Subculture by Sarah Veitch Page A

punctuality.’ He looked at the antique gold watch on his strong wrist, and Lisa shuddered involuntarily as she remembered his palm lifting and falling. ‘Well, we can’t wait any longer for dear Dania to arrive.’ He pushed a buzzer that presumably alerted the kitchen staff, for Carmen hurried in.
    â€˜Dania hasn’t graced us with her presence yet. No, just put her starter out. She’ll need all the energy she can find to get through the thrashing which will follow,’ Michael said casually. Oh God, he wasn’t going to thrash another servant, was he? Lisa felt the blood rush to her face and to her pubis at the man’s words.
    Hastily she spooned up a firm King prawn and put it to lips which felt numbed and strangely slackened. Surely he wouldn’t cane an employee’s bare bottom at the table? If he started to chasten anyone, she’d get up to leave. She wondered who poor Dania was, for it was the first time she’d heard the name mentioned, but didn’t dare ask for fear of drawing further attention to the girl’s absence and buttock-based fate.
    All five of them were halfway through the main course when a fair-haired girl in a knee length floaty lemon dress rushed in.
    â€˜Problems with the marketing budget figures... Forgot about the time.’ She looked pleadingly at Michael.
    â€˜Eat your starter. You can have your main course sent up to your room after you’ve had your arse tanned,’ the doctor said.
    â€˜But I’ve never been late before,’ the girl muttered, her face turning the same hot shade that Lisa’s was.
    â€˜And you’ll never be late again if you’re retrained by a thorough whipping,’ Michael Landers replied.
    â€˜It’s just that I couldn’t find the receipts book...’ the twenty-something female stammered.
    â€˜And Carmen couldn’t serve your meal. And Lisa couldn’t be introduced to you at the start of dinner. And the rest of us couldn’t relax because we didn’t know where on earth you’d gone,’ Dr Landers said.
    â€˜I took the Accounts into the Conservatory and sat by the open door,’ Dania muttered. All the fight seemed to have gone out of her. She spooned up a slice of avocado and nibbled at it dully. Her eyes were downcast for a while, but when they finally looked up they were suspiciously large and bright. Could the girl actually be excited by this public shaming, Lisa thought, forcing down another tender flake of spicy grilled swordfish. Was that why she was squirming in her seat?
    Silently the staff finished their main course and Dania finished her prawns. Michael buzzed the kitchens and Carmen brought in a trolley laden with wine, brandy and champagne.
    â€˜Bring herbal wine and cider for our herbalist friend,’ Michael said, smiling at Lisa.
    Lisa sucked in her breath. ‘I’d rather have a brandy.’ God knows, she needed a strong nerve-steadying drink.
    Her first brandy warmed her mouth, throat, chest and belly, went down fast. Michael raised an eyebrow as she leaned forward to pour herself a second.
    â€˜Let’s all take our drinks into the sitting room,’ he said, then slapped Dania’s hand away as it reached for the champagne. ‘Angel’ he told her, ‘you know that when you’re due a hard spanking you’re not allowed an alcoholic drink.’
    â€˜Not fair,’ the girl muttered, pouting. ‘I’m feeling tired.’
    â€˜Well, a hot sore rump will soon revive you,’ the doctor added, picking up his own glass. ‘Maybe then you’ll start acting like twenty-four instead of six.’
    Lisa walked behind Dania into the sitting room. The girl moved with easy confidence. She spoke well, looked good, was representative of the educated English middle classes, was obviously bright. Was she really going to allow herself to be spanked by Michael Landers in front of the assembled staff?
    In