England 1902: At Bancroft Hall the German countess's man, Herr Lindemann has been caught in Lord Bridport's study. A chastisement awaits...
Monday morning brought further news. Mrs Welling and Lord Bridport had discussed the matter and it had been agreed that whilst Lindemann's explanation was to be publicly accepted, his behaviour in entering His Lordship's private study without permission was nevertheless considered unacceptable. Even for a German.
He would, therefore, be punished in the traditional manor for Bancroft Hall, and afterwards the matter would be considered closed. The countess had agreed to this course of action, and the thing would take place that same evening.
I felt brave enough to mention the matter to her just before luncheon, when I was helping her to change from her outdoor walking clothes into a day dress.
'It's a shame about Herr Lindemann. It all seems to have been a misunderstanding, my lady. There is writing paper available in the library if only he had realised,' I said innocently as I tackled the eighteen mother-of-pearl buttons that ran down her spine.
She was admiring herself in the long freestanding mirror, lifting her chin and turning her head to the left and right as I spoke. She paused and clicked her tongue in irritation, then met my eye in the reflection.
'Stupidity and incompetence bring their own reward, Mary, and now he will pay the price,' she replied dismissively and then returned to her languid contemplations.
I was well satisfied with her response. If ever confirmation was needed that he had been acting under the countess's bidding, then she had just supplied it.
At lunch time, as we tucked into chicken stew in the servants' kitchen, Mrs W made an announcement regarding the arrangements for Herr Lindemann's censure.
'It will take place this evening at nine o'clock in the red bedroom above the ballroom. In accordance with the practice agreed with Lord Bridport, some members of staff will witness the event. You will be advised this afternoon if you are on the list.'
I still had no idea what his punishment would involve, but the unholy gleam in the housekeeper's eyes did not bode well for Herr L as he sat opposite me, gloomily staring at the table.
As directed by my lady, I had taken the opportunity to introduce myself the morning after their arrival, running him to ground in the stable yard. He seemed a pleasant fellow, and his English was good enough to explain that he was the bloodstock manager for the countess and normally ran the stables at her estates in Bavaria, a role he had performed for her husband before his demise. I sensed that he was more than an admirer of hers and wondered if they were lovers but suspected that, strongly built though he certainly was, her tastes would run a little more sophisticated than his seemingly uncomplicated character.
There was also the fact that he suffered from severe alopecia. The poor fellow didn't have a hair on his head, and although he had a ready smile and rather cute dimples, his blue eyes denuded of eyebrows and eyelashes peered out of his shiny pale skull in a rather fishlike way that left a lingering feeling of unease in me. I could imagine his expression changing from benignity to intimidation at the flick of a switch. Or at the command of a countess, perhaps.
I finished my stew and put my knife and fork on the plate. As I raised my glass to take a sip of water, he lifted his head and looked across the table and our eyes met. His face was expressionless for a moment, then he gave me a wry smile. A guilty man resigned to his fate, I thought.
After lunch, Mrs Welling informed me that Lord B and the countess were dining in Bridport that evening and were expected back around eleven o'clock. More interestingly, I was to be one of the witnesses to the punishment, and so, at five to nine, I paraded outside the red bedroom on the first floor of the unused wing above the ballroom.
Julia Wolstenholme the cook and Lizzie the pretty maid were already there as I came to a halt. This was the official party, then, and as the clock above the stables chimed nine, the door to the bedroom opened to reveal Mrs W standing in the dimly lit doorway.
'Come in,' she said, and we moved forward obediently. Lizzie was in front of me, and she give a little gasp and hesitated momentarily as she crossed the threshold. A second later, as the interior came into view, I realised why.
Herr Lindemann was standing to one side of a large four poster bed, and a row of three plain wooden chairs faced him some six feet way, their backs to the curtained window. But what caught the eye was the fact that he was naked apart from a white towel wrapped around his waist and that his head was covered with what appeared to be a pillowcase, rendering him blind. His hands were clasped behind his head in a position that had clearly been dictated to him.
I saw him turn his head and listen to our footsteps on the wooden floor as we entered, as though he was trying to identify us by sound alone.
'Remain silent and sit down on the chairs, please,' said Mrs W quietly. We did so. I sat at the far end, then Lizzie next to me, and then the cook. 'You will notice that Herr Lindemann is blindfolded. Although he has been told that his punishment will be witnessed by some members of staff, he is not be aware who they are. It is a protection for you all.'
Also a further punishment for the culprit, I thought, not knowing which of his fellow servants had witnessed his humiliation.
Without further ado, she reached forward and pulled the towel off him. I heard Lizzie take a deep breath as his full nakedness was revealed to us. And mighty impressive it was too. He was wide, stocky, and muscular, making up for a lack of height with a pair of powerful arms and shoulders and a flat stomach. His thighs were brawny and bulging, and the overall impression was of an immensely powerful and fit man, even though he must have been well into his forties.
But I suspect we three ladies in the audience were not expending too much time on his torso. Frankly, it was his long, fat cock and heavy balls that caught the eye. Denuded of hair as they were, the man looked like an absolute bull. I saw Mrs Welling take a very obvious look at it before she turned and picked up a tawse from the bed. The blade was a piece of leather about eighteen inches long and an inch and a half wide, its polished surface shining faintly in the dim light from the single bedside lamp that lit the room.
So that was to be it. A rite of beating.