Author's Note: This is a one off moment I imagined after watching the scene in Bridgerton season 1 in which Colin makes some very cheeky comments to his mothers great displeasure... Please be aware this story includes a spanking of an adult, by an adult. If you are not into that, please skip over. However! If this is your thing, please review and let me know if I should continue with more of these Bridgerton stories. Enjoy!

Anthony scrubbed his hand across his face with an exasperated sigh. Amongst all the drama surrounding Daphne's suitors, the Dowager Viscountess had stormed into his study, without even knocking, and disrupted his work to demand he act upon his brothers indiscretions and lascivious comments in front of Daphne and Eloise earlier that afternoon.

Anthony initially was amused by the comments his younger brother had issued. "Have you ever visited a farm?" He asked. Brilliant! Anthony chuckled. And "taking our sticks out," in reference to a round of fencing was a clever way to be incredibly cheeky yet subtle enough that their naive sisters would be none the wiser.

Yet, his mother had not seen it in such a way. She had been mortified and indignant at the unseemly commentary, especially after her initial warning was disregarded. She had seen fit to barge into his study, deposit a relic of their past onto his desk, fume over the incident, and end her whirlwind of a visit with a flourishing command to, "handle it, and handle it well, Anthony Bridgerton."

Anthony hesitantly picked up the relic. He hadn't been called upon to "handle something well" in quite some time. Was he to subject his brother to correction at their age? It was true that everyone's actions reflected on the family. It was true that any indiscretion would be talked about mercilessly until the whole family would be left to hide their faces in disgrace.

Eloise was incorrigible and prone to fits of curiosity. She was smart and not easily dissuaded from topics that peaked her interest. If she had set her mind to learning how a woman becomes with child before she was even announced to society, she would certainly be found discussing the topic. She would then certainly be ruined, along with the rest of the Bridgerton girls.

With a deep sigh, Anthony took the rattan cane his mother had thrown onto his desk and hid it behind his desk.

"No need to frighten the boy until we've had a decent conversation on the matter." He thought to himself. "Perhaps he already feels deeply ashamed of his behavior and a scolding is all that is needed to put this incident to rest."

Anthony rang a bell on his desk and waited. It was only a moment before a maid poked her head into the door.

"Yes sir?"

"Would you ask Colin to find his way to my study immediately?" He stated. "Please."

The maid nodded and quickly left to do as she was bid.

Moments of silence ticked by.

Anthony fidgeted.

He stood. Beginning at a slow pace, he traversed the length of the study, his boots muffled by the thick carpet. His thoughts meandered, caught somewhere between irritation and resignation. What exactly was he going to say to Colin? He had half a mind to simply laugh it off. Was it not a brother's prerogative to tease and jest? But his mother's face, stern and unyielding, floated back into his thoughts. No, there was no avoiding this conversation.

When the door creaked open, Anthony turned sharply, his expression schooled into one of calm authority. Colin entered with his usual nonchalance, his easy grin firmly in place, though a glint of mischief lingered in his eyes.

"You summoned me, dear brother? To what do I owe the honor of being dragged from my afternoon ride?" Colin asked, dropping into one of the chairs opposite Anthony's desk without waiting to be offered a seat.

Anthony narrowed his eyes but refrained from commenting on Colin's lack of decorum. "You know why you're here."

Colin leaned back, folding his arms behind his head in a show of exaggerated relaxation. "Do I?"

Anthony narrowed his gaze.

"Let me guess." Colin continued. "Mother has decided I've brought shame upon the family again. Something about my 'unseemly comments,' no doubt?"

"You're remarkably unrepentant for someone whose wit has landed them squarely in trouble," Anthony retorted, crossing his arms. "Tell me, Colin, do you even comprehend why she's upset?"

Colin sat up, his grin fading just slightly. "Oh, I comprehend, Anthony. Mother believes my words could lead to ruin, scandal, and the ultimate downfall of the Bridgerton name." He gestured grandly, his tone mockingly dramatic. "The horror of it all."

"Don't be flippant," Anthony snapped, his patience thinning. "You're old enough to understand the implications of what you say. Eloise may not have caught on to the meaning of your words this time, but it's only a matter of time before she or Daphne does. Oh worse! What if Hyacinth had heard such filth. And when that happens, it won't just be Mother storming into this study; it will be the entirety of London's gossip mongers at our gates."

Colin's expression sobered slightly, though his eyes still held a hint of defiance. "And what exactly do you expect me to do, Anthony? Should I apologize for having a sense of humor? For daring to inject a bit of levity into our dreadfully proper lives?"

Anthony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't about humor, Colin. It's about timing, about knowing your audience. There is a difference between cleverness and recklessness, and you're toeing that line far too often."

Colin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You think I'm reckless?"

"I think you're impulsive," Anthony corrected. "And while that may serve you well in some circles, it won't in this family, not when the stakes are this high."

A beat of silence passed between them. Colin, to his credit, seemed to be mulling over Anthony's words. Finally, he spoke, his tone quieter, though still laced with his characteristic charm.

"Fine. I'll concede that perhaps I was… imprudent. But you must admit, Anthony, it was funny."

Anthony groaned, though a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. "You're impossible."

"And you're predictable," Colin countered, grinning once more. "But don't worry, dear brother. I shall endeavor to keep my wit within the bounds of propriety, at least when Mother is within earshot."

"That's a start," Anthony muttered, shaking his head. "But I'm afraid it's not enough to endeavor this time."

Colin's smile well and truly faded at the sight of his eldest brothers sudden shift in countenance.

"I'm sorry, brother, but mother has insisted I handle this well. I cannot risk you making such a choice again."

Colin swallowed and straightened in his chair. "I do not understand. In what way do you intend to, 'handle this'?" He questioned.

A moment of silence passed with nothing to break the awkwardness in the room except for the creaking and settling of the wooden floors and walls.

Anthony stood slowly, retrieved what he had hidden, and placed it firmly in the middle of the desk.

Colin's eyes grew wide with horror.

"You can't be serious brother!" He explained. "And if you are, you must be daft to think I would allow you to do such a thing."

"Allow me?" Anthony questioned. "Colin, I can assure you that you do not have to allow me anything. You have no say over how I intend to 'handle this'."

"And if I refuse to concede?"

"I think you know how that would end, Colin."

The two stared at each other for a harrowing moment of silence. One brother steeling his resolve over the matter and praying deeply that the other would concede without a fight, for he truly had no inkling as to how he would handle it otherwise. The other brother was sending every ounce of self control to this limbs in an effort to control his trembling muscles, himself praying to not betray the amount of fear and trepidation the sight of a rattan cane had brought.

Yes, he had experienced punishment with a cane, as nearly every school boy had on many occasions. Yes, his father had kept the rattan in his own study for similar conversations. But upon entering adulthood, though barely a year had passed with this milestone, Colin had assumed such measures of discipline were far behind him.

"But Anthony" Colin whined. Then quickly checking his tone to not betray concern, "You can't…. I mean…. You cant…."

"I have before."

"Yea when I was a child Anthony."

At this, Anthony snorted a brief chuckle.

"You're still young Colin, you are in many ways, still a child… at least compared to me."

The silence grew around them again.

"Can we not just consider this lesson learned? We had a pleasant conversation about it. I even agreed I was wrong."

Anthony shook his head. "No Colin, I am afraid not. Had you come in here with any trace of contrition, I could have been convinced. But that was not achieved until I revealed my intention to thrash you. Which is what secures in my conscience that this is the right choice."

With that, he firmly grasped the cane and tapped it's end on the desk.

"Remove your jacket and place your hands here."

Colin groaned audibly. If the Viscount was truly set upon this course of action, there was very little he could do to change his mind. Though Anthony was not likely to disinherit him over such a trivial act, Colin did not want to find out what unpleasantness would follow the refusal to submit to discipline. With no other options before him, he stood and began to remove his jacket.

"Would you at least lock the door?" Colin asked.

With cane in hand, the Viscount made quickly for the door, and secured the lock with a loud "thunk", and upon his return, was thankful to find the battle of wills concluded. Colin had conceded and bent at the waist over his desk.

Now, Anthony approached nervously, moving himself to Colin's left side. As he had learned to do through countless experiences on the receiving end of this particular rattan, he brought the cane to rest on its target.

"Wait!" Colin exclaimed, though he dutifully stated in place. "How many cuts?"

"12." Anthony responded.

Colin groaned and let his head sink into the crook of his arm.

"Four, for each lascivious comment plus and additional four, for directly ignoring mothers warning."

With this declaration, Anthony patted the cane against its target in an effort to aim, then brought his arm back and forth to deliver the first cut. The stroke elicited a soft huff which was not surprising as the stroke had not been gentle; however, the response of,

'One sir, may I have another.'

so completely baffled him that the only response he could formulate was to lash a blisteringly painful stroke across the upper thighs of the boy bent before him.

This caused the younger to shout in surprise and agony.

"Unless you want each stroke to be of that severity and across your thighs, I suggest you dispense with the cheek and focus on the indiscretions that landed you in this position." Anthony whispered angrily.

Colin was too involved in calming his ragged breaths and nodded instead of attempting a verbal response.

The punishment continued, two, three, four, strokes all on the upper half of Colin's rear end.

"That was for the farm comment."

Then, five, six, seven, and eight were lashed across the lower.

To the boys credit, he was handling the cuts with dignity. Aside from a few grunts and huffs of pain, the recipient remained stoic and silent.

Yet, the worst was about to come. With no landscape left to tend, the final four strokes would be criss-crossed over the sore and throbbing eight lines that preceeded.

9, a definitive yelp.

10, a loud gasp of pain.

11, an explanation of 'ah! Dammit Anthony!'

And finally 12, accompanied by a deep exhale and a choked sob.

Anthony quickly put the cane away and turned to allow his brother to collect himself.

"I uh…" sniffed Colin with face turned resolutely to the floor, "Suppose now you can believe me when I say, no similar indiscretion will I ever commit again."

"Yes brother. I can."

The two embraced in a gently hug. A tradition that had not been afforded to the boys caned at school, but always observed in the Bridgerton household.

"Now, get out of my study before I'm tempted to lock you in here until you've learned some manners… 'one sir, may I have another'… You ass!"

Colin stood, tipping an imaginary hat in Anthony's direction. "As you wish, Viscount. Until next time."