Finding Self.

Woodshed and shock

It is not like she was in rags or something. Heck this dress was fuller than a good number she had worn. After all she had set aside her straight dresses. Knowing she was too old, in her Aunts eyes anyway, to be running around in them any more. They could just put up with plain dresses. Lord knew once the solders got here there would be a feast every night. Well maybe not every night, but at lest one a week. Probably more. All that wasted time! Though there were the mercenaries, maybe. No they would surely have a formal uniform of some kind, even travailing as lightly as they did. If not something could be found. It was not that big of a deal to find men's clothes. She entered the hall making sure that the door did not slam, and her steps were small. She did not need another lecture on walking like an elephant. If only there was a chance Luke would be home. But him and Mike had taken off to Heath, supposedly to study their teaching methods. In realty they had gone to join a Merck company and had no plans on coming back, though they had apparently kept their trackers. There had been no outcry anyway. A Merck company! What if, no it was to wild, but it would be nice. They could even say they were travailing with them to keep them from stepping on toes. Unlikely they would come here though. It would be nice to see them. With a sigh she entered the dinning room and took her seat. Thankfully everyone had made it back, so she might be able to eat a bit more of dinner.

When the servers came to her she looked up to find eyes on her. So she saw to it that her plate only got half field. Trusting in distance to hide just what was on it, she dared to take less salad and more meat though. She managed two full bites before she felt the eyes again. With out bothering to look she made sure just the tip of the fork was covered for the next bite. Then took her time going for the next, making a sure her meat was cut into small bites. She then took another bite, hiding the meat with a bit of salad. It did her no good. A buzz of voices reached her. "How can Charity eat like that. She is going to make herself sick. Well she certainly has an appetite. So much for delicate flower with that one," She tried to ignore the buzz, no one else seemed to hear it. But as she reached for her fork the sister next to her said, a bit louder. "They sure want to fatten us up with all this food. I simply could not eat another bite. I do not see how you can."

Charity looked down, "I do not wish to insult the cooks who went to such effort on our behaves by sending back what looks to be an untouched plate." With that she moved her food around. "I all so have no wish to get into trouble for playing at the table." With that she picked up a tiny bit of food and ate it. Then straitened and pushed the plate back a bit. Signaling that she was done.

The sister said. "I never thought of that. That might just keep her from sending those snacks to my room. It is truly unbelievable. How any one could eat so much is completely beyond me." She to moved things around on her nearly untouched plate, and took another almost bite of food.

As she was leaving the dining room, Mother stopped her, with a smirk. "Your earlier behavior did not go unnoticed. Father is expecting you in the woodshed." With that she turned and left.

Charity paled but went to the woodshed as ordered, as she had half expected to. Likely it would not be the cane this time, he had said last time he didn't think it was doing any good. for all it had been months ago he wouldn't have changed his mind. It was just a bare shack used to keep the firewood, but a bit of it was left open as that was where Father dealt out punishments to family, servants were punished in the yard on the post, or where ever they were if it was something minor. When she got there she found out she was not the only one in trouble that night. She started to step back out so as not to embarrass Stive by being present for his. Though she knew he would not be so understanding when it was her turn. Father saw her and pointed to a stool. She went and sat. He turned back to Stive and continued with what he had been saying when Charity entered. "You are to rough. Yes it is just a servant, but there is no need to be that harsh. You can not be that way with a wife so it best you not get used to it. There is no sense in making them bleed just to see it." With that he turned and picked up a cane. "Remove your shirt." Stive did and Father proceeded to give him ten strips. That would not last long. He then turned to Charity. "Remove your dresses and come over here. Under dress to. Faster!" Once Charity had gotten out of her cloths and was standing before him he said. "Clearly I have put up with your unseemly behavior to long if you think you have the right to talk back to those over you. I let the fights go and the eager ears. But your behavior today can not be ignored. You have clearly learned nothing. You are too old to run wild. You are fourteen now not four, for pets sake it is time you acted like it. Keep this up and you will find yourself living off your brothers, little better then a servant. Is that what you want? Let this serve as a reminder of how you should act." Charity had the sense to keep quiet trying to explain anything would just make it worse. "Turn around." She did so and he picked up a whip. Stive's grin gave her just enough warning to try and relax her back before the first blow came. He was clearly enjoying the show, Father took no notice. He struck her nine more times, dawning blood four of the blows. "I will be keeping a closer eye on you and we will get this fixed! It is time you started to behave. Act out and we will be back here, you will find this gentle should you return soon." Then left her where she fell. Stive kicked her a few times on his way out. He had learned nothing. After a bit she was able to pull herself up and get her clothes back on.