They arrived at the cabin after a long journey. Zeb turned off the car and looked around in satisfaction. The deep woods were silent except for sounds of songbirds and other wildlife. No human intrusion could be heard. He got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, where his young bride, Emma, sat imperiously waiting for him to open her door. With a sigh he did so, and scooped her up easily to carry her over the threshold.
Once they entered the cabin he put her down, turned and locked the door, depositing the key in his pocket. He smiled to himself as he took a deep breath. Finally. All alone, and able to be himself for the first time in a year. He stretched to his full 6' 4" height and turned to Emma. Predictably, she was standing with her arms crossed, looking around in disapproval. He smirked. He could not wait to wipe that look off her face.
"What do you think, Emma?" he asked, knowing the answer.
He watched as she looked around the plain space - only one room, the kitchen in one corner, a big wood stove in the middle for heat, and, of course, the largest thing in the room - the bed.
Emma sniffed, "And just where are the servants, Zeb? This is most unimpressive. Why are we not in the city as I suggested when we discussed our honeymoon?"
"As I've already explained, Emma, I thought we should be alone - completely alone - for our wedding night and for a time after. With your mother's constant presence, we haven't even been able to have a conversation without others nearby." Zeb suppressed a shudder at the thought of Emma's overbearing, snobbish and quite horrid mother.
"Well I do not like this place and demand we go back to the city. I said I would come out here but I do not wish to stay," Emma stated emphatically with a snooty tone - the only tone of voice she had, really.
"Emma." He waited until she looked at him. Only 20 years old and 5'2" tall, she still managed to appear as if she was looking down her nose at him...a look she projected toward anyone but her damn mother. That will change soon...
"Emma, that is not the way this marriage is going to work," he stated calmly. Inwardly he was gleeful. He had waited ages to express himself openly. He had let her run all over him for the length of their courtship, knowing there was no way to break her mother's influence until she was safely married and his. The day - today - had finally arrived.
Emma appeared shocked, her mouth gaping open. She was speechless, but only for a moment. She actually stamped her foot. He grinned.
She repeated, "Take me back, NOW!"
"No," he said, firmly. "We aren't going anywhere, and we have some business to attend to. This marriage has been consecrated in a church but has yet to be consummated. Take off your clothes, Emma. Now."
Again, he remained calm, but he knew he was in for a fight and was very well prepared. Earlier in the week he had made a trip to the cabin to get everything ready - he glanced around the room, ensuring that the strap was on the bed where he put it.
Emma gasped and gaped once again in reaction to his statement. Zeb was amused - he had never seen his bride without words so often, and they were just getting started.
He repeated sternly, "Take off your clothes."
Emma, now red in the face, regained her powers of speech, "I will NOT! Mother told me about what men get up to in the bedroom and I have decided that will not happen in our marriage. Take me back, NOW!"
Zeb walked toward Emma, who didn't have the sense to back away. He took her by the shoulders and gently grasped her chin in his fingers to ensure she was looking up into his eyes.
"Emma, I will explain this one time. Our marriage will not be you giving orders and me following them. Hours ago you promised to obey me. Our vows were exchanged in church, in front of witnesses and the preacher. I take those vows seriously and you will learn that I intend to be obeyed. You will do as I say or face consequences for disobedience." Knowing she would, in fact, refuse, he gave her one more chance. Still not raising his voice, he stated firmly, "Emma. Take. Off. Your. Clothes. Now."
Emma shook her head, yanking her chin away from his hand and stepping backwards. She had never had to insist before and was bewildered by this turn of events.
Zeb had always been so malleable - he agreed to everything she and her mother insisted on, without any resistance. He was a wealthy and powerful man, which she greatly admired, but he had always appeared to be a pushover when dealing with her. Raised by her mother to be motivated only by status, she had been eager to marry into Zeb's family and get her hands on his money. Zeb was only 27, but was already successful in his own right and had his family's money to boot. Eager to finally be out from under her mother's thumb, she had assumed that she would have complete control and say over her life as soon as she and Zeb were married; although only 20, she and her mother had been examining her marriage prospects for years.
Finding a man who was powerful and wealthy but also as agreeable as Zeb had seemed to be was nearly impossible, but she had been convinced that she had, indeed, found the one man in 1912 that would be a pushover in marriage. She was beginning to get an inkling she had been mistaken.
Determined to reassert herself, she straightened her skirts and moved toward the door. She would put an end to this new Zeb right now. She tried the knob, and for the first time realized the door was locked.
She whirled in indignation and disbelief. "You locked the door? How dare you! Unlock this door and take me back! I demand it!"
He shook his head in bemusement. She hadn't heard a word he said. Well, he wasn't surprised it had come to this, and was actually glad he was able to administer discipline right away. It would get the night started in the right direction...not to mention allow him to take out some of his frustration that had built up for the entire time of his involvement with Emma.
He walked to her, took her wrists in his hands and forced her hands behind her back, folding them and securing them with one hand. He then marched her to the bed. She was powerless and finally realized that he was serious. Amazingly, she had never comprehended the sheer difference in their sizes until now. She was unable to do more than exactly what he was forcing her to do.
Zeb bent her over the bed by her waist, then reached down and grabbed her skirts. He pushed the material under her crossed arms on her back, exposing her undergarments. Realizing his intent to disrobe her (but not his larger intent to discipline her) she began to struggle and yell demands, still imperious and not believing what was happening to her.
Ignoring her, Zeb yanked down her modest bloomers, exposing her ass to him for the very first time. He reached over and grabbed the strap. Before she knew what was happening, stinging lashes descended onto her ass rapid fire. Zeb worked steadily, and administered 30 lashes in about 30 seconds, causing her ass and upper thighs to turn a bright red, with each stripe from the strap visible.
Emma screamed as the first lash struck, and continued to wail loudly as Zeb administered her lashing. Sobbing and crying in pain she had never experienced before, she was slow to realize the punishment had stopped.
Zeb pulled her upright and turned her to face him, releasing her arms but holding onto her shoulders. He waited patiently as she sobbed. Finally her crying subsided to the occasional hiccup. Her took her chin in his hand again and turned her face, red and blotchy from crying, up so that she met his eyes.