The Winter Storm, Part 15

Miles stood silent in the hallway just outside Rachel’s bedroom. Even having heard her incriminating conversation he could hardly believe his own sister had indeed betrayed the entire family. The situation which had led her to it wasn’t her fault, he understood, but to undermine the family business for petty revenge remained inexcusable. He steadied himself with a deep breath and suppressed the boiling anger threatening to take control of his actions. One deliberate, calm step at a time, he walked into her room and confronted her.

“I really wanted to believe it wasn’t you,” he said.

Having had her back to the door, Rachel spun around coming face to face with Miles. Her phone clattered on the floor, dropped from her hand. She gaped at him, no doubt wondering how much he had heard.

“I heard enough,” he said, answering her unspoken question. He grabbed hold of her arm and stepped to the side, propelling her toward the doorway. “Let’s go.”

Rachel resisted trying to break free of his grip. “You know what she did to me.”

Miles held tight and said, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

“You can’t tell Dad,” she said. “He’ll never forgive me.”

“Never is a long time,” Miles said, walking her toward the door. “Forgiveness isn’t really the issue anyway. We all understand your reasons, they just don’t excuse the betrayal. It’s going to be a long time before you’re trusted again and I just hope you realize that this is your fault, not Jennifer’s or anybody else.”

Without further delay, Miles escorted her downstairs to the living room. From the top of the stairs they had heard the spanking in progress. Michelle was lying over their father’s lap, her skirt flapped up on her back and her white panties lowered to just below the crevice of her buttocks. Her legs kicked mildly with each rhythmic clap of Mr. Bennett’s hand against her fully pinkened posterior. Jennifer still sat on her stool in front of the fireplace with clipboard and pen in hand, but she was watching the scene in front of her more than writing. Richard sat on the nearby arm of the couch watching the spanking with a shameless grin while their mother stood closer to Michelle’s head on the other side lecturing.

—matter if the boy is a pig or not,” Mrs. Bennett said, shaking her finger at Michelle’s downturned head, “your language was simply unacceptable. And for that matter, your attitude of late hasn’t been very acceptable either. You better take this opportunity to heart young lady because if you throw me any more attitude or if I hear any more language like that coming out of your mouth, it’ll be my lap you’ll be over. And it won’t be my hand you’ll be feeling either.”

“I’m sorry,” Michelle said, her voice a mere squeak of its normal character. “It won’t happen again. I swear.” She continued to kick and squirm over their father’s lap.

Mr. Bennett ceased the spanking with a last pair of hard slaps, one to the center of each buttock. Her naked bottom bobbled up and down in the aftermath. He grabbed hold of the waistband of her panties and pulled them back into place, dragging the material over her irritated skin and making her squirm. His hands flipped her skirt back down and then guided her up off his lap to stand in front of him. She wiped at her eyes and upon seeing Miles, she blushed and looked away, but quickly discovered there was an audience to her embarrassment in every direction.

Miles prodded Rachel forward, walking around the couch until they stood in the center of the living room. “Rachel has something to tell everyone,” he said and let go of her arm.

She blinked at him. Everyone else in the room turned their eyes in her direction. The crackle of the fireplace and the patter of the rain outside were the only sounds beyond a single sniffle from Michelle as she dried her eyes. Rachel crossed her arms in front of her naked chest and stared at Miles.

“If I tell them,” he said, meeting her gaze, “things will be a lot worse.”

Mr. Bennett stood and looking at Miles, said, “I take it you’ve learned the whole truth behind today’s events?”

Miles nodded and Rachel turned her gaze from him to their father. She said, “It was me.”

An eyebrow raised on Mr. Bennett’s forehead. “What was you?”

She looked down at the floor and spoke in a whisper. “I gave Julian the files.”

“Speak up,” Mrs. Bennett said, stepping closer to Rachel.

“The files,” Rachel said, louder and looking at her mother, “I gave them to Julian, but it was only because you believed her— she looked pointedly at Jennifer sitting on her stool— instead of me.”

“What an excellent choice,” Mrs. Bennett said, her tone contradicting her words. “When someone fails to trust you why not show them just how untrustworthy you can be. It makes perfect sense to me.”

Rachel bristled and  her cheeks grew dark red. “Things don’t just happen in a vacuum Mother. I was meeting my responsibilities and then some bitch comes along and tells you I’m not and every last one of you gobbled it up. Face facts, you all betrayed me first.”

Mr. Bennett stepped forward and laid a restraining hand on Mrs. Bennett’s shoulder. Looking at Rachel, he said, “You’re right. I made a very big mistake and I owe you an apology.”

“You do?” Rachel blinked like she couldn’t believe her ears. She cleared her throat and said, “You do.”

“Absolutely,” Mr. Bennett said. “I’m sorry for not believing you when I should have and to make it up to you, I’m going to cancel your punishment for the weekend.”

Rachel hesitated, uncertain if their father was toying with her hopes or legitimately admitting to a failure. “Really?” she asked.

“Really,” Mr. Bennett said with a nod, “but I think you owe the entire family an apology as well, don’t you?”

Rachel glanced around the room. “Um, sure. I’m sorry for giving Julian those files. I was angry and he took advantage of it, but I should have known better.”

“I think I can safely say we all accept your apology,” Mr. Bennett said. “Now, what are you planning to do for reparations?”

Rachel stared blankly at their father. “Huh?”

“As you know,” Mr. Bennett said, “certain mistakes require a bit more than apology to set things right. For example, I fired you without having all the facts and just saying I’m sorry wasn’t sufficient to correct that mistake. As a result, I’ve given you a free pass on the behavior that has gotten you into a bit of trouble today. What are you going to do to make up for giving proprietary information to Julian? It’s not like you can take it back, the damage is already done.”

Rachel chewed on her lip. She glanced around the room as if looking for assistance, but none was forthcoming. Looking back to their father she shrugged. “I don’t know. What do you want me to do?”

Mr. Bennett said, “Personally, I think a spanking from the various people you’ve hurt would be appropriate, but this is the sort of thing you should really decide for yourself. Your actions affect everyone in this household it’s probably going to take a significant gesture on your part to regain every one’s confidence.”

She sighed and said, “If taking a spanking from everyone will put things back to normal, then I can deal with it.” Looking around the room, she found them all nodding agreement. “Okay,” she said.

Richard cleared his throat and said, “And I think you should stay naked for the weekend, you know just to be sure you got the message.”

Rachel opened her mouth to object, but a quick glance around the room showed no one else disagreeing. She shrugged and said, “Fine, but no more spankings after today.”

Mrs. Bennett said, “As long as you behave yourself you won’t get spanked, but as long as you live in this house, when you step out of line your bottom is going to pay the price.”

Rachel cocked her head at her mother. “I wasn’t meaning ever, just that this spanking will end after everyone has had their turn. In other words, I don’t want to be getting whacked all weekend over this.”

Mr. Bennett nodded. “Then we’re in agreement?”

She nodded.

Mr. Bennett looked to Jennifer and said, “Why don’t you stand up and bring that stool over here to the middle of the room.”

Jennifer rose quickly and dragged the stool till it stood between Rachel and Mr. Bennett. She stepped back to wall beside the fireplace and held the clipboard to her chest. Miles shook his head at her and she rolled her eyes, but dropped the clipboard to her side, re-exposing herself.

Mr. Bennett said, “Richard, go and fetch the paddle please. Rachel, bend over the stool, grab the legs as far down as you can and stay there until it’s over.”

Rachel stretched herself over the stool while Richard disappeared to retrieve the paddle. When Richard returned, Mr. Bennett had the family stand behind Rachel where they could all see her pink bottom bulging out at them. It was decided they would each deliver two swats except Mr. Bennett, who would go last and give three. Richard, being the youngest, was elected to go first.

Richard approached Rachel with the paddle firmly grasped in his right hand. The grin on his face clearly revealed it was his first time to be up to bat with a paddle and he was savoring every second. He touched the paddle lightly against her buttocks and then raised it and brought it back to lightly hover against the skin again.

Miles said, “That’s one.”

The family laughed.

“That’s not fair,” Richard said. “I was just aiming.”

Jennifer said, “If you can’t hit her big ass with that, then you have no business even holding it.”

“Ignore them,” Rachel said. “Just take your time and do it your way.”

Richard pulled the paddle back high in the air and whipped it through the air, cracking it hard against her bulging butt. Rachel yelped. Richard lowered the paddle to his side and admired the red oval mark raising itself to prominence in the center of her bottom. Encouraged by the result, he raised the paddle again and swung it even harder. Rachel howled and kicked her legs up in the air giving an unfettered view of her naked sex.

“Not bad,” Miles said, nodding at his little brother.

“Michelle’s turn,” Mr. Bennett said.

Richard handed the paddle to Michelle as she stepped forward and he rejoined the rest of the family to watch. Michelle held the paddle a short distance from Rachel’s still quivering bottom. Rachel had calmed enough to plant her feet back on the ground, but the tension in her legs and back were testament to the discomfort Richard had left behind. Michelle flicked her wrist and snapped the paddle against Rachel’s buttocks.

“You can do better than that,” Richard said.

Michelle looked over her shoulder and said, “I can, but I don’t need to.” She flicked her wrist against and turned back to the family holding the paddle out for the next spanker.

Jennifer stepped forward and grasped the paddle. Michelle took her place next to Richard and Jennifer sauntered up behind Rachel. The way Jennifer held the paddle against Rachel’s bottom was as if she had somehow forgotten her own role in events and the fact that she too was stark naked and sporting a glaringly red backside. She pulled the paddle back and swished it through the living room air with all the force she could muster. The impact roared like the thunder outside. Rachel howled again and kicked her legs wildly in the air. Jennifer didn’t wait. The paddle bounced off Rachel’s bottom and Jennifer whooshed it once more cracking against the wriggling bottom on the stool. Rachel fell off the stool and on the carpet, her hands grabbing at her flaming rear while she rolled around moaning.

Richard rushed to his sister side, throwing a glare in Jennifer’s direction. “That was totally uncalled for,” he said. He helped a trembling Rachel back to her feet and left her alone when she pushed his hands away. Rachel bent back over the stool without a word or even glance in Jennifer’s direction.

Jennifer shrugged at the rest of the family, turning her back to Rachel. “It was just two swats.”

Miles said, “I’ll remember that later when it’s your turn.” He stepped forward and took the paddle from her hand. She fluttered her innocent eyelashes at him, but he walked right past without even blinking.

Taking position behind Rachel, he asked, “Are you ready?”

Rachel said, “Just get it over with, please.”

When he had first heard her on the phone with Julian, he had wanted to paddle her so hard he raised blisters and left her twitching for a week, but after Jennifer’s turn his anger mellowed. It was true that Rachel had brought her troubles on herself with a poorly made decision and it was also true that the decision had been proceeded by the actions of his girlfriend. He felt partially responsible and so when he raised the paddle he found he no longer had any desire to cause her pain.

He slapped it against her bottom hard enough to sting and loud enough to make his eyes blink. The second swat was delivered identical to the first and Rachel yelped and kicked her legs up. It was far less than he was capable of delivering, but his conscience felt it was appropriate to her crime. He turned back to the family and handed the paddle to his mother.

Mrs. Bennett took position behind her daughter and quickly delivered two echoing licks. Rachel yelp and kicked after each, but it was clear the swats had been no harsher than those delivered by Miles. Rachel’s bottom was shining red, almost glistening in the flickering firelight. Mrs. Bennett turned away once Rachel had settle back into position on the stool.

Mr. Bennett stepped forward and took up the paddle. Rachel tensed up and grabbed the stool tighter turning her knuckles white. Mr. Bennett laid the paddle on the center of her buttocks and after the briefest pause lifted it about a foot off of her and slapped it back down with enough force to bounce her buttocks inward and out. Rachel whimpered behind gritted teeth.

He raised the paddle again and repeated the first swat. Rachel kicked her legs up and yelped aloud. Mr. Bennett waited for her to settle back into place and then he raised the paddle another foot off her bottom and cracked it back down. Rachel leapt from the stool and grabbed her butt with both hand, jumping around in a circle. All her bits jiggled and bounced, giving the entire family an amusing show as she danced around in front of the fireplace, oblivious to them all. When she finally settled down the entire family, with the exception of Jennifer, encircled her into a reassuring hug.