the men began to brawl in the middle of the bar. She had never had two men fight over her, and she had to admit that she thought it was really exciting. They traded punches as Emma watched them, extremely flattered that two such good looking men would fight over her. Her joy was short lived however, as Bob soon burst through the saloon doors and broke the fight up.

  He threw one man out of the bar, telling him to go home, then took hold of the younger man by the scruff of his neck, telling him that he would be going to have a word with his father later on. “Oh, please don’t Bob,” he pleaded. “Pa will take his belt to me if he finds out I’ve been fighting over a woman again.” Ignoring his protests, Bob threw him out and returned to Emma, a stern look on his face.

  Bob pulled Emma to her feet and shook her firmly. “Did you not listen to me yesterday, young lady?” he demanded.

  “I’m sorry,” Emma whimpered, looking down at the floor, not able to meet his stern gaze.

  “Sorry? I’ll make you sorry, young lady. Now get your naughty backside home,” he ordered, pushing Emma towards the door and landing a firm smack on her bottom. Emma yelped in shock, blushing as she rushed out of the door and into the street.

  They walked home in silence and tears rolled down Emma’s cheeks. Occasionally Bob hurried her along with a sharp smack to her bottom, and although these smacks weren’t too painful, Emma was humiliated to be treated in such a way in front of other people and she blushed deeply.

  When they arrived back home, Bob took hold of Emma’s arms and once more shook her. “Do you realize that those two men intended to have their way with you, whether you were willing or not? Whoever had won that fight would have taken what they saw to be their prize—you! Have you any idea how dangerous a game you were playing? Do you realize that had I not appeared when I did, you would more than likely have been raped?”

  Emma started to cry, realizing how grave an error she had made. “I was only having fun,” she sobbed. “I didn’t think.”

  “No, you clearly didn’t think. You certainly didn’t think about the warning I gave you yesterday when you wandered off. You promised me less than twenty-four hours ago that you would not go into town without an escort. It seems you’re unable to obey an order I give you, so it’s time I backed those words up with actions.”

  Emma sobbed as he took her hand and led her through to his living room. “It is not a safe place out there for a young lady. It is very dangerous and as much as it pains me to have to do this, I must make sure you heed my words. You need to understand that if you ever do something so foolish again, I will put you over my knee in the middle of the bar, bare your bottom, and give you the spanking of your life in front of everyone. Do you understand?”

  Emma nodded solemnly as tears dripped from her cheeks onto the floor. “Yes, little girl,” he scolded. “You will pay attention in the future because I’m going to give you a reminder of what I’ll do if you choose to disobey me again.”

  Emma realized with horror what was about to happen to her, but before she had any chance to put up a fight, Bob had sat down and hauled Emma across his lap. He landed a couple of hard smacks over Emma’s skirt as he lectured her about her total disregard for his rules, which were there to keep her safe. Emma yelped in shock and promised to never go into town alone again.

  “You made that promise to me yesterday, and you kept it for less than a day. Now calm down and take what’s due to you,” he ordered, and Emma immediately lay still, not wanting to anger him any more, hoping Bob would now release her. She squealed in panic when Bob lifted her dress and petticoats, continuing to lecture her as he did so.

  Bob then took a firm hold on the waistband of Emma’s pantaloons and she shrieked loudly and kicked her legs as she realized it was his intention to bare her bottom. “No, I won’t go into town again. I’ll do as you ask, I promise I’ll be a good girl,” she wailed.

  “Yes, I’m sure you will after I’ve reddened your bare bottom,” said Bob, as he firmly yanked the thin white cotton pantaloons down to her knees and immediately started to spank her bare bottom firmly. Emma howled in pain as Bob’s palm cracked against her exposed flesh. She kicked her legs and struggled desperately to break free, but the sheriff had a tight hold of her and his hand peppered her naked backside with sharp smacks.

  Emma whimpered in agony as Bob chose one spot on her left buttock and spanked the same spot ov
er and over again, and she struggled desperately as her bottom burned worse than ever before. At last he stopped and Emma took a deep breath and hoped her ordeal was now over. She shrieked as Bob turned his attention to her right buttock and gave it the same stinging treatment as her left cheek had just received.

  When Bob finally stopped spanking, Emma tried to push herself to her feet, eager to be able to reach back and rub her stinging cheeks. “Not so fast, young lady, I’m not finished with you yet,” Bob told her. She felt his body lean across to the right and moments later she felt something hard held against her bottom. Wondering what it was she twisted her body and looked over her shoulder. Emma’s mouth fell open when she saw a large wooden hairbrush in Bob’s hand.

  “Please, no, I’ve had enough,” she begged.

  Bob patted the brush menacingly against her bottom. “I’ll tell you when you’ve had enough, young lady. You might like to remember this next time you decide to disobey my direct orders.”

  Emma opened her mouth to protest, just as the hairbrush landed with a crack on her bare bottom. Emma howled in pain and frantically kicked her legs. She had never felt anything this painful and she yelped each time the brush made contact with her bottom. Bob paddled her slowly, ensuring she felt every single crack of the brush against her unprotected rear, which was by now extremely red.

  Emma’s howls turned to pitiful sobbing as Bob continued to smack the brush against her bottom in a leisurely fashion, as if he could easily continue this all day long. He moved slowly and methodically around the entire surface of her bottom, ensuring that every inch was reddened thoroughly.

  When Emma was sobbing and shaking and tearfully promising to be a good girl and never to go out alone or without permission ever again, Bob decided to drive the message home one last bit.

  Bob had no intention of Emma being hurt, or worse, while she was in his care. With this in mind he continued to strike her bottom extremely hard with the wooden brush, raising it high as he took a firm grip on Emma’s waist. For the next thirty seconds he gave Emma a rapid fire spanking to her sit spots with the hairbrush, ensuring she would not be sitting comfortably any time soon.

  Emma’s crying took on a higher pitch and her legs scissored frantically. Finally, Bob released her and Emma fell to the floor, clutching her hot buttocks and sobbing loudly as tears ran down her cheeks.

  “Pull your underwear up and go and stand in the corner,” ordered Bob. “Face the wall until you’ve calmed down and then we can talk. You can think about the spanking you’ve just had and whether or not you want another one today.”

  Emma shook her head and blushed as she pulled her pantaloons over her burning buttocks. She shuffled to the corner, where she continued to sob as she reached behind her and rubbed her extremely sore bottom. Oh God, do all men believe in spanking a woman who doesn’t do as they ask, thought Emma? I thought my Daddy’s and Bill’s spankings were bad, but that was worse than both of them put together.

  When Emma’s crying had decreased in volume and she was sniffling quietly as she shuffled from foot to foot in a desperate attempt to alleviate the sting, Bob took her by the elbow and led her into the kitchen, where he pushed her bottom down onto a hard wooden chair. Emma howled loudly and pushed herself to her feet, reaching back to rub her stinging buttocks.

  “Sit down, unless you want another spanking right now,” Bob warned.

  Emma sat down carefully, scowling as she squirmed on the hard seat. She spent an uncomfortable ten minutes fidgeting on her seat as Bob lectured her about the dangers that lurked around every corner. He told her once again that he was only trying to keep her safe.

  When Bob felt certain that she would heed his warnings in the future, he sent Emma off to the bathroom to dry her tears and wash her face. Bob then took her into town and showed her the areas she was allowed to go. He took her to the general store, the chapel and a dress shop. He showed her the blacksmith’s shop and told her that as long as she wasn’t being a nuisance, she could sit and watch him work. As they passed the bank, Bob warned her to stay away from there.

  Emma scowled. “It’s only a bank. I’ve been in a bank before,” she huffed. Bob raised his eyebrows and looked at her sternly. “That bank has been robbed twice recently. I do not want you getting caught up in a bank robbery. Do you understand?” Emma nodded as tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t believe how dangerous this town was.

  They approached Bob’s deputy, Lee, who had just broken up a fight and was sending one man on his way. The other brawler lay still on the ground and a smartly dressed man ran towards him and got down on one knee, smiling as he took measurements and jotted them down on a pad. His smile disappeared when the man started to move.

  Bob smiled. “That’s the undertaker. Business must be slow today,” he laughed.

  Emma was thrilled when Bob took her into what he told her was one of the nicer bars in town, but even so he warned her that she must only go in there with him or one of his deputies.

  “If I catch you in any bar without me or one of my deputies, I won’t hesitate to give you another stinging spanking, but it will be given on the premises in front of whoever happens to be there,” he warned.

  Emma blushed. She couldn’t imagine how humiliating it would be to be spanked in front of a bar room full of strangers. She also couldn’t believe that he had said this in front of Lee, who was grinning at her as he guessed correctly that the subdued young lady had just had her bottom thoroughly spanked.

  “Emma, I don’t want to be cruel,” he told her, “but I need to ensure you keep yourself safe. I promise you that I will spank you again if you make it necessary. I didn’t like doing it, and I don’t imagine you enjoyed it much either, but if that is the only way to keep you safe then that is what I will do.”

  Emma nodded miserably, hoping that no-one could hear his warning to her. As Lee smirked, Emma’s blush deepened. After she had gotten over the initial embarrassment of having her bottom bared and spanked by Bob, Emma enjoyed spending the rest of the day with him and getting out of the house, but her bottom ached quite a bit and spoiled it slightly for her.

  As Bob led Emma home and broke up a couple of fights along the way, pointing out the dangers in a town such as this, Emma realized that he was only looking out for her. She didn’t like that he had hurt her bottom so much, but remembering the times when her father and Bill had spanked her, she realized they all had one thing in common—they all cared for her and were simply trying to keep her safe.

  * * *

  As Emma squirmed in her seat at the kitchen table that evening, Percy was also in discomfort as he squirmed around on the train. Percy was very vocal, complaining loudly about his discomfort. Emma on the other hand ate her dinner in silence.

  When Emma had finally finished her dinner and looked sadly at Bob, she burst into tears and apologized as he took her in his arms and comforted her, carrying her to her room and laying her on her tummy, stroking her back gently and reminding her again why she had been punished so firmly.

  Percy’s companion at the time was less understanding of his discomfort. Richard Morrison was becoming increasingly irritated and wishing he had never taken the job as Percy constantly complained about his seat and how it wasn’t good for his back to sit on something so hard.

  “I’m not used to travelling so poorly,” complained Percy loudly, earning him several looks of disgust from others on the train.

  Oh for God’s sake, shut up, thought Richard. What a shame Emma didn’t hit you a bit harder with that vase, he thought unkindly, as he looked out of the window and pretended that he wasn’t actually with Percy.

  This might have been the best paid job he had ever had, but Richard was certainly working hard for his money. He silently prayed for the day when he would be rid of Percy.

  Eventually, Percy fell asleep. He snored loudly and kept everyone in the carriage awake, but Richard felt certain that the other passengers would agree that this sound was preferable to Percy’s constant
whining. It was certainly music to Richard’s ears. He counted down the hours until they reached Kansas and he could get on with his job and then be done with Percy.

  Chapter Nine

  Over the next couple of months Emma settled happily into her new life with Bob in Great Bend. She kept in touch with Mary and John in England, but she was reluctant to return to London just yet. She was happy that they had saved her father’s estate, but she wasn’t too keen to return to the home that she had shared with her father when he was no longer here with her. It would bring back too many painful memories.

  Also Emma was thoroughly enjoying her time in America—at least she had been since she had escaped from Percy, and she didn’t want it to end just yet. Mary and John didn’t seem to mind that she wanted to stay in America for the time being. They said they were pleased that she was happy and that her home was ready for her whenever she wished to return.

  Bob was thrilled that she had decided to stay with him a little longer. If he was totally honest with himself, he had gotten used to having Emma around and was dreading the day when she finally decided it was time for her to go back to England.

  He had been extremely shocked to find that despite Emma being from a very rich family, she was actually quite accustomed to taking care of a house. She had explained to Bob that when Windmere had fallen on hard times, she had needed to do her bit around the house as they could no longer afford servants. Emma really enjoyed doing the cooking and cleaning for Bob as it filled her time while he was working and she felt she was earning her keep. She loved to bake for him and his deputies and they all looked forward to the regular treats she made for them.