My brother Jeff and I are only 13 months apart and we were raised almost like twins. We had only each other for the first five years of my life, except for an occasional visit from the children of the friends of visitors to tea. Their nannies were usually with them, as was ours, so there wasn’t much private play.
I felt very protective about Jeff and it was unthinkable to hurt him. One day, when I was four and Jeff three, I decided to take Jeff to see my uncle’s new car. It was parked just outside the front gate, for there were other guests at our house, taking up the rest of the driveway.
Uncle James had been talking about how beautiful it was and we couldn’t wait to see it. When we ran outside to look, of course it was not available to us, being outside the gate. I took Jeff’s hand and checked to see if anyone was coming. No-one was, so we dashed around the post and stood by the shiny new car.
Uncle James was right – it was beautiful. Horror of horrors, though, I heard Nanny’s voice calling us. I left Jeff just standing there bewildered, and hid behind the post. Nanny saw him standing there and took him firmly inside the yard.
“You naughty boy!” she said, whacking his fanny. “What are you doing outside that gate?” She whacked him again. “You aren’t allowed out there and you know that, naughty little boy. We are going to go inside and tell mommy before you go straight up to the nursery!”
She led Jeff inside – he was crying so hard now that he couldn’t talk. I crept back into the yard and went around to the back door, coming in through the kitchen, where I met Suzanne the maid. “I guess your brother is in a little difficulty,” she said. “Oh, what happened?” I dissembled.
Suzanne told me about Nanny finding him outside the front gate and how Daddy had taken him into the library and spanked him very hard. “He took Jeff’s pants down, Gigi. He was very angry with Jeff.” “Did he spank him very hard?” “I think so, but he’s up with Nanny in the nursery now. You better go see your mother and have tea before everyone has to leave.”
I was overcome with guilt. My beautiful little brother had been spanked and I had sneaked and lied. The shame was overwhelming. I went in and sat beside Mother, who put her arm around me, introducing me to her guests. I bashfully leaned against her. “Shy, are we?” one person said.
I was never shy. I was guilt-ridden, and I didn’t know what to do. What if Jeff told Nanny? What if…? There were so many possibilities, and I was sick inside. I told mother that I needed to go to the bathroom, and she excused me.
My worst fear seemed to be coming true when I saw Nanny go and talk with mother. “Where is she?” “I think she went to the bathroom. She said that she wasn’t feeling very well.” “I’ll bet she wasn’t. She was outside with Jeff and hid when I came out.”
“Nanny, find her and deal with this, please – we have guests. She is too young to wait on this one.” “Certainly, ma’am.”
I froze outside the lavatory door. There she was, looking right at me with her Scottish fury in her eye. “All right, young lady, upstairs with you and be quick about it. You have some explaining to do.”
Nanny followed me up, pinching my bottom through my clothing all the way up. Once in the nursery, she closed the door. Jeff was standing in the corner, crying. He had his pyjamas on and the back flap was partly undone. I think he must have done that while rubbing himself from daddy’s spanking.
Nanny stood me up on my toy chest and placed her hands on her hips. “All right, lassie, let’s hear all about it!” I looked down in shame, but she sharply thrust my chin up to make me look at her. Again, she asked me to explain. I told her what happened and all about Uncle James’ new car and how beautiful it was.
“You knew it was wrong to do that, don’t you?” “No – not exactly” “Then why did you run and hide from me?” I was caught. No answer to that logic, as quick as I was. “I thought not, lassie. You’re in for a good one, you know.” I started to cry. “You got your brother in trouble, and you were such a coward that you wouldn’t even own up.”
As she was talking, she was unbuckling my shoes and pulling them off one by one. Then she took off my socks. “Turn around, young lady.” She unbuttoned my tea dress and raised it up over my head. She continued to lecture me as she hung my good dress up in my closet, returning for my slip. “Arms up, lassie,” she said, lifting up the slip and carefully folding it in my bureau drawer. There I stood on the toy box in my undershirt and panties.
Nanny went over to Jeff and buttoned up the flap on his pyjamas. She picked him up and carried him over to me. Jeff had red, swollen eyes, and his thumb went into his mouth as he rested his head on nanny’s shoulder.
“Gigi is going to get a spanking, Jeff, so I don’t want you to be afraid or sad when you are in your bed and hear her crying or the smacking on her bare bottom, OK?” Jeff nodded in a sleepy sort of way. I don’t think he was really taking much in at this point. Nanny left me there and took Jeff into his room. I just stood there feeling awful.
Nanny was with Jeff for quite a while and while she was away mother came in. I started to cry when I saw her. “Gigi, Jeff got a sound spanking from Daddy. You should be ashamed. Daddy has gone with Uncle James, so I will be punishing you.” Nanny came out and they talked together. I guess it was a discussion as to who would be delivering my punishment. All I know is that the waiting was dreadful.
“Take down your panties, Gigi,” Mother said eventually. I started to get down, but she gestured for me to stay there and do it. I handed them to Nanny. The two continued to talk and I found myself playing with my bottom in nervousness. I was really squirming. I think that was part of the plan, as I look back on it.
Finally, Nanny left the room, and mother turned to me. “Look at you! Brave, big girl, running out on your little brother and letting him get a spanking for what you did. It is time for you to get your spanking, Gigi, and this will hurt a lot, naughty girl!”
Mother’s spankings were not as severe as nanny’s so I wasn’t as worried as I might have been, but mother was angrier than I had ever seen her before. That scared me. I also didn’t like the grip on me as she tucked me under her arm, upside down on her left hip.
She carried me, bare bottom first, out of the door and down towards her bedroom. In the hallway she met up with Suzanne. I was really embarrassed that Suzanne saw my bare bottom. The butler came around another corner, so he saw me too. Now nearly everyone knew. I was humiliated.
Mother opened her bedroom door and went in, closing it behind her. There I was, still in this football carry and powerless to do anything about it. I couldn’t see what was happening or where we were going, for I was facing backwards, but it wasn’t long before I found out.
I felt the sting of a hairbrush across my buttocks that propelled me forward. Again and again it struck me and each time, I lurched forward under mother’s arm. Finally she must have tired, for she sat in her chair and placed me over her knees in the conventional manner, continuing to spank me with the hairbrush. I felt it all over the backs of my legs as well as my bottom.
Then Mother did something I had never experienced before. She turned me over on my back and slapped the fronts of my legs and thighs with the flat of her hand. That really stung! I was howling by this time.
She stood me up, took my hand and led me back to the nursery as I wailed all the way. Servants ducked into doorways politely – it must have been awkward for them.
When we got to the nursery, Nanny was there with Jeff. He was having his cocoa and toast. Nanny pulled off my undershirt and popped my nightgown over me. I was still crying and rubbing my sore bottom. Mother knelt down and pulled me to her.
“You have had a difficult time, little one. You did a very naughty thing and there had to be a bad spanking – right? Now, you join Jeff for cocoa and toast and I’ll see you at dinner this evening.”
She kissed me and left. My bottom was very, very red – but my conscience was as white as snow.
Contributor: Gigi