Victoria stood outwardly impassive, but she was crying on the inside.
"Paul get her out of here. Dump her outside the hollow. Take her clothes. If she comes back beat her away with a stick" said Victoria.
As reluctant as he was, Paul didn't hesitate. He quickly scooped up Alison's clothes from the chair where they were neatly folded, and then with some effort he pried Alison from Victoria's legs and picked her up.
Alison wailed and shrieked and bawled "No... no... no.... Victoria... don't throw me out....please... I'm begging you.... I'll do anything......"
As Paul hefted her over his shoulder and turned to carry her out Emily suddenly erupted, unable to contain herself any more "YOU STUPID, STUPID GIRL!" she shouted at Alison, and that was the last straw. Alison broke down completely. Paul carried her out with no joy in his heart at all.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
No one could see that Victoria was shaking. Emily failed to cope and collapsed into a chair; she shed her own wet anguish openly.
Ben stood trembling. He didn't know what was going on. He thought they were all friends, and now they were all fighting; it was all going wrong. Just when he'd got to join the gang, and found out how brilliant it was; it was going to break up and disappear.
Victoria fought a more successful battle with her own feelings, but even she was shaken by what she had just done. Alison hadn't been with them at the start, but in a way she was responsible for the gang's existence, and she was their longest standing member apart from the three founders - the only other member for a long time. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind.
When she opened them and looked up she saw Amy trying to wipe the blood from Ben's nose, but her efforts were causing him more hurt. His face was a sculpture of misery, and she suddenly felt like giving up on the whole thing: going home and settling down to a quiet and boring life with her birds and badgers. And she really might have done that. She really might have given up and gone home, but burning deep inside her was a hatred for Giles St.John-Moncrieff. She wanted him to suffer for what he had done to her beloved family.
"Alison, get me the riding crop" she said. When no one responded she looked round with surprise, and then she remembered. She took a deep breath, and started again.
"Amy, get me the riding crop, please" she said. Everyone was too distracted to detect the shake in her voice.
Amy didn't really see her providing Victoria with the implement of her brother's doom as any kind of betrayal. Like a good concentration camp guard she just obeyed orders. She handed it over and stood by Victoria's right hand.
"Benedict" said Victoria, calling him by his full name for the first time "You have also defied me twice today. Firstly I made it clear to you that there should be no public affection with Alison, and I realise it was she who jumped on you, but you hugged and kissed her, and did not try to deter her. Only minutes after you were told! Later, when I told you to do nothing, and let me do the talking, you openly challenged Giles when I was handling the situation. As a consequence of that - a bad situation turned a lot worse, and you've got us in a very uncomfortable position. You must learn to do as you're told. And understand, there's a difference between what we get up to here amongst ourselves and what happens when we're with outsiders. Disobedience in private might be joked about and teased about and we might be lenient, to an extent, but when we're with outsiders it is absolutely strict. You are going to learn this now!" she said waving the riding crop at him.
"Oooooh" he whimpered miserably, shaking and crying at the prospect.
"I know you haven't been beaten or spanked before, but I am not going to make any concessions, you are going to be very sorry" she said.
"I am very sorry already" he whined "Really, Victoria, really sorry."
"Not nearly sorry enough" she said taking a pace forward. In fear Ben took a pace back. Victoria looked around; there was no-one here capable of holding him down at the moment.
"Ben, over the arm of that chair. Don't move, and don't you dare make me chase you around the room" she said.
Ben hurried to the chair, bent over, and stood up again. He bent down, looking back over his shoulder. Victoria took up her position slowly, knowing she must not let her anger flow though the riding crop to Ben's bottom. He needed a good hard lesson, but if she let her fury reign she'd kill him, and her fury wasn't directed at him, it was directed elsewhere, at someone she couldn't touch. Yet!
As she brought the riding crop down towards Ben's bottom he leapt up and scooted to the side. She missed. Amy couldn't help but giggle.
"Get back down there!" she yelled.
Ben crawled slowly back, his eyes never leaving the riding crop. He bent over in nervous trepidation. Victoria struck again, and again he evaded.
"This is your last warning Ben, you get over the arm, and stay there or I'll have you tied up and you'll get double what I'm planning on giving you now!" said Victoria. "Hold him down Amy!" she added.
"I could have told you he's a big baby" said Amy. She sat in the chair and grabbed his arms, holding on tight. "Don't forget you still owe me big time for letting you out to play today" she said with appallingly bad timing.
Ben shook with fear for what was to come, and when the riding crop finally bit into his virgin bottom he screamed at the top of his voice and jumped violently in the air. As the pain wracked through him he tore himself from Amy's grasp and ran for the other side of the room.
"Come back here!" shouted Victoria, chasing after him. Ben realised he'd picked the wrong end, he should have gone for the door, but the shock had stunned his brain. His hands rubbed his bottom furiously as he danced from foot to foot, his willy flopping about comically. He tried to dodge the next blow, but Victoria just caught him across the side of the buttock and he shrieked, but this time he did run for the door, hopping and dancing and rubbing as he went. He nearly got the door open, but as he fumbled with the handle he felt the full force of the riding crop square across the middle of his backside and he let out the loudest scream yet. With tears pouring down his face he danced and hopped his way towards the chairs. Victoria went after him.
Paul couldn't just leave Alison like that. He'd lain her on the grass just outside the hollow, and she'd curled up into a ball and howled in anguish. He knew Victoria would be cross but he couldn't bear to just abandon her. He sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry Alison" he said softly "But you just can't be trusted."
"I caaaaaan!" she bawled.
"Victoria's not going to change her mind, darling, but we'll do what we can" he said rocking her gently.
"I hate her!" she said.
"Victoria's only doing what she thinks is best, Alison" he said.
"Noooo, Emilleeee" she bawled.
"You don't hate Emily" he said.
"I dooooooooo" she bawled "I'll be gooood, Paul please make her let me come back I caaaan be trusted" she bawled finally, and then broke down into incomprehensibility again.
He held her for a little while longer. "I've got to get back" he said "You should get dressed darling." She wasn't moving.
Slowly, and tenderly, Paul dressed Alison. He gave her a kiss. "Goodbye, darling" he said, and with a heavy heart he walked back to the den.
As he made his way down the hall to the punishment room he heard wailing and what sounded like laughter. He opened the door carefully and peered in. Ben danced and hopped around the room, his hands massaging his bottom, tears rolling down his face, and his willy doing a manic dance of it's own. Amy chased him, riding crop in hand flailing wildly. She missed him, but he shrieked and jumped all the same. In the middle of the room, on the floor, lay Victoria - a heap of uncontrollable laughter.
Paul stood shaking his head, certain he was missing something. He located Emily, still curled up in her chair, crying to herself. Paul crossed the room and dropped down beside Victoria, he shook her "What's going on?" he asked. This was all too incongruous.
"Nothing" said Victoria laughing "We can't keep the bugger still" she added and returned to fits of laughter. He looked up and saw Amy trying to corner Ben by one of the chairs.
"Amy, stop now" said Paul "Bring the riding crop over here."
Amy looked disappointed, but obeyed.
"Ben, you too" he said "Here, now!"
Rubbing his bottom still, Ben approached cautiously, staying just out of reach.
"I said here!" said Paul indicating a spot on the floor right next to him.
Ben crept closer until Paul grabbed his wrist and dragged him to his side. He turned Ben round and examined his bottom. He was barely touched: a couple of solid strokes and a little collateral damage from near misses. Paul shook his head "Good thing Alison wasn't here to see this" he said before thinking.
"How is she?" asked Victoria, finally bringing her laughter under control.
"Inconsolable" he replied gravely. Victoria slumped into a deep melancholy.
"If you can't keep him still" said Paul "You might be better holding him down over your lap and giving him a spanking"
Victoria sighed, and cheered visibly "Good idea" she said. "Bring him over!"
Victoria rose with as much dignity as she could muster, and crossed to her usual chair. She sat, smoothing her skirts out across her thighs. Paul brought Ben to her, despite Ben's dragging feet. Amy followed, her eyes smiling at Ben's barely touched bottom.
With Paul's help, Victoria pulled Ben over her lap, and settled him comfortably. Paul sat in the next chair over and held Ben's arms down. "Get his legs" Paul said to Amy, and she took hold of his ankles, and leaned her weight over them.
Victoria looked down at Ben's bottom as it sat high over her lap, enjoying the sight of this, and the feel of him over her lap. Ben was far from comfortable. He felt humiliated to be in this position, with his bum so obviously on display, and Victoria about to punish him like a little boy. Amy stared up at his rear end. He clenched his buttocks. The riding crop had been a hell for him, unbearable pain that he'd never imagined before. He didn't know what a spanking would feel like, but he was pretty damned sure it was going to hurt as well. Right now he wished he'd just stayed grounded. His innocence led him to believe that in a month's time Victoria might have calmed down.
Victoria rested her right hand on Ben's lovely bottom, and she stroked it absent-mindedly. There was something about this boy, and she knew it. A short while ago she was fuming; filled with rage and fury, and then, with his ridiculous performance at the riding crop, dancing and hopping around, she had suddenly felt the whole dark weight of responsibility lifted from her. She knew her mood was at least partly driven by hormones she had no control of, and she hated that; hated the fact that her picture of the world could be so dictated by her biochemistry. She even wondered if she might have been a bit harsh with Alison.
Paul waited, wondering why Victoria wasn't getting on with it. He looked up at her and saw her pensive, uncertain expression. He lowered his eyes again to Ben's bottom, and waited.
Victoria raised her hand and smacked, moderately hard, and she felt Ben's firm young bottom quiver under the impact. It felt good. Ben on the other hand did not feel good. This painful attention to this sensitive and embarrassing part of his body was a shock. It wasn't like the riding crop, which although far more painful, was somehow remote. No, this felt intimate, and because of that, worse in a different kind of way.
The first smack was followed by another, and another, and Ben began to squirm. Each smack was painful in its own right, but the cumulative effect was becoming too painful, especially on top of the welts that were already rising from earlier.
Victoria enjoyed the feel of smacking Ben's bottom, and she also enjoyed his squirming in her lap. She didn't understand why, but wondered if it was something innate, something maternal, something loving that couldn't be expressed in any other way.
As Ben wriggled painfully, he could feel his willy rubbing against Victoria's skirt. This not entirely unpleasant friction brought him slowly to a state of excitement, until that too added to his overall feelings of discomfort and misery.
This relaxing past-time slowly carried Victoria to a calmer more placid place, and as she mellowed, her thoughts became more tranquil. The rhythmic blows, squashing and unsquashing Ben's posterior, brought slower more peaceful circles whirling round her mind: connecting ideas; facts; possibilities; until eventually one of those circles anchored itself. It was not a solution. It wasn't the answer she was searching for, but it was a start. She now had something to work on, and knowing she had many pieces of the jigsaw still to find she let her hand rest motionless on Ben's now warm bottom. Idly, she stroked it for a little while.
"Turn him over" said Victoria, staring vacantly at the wall opposite. In his current state Ben didn't want to be turned over, and added to his embarrassing hard-on was the fear that he didn't know what Victoria was planning on doing to him next. He didn't exactly struggle, but neither did he cooperate; feeling absolutely certain that annoying Victoria any more would be a very bad idea.
With some difficulty, and with Amy's help, Paul managed to get Ban rolled over so that he was face up in Victoria's lap. Agonisingly aware that his stiff penis was now pointing skywards in plain view of everyone, he tried to bring his hands down to cover it, but Paul held him fast. Ben's face reddened further, and he wondered if he would ever get used to being on display like this.
Victoria focussed her eyes and dropped her gaze, it came in to land right on top of Ben's erection.
"Well, looks like someone enjoyed their spanking" she giggled, while she took hold of Ben's penis and waggled it around a little.
"No" Ben whined, his tone falling then rising again in shocked and embarrassed denial.
Victoria smiled at him, and suddenly he forgot all about his shamefully exposed willy; forgot his painful bum; and forgot his embarrassment. His heart leapt in hope that Victoria wasn't cross with him any more, and he tested out a very small, very tentative smile of his own; flashing his teeth in submission.
"You are such a cutey!" said Victoria "How could I ever stay mad at you?" she said tickling his tummy. Ben squirmed anew, but with quite different motivations, and Amy watched as his stiffy bobbed about amusingly.
Paul, sensing a sea-change, released Ben's wrists, but instead of throwing his hands down to cover himself, he threw his arms up and around Victoria' neck; burying his head in her breasts. Victoria cuddled him, and bent to kiss him on top of the head.
"Now that doesn't mean I don't think you did wrong" she said trying to inject a note of strictness into her voice "And it doesn't mean that I'm finished with you yet" she added. Ben fidgeted, despite his sore bottom which was now the subject of the friction from Victoria's skirt.
"You go and stand in the corner by the table with your hands on your head, and if you're a very good little studmuffin, I'll let you get dressed in a while" she said almost kindly.
Ben pulled himself away from her with the greatest of reluctance and slunk away to the corner with his head down. He raised his hands, and was only glad that he was facing away from the room, but still he felt like everyone was staring at his bare bottom. He sniffed to himself in sorrow.
"Amy" said Victoria, trying to think of a job to give her "Go into the lounge and tidy it up. I want it spotless when we come in later" she finished. Amy bounced off, full of enthusiasm for a chore that at home would have had her sulking and petulant.
Paul regarded Victoria with careful concern. He didn't interrupt her thoughts until she looked up and gave him what looked like an apologetic smile.
"Tell me about Alison" she said "Tell me what happened after you left." She sounded tired.
Paul didn't answer at first. He got up and forced himself into Victoria's chair and gave her a hug. "You okay?" he asked.
"Getting there" she said quietly.
Paul kissed her tenderly, sympathetically, and gave her an encouraging squeeze. She squeezed him back; she needed him.
"Well, I took her outside the hollow, not far outside, and put her down on the grass. I was going to just leave her but... you should have seen her - she was distraught, she just curled up and howled. I've never seen anything like it" he said.
"And?" she prompted, knowing Paul too well.
"I couldn't just leave her" he said defensively "She was heartbroken."
"So what did you do?" she asked.
"I tried to comfort her. I cuddled her, told her I was sorry, but that it was the right thing for you to have done."
Victoria glared at him and he retreated from her rebuke.
"I'm not made of stone!" he protested.
"Bits of you are... sometimes" she said, dropping a hand to his lap and giving him a gentle squeeze.
Encouraged by her humour, he continued "Anyway, I didn't think it was a good idea to leave her like that, not naked in that state, so I dressed her"
"You're a big softy really" she said, giving him a kiss.
"Also..." he added, rather sheepishly "I said we'd do our best."
"In what way?" she asked suspiciously, stiffening slightly. Paul didn't answer her.
"You think I've been too harsh" it wasn't a question.
"I think..." said Paul, treading carefully now "That what she did was very serious and called for a very serious punishment" he started, easing his way into it gently "And I think you did the right thing - as you always do, and now you've shown her quite how serious it was, and you've given her a really good scare, we might be able to give her a second chance, as you probably intended in the first place" He waited for a response from Victoria on tenter-hooks; not so much afraid of how she might react to him, although that was a consideration, but afraid that she might remain resolute.
Victoria didn't answer. She sat pondering the whole sorry affair. She already missed Alison. She didn't like the thought of the many weeks and months ahead without her being with them, and she knew she wasn't the only one who'd feel that way. She looked over at Emily's slumped and distraught form still weeping in her chair, and then across at Ben's bottom that wiggled nervously back and forth. Even Paul, she knew, would miss her bright and cheerful smile, the way she clapped her hands and jumped up and down when there was a cute and arrogant boy to humble, her eager curiosity and quick desire to please - when she was in control of her temper.
She looked up at Paul's apprehensive expression, resisting the urge to sink into his gorgeous brown eyes, and she flicked his untidy mop away from them.
"You think she's learned her lesson then?" asked Victoria.
Paul nodded "You should see her Victoria..." he said, his chest heaving just a little.
"Do you think you can rouse Emily?" she asked.
"Sure" he said, but he made no move to go. Instead, he kissed her. "You have no idea how much I love you, girl" he said. Victoria squeezed his rapidly hardening penis "I've got a fair idea of how much that thing loves me" she said trying to dissipate her embarrassment.
Paul uncoiled himself carefully, and crossed over to Emily. He eased himself into her chair, pulling her to him as he did. She didn't need much encouragement, and in her despair she clung to him tightly for comfort.
"Hey" he said softly. She nuzzled up against him, still weeping, and hoping to draw further comfort, kissed him. He let her, adding support by returning her kiss. Instinctively she turned her body to him, and opened her legs a little in invitation; her hand resting on his thigh.
He let the kiss develop naturally, and at the right moment he gently backed away and met her gaze; holding her eyes prisoner in his. "We're going to give Alison a second chance" he said slowly and quietly. Emily's expression changed to confusion, as if he'd just spoken to her in a foreign language, but her eyes remained captive. "So you'd better go and wash your face, you don't want Alison to see you like this. And..." he added with a pause "Victoria needs us right now, Em. Okay?"
Emily nodded keeping her eyes locked to his. She kissed him again, wishing they had time to give themselves to each other, until she dropped her lips away from his. "Okay" she said, feeling drained.
Emily got up, with a helpful smack on her bottom from Paul, and she skipped over to Victoria who was staring at the wall vacantly again. "Thanks, Victoria" she said quickly, throwing herself into Victoria's arms and giving her a huge hug of gratitude.
"Last chance" said Victoria, slightly taken aback.
"Don't worry she won't need another" said Emily, and she planted a kiss on Victoria's lips before hurrying from the room.
Victoria watched her go. "Where's she off to?" asked Victoria.
"I suggested she go and wash her face" said Paul.
"You'd better go and get Alison then" said Victoria. Paul nodded and dashed off without delay.
Victoria sat all alone for a minute, before realising that Ben was still in the corner. She looked over at his twin-striped pink bottom, and she smiled. It still rocked slightly in and out, and she admired the beauty of it for a little while. Ben remained very much a boy, but he had an adorable body, and perhaps most adorable of all was his face. The shock, the surprise, embarrassment, joy, shame, concentration, puzzlement, pensiveness; all of those things when painted on the innocence of his face were irresistibly cute.
"Come on then, tiger, over here" she said with affection.
Ben didn't know what to do with his hands; whether he was allowed to take them off his head or not. He wanted to cover his willy, which even though limp, was still a source of acute embarrassment, but more important than even that was his desire not to annoy Victoria in any way. Unwilling to take any risks at all, he turned as he was, and shuffled slowly and uncomfortably over to Victoria's chair, his head down, his cheeks burning.
Victoria nearly giggled as she watched him approach. She was going to accuse him of being silly, and tell him he could take his hands down, but he looked so appealing that she just remained silent and watched.
When he stood before her, his head still down to spare his blushes, she pulled him into her lap again and cuddled him. Grateful for this relative concealment, he wrapped his arms round her and nestled his head into her chest.
"Have you learned your lesson now?" she asked him softly.
He nodded.
"What have you learned then?" she asked.
'Oh No! A test!' he thought; he hated tests. He desperately tried to remember what he had been punished; for the details were cloudy, obscured by what seemed like centuries of pain and humiliation.
"To do as I'm told" he offered, the best he could do.
"Or?" she asked.
"Or... I'll be punished" he said, not wanting to spell out the embarrassing details.
"Alright. Good boy. So are you going to be good then? And do as you're told?" she asked kissing him on top of the head.
He nodded again, silently.
"Always?" she asked.
He nodded again. Victoria gave him a squeeze, and stroked a hand up and down his arm, enjoying having this naked boy in her lap to cuddle.
"You can get dressed now then" she said "Or... you can stay like this if you prefer" she added, emphasising his nudity by slipping a hand into his groin and gently tickling his already stiffening willy.
Ben shot up out of her lap and fled to the safety of his clothes. He was fully dressed by the time Emily returned. Emily, looking more human again now, smiled at Victoria, and received a reassuring smile in return. She barely glanced at Ben as she crossed the room, and took up a position sat on the left arm of Victoria's chair.
"Can you fetch Amy, please, sweety?" Victoria said to Ben. Ben scurried from the room untidily.
Victoria put an arm around Emily and rubbed her back "I'm sorry darling" she said "But Alison needed a proper scare."
"You mean? You weren't really going to throw her out?" asked Emily. Victoria didn't answer, she just patted Emily's leg with her other hand.
"It wouldn't be the same without Alison" she said non-committally.
"You should have told me" said Emily sounding upset again "I really thought you meant it. I was upset too, you know!"
"Em, I'm sorry, but it was much more convincing this way, and she really needed to believe it" Victoria said rubbing Emily's back and stroking her thigh simultaneously.
Emily nodded with sadness "Well, so long as it's over now" she said.
"She's going to have to behave herself, Em, she can't ever do anything like this again" said Victoria.
"I know" said Emily, with a sigh.
"Otherwise I think it's all over. We'll be finished" said Victoria.
"I can't bear to think about that" said Emily.
"Me neither, but we have to face facts: If we get caught our lives are over" she said.
Emily just nodded with a far away look.
They heard Ben thunder back down the hall; the door burst open and he leapt through, as though in his mind he was somewhere else completely. Suddenly he straightened up and walked into the room more sedately. Amy followed him shaking her head "You should see him at home" she said, without explaining further.
Victoria might have been about to question her but they were all distracted by the heart-rending sound of Alison's return. Victoria and Emily exchanged a glance, both of them surprised that the news of her pardon hadn't cheered her.
Paul kicked the door open gracefully as he carried the bundle of anguish into the room. He shook his head, and Victoria thought he looked close to tears himself. "I don't think she took it in" he said with an unsteady voice.
"Bring her here" said Victoria.
Paul lowered Alison gently into Victoria's lap and retired to another chair, to take a few minutes to steady himself. Victoria wrapped Alison up in her arms, held her tight and smothered her head and the side of her face in kisses.
"Ssshhhhh! It's alright, darling. Don't worry. You're amongst friends now" said Victoria. She looked up at Emily, who shook her head and shrugged, looking perplexed. Victoria tightened her grip, growing scared "Alison!" she said, trying to get through to her. When she didn't elicit a response she shook her "Alison, you're forgiven, you're back in the gang!" she said loudly, sharply, trying to bring her out of herself.
Victoria looked at Emily pleadingly, beginning to well up "What have I done?" she asked rhetorically. Hearing Victoria's distress, Paul got up quickly and crossed to her right side, sitting on the arm of her chair. He looked down at Alison and saw there was no change in her; she was still bawling her eyes out; inconsolably. He looked up at Victoria who had grief and guilt stamped all over her.
Ben watched fearfully; worried about Alison. He wanted everything to be like it was, where everyone was happy and friendly. He hated conflict, hated being bad friends with people. He wanted Alison to be happy again. Despite his concern, despite the gravity of the situation, he was still a boy, and the way her skirt was rucked up, and the way Victoria shook her, gave him quick flashes of Alison's bare fanny. He licked his lips and became quite hard again, hoping she might like to play later on.
Amy watched uncertainly. She didn't understand. She could see how Alison would be upset at being thrown out of the gang; she'd have been upset herself now she'd known how fab it was, but she'd been told she could come back. Everything should be alright now.
Victoria shook Alison again in desperation "Alison!" she yelled hopelessly.
Paul couldn't bear to watch Victoria's torment any longer. He lowered his head slowly, closing his eyes, and he fought the urge to cry. When he opened his eyes again, they rested on Alison's thigh. He tried to make some sense out of the situation. Alison had a problem with her temper, they all knew that, and she could be sensitive at times, but at heart she was a confident and cheerful girl. She wasn't a delicate little flower, and he was confounded at the way she was reacting.
Suddenly his brow creased. He leaned forward slightly and took hold of the back of Alison's skirt. Slowly, he lifted it.
"Where are her knickers?" he exclaimed, mystified.
Victoria looked at Paul for a second, then down at Alison. She pulled Alison's skirt up. Alison was naked underneath. She looked at Paul again bewildered.
"Laptop!" she yelled suddenly.
Paul was already gone.
Continued in Chapter Twenty Four