"I do not care about your intent," Drummond said, his voice dropping just a tad lower. "It is action and deeds that matter, Ms. McCoy, not thoughts and intent, and your actions have thus far been insolent, foolish, and uncouth. Thus, you will pay for them and learn from your mistakes. Presumably."<br/><br/>He picked up the cane and pressed the bottom to the back of her head, forcing her to stare down at dark, polished teak of the desk.<br/><br/>"You are not at home anymore, Miss McCoy. You are not your parents' child from today forward. Today, you belong to St. Catherine's, and we do not take our duties lightly. Neither shall you."<br/><br/>The cane he held was not the heaviest of the canes on the rack, nor was it the lightest. Both of these were a blessing for Marlena...a heavy cane swung too hard could damage a girl, but worse were the light canes...the whiplike lengths of wood that could whistle through the air like a bullwhip and crack against skin and flesh like thunder. No, this cane was an average cane, perfect for a girl's first introduction to the beating that she so richly deserved.<br/><br/>The cane dipped down suddenly, under the edge of Marlena's white dress. Drummond had yet to lay a hand on the girl, despite the fact that he quite wanted to...no, there was something enjoyable about maintaining distance right up until the moment he decided he'd had enough. Using the cane, he flicked her dress upwards, pushing the fabric up off of the back of her legs and leaving her underwear and bottom exposed as he shoved the dress further up, letting it rest around her waist.<br/><br/>Without another word, Drummond began. The cane went up and came down on Marlena's bottom with a resounding SMACK...he didn't use his full force with the blow, but he made sure every strike hurt. He silently counted to three after each blow...just long enough for the pain to start fading, but not for it to fade completely, so that each successive blow caused the pain of the older strike to revive and send her nerves firing through her body.<br/><br/>He struck her five times...and then stopped, letting the cane rest on her back.<br/><br/>"Well, Miss McCoy? Have we begun to understand?"