Becoming a Lady Read Online Free
Author: Adaline Raine
morning?”
The man grunted. “That is not my concern.”
Anna struggled against the bonds. He had tied her to a large tree and then led the slack to his belt. “You are not an honorable man.”
The man leaned over Anna so that they were face to face, only inches apart. “You will speak only respectful words to me from here on out. Do I make myself clear?”
“ What if I do not?” Anna scrunched her face.
“ Then your arms are not the only things that will be sore in the morning. Make no mistake about that.”
Anna narrowed her eyes up at him. “Twice you have made mention of such discipline and you have yet to follow through, I think perhaps you are bluffing.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Twice you have challenged me. I suspect that my idea of discipline does more to you than you are willing to admit.”
Anna ’s jaw dropped. “That thought is very disgusting!”
“ Then I am going to say this only one more time; are you listening?” Anna nodded as he continued. “If you utter one more disrespectful word to me, I am going to pull you across my lap like a babe and take my belt to your hind end until you have learned your lesson. Now do you understand?”
Anna blinked back tears. Part of her still wanted to see if his words were true, but how could an honorable man threaten such a thing? “I understand, Sir.”
“ Perhaps I did you a favor taking you away from your village that does not show concern for you.” He pulled the ropes and dropped his hand to his side.
Anna frowned. “I guess that depends on what you plan to do with me.”
The man leaned down again. “You are going to have to trust me.”
Anna did not reply, as he tugged on the other side of the ropes. “This is going to prove to be a difficult journey for you if you cannot do so.”
Anna took a deep breath. “How can I trust a man who will not explain his purpose, and now has me strung up like an animal?”
“ I need you to listen and to stay here. If I untie you, surely you will run. These woods are not safe under the best conditions and surely not at night.”
“ I am days away from my village. Please untie me. I will not stray.” Anna pleaded with her eyes. “I will not.”
The man moved back and lay down. “We will talk more in the morning.”
Anna looked up at the trees and wondered if the man who lay less than a foot away from her could truly be the sort of man that a woman may fancy as a husband. He had saved her from the fox-man and had yet to do anything to harm her. Could she honestly allow the man that had stolen her away from her village to be looked at as more of a monster than the men who had hurt her as a child? Anna tried again to get into a better position, but that only tugged at the rope. She threw a cautious glance to the man.
He opened one eye. “What are you doing?”
“ Please, Sir, I cannot possibly sleep in such a position.” Anna tried to lie down but her arms prevented it.
“ That is your trouble, not mine.” He opened his other eye and leaned upon his elbow.
“ Then you are a piece of filth!”
The man moved with such speed that Anna immediately closed her mouth as she recalled his earlier threat. She bit her lip as he paused ; his hand dangling above the rope. “No. No! I have changed my mind. I like my arms where they are and thank you.”
He undid the ropes quickly and then returned his focus to her. “Your mind has not changed, and of that I am certain.”
Anna cried out as he pulled her across his lap. “You cannot mean to-” her words trailed off as she felt him lifting up her skirts. She felt the coolness of the night on her bottom. How dare he bare her here in the woods! Anna was mortified. “Please, Sir!”
The
The man grunted. “That is not my concern.”
Anna struggled against the bonds. He had tied her to a large tree and then led the slack to his belt. “You are not an honorable man.”
The man leaned over Anna so that they were face to face, only inches apart. “You will speak only respectful words to me from here on out. Do I make myself clear?”
“ What if I do not?” Anna scrunched her face.
“ Then your arms are not the only things that will be sore in the morning. Make no mistake about that.”
Anna narrowed her eyes up at him. “Twice you have made mention of such discipline and you have yet to follow through, I think perhaps you are bluffing.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Twice you have challenged me. I suspect that my idea of discipline does more to you than you are willing to admit.”
Anna ’s jaw dropped. “That thought is very disgusting!”
“ Then I am going to say this only one more time; are you listening?” Anna nodded as he continued. “If you utter one more disrespectful word to me, I am going to pull you across my lap like a babe and take my belt to your hind end until you have learned your lesson. Now do you understand?”
Anna blinked back tears. Part of her still wanted to see if his words were true, but how could an honorable man threaten such a thing? “I understand, Sir.”
“ Perhaps I did you a favor taking you away from your village that does not show concern for you.” He pulled the ropes and dropped his hand to his side.
Anna frowned. “I guess that depends on what you plan to do with me.”
The man leaned down again. “You are going to have to trust me.”
Anna did not reply, as he tugged on the other side of the ropes. “This is going to prove to be a difficult journey for you if you cannot do so.”
Anna took a deep breath. “How can I trust a man who will not explain his purpose, and now has me strung up like an animal?”
“ I need you to listen and to stay here. If I untie you, surely you will run. These woods are not safe under the best conditions and surely not at night.”
“ I am days away from my village. Please untie me. I will not stray.” Anna pleaded with her eyes. “I will not.”
The man moved back and lay down. “We will talk more in the morning.”
Anna looked up at the trees and wondered if the man who lay less than a foot away from her could truly be the sort of man that a woman may fancy as a husband. He had saved her from the fox-man and had yet to do anything to harm her. Could she honestly allow the man that had stolen her away from her village to be looked at as more of a monster than the men who had hurt her as a child? Anna tried again to get into a better position, but that only tugged at the rope. She threw a cautious glance to the man.
He opened one eye. “What are you doing?”
“ Please, Sir, I cannot possibly sleep in such a position.” Anna tried to lie down but her arms prevented it.
“ That is your trouble, not mine.” He opened his other eye and leaned upon his elbow.
“ Then you are a piece of filth!”
The man moved with such speed that Anna immediately closed her mouth as she recalled his earlier threat. She bit her lip as he paused ; his hand dangling above the rope. “No. No! I have changed my mind. I like my arms where they are and thank you.”
He undid the ropes quickly and then returned his focus to her. “Your mind has not changed, and of that I am certain.”
Anna cried out as he pulled her across his lap. “You cannot mean to-” her words trailed off as she felt him lifting up her skirts. She felt the coolness of the night on her bottom. How dare he bare her here in the woods! Anna was mortified. “Please, Sir!”
The
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