The ever changing sea was grey green with patches of deep blue. Here and there were small waves forming transient triangles of black that vanished even as she watched them. To the untrained eye they might have been the fins of dolphins or basking sharks and Perdita strained a hopeful gaze in case this proved to be the case.

As she stood on the cliff the wind lifted her fire red hair into a beacon of flame as if signalling a distant ship. Then it settled back to her shoulders in lose curls and she brushed a lock from her eyes. Nothing today, she pouted, and crinkled up her nose in disappointment.

Perdita knew she should go back and that Anthony would be waiting. It was a rule they had and she felt a small tumble of nerves in her tummy as she remembered. She looked at her watch and then to the path that led to their house at the top of the village. Tea and a caramel cookie were inviting around then and she nearly turned. But the sea too was calling, now speckled in white caps as if shoals of fish or great whales had turned over in the water. Then she saw the seal.

The small dog-like head bobbed nonchalantly in the cove below and she thrilled. For a moment it was gone only to remerge a few yards to the right. The tide was turning and a fresh rush of current would be rich with food for her little friend.

Perdita drew the patchwork poncho around her shoulders, an autumnal cloak of reddish browns and mustard to hold off the breeze. She knew then that she would be late. Below her the seal danced with the waves, but if it sang she would not hear it from her place on the cliffs, the creatures call to her was a silent one.

“Beautiful isn’t it,” said a voice.

Perdita turned and saw a man watching the seal below. He wore a leather hat and sported a greying beard that made him look like a wizard. Just her type, she thought, he reminded her of Anthony, only older. She turned back to the seal. “Yes,” she agreed, “Cheeky too,” she added as the seal bobbed up and scanned the ocean for titbits.

“There is a colony along the coast, one of the largest,” the man continued.

She knew that and nodded. “Yes,” she said.

The man continued to explain his knowledge and she wished he would shut up.

“You live around here?” she put in.

“No, just visiting,” he sighed, “You?”

“Not far,” she smiled, and then glanced back at the seal.

The man nodded and finally sensing he was intruding gestured goodbye and moved away.

“I am late little friend,” she whispered to the seal, but made no move to go. In fact she watched the mystic mammal until it finally danced away.

Perdita looked out to sea to where green grey gave way to blue and sighed.

*

The cottage was large, a house really, the kind that perhaps should have been thatched and most of the rooms had low beams with stone fire places retaining their 18^th century ironwork. It was all the more welcoming because Anthony had set a fire in the main room and the house smelled of autumn and wood smoke.

The man himself sat in a large leather armchair by the fire reading a book. The heavy hand knitted jersey complimented his heavy upper frame the cream an echo of his hair where dark and white struggled for dominance. These days the latter was most definitely winning.

Without looking up he said, “You’re late.”

Perdita swallowed hard and let out a slow breath. She didn’t speak.

Inclining his head he swivelled his smiling cool blue eyes towards her, while his mouth held fast to a hard line.

“There was a seal,” she said.

“Does that negate the rules?” Anthony asked.

Perdita rolled her eyes sideways and bit her lower lip.

“No, but…” she began.

“You are almost an hour late,” he said sternly.

“You are not going to spank me,” she told him. She knew this was a lie. There were rules and she had broken one of them.

“Is that right?” he almost laughed.

“Yes,” she pouted, but she sounded like a little girl.

This was no game. Years before they had gone through a tempestuous time; there had been fights. Intermittent spankings had always ended in bed, but Perdita had always dug in her heels. This was the 21^st century. He had had no right to spank her, not really.

“What if you agree?” he had argued.

“I won’t though will I? Not at the time,” she had countered.

“You don’t have to agree at the time,” Anthony had replied.

“What do you mean?” There was hope and she wanted it more than anything.

“We could have rules,” Anthony had suggested.

It had taken a while, but over time they had worked out and agreed the rules. She could do what she liked, but if she broke the rules there would be consequences.

“You are not going to spank me,” she said defiantly, “There was a seal. It doesn’t count.”

“Once I have dealt with you we can discuss adding that to the rules,” Anthony chuckled.

“No… we can make the seal part of the rules now,” she stuck out her lower lip.

Anthony sighed. This called for the clothes brush in the hall. He stood up and she took a nervous step backwards.

“W-what are you… where?” she stuttered and backed up some more.

Anthony didn’t reply and went into the hall.

“You are not going to spank me,” she yelled after him. A little too loud perhaps; it was a good job they had no immediate neighbours.

When Anthony returned he held the brush and hefted it so that he could slap the palm of his hand.

“Now listen,” she said as she tried to sound confident. “I am… that is… Tony, Tony… just a minute…”

Anthony moved casually but fast and had taken hold of her upper arm. Nothing she could do slowed him as he led her to the sofa and before she could frame another protest she was tumbled readily across his lap as she sat down.

“Tony, it was a seal, you know…” she blurted.

“You were almost an hour late,” he said sternly.

“I know but…” Then she swallowed. Her skirt was the loose kind and he had lifted it easily. She wondered if he liked her knickers, an odd thought under the circumstances. “Tony,” she shrieked as this underwear went south and he bared her bottom.

“Look okay… maybe I… but not that brush… please,” she protested.

He patted her bare bottom with the flat surface of the clothes brush.

“Ow,” she said at this stingy tap.

“I haven’t started yet,” he chuckled.

“This is so… oh you… hmmm,” Perdita spluttered.

The brush landed with a sharp impact and her eyes flew open in surprise. She was still processing the sting when another spank caught her on the lower curves of her bottom.

“Ah-uh,” she panted, ending with a pained, “shish. That hurt.”

“Really,” he said and spanked her again hard.

The sharp crack had a tang to it and there was a slight back echo. Perdita bucked and twisted, kicking her heels like a movie heroine. Angry growls and splutters were stopped at her lips as she tried not to give him the satisfaction.

Anthony studied the smooth curves of her bare bottom and saw that a red sheen had been planted on her flesh. He spanked her thrice more in quick succession and then again. At each impact she twisted and kicked, but only a muted mewling escaped her lips. Her behind was really quite red now.

“I hope you are learning your lesson,” he chided and spanked twice more and hard.

“Ah,” she yelped, this time feeling. “I didn’t do anything,” she protested.

“What was that?” he asked sharply.

“I… was only a bit late,” she placated.

“If you mention that seal again then I will put you in the corner at half time,” he told her.

She hated, hated, hated, corner time. Then his words sunk in. “Half time, we must be finished,” she wailed.

He laughed and spanked her soundly for a long volley and enjoyed her bucking and the hint of tears on her contorted face. The latter he saw in a series of head turns as she pleaded with her eyes.

“Please, I’m sorry,” she said miserably.

Her bottom sang with the song of a billion bees and under the graze-like burn the beginnings of a deep dull ache threatened to unseat her for a day or two.

“That’s better,” he soothed, “Now let’s make this take.”

Her body wriggled in protest as she tried in vain to escape his iron grip, but the brush found her bottom again and the sting made her face crinkle in pain.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she bawled, her eyes now leaking.

“Why are you sorry?” he asked sternly.

“I was late,” she sniffed.

“Why are you sorry?” he asked again.

“I broke the rules,” she replied in a quiet voice,

“Was I right to spank you?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Then I think we are done,” he sighed and put down the brush.

Perdita rolled around in his lap and curled up to face him. The hug said it was over and the pervasive heat in her bottom felt good. Not that she would ever admit that.

“Do I have to go to the corner,” she asked childishly.

“No,” he smiled, “But you can tell me about the seal.”

She giggled and bounced up and down excitedly. “Do you think it will be there tomorrow?”