tawse

The Scottish implement – an introduction to the tawse

I might have cheated with one of the scenes in my latest release. The Highlander’s Mate is set in 1815 in the Scottish Highlands and I wrote a spanking scene using an implement that originated in Scotland: the tawse (pronounced tours). I’m not entirely sure when it was invented but it might have been later than the setting for my book.

tawseThe leather tawse was supposedly invented by a Scot for use by his school teacher sister.  I suspect she was a little daunted by the rowdy classrooms. The tawse was traditionally used on the palm of the hand in schools, while the judiciary used it on the backside of boys. It legacy as a harsh implement has remained, even after such punishments were banned in the 1940s. Schools continued to use it until the 1980s when CP was completely banned in the UK.

Made from leather with two or sometimes tails, it requires a flick of the wrist rather than a swing and isn’t suitable for OTK due to its length.

Given the Scottish theme, I couldn’t resist having my poor heroine misbehave and facing the dreaded strap.

Claire has flouted Felix’s instruction to return to England. It’s the second time she’s disobey him.

***

“Rise, Claire and without touching your bottom, go stand facing the wall over there, while I ready the room for the second stage of your punishment.”

She gasped when he spoke of more punishment, but obeyed him, walking on tiptoes toward the appointed spot next to the wall, her hands pressed against her thighs.

While he cleared the table, she snivelled excessively, as if to make a point of her misery. Yet, she remained in place with her face close to the stonework.

With the surface of the table available to him, he picked up her discarded blanket, rolled it up, and placed it in the middle of the table. It would perform the task of a bolster cushion to support her hips. Next, he opened a small wooden chest in the corner of the room where his grandfather had stored many forgotten objects.

As a boy, when he’d visited John, he’d run circles around his grandfather and the result had been the use of a strap on his palm. The memory lingered long after the sting. Reaching into the chest, he discovered what he was seeking—a tawse—a leather strap with a split thong. He flexed it, ensuring it hadn’t cracked with age. The suede finish remained soft and supple.

He placed the tawse on the table and approached Claire. She’d hunched her shoulders and clasped her hands together. Wordlessly, he rested his hands on her waist and gently squeezed.

“You’re a good girl now because you’re obedient and compliant. This spanking is less about punishment and more about your willingness. Show me how compliant you are by taking four strokes of this tawse.”

She let out a small cry of alarm. “Sir, the tawse!”

“Applied evenly across your warmed bottom and with your legs splayed. You will lie on the table and hold position.” He slid his hands down her hips, around her sides and cupped both arse cheeks. The heat filled his palms and he slowly circled them, soothing the burning sensation. “You’re a brave girl, resilient, quick-witted, and resourceful. However, these worthy attributes are afflicted by impatience and stubbornness. Are they not?”

“Yes, my lord,” she agreed. “Please help me curb them. I respect your authority over me, I do. I would not wish it any other way.”

Over her shoulder, he could see her nipples hardened, their colouration deepen. When he spoke of his power over her, the ability he had to focus her thoughts on him and not elsewhere, he knew she’d always be his to love.

“I’m going to thrash this bottom hard. Then, after I’ve wiped away your tears, we’ll discuss your future,” he whispered into her ear.

Thrash, a word that conjured up cruelty. He’d no intention of it. However, it was a test of her faith in him that she complied with his request and laid upon the table without questioning him. He helped her as she lowered her body over the surface by positioning her hips correctly, raising her arse high.

She whimpered, gripping the edge of her table with her white-knuckled fingers.

“Legs apart,” he commanded. She inched them sideways. “More.”

With her thighs parted, she had opened up her furrow, showing him her puckered hole. He flexed his hands before picking up the tawse and circling the armchair and he chose a spot to strike. The crack of leather upon leather made her flinch. He tested the implement several times, gauging the force and speed of each blow. Satisfied he had the measure of the tawse, he positioned himself alongside the table.

Her buttocks clenched, stiffening the globes and the surface of her skin trembled.

“Four,” he reminded her. “Four stripes.”

***

Spanking romance with a paranormal twist set in the Highlands of Scotland.

thehighlandersmateWhen Claire Armitage’s fiancé, Captain Felix Hughes, informs her that he must interrupt their courtship to travel to his estate in Scotland on urgent business, she is distraught. Refusing to wait patiently for his return as he instructed, she instead journeys to the highlands on her own to join him, but upon her arrival she quickly discovers that he will not tolerate such reckless behaviour.

Resolved to demonstrate to his future bride that disobedience will have consequences, Felix takes Claire over his knee for a thorough spanking on her bare bottom. But chastising her in such a fashion awakens desires in him that are too powerful to control, and to protect her innocence he attempts to send her back home to England until he can make her his wife.

Claire cannot be dissuaded from returning once more to Felix’s side, however, even if it means submitting to any punishment he sees fit and then surrendering completely to his lustful dominance. But when she learns the true reason for his visit to the ancient home of his family, and sees with her own eyes that Felix is much more than an ordinary laird, will Claire still yearn for him to claim her?

Publisher’s Note: The Highlander’s Mate is a stand-alone sequel to His Lordship’s Mate. It includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

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3 thoughts on “The Scottish implement – an introduction to the tawse”

  1. Hi Jaye, I enjoyed reading the history of the tawse and the excerpt. Felix is both determined yet reassuring at the same time.

    Hugs
    Roz

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