Tabitha's Guardian (3 page)

“Yes. My Mama taught me to sew and to quilt.
We made that quilt together right before she died.”

Owen could see deep sadness in her green
eyes when she spoke of her mother, and he could sympathize since he
had lost his mother, too. “I know how much you miss her,” he
said.

“I do.” She did not deny it.

“Let us proceed, Tabitha Tatiana. You are
going to be spanked for arguing with me during a punishment and for
refusing to do as you were told. Bend over the bed, please.” He did
not ask her to pull up her skirts. He had seen her reaction to the
shortened dress that Glory cut off to make it appear as though
Tabitha were immodest. Now he knew better and he would respect her
modesty.

Tabitha did not want another spanking at
bedtime, so she took a deep breath and bent over the foot of her
bed. She did not have to wait long for the spanking to start. She
wondered if Guardian Owen realized how hard his hand was on her
soft bottom! The spanking hurt from the very first smack, and this
time she could not prevent cries of pain from escaping her
lips.

“Do not think I will go soft on you because
it hurts, Tabitha Tatiana!” he scolded.

Tabitha suddenly lost her temper and rolled
over to the other side of the bed and jumped to her feet. “I have
told you at least twice that I do not like that name. That woman is
the only one who calls me that, and it infuriates me! You must show
me some respect if you wish for me to respect you, Guardian Owen.
If you were to tell me you did not like to be called by a certain
name, but you preferred something else, then I would make sure not
to call you by the name you disliked. If you must spank me, at
least spare me that terrible name. My real name is Tabitha Rose! My
mother’s name was Rose, and I was named for her and for my
grandmother Tabby.”

“Then why is your name listed as Tabitha
Tatiana on the court records?”

“Because that woman, not my parent, filed
charges she had no right to file. She wanted me out of the way so
she could poison my father at will!”

“Why does your father not correct her when
she calls you Tatiana?” he asked.

“Because she claims that Mama is gone and I
should be named for both grandmothers, even though I never knew
Tatiana.” Tabitha finally gave in to the tears of misery that had
threatened to fall for the last few days. “That woman hates my mama
and hates me because I refuse to acknowledge her as an authority in
my life!” She cried a bit more and then looked up at Guardian Owen.
Will you please call me Tabitha?” she begged.

“Yes, I will. Will you now get back into
place so that we may finish this spanking, with the extras you have
earned by getting out of position?”

“I do not want to, but I will,” Tabitha
answered. “I do not feel a punishment is warranted when none was
earned in the first place.” Tabitha put herself in place again, and
clenched her buttocks in the hope it wouldn’t hurt so much.

“Relax your cheeks, young lady. You will
bruise even more if you tighten your muscles, and my object is to
provide a lesson, not to harm you.” When she did not immediately do
as she was told, he spanked her right below her cheek and it really
hurt. He knew that spot on most women was extremely tender and
spanking her there would be quite effective. He smacked the other
side, and continued to alternate sides until she was crying hard.
Then he returned to her cheeks and reheated them, scolding her for
getting out of place during a spanking. “You may rise now and go
stand in the corner, Tabitha.” She looked at him in confusion, and
he took her by the arm and marched her to the corner closest to her
closet. “Nose against the corner. Stand there with no speaking and
no squirming. This is the time for you to think about what you can
do to prevent another spanking.”

While she stood there and continued to cry,
he opened her closet door and started snooping. Two dresses were
hung toward the front and he checked the length only to learn they
were very short. He moved them aside and moved to the other dresses
that were hidden behind the shorter ones. The hems in those were
just fine. He was no expert, but the shortened hems were of someone
else’s doing. The other dresses were hemmed correctly by Tabitha.
Owen could only conclude that Glory was doing her best to cause
trouble for Tabitha. It was not going to work. If he found that to
be the case, as a Court appointed guardian, he would report Glory
to the magistrate, and to her husband. Owen did not like being in
the house under false pretenses.

“Why did you not tell your father who I am
and why I am here?” Owen asked her as he gently turned her around
to face him.

“It would upset him, and I love him enough to
accept the magistrate’s ruling if it prevents him from suffering
needlessly.”

Owen nodded in understanding, and then said,
“I will leave you to your own desires while I settle in my room. Do
not forget that you promised to fix lunch for your father.”

“You will join us, of course?” she asked
with the gracious manners instilled in her by her dear, sweet
mama.

“Thank you, Tabitha. I would very much like
that.” He was definitely surprised, and closed the door to her
bedroom before she could see that she had caught him off guard. The
young woman was not the spoiled brat that Glory had presented to
the Court.

Tabitha took a deep breath, secured the door
to her bedroom, and then she went to her bathroom and turned on the
water. The temperature was already set where she liked it, and she
added lavender oil to the water. The aroma filled the room, helping
her relax. Tabitha removed her clothing and left her hair pinned
up. She would wash it in the morning, but this soaking bath was
purely for her pleasure, and it immediately washed away her
troubles. She knew it would not take long to put together a lunch
that her father would enjoy. Tabitha just hoped that Glory would
stay clear of the kitchen. It was important to keep her away from
her daddy. If Glory could not get near his food or drink, then he
would get well. That woman was evil! The bath helped and she even
had some relief from the spanking.

The spanking hurt, but she had to admit that
what she feared most had not happened. Guardian Owen respected her
modesty and did not order her to pull up her skirts. She was
relieved that he did not spank as long as she thought he would. He
also promised not to call her Tatiana! Guardian Owen was a handsome
man; it was too darn bad that he was a guardian. He was easy to
look at, and he was the type of man she had been searching for
since she reached the age of dating. Most men of dating age she
found to be immature.

Tabitha rose from the tub and released the
scented water. Within minutes she was dressed in fresh clothing and
had tidied her bathroom. She decided it was time to go start lunch
and make her father proud and happy. She ran a practiced hand over
her modesty cap, and a glance in the mirror told her that her
enhancements looked as they should. She made her way downstairs,
avoiding Glory's bedroom. Tabitha hoped she would not come into the
kitchen either.

Tabitha served her parent his lunch in his
bedroom, and was pleased to see how much he enjoyed the simple
fare. “I will gladly fix your supper, Daddy. You know how much I
enjoy cooking.”

“Yes, I do. Glory does not have your light
touch with spices and herbs. I feel that is why my stomach feels
like I have been drinking acid. Please do not tell her I said that.
I have already had one contention with her today. She thinks I
coddle you far too much. I do not believe you are one bit spoiled,
darling.”

“Thank you, Daddy. I will take over the
kitchen until you hire a cook, if that is what you wish me to do. I
do not mind taking over the duty as my own.”

“It would cause difficulty between you and
your stepmother, child, and I would not have that. Please try to
behave now and do or say nothing to antagonize her. I think my
illness has been grueling on her since we are so newly
married.”

“I will try to behave, Daddy,” she promised,
and then took his tray and left the room. She found Guardian Owen
eating his lunch by himself at the kitchen table. “Did that woman
abandon you, Guardian Owen? If I had known she would be so rude, I
would have invited you to join my father and me in his
bedroom.”

“Does your father seem better than earlier
this morning?” Owen asked.

“No. He is very weak. I wish I could find
whatever it is she is adding to his food to make him ill. At least
she will not find it so easy now to poison him. Hiring a cook and
serving meals family style will make it more difficult for her to
kill him.”

“Why would she do such a thing?”

“My father is very wealthy, Guardian Owen.
Until I am twenty-five, or married, I cannot inherit. Control of
his accounts would go to that woman. Is that not reason enough to
murder a man you have vowed to love?” Tabitha was very angry. “Why
is it that Daddy cannot see through her?” she asked Owen.

“If what you say is true, there is no
evidence, and without substantial proof, you cannot go around
saying that in public.”

“I am aware of this, Guardian Owen. Please
help me keep an eye on her. I do not trust her, and I love my
father more than anything in the world.” Her eyes filled with tears
and she hurriedly busied herself with cleaning the kitchen. When
she was finished, she said, “Would you please excuse me, Guardian
Owen. I need some time alone.”

“Where are you going to be alone?” he asked
her, conscious to his duty.

“My bedroom. I immerse myself in my sewing
when I am upset.”

“That is acceptable,” he assured her, and
watched as she hurried from the kitchen.

* * * * *

The next few days passed in much the same
manner, and Guardian Owen was impressed as his ward took over the
kitchen and the cleaning of the household, while studiously
ignoring her stepmother. Glory spent her time sulking and pouting
in her room, even though he had heard her raising her voice to
Jenson on several occasions. He would not tolerate that from his
wife. He despised shrewish behavior, and he had not witnessed
anything improper from Tabitha. The only question that Owen had was
how long it would be before Jenson realized he was staying in the
household and asked him why. He would have no choice but to tell
the truth.

It was a few days after his arrival when Owen
heard female voices elevated in anger.

“You just had to upset your father, did you
not?” the older woman hissed as she reached the bottom of the
steps. Tabitha was on her way to the kitchen to start dinner.

“The only one who upset him is you! Why do
you persist in staying where you are not wanted?”

“Your father loves me!” Glory insisted.

“He is in love with the falsehood you
present to him. He would not care for you at all if he really knew
you.”

“You are rude!” Glory screamed at
Tabitha.

“You started this conversation. If you do
not like what I have to say, then please leave me alone. I have
food to prepare.”

“I shall get rid of you yet; just wait and
see!”

It was too much and Tabitha was human. She
pulled back her hand and slapped Glory as hard as she could across
the face. “You will not be so smug when I have proof that you are
trying to kill my father!”

“You attacked me without provocation, and
all I did was offer to help you fix dinner!” Glory raised her voice
even louder, hoping to draw attention.

“What is going on here?” Guardian Owen
demanded, as he suddenly appeared.

“That little brat struck me!” Glory
exclaimed, showing her reddened cheek to him. “Oh, I knew this
would happen when the magistrate sent her home instead of sending
her to a prison and keeping her there! You must call the magistrate
and report this, Owen!” Glory burst into tears.

“I will deal with the situation, Glory,” he
assured her, and then turned to Tabitha. “You will go directly to
your room after you prepare and serve the evening meal. At that
time you will be punished for allowing your temper to get the best
of you.”

“She admitted that she contrived for me to
be sent to prison, Guardian Owen!” Tabitha explained. “It was
overwhelming, and she goaded me into slapping her so that she could
make more of her ridiculous claims! I hate her so much!”

Owen took her arm and led her into the
kitchen to get her away from Glory. He needed to keep Glory away
from Tabitha, too, and when she started to follow, he stopped and
said, “Glory Burnside, I am in charge in this household for the
next year. If I see you antagonizing Tabitha Rose in any way while
I am under this roof, I will report you to the magistrate for
filing a false report. Your charge of immodesty has already been
proven false, as was your declaration that you had your husband’s
permission to file charges in the first place.”

Glory looked at him with hatred in her eyes
and then turned and ran from the room.

“Thank you, Guardian Owen.”

“You will not thank me later when I set your
backside on fire for striking Glory’s face. Now, fix your meal.”
Did the pretty redhead not realize that slapping her stepmother on
top of the other charges filed would be enough to cancel his
guardianship and send her to prison for a few years? The law would
be firmly on Glory’s side since the courts were determined to make
an example of Tabitha so that other young women would obey their
parents. They were afraid that showing leniency to young women
would lead to the moral decay of the years before, when they had
been permitted to wear clothing that left them scantily dressed;
teenage pregnancy without the benefit of marriage was the norm; and
using profane language was acceptable. It took many years to remind
young women that modesty and morality were preferred.