Caught
The look on Headmistress's face said it all -- scarlett was in more trouble than ever.
The madame was standing nearby, glaring, lips pursed, almost sneering. scarlett couldn't look, fearful that she would completely melt if she met the madame's gaze. The plan sounded so easy; scarlett, still on probation, had to clean Headmistress's office weekly. Surely, there were things that scarlett could look through without being discovered.
Except scarlett didn't count on the madame stepping into Headmistress's office to retrieve a file for the faculty meeting that was going on. scarlett, frightened, dropped the papers she was looking at and fled -- running into the woods as fast as she could. The madame vowed that scarlett would be severely dealt with. Not only had scarlett been rifling through Headmistress's files, in her haste to run away, scarlett had run the madame's stockings.
scarlett tried to shrink down as much as she could, maybe they wouldn't notice her and she could escape. But they did, especially the madame, who was clearly fed up with scarlett's shenanigans, and scolding her for the run she now had in her stockings, the specially made, imported french stockings that she wore. Headmistress was equally upset, expressing deep disappointment in scarlett, sharply telling her not to back up, to stand still and that scarlett would tell the truth.
Headmistress made it abundantly clear that scarlett had gone too far this time and she would not be holding the madame back; the madame had the freedom to deliver whatever corrective action she felt was necessary, no matter how painful. scarlett was trembling now. Headmistress had always made sure that her diabolical little protege didn't go too far. The madame was fuming and scolding her as she stalked around the Headmistress's office.
Headmistress icily ordered scarlett to the bench. As Headmistress spoke, sharply, about scarlett's transgressions, the madame could hardly contain herself, even going so far as to suggest she felt violated, violated -- as if Satan's handmaiden could have feelings scarlett mused -- at scarlett's actions. Did scarlett detect worry? Were the Headmistress and the madame hiding something and scarlett hadn't had the time to discover it?
scarlett didn't have a chance to consider that further, her thighs smarted; the madame had struck her with the ruler -- not hard, but enough to get scarlett's attention. The madame reached down, measuring the seams of scarlett's stockings, determining how askew they might be, knowing that scarlett, despite her best efforts usually found herself in the woods and her uniform inevitably would get smudged and her stockings off-kilter, maybe even one of the clips on her garterbelt loose.
The madame noted the lack of precision, a clear violation of the uniform code. The madame expressed disappointment, that seemed tinged with an evil glee -- that would be 5 swats for every centimeter off. The madame counted standing right in front of scarlett. 6 centimeters, meaning 30 swats in all. Before beginning, the madame asked the Headmistress if she wished to add any swats, given the ongoing uniform violation. Headmistress added another 5. now the tally was 35. The madame debated which implement, picking one up and putting it down, finally landing on a fine riding crop.
One, the first one was firm but not mean. The next four, the same. scarlett began to wonder if the madame was going to go easy on her. Whap! The sharp sting and the gasp that escaped her was her answer - no. No, the madame was going to make a point with the crop. A mean one at that, as the next 5 grew in intensity, the madame finding her rhythm, determined to redden scarlett's bottom, so she couldn't sit for a week said the madame. The madame paused, and Headmistress reminded scarlett she needed to count each stroke out. Having failed to do so meant starting again.
Now the madame had found her pace and she was hitting scarlett hard, each strike elicited a small squeak from scarlett and a number. The madame didn't wait, striking scarlett again and again, harder and harder, the last one the hardest yet.
scarlett was smarting now. And shaking, as the madame bent over at the waist to scold scarlett and tell her that they were only getting started. The madame began asking impossible questions, who else was involved, what was she looking for, what did she see. scarlett stayed quiet, not wanting to say anything, her lips trembling. scarlett's mind spun as she tried to find the words and also tried to stay quiet, stoic, just hoping to get through it all and run back into the woods. Any words she did utter scarlett stumbled on, and the madame stood, her gloved hand on the back of scarlett's head, patting her hair gently. If scarlett would not provide the answers, well, then the madame was going to extract them...
As the madame selected the next implement she would use, the Headmistress encouraged scarlett to confess everything. The Headmistress told scarlett that her protege wouldn't stop -- that is why madame Penelope was here; to exert Headmistress's power over the Institute and ensure order for the girls. Headmistress was not going to allow chaos, she told scarlett and she reminded scarlett to think about important the Institute was to her and her friends; her real friends. Not "friends" like Jenna, who had left scarlett to take the blame, and the punishment. scarlett needed the Institute and Headmistress did not want her to have to leave, but she would have to, this was very very serious.
The madame was blunt - she didn't believe scarlett had so innocently stumbled upon Headmistress's files in a locked cabinet. There was that tinge of worry again; barely noticeable, but scarlett heard it, despite her bottom smarting from the cropping she had received. She had scant time to reflect, as more punishment began, the madame twisting scarlett's hair into her gloved hand as the cane, the madame's favorite implement it seemed, made an appearance. And then Headmistress, taking up a cane herself, the two of them whipping scarlett's bottom.
As Headmistress continued to cane scarlett the madame knelt in front of scarlett, patting her head, holding her hair, speaking quietly to her. scarlett, on the verge of tears held firm, her mind was bending at how the madame could be so mean one moment, so caring the next -- surely it was all an act, a ruse to get her to talk. The madame told scarlett that she could see that she wanted to talk, even needed to. Now was the time, the madame encouraged scarlett to confess everything. scarlett couldn't.
The madame's kind words turned into an evil hiss; if she would continue her folly of not talking, then the madame would teach her a lesson she would not soon forget. Did scarlett think that the madame did not know more? that she didn't keep more information about scarlett, and all of the girls on probation, the madame's glare cut right through her; scarlett went cold as she tried to look away.
The Headmistress took the tawse off the table and delivered just that, more punishment. Headmistress told scarlett to stop wasting their time; what she had seen. scarlett confessed to seeing only Headmistress's file, despite the madame's scoffing at that; Headmistress was very precise in filing alphabetically and p did come before V. scarlett insisted that she only looked at Headmistress's file -- and when Headmistress asked why, scarlett said it was to please Headmistress, she wanted to bring her, and the madame gifts, that she was just trying to be thorough in cleaning and her curiosity got the better of her.
As the disciplining continued the words began to tumble out of her, that she was looking for information, she wanted to surprise them, the madame seemed to become more and more impatient. scarlett was doing her best but the madame was having none of it, the riding crop found its target and scarlett felt the sting spread across her bottom. The madame was clear with Headmistress that she didn't believe scarlett for a moment. Headmistress seemed to doubt scarlett as well, which was devastating, she so adored Headmistress and wanted to please her.
The madame demanded that scarlett stop wasting her time, that she had had enough and if scarlett wouldn't talk, well then a night in the cage, in the dark, without dinner, would be next. The cage, scarlett froze -- scarlett thought it was a myth. A very scary myth that some of the older girls had claimed. Now, it seemed, that it was real and the madame was very ready to march scarlett down there herself rightnowthisinstant.
Headmistress, looking closely at scarlett, considered the moment; and announced she believed scarlett was indeed telling the truth, but she scolded scarlett again; expressing disappointment that she hadn't simply asked, that she hadn't told the truth sooner. Headmistress said scarlett would need to be corrected one final time for her actions. Because she had read three pages of the Headmistress's file, she would be given another 15 swats, plus another 5. scarlett would no longer be allowed alone in Headmistress's office, and she would remain on probation. The madame, taking up the crop again, delivered 5 stinging blows. Then another 5 with the tawse, and a final 5 with the cane. Headmistress took the last 5, making sure that scarlett understood just how serious her transgression was and that it would not be tolerated.
scarlett knew that she was on thin ice, but her curiosity around what she hadn't seen wasn't going away...
