Just as Duncan sat down there was an all-mighty crash from the kitchen
followed by shouts and another bang. En mass they headed in to find the
boys grappling on the floor, soaking wet from the overturned bucket, with
broken china all around.
Duncan waded in, grabbing both boys by the scruff of their necks, and hauling them to their feet.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he asked. "What happened?" Then, when neither boy appeared willing to answer, he shook them like a terrier and then asked again "Well?"
"He tripped." said Philippe.
"He tripped me" responded Richie instantly. "He rammed that mop between my feet as I was carrying that stack of plates and deliberately tripped me up."
"It was an accident" Said Philippe sullenly as he saw not just Duncan but his father and aunt glaring at him.
But Duncan was still more concerned with Richie. "So I suppose you hit him again?"
Richie declined to answer, scuffing his toes on the floor and looking anywhere but at the irate Highlander.
"We'll talk about this more when we get home," said Duncan finally and then turned towards their hosts to make his apologies.
"You can't possibly take him home like that. He's soaking wet. He'll catch his death of cold". Marie interjected. "They both will. Go on, upstairs the pair of you. I'll find you something to wear while I get your clothes dry." And she was gone, driving both boys ahead of her.
Turning to Duncan and Tessa, M Caradec said formally " I can't tell you how sorry I am for my son's behaviour. We are now going to have a talk that will ensure he never, ever behaves like this again" and then, without waiting for a response, he followed his son up the stairs leaving Duncan and Tessa standing in the middle of the kitchen wondering what to do next.
As they stood staring at each other Marie returned with a pile of jeans and tee-shirts which she promptly dumped into the tumble dryer. Then, handing Duncan an oval, tortoiseshell backed hairbrush, she smiled sweetly saying. "You'll find your young friend in the front room if you want to go and talk to him while his clothes are drying."
Duncan looked at the French women for a moment, then at the brush in his hand, then back at Marie again before returning her smile and saying "Thank you I will." Then he too headed for the door.
Walking up the stairs, Duncan could hear a heated discussion coming from a back room on the first landing. As he turned the corner it culminated in a cry of "No Papa. Please!" followed by a sharp slapping noise; perhaps the sound of a slipper striking bare skin and then a cry of pain.
Stopping briefly to listen, Duncan grinned as the sounds quickly merged together; the slipper providing the background rhythm to a chorus of yells and cries and the occasional pleading "Papa!" Then, gripping the hairbrush firmly, he carried on down the hall to make some music of his own.
Richie was wearing only his boxers and an old robe belonging to goodness knows who and was rapidly pacing the floor, trying desperately to work out what on earth had got into him and where it was all going to end. The whole evening felt like a terrible nightmare that he just wasn't able to wake up from.
Chasing them both upstairs, Marie had driven him into the front room and then swiftly stripped him of his soaked clothes, regardless of his frantic protestations of age and modesty. Handing him the robe from the back of the door she had promised to send Duncan up to keep him company while his clothes dried.
This had sounded vaguely like a threat and had done nothing to reassure him. Remembering the look on the Highlander's face when he'd last seem him, Richie had not been at all keen to spend any time alone with him just now. And that was before the discussion down the hall got going.
Once he realised where that was going there was no way that he wanted Mac anywhere near him. Goodness knows what ideas he'd get from it. Richie was feeling way too vulnerable just now to deal with an irate Highlander wearing, as he was, little more than a pair of shorts.
Hearing the door open he turned, hoping to see Marie with his clothes. Instead he came face to face with the one person he really didn't want to see.
"Er.. Hi Mac"
"Hello Richie." The man was entirely too calm.
"Marie said my clothes would be a while. I don't want to keep you guys hanging around. Why don't you take off now and I'll meet you back at the barge later?"
"Nice try Richie but Tessa and I don't mind waiting for you. We're in no hurry. Anyway, it gives us plenty of time to talk about the way this evening went don't you think?"
As he spoke, Duncan was slowly advancing on a very nervous Richie. The boy retreated, babbling franticly.
"Let's just forget about tonight. It was a mistake from the word go. It was never going to work. The whole idea was doomed to failure from the start, should never even have been considered. But, don't worry, I won't hold it against you. You were only trying to help. We'll just pretend it never happened."
"I'm sorry Rich but we can't do that." Richie's retreat had now been cut off by the dressing table and the big man was looming over him. "Though I am pleased you won't hold my attempts to help you against me."
Duncan reached out to grab his arm and Richie saw what was in his hand for the first time. Too late to do anything about it, he was swiftly pulled across Duncan's lap as the man sat down on the dressing table stool.
"Mac No! What are you playing at?"
"I was about to ask you the same question." Duncan replied, holding onto the struggling boy and catching his hand to hold it in the small of his back when it tried to cover his bottom.
"You know damn well there is no way I am going to ignore something like this. What on earth got into you? I don't care what provocation you received. Whatever happened, you know better than that."
"Mac...I'm sorry"
"Yes, but that doesn't change anything. Does it? I told you earlier on that we wouldn't accept this sort of behaviour. Maybe I didn't drive the lesson home hard enough." And, so saying, he swiftly pulled down the boy's shorts and landed the first of many hard smacks on the bared bottom with the back of the hairbrush.
Richie's wail of outrage at losing his shorts swiftly changed to one of pain at the force of the blows. He'd thought the Highlander meant business before but that was noting compared to what was now happening. Duncan really meant it. Richie would let go like that again at his own peril!
Initially Richie tried to stifle his cries and keep quiet, remembering how clearly he'd heard what was happening down the hall, but then the pain and indignity proved too much and he was soon yelling and pleading as loudly as the French boy.
Richie felt like his butt was on fire, he was sobbing uncontrollably and kicking his legs so much that his boxers went flying across the room. Duncan did not stop spanking until he felt Richie had truly learned his lesson. Once Duncan finally stopped spanking Richie, he pulled him up into his arms and hugged him.
"I'm really sorry Mac."
"I know you are tough guy, I really want you to think about everything thing that's happened recently and I know just the place for you to do that until your clothes come back" Duncan said as he got up and lead Richie to a corner in the room.
"Can I at least have my boxers back while I stand here."
"You'll get them back along with your clothes."
Downstairs in the kitchen, Tessa and Marie had just finished clearing up the broken china when the noise started. Looking concerned, Tessa headed for the door only to be stopped by Marie.
"No. They mustn't. It isn't right."
"You leave them be. They're doing exactly as they should."
"But no. Duncan..Richie...He's 18. That's much too old to..."
"To old to spank? No dear, certainly not. When almost grown young men suddenly start behaving like naughty little boys it's a sure sign that they are feeling insecure and need reassurance that there is still someone there for them."
"So that's what there are doing?" Tessa asked incredulously. "Providing reassurance?"
"Well....That and expressing their opinion of the hideous evening the pair of them inflicted on us with their antics."
Later, as they sat drinking coffee and chatting, the door opened and Duncan and Jacques came in followed by two incredibly sheepish looking boys, both now fully dressed in dry clothes.
Tessa jumped up and ran to Richie, hugging him and then holding him out at arms length; checking for damage.
"Richie. Are you all right?"
With a swift look at Duncan, Richie, responded, returning her hug, "Yeah. I 'm fine Tess. Look. I'm really sorry about tonight. I just don't know what happened....I'm sorry I.. Er....." He looked anxiously from one to the other, unsure how to continue.
"Its OK ToughGuy. It's over" answered Duncan, just as Tessa said, "It's all right. Don't worry."
Richie then turned towards the Caradecs offering them an apology too. This was duly accepted with Marie patting his cheek and telling him not to worry and Jacques putting a hand on his shoulder and reassuring him that, everything was now paid for and would be put behind them.
Then, surprisingly, Philippe stepped forward offering his hand.
"I'm sorry too. This was all my fault. I'd like to call a truce if you're willing." Adding, whilst rubbing his backside and casting a rueful look at his father "I'm not sure I can take much more if we don't."
Richie laughed. "Me neither." He said, with a similar look at Duncan. "Truce." They shook hands.
"Anyway, there's something you mentioned earlier I was wondering if you could show me." Philippe asked Richie hopefully.
"Sure. What?"
"I'm not sure how you say it. To start cars without using the key."
"Hotwiring? Of course my friend. Come right this way." Richie threw an arm around his new friend, leading him out of the shop leaving Jacques looking dumbstruck, Duncan horrified and the two women laughing themselves silly
"I have a feeling we're going to bitterly regret getting that pair together" said Marie when she could finally speak again.
End
Duncan waded in, grabbing both boys by the scruff of their necks, and hauling them to their feet.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he asked. "What happened?" Then, when neither boy appeared willing to answer, he shook them like a terrier and then asked again "Well?"
"He tripped." said Philippe.
"He tripped me" responded Richie instantly. "He rammed that mop between my feet as I was carrying that stack of plates and deliberately tripped me up."
"It was an accident" Said Philippe sullenly as he saw not just Duncan but his father and aunt glaring at him.
But Duncan was still more concerned with Richie. "So I suppose you hit him again?"
Richie declined to answer, scuffing his toes on the floor and looking anywhere but at the irate Highlander.
"We'll talk about this more when we get home," said Duncan finally and then turned towards their hosts to make his apologies.
"You can't possibly take him home like that. He's soaking wet. He'll catch his death of cold". Marie interjected. "They both will. Go on, upstairs the pair of you. I'll find you something to wear while I get your clothes dry." And she was gone, driving both boys ahead of her.
Turning to Duncan and Tessa, M Caradec said formally " I can't tell you how sorry I am for my son's behaviour. We are now going to have a talk that will ensure he never, ever behaves like this again" and then, without waiting for a response, he followed his son up the stairs leaving Duncan and Tessa standing in the middle of the kitchen wondering what to do next.
As they stood staring at each other Marie returned with a pile of jeans and tee-shirts which she promptly dumped into the tumble dryer. Then, handing Duncan an oval, tortoiseshell backed hairbrush, she smiled sweetly saying. "You'll find your young friend in the front room if you want to go and talk to him while his clothes are drying."
Duncan looked at the French women for a moment, then at the brush in his hand, then back at Marie again before returning her smile and saying "Thank you I will." Then he too headed for the door.
Walking up the stairs, Duncan could hear a heated discussion coming from a back room on the first landing. As he turned the corner it culminated in a cry of "No Papa. Please!" followed by a sharp slapping noise; perhaps the sound of a slipper striking bare skin and then a cry of pain.
Stopping briefly to listen, Duncan grinned as the sounds quickly merged together; the slipper providing the background rhythm to a chorus of yells and cries and the occasional pleading "Papa!" Then, gripping the hairbrush firmly, he carried on down the hall to make some music of his own.
Richie was wearing only his boxers and an old robe belonging to goodness knows who and was rapidly pacing the floor, trying desperately to work out what on earth had got into him and where it was all going to end. The whole evening felt like a terrible nightmare that he just wasn't able to wake up from.
Chasing them both upstairs, Marie had driven him into the front room and then swiftly stripped him of his soaked clothes, regardless of his frantic protestations of age and modesty. Handing him the robe from the back of the door she had promised to send Duncan up to keep him company while his clothes dried.
This had sounded vaguely like a threat and had done nothing to reassure him. Remembering the look on the Highlander's face when he'd last seem him, Richie had not been at all keen to spend any time alone with him just now. And that was before the discussion down the hall got going.
Once he realised where that was going there was no way that he wanted Mac anywhere near him. Goodness knows what ideas he'd get from it. Richie was feeling way too vulnerable just now to deal with an irate Highlander wearing, as he was, little more than a pair of shorts.
Hearing the door open he turned, hoping to see Marie with his clothes. Instead he came face to face with the one person he really didn't want to see.
"Er.. Hi Mac"
"Hello Richie." The man was entirely too calm.
"Marie said my clothes would be a while. I don't want to keep you guys hanging around. Why don't you take off now and I'll meet you back at the barge later?"
"Nice try Richie but Tessa and I don't mind waiting for you. We're in no hurry. Anyway, it gives us plenty of time to talk about the way this evening went don't you think?"
As he spoke, Duncan was slowly advancing on a very nervous Richie. The boy retreated, babbling franticly.
"Let's just forget about tonight. It was a mistake from the word go. It was never going to work. The whole idea was doomed to failure from the start, should never even have been considered. But, don't worry, I won't hold it against you. You were only trying to help. We'll just pretend it never happened."
"I'm sorry Rich but we can't do that." Richie's retreat had now been cut off by the dressing table and the big man was looming over him. "Though I am pleased you won't hold my attempts to help you against me."
Duncan reached out to grab his arm and Richie saw what was in his hand for the first time. Too late to do anything about it, he was swiftly pulled across Duncan's lap as the man sat down on the dressing table stool.
"Mac No! What are you playing at?"
"I was about to ask you the same question." Duncan replied, holding onto the struggling boy and catching his hand to hold it in the small of his back when it tried to cover his bottom.
"You know damn well there is no way I am going to ignore something like this. What on earth got into you? I don't care what provocation you received. Whatever happened, you know better than that."
"Mac...I'm sorry"
"Yes, but that doesn't change anything. Does it? I told you earlier on that we wouldn't accept this sort of behaviour. Maybe I didn't drive the lesson home hard enough." And, so saying, he swiftly pulled down the boy's shorts and landed the first of many hard smacks on the bared bottom with the back of the hairbrush.
Richie's wail of outrage at losing his shorts swiftly changed to one of pain at the force of the blows. He'd thought the Highlander meant business before but that was noting compared to what was now happening. Duncan really meant it. Richie would let go like that again at his own peril!
Initially Richie tried to stifle his cries and keep quiet, remembering how clearly he'd heard what was happening down the hall, but then the pain and indignity proved too much and he was soon yelling and pleading as loudly as the French boy.
Richie felt like his butt was on fire, he was sobbing uncontrollably and kicking his legs so much that his boxers went flying across the room. Duncan did not stop spanking until he felt Richie had truly learned his lesson. Once Duncan finally stopped spanking Richie, he pulled him up into his arms and hugged him.
"I'm really sorry Mac."
"I know you are tough guy, I really want you to think about everything thing that's happened recently and I know just the place for you to do that until your clothes come back" Duncan said as he got up and lead Richie to a corner in the room.
"Can I at least have my boxers back while I stand here."
"You'll get them back along with your clothes."
Downstairs in the kitchen, Tessa and Marie had just finished clearing up the broken china when the noise started. Looking concerned, Tessa headed for the door only to be stopped by Marie.
"No. They mustn't. It isn't right."
"You leave them be. They're doing exactly as they should."
"But no. Duncan..Richie...He's 18. That's much too old to..."
"To old to spank? No dear, certainly not. When almost grown young men suddenly start behaving like naughty little boys it's a sure sign that they are feeling insecure and need reassurance that there is still someone there for them."
"So that's what there are doing?" Tessa asked incredulously. "Providing reassurance?"
"Well....That and expressing their opinion of the hideous evening the pair of them inflicted on us with their antics."
Later, as they sat drinking coffee and chatting, the door opened and Duncan and Jacques came in followed by two incredibly sheepish looking boys, both now fully dressed in dry clothes.
Tessa jumped up and ran to Richie, hugging him and then holding him out at arms length; checking for damage.
"Richie. Are you all right?"
With a swift look at Duncan, Richie, responded, returning her hug, "Yeah. I 'm fine Tess. Look. I'm really sorry about tonight. I just don't know what happened....I'm sorry I.. Er....." He looked anxiously from one to the other, unsure how to continue.
"Its OK ToughGuy. It's over" answered Duncan, just as Tessa said, "It's all right. Don't worry."
Richie then turned towards the Caradecs offering them an apology too. This was duly accepted with Marie patting his cheek and telling him not to worry and Jacques putting a hand on his shoulder and reassuring him that, everything was now paid for and would be put behind them.
Then, surprisingly, Philippe stepped forward offering his hand.
"I'm sorry too. This was all my fault. I'd like to call a truce if you're willing." Adding, whilst rubbing his backside and casting a rueful look at his father "I'm not sure I can take much more if we don't."
Richie laughed. "Me neither." He said, with a similar look at Duncan. "Truce." They shook hands.
"Anyway, there's something you mentioned earlier I was wondering if you could show me." Philippe asked Richie hopefully.
"Sure. What?"
"I'm not sure how you say it. To start cars without using the key."
"Hotwiring? Of course my friend. Come right this way." Richie threw an arm around his new friend, leading him out of the shop leaving Jacques looking dumbstruck, Duncan horrified and the two women laughing themselves silly
"I have a feeling we're going to bitterly regret getting that pair together" said Marie when she could finally speak again.
End