The Humiliation of Redman Dane
Chapter 6
It was now five days after the regrettable incident in the
small market town of Rogues Bottom, and the embarrassing and painful performance in the Court house. However, to Redman’s mind his life had become a living Hell. The humiliation of what had been done to him was beyond endurance.
He, Redman Dane, son of the gentry, and the handsomest and most eligible young bachelor in the four counties, had been stripped naked, paraded through town, and mocked before being locked overnight in the most exposing pillory yet devised by man. Then he had been dragged before the court, denied the chance to mount a defence, spanked like a child, in public, convicted like some lowly felon, and then sentenced to the most ignoble and mortifying of punishments, to be spanked, sans-britches, every day for a month.
What had been done to him was beyond tolerable, but he had to tolerate it, the alternative risked the permanent loss of his wealthy Aunt Amelia’s affections, and with it the inheritance he hoped to receive upon her death. Trapped by his own greed, Redman had no means of escaping his punishment, made all the more agonizing by his own arrogance and pride.
Each painful smack to his bared buttocks was an excruciating blow to his inflated ego.
Amelia Dane, of course, was fully aware of her nephew’s flawed nature, she understood that public humiliation would add an extra layer of discomfort to his well deserved corporal punishment. Since the long ago days of her youth and beauty, lady Dane had relished causing physical or emotional suffering to handsome young men, and old age had not diminished the pleasure that secret vice gave her.
It amused the lady to ensure that her miscreant, but very handsome, nephew’s discomfort was acute as possible. To this end, she had taken to instructing the trusty and strong armed Ruth Gallagher to administer Redman’s, court ordered, punishment whenever guests were present to observe the entertainment.
Therefore, it was becoming a routine that, shortly after a coach arrived, a guest was welcomed in and had taken their seat, Redman would be ordered to strip naked and place himself across Miss Galagher’s lap, to receive his punishment, as the rather startled guests, and delighted servants looked on.
It was only his overwhelming desire to get his hands on Lady Dane’s fortune, and the fear of the noose which prevented Redman from taking a musket from the cabinet and shooting both women dead.
——
Redman was in his room sulking, and moodily contemplating the ignominy he would be facing over the following weeks, when he had a sudden flash of inspiration. If he couldn’t remove himself from the firing line without risking being disinherited, maybe the answer would be to remove the weapon.
If the Gallagher harridan became injured or unwell, and therefore unable to perform her role in the procedure, then it would have to be suspended, and it would not be his fault.
However, how could Gallagher’s exit from the fray be achieved, a sudden illness would be hard to pull off, the woman was as robust as an oxen and renowned for never having a day’s sickness, so there would have to be an unfortunate accident, but what sort of accident?
Redman poured himself a glass of his favourite Madeira wine and began to plot,
——–
Well before dawn, while the great house was still silent and bot even the boot boy or the scullery maid yet risen, Redman crept silently down the stairs, carrying beneath his arms a pair of old roller-skates belonging to one of his younger brothers, who was currently away at school.
He carefully placed the roller-skates at a turning place on the stairs, where they were less likely to be seen, and high enough for a fall to cause a nasty injury, but unlikely to result in death, although such an outcome would not be unwelcome.
He had chosen the skates, as that way, his brother would be held responsible, or a lowly maid would be blamed, for failing to tidy away the trip hazard.
Now all that remained was for the prey to fall into the trap. He knew Ruth Gallagher would be the first down those stairs in the morning. His step-mother’s rooms were in the East wing of the house, Lady Dane never rose before ten, and the servants would use the back stairs when taking up her breakfast tray.
The trap set, Redman cheerfully returned to his own room for an hour of sleepless anticipation, blissfully unaware that his every move has been secretly observed.
Later, once the house was stirring, he took up a position in the hall, where he had the pleasure of watching the target, his one time nanny and governess, descend the stairs, trip on the first of the roller-skates, tumble forward and land with a loud thud and a cry of pain, at the bottom of the stairs.
Redman fought to suppress an urge to laugh, before hurrying forward to offer his assistance and as much false concern as he could muster.
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