Their Master's Pleasure Read Online Free Page B

were rewarded with beatings and that she would be obliged to bend like all the rest. Despite the punishments, she remained grateful to me for taking her in and most appreciative of her present position.
    I regarded her now, unhappiness clear in her eyes. Though I am in no way a ‘good’ person in the way that Elizabeth is good, Mrs Hammond’s obvious distress was unsettling to me. ‘Will you not tell me, at least?’ I asked her gently.
    She shrugged and shook her head, as if the matter was too personal to discuss, and I began to regret raising the subject. Then, in a quiet voice, she began to speak. ‘You know, of course, that my late husband left me with substantial debts. I have been paying them off just as quickly as I am able, but it seems not quickly enough. My creditors are pressing, threatening legal action. I do not know... I cannot...’ Her voice faltered and she turned away, but not before I saw her eyes brimming with tears.
    So trivial was her difficulty I almost burst out laughing. Since jocularity would inevitably be misconstrued, I naturally refrained. ‘My dear Mrs Hammond,’ I said, ‘this is a problem most easily solved. I will lend you the money to clear your debts.’
    She faced me once more, the despair in her eyes giving way to hope. ‘You... you would do such a thing?’ she stammered. ‘Truly, sir?’
    â€˜But of course; it is no great matter. I shall be seeing my solicitor later on this morning. If your other errands permit it you could accompany me. I’m confident Mr Jenkinson can make the necessary arrangements in no time at all.’
    â€˜Oh, sir,’ she murmured, ‘Mr Montague... I don’t know what to say. I shall pay you back with the minimum of delay, I promise, capital and interest. Every penny I earn shall go towards clearing the debt...’
    â€˜Your sentiments are admirable, Mrs Hammond,’ I interjected, ‘but there is no particular haste. You mustn’t deny yourself those little luxuries that make life pleasant.’
    Though my sins are undoubtedly manifold, I have never numbered avarice amongst them. For most of my adult life I was obliged to live quite modestly - a small house in Kent with just a single servant, Polly, my maid-of-all-work - and as I never had a great deal of money, money never became an obsession with me. This remains true even today when I am a wealthy man.
    All this talk of money and debts had given me an idea. I doubted Jenkinson would approve, but it was my money after all, not his. ‘Perhaps,’ I said, ‘we could come to some special arrangement regarding repayment. Rather than pay me back in cash you could pay in strokes.’
    â€˜Strokes?’ she said, looking somewhat confused. ‘Of the cane?’
    I shrugged. ‘Cane, or strap, or paddle. We could vary it, I suppose, just to keep things interesting.’
    â€˜How many strokes, sir?’
    â€˜Oh, not many. A dozen a day - how does that sound?’
    â€˜A dozen? That seems... very reasonable, sir. For how long would this continue?’
    â€˜Well, shall we say thirty-six months? I believe that loan repayments are frequently made over such a period.’ I had spoken without thought, but now I considered my proposition. Twelve a day for three years - what did that add up to?
    â€˜That’s over thirteen thousand strokes altogether,’ she said, her mental arithmetic clearly better than mine.
    â€˜Indeed,’ I said.
    â€˜Thirteen thousand ,’ she repeated faintly, in a tone of incredulity.
    â€˜It does sound rather a lot,’ I conceded, ‘but the important thing, surely, is that it’s just twelve a day. Anyone can cope with a paltry dozen, can’t they?’
    I was making light of it, but it was an astonishing notion. Thirteen thousand strokes! What would be the cumulative effect over such a period? I couldn’t even begin to guess. I doubted anyone