The scene takes place in the small sitting room at Glendale House, where Lady Alexandra customarily retires to attend to her daily business and read, whenever she has a few minutes to spare, or to informally host passing visitors.

The room is located on the ground floor, and its high French windows open onto a sloping lawn, impeccably mown and still showing alternate stripes of pale and bright green. A couple of blackbirds hop around the grass, while the sunshine bathes the stone frontage and creeps indoors through the openings. In the wide rays of oblique light, that gently warm the floorboards, golden particles of dust dance slowly. The gentle murmur of a nearby fountain brings a touch of coolness to the atmosphere. A subtle fragrance of honeysuckle pervades the air and in a climbing rose tree, a half-open flower amplifies the busy humming of a bee.

- Beatrice, you must first and foremost learn to walk with grace and elegance.

- Yes, Madam.

- Walk to the window and back, slowly, taking small steps.

The maid is obviously not accustomed to wearing high-heeled pumps. She moves heavily and clumsily, on the verge of falling over.

- That’s no good at all, that’s even very bad. I didn’t tell you to take long strides. You look like a lumberjack! I said small steps, try again!

Beatrice walks back to the window, but she’s unsure of herself. When turning round, she twists her ankle, and just manages to right herself by grabbing the mantelpiece.

- Listen, Beatrice. I am very patient and have plenty of time, but you will not leave this room without knowing how to walk exactly as I wish, is that clear?

- Yes, Madam.

- Well, then, pay attention and show me you have understood.

The maid obeys. Her steps are smaller, but, afraid of falling, she dares not raise her feet from the ground and shuffles along as if she was moving on cloth pads.

- I didn’t ask you to polish the floor either! Really, I feel you are going to cause me trouble. Come here, we’ll try another method. I know a very efficient one!

Lady Alexandra grabs her maid by the wrist and, in a well-rehearsed gesture, tips the girl over her knees, her bust leaning forwards and her feet off the ground.

- A first-rate spanking, that’s just what you need to set the record straight! You’ll have to get used to it, there will be plenty of them with me! I’ll spank you as long as I need to, until I get exactly what I want!

Lady Alexandra lifts the maid’s skirt, to clear her knickers, and with her left hand, holds the girl’s arm tightly to prevent any resistance on her part. The spanking begins. The blows are applied firmly, neither too fast nor too slowly, upon each buttock in turn. Beatrice tries to wriggle away but her mistress, ignoring her protests, continues undeterred. After some sixty blows, she stops, however, and the maid, thinking the trial is over, stands up.

- Beatrice, who allowed you to stand up?

- But Madam…

- Get back into position at once. This was a mere warm-up, you have seen nothing yet, my pet. Have you forgotten what a normal spanking is like?

- Oh no, Madam!

- Watch out, if you compel me to remind you, you’ll pay even more dearly!

- Oh, no Madam. They’re given with knickers down, Madam!

- Fine, I see your memory serves you better in case of need! Now repeat after me: “Madam, I have amply deserved to be punished and I beg you to give me a very severe spanking with my knickers down.”

Beatrice, her cheeks flushed and with tears in her eyes, repeats the sentence half-heartedly.

- Fine, you ask me so nicely!

An expert in the art of staging, Lady Alexandra takes her time. She first strokes the curves facing her, gently exploring the satin texture of the skin, then, with the tip of her long lacquered nails, she delicately pulls down the elastic belt of the knickers, lowering them half-way down the girl’s thighs, to that very place where the maid will experience both the degrading feeling of her posture and the exasperating absence of her ultimate piece of clothing.

Someone knocks at the door. It’s Andrew. The unexpected arrival of the gardener provides an opportunity for the mistress of the house to keep him in the room and further humiliate Beatrice by starting to spank her again before him. The maid squirms frantically, enraged at feeling thus exposed to a man.

- Come in, Andrew, you’re right on time, I want you to change all the bouquets. For once, try to show some originality! I want huge crimson sprays, just like this young lady’s buttocks!

- [Puzzled] Yes, Madam

The blows resume in series of ten, with a pause in between, each time leading the maid to believe her ordeal is over. Lady Alexandra takes care to apply a uniform hue to the girl’s red behind. She struggles and wiggles, spreads her legs and immodestly exposes her most intimate parts. Having first slipped down to her knees, her knickers are now tangled around her ankles. Andrew, while pretending to be absorbed in his flower arrangements, enjoys every bit of the scene. Defeated, Beatrice finally breaks into sobs. The mistress of the house, impatiently awaiting that moment, cannot help celebrating her victory by continuing the punishment for several more minutes.

- That’s enough, you may stand. What do you say?

- [Hiccuping] Thank you, Madam.

- Put your hands on your head! Repeat after me: “I thank Madam to have been particularly lenient this time. I shall continue to be very severely punished until Madam is totally satisfied”.

Pretending to study the result of her handiwork, Lady Alexandra turns her maid round to face the gardener. Pleading an urgent order to be given, she walks out of the room, leaving the girl in that position.

- [Returning five minutes later] Where were we, Beatrice? Ah yes, get dressed and let’s resume the lesson. Remember what I told you!

Beatrice begins to walk with more confidence. The bottom of her skirt barely hides the redness of her thighs. She’s all the sweeter, while she practices taking small steps and slightly raising her knees. After a few attempts, something clicks. The maid suddenly feels much more comfortable, and walks up and down the room several times in a row.

- There we are, that’s much better, I knew you’d understand in the end! Now, do it again! Remember to keep your head upright, your eyes down, throw out your chest and arch your loins.

- Yes, Madam.

- Wait, I’ll tie your wrists and your arms behind your back. This will force you to find your balance and throw out your chest.

Beatrice walks up and down again, delighted with her discovery. She smiles at herself in the looking-glass and admires her figure when turning round, encouraged by a knowing look from Lady Alexandra.

- Try to swing your hips and buttocks just a little. Yes, that’s it, don’t overdo it, now come back towards me, it’s nice to feel your body swaying, isn’t it?

- Oh yes, Madam!

- Imagine that all the men present are ogling the small of your back!

- Oh yes, Madam, thank you Madam!

- I knew you’d enjoy it, you little bitch! Stay there, I’ll open the door, I want to watch you walk all the way to the front door.

Beatrice walks across the impeccably polished, black and white checkered floor. Behind her back, the prim loops of her apron follow the delicious movements of her skirt, taut over her plump buttocks. She moves away. She cannot see the broad smile on Lady Alexandra’s face.