Read Online The Bottom Line by Emma Savage - Free Book Online Page B

please.’
    â€˜Gail Templeton, please Miss Dewberry.’
    â€˜That’s very good,’ commented Justine. ‘And why are you here?’
    â€˜Please, Miss Dewberry, I accidentally pushed a trolley into the new display and knocked it down.’
    â€˜You did, didn’t you?’ said Justine. ‘And it took Terry Biggs and two of his moronic assistants half the morning to reassemble it, didn’t it?’
    â€˜Please, miss, I don’t know,’ mumbled Gail, but Justine had already started her next sentence.
    â€˜Eight of the tawse, tethered over the buck,’ she said, as she turned to Caroline.
    â€˜Now you’ve been here before, haven’t you?’ she stated, noting Caroline’s murmur of confirmation. ‘So you know the drill. Your name, please.’
    â€˜Caroline Hough, Miss Dewberry,’ Caroline answered submissively.
    â€˜And your offence?’
    â€˜I put a five pound note into my pocket instead of in the till, Miss Dewberry,’ Caroline confessed, and continued before anything could be said to her. ‘It was a mistake, Miss Dewberry. I’m not a thief.’
    â€˜I’m prepared to believe you this time,’ Justine told her. ‘If I really thought you were a thief you’d have been sacked by now. All the same, you’ve been here before. Just remind me what it was last time and what you got.’
    â€˜I missed a shift without phoning in,’ Caroline said. ‘I got twelve with the paddle.’
    â€˜Yes, I remember,’ mused Justine. ‘And you took it very well, as I recall. But you won’t get off as lightly today. This is your second offence, and if you ever pocket another note you’ll be out without references. I think for today you can have six with the crop, up on the wall bars. Right girls, take up your positions.’
    The girls walked slowly to their designated areas, Caroline standing by the wall bars, Gail leaning over the low buck so that her breasts hung invitingly on the other side, and Melody using the stool to climb onto the box and then lying facedown. Justine walked up to Melody first.
    â€˜That’s very good,’ she said. ‘Now I want you to tell me what punishment you deserve for cheeking a customer.’
    â€˜Please, Miss Dewberry, twelve strokes of the paddle.’
    The answer was clearly the correct one and delivered in a manner considered suitable, as Justine nodded her satisfaction and walked across to Gail. The sight appeared to please her, as she walked around Gail two or three times and studied her from several different angles. ‘And your punishment, young lady?’
    â€˜Eight strokes of the tawse, Miss Dewberry.’
    â€˜That is correct. And are you ready?’
    â€˜Yes, Miss Dewberry,’ the girl muttered, her reply almost inaudible. She was expecting to be struck at any moment.
    â€˜I can’t hear you,’ Justine crisply snapped. ‘I asked if you were ready.’
    â€˜Yes, Miss Dewberry, I think so,’ Melody repeated.
    â€˜Well, I don’t think so,’ Justine said thoughtfully as she considered the girl’s position. ‘I said tethered. Lean right across the buck and stretch your arms as far as you can towards the floor.’
    Gail did as instructed, whereupon Justine took her wrists and secured them with two leather straps, which were fastened around the legs of the buck so that the target was stretched as tautly as possible over the padded top.
    And finally it was Caroline’s turn. ‘Now then,’ Justine said, ‘I want you to climb up to the third rung of the bars.’ Caroline did as she was told, and Justine continued. ‘Now stretch your arms as high as you can and grip the very highest rung you can reach.’ Again Caroline did as she was told. ‘What is your punishment to be?’
    â€˜Six strokes of the crop, miss,’ Caroline meekly replied.
    â€˜It is indeed,’