EXTRACT FOR
Marriage Guidance
(Miranda Birch)

They found the institute and then Dr. Grant's rooms on the second floor. Susan knocked a little hesitantly. An attractive woman of middle age, tall and with long blonde hair. She smiled welcomingly. 



"Mr and Mrs Carter. Come in, please. Susan, is it? And Jack? I'm Julia Grant." 



What a nice lady! thought Susan. 



Susan was told she could stay or go through to the next room. If she did the latter, Dr. Grant would leave the door slightly open so that Susan could hear everything. Heart thumping, Susan decided to take that option. A quick glance at Jack and she went through, and sat on a chair. Yes, she could hear all right. Dr. Grant's cut-class, voice rang out in a most authoritarian tone: 



"Right, Jack, no point in delay, is there? We both know why you are here. That typical male chauvinism and arrogance, yes? So! Let's get started at once then. Drop your trousers, will you?" 



He had been imagining those words, or something like them, all week, and especially all of today. Imagining without being fully able to believe it could happen. But here it was and she had said it. It was like a bad dream but he knew it wasn't a dream. It was happening. And he had to obey. 



"Did you hear me, Jack?" Her voice was sharper. 



Dr. Grant now had a cane in her hand. by the Head. Somehow he made his hands go to his belt. 



"Get them down, young man. You'll get six across your underpants and if I'm not happy with the way you take them there'll be six more across your bare bottom. Is that clear?" 



Jack slid his trousers down with a feeling of humiliation that sickened him. This Dr. Grant was tall and 



attractive, a good bit older than him, too old for him maybe, but still a bit of a looker all the same. In other circumstances he might have chanced his arm... but like this...? There she was, standing over him with a cane as he stood with his trousers down around his ankles. He suddenly remembered Susan in the other room: listening, probably peeking in. Oh, how could he go through with it? She would never look at him the same way again. 



"Get over the table please, Jack," continued Dr. Grant in calm and measured tones. "And remember, if there is any undue writhing about or shouting out I shall have those underpants down. Now.." 



She gestured with the cane towards the stout oak table. 



Jack lay over the table, face down, staring miserably at the parquet floor. Could it be true, what Janice had said? That this sort of thing was becoming more common as wives learnt that they needn't knuckle under to men? Or was it just him, hideously unfortunate that Susan should happen to know Janice Hart, a girl who had threatened him with all sorts of things if he didn't do as she said? Whichever it was, it didn't help. 



Crack! 



Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a loud retort and a sudden flash of pain in his bum. He ground his teeth as the pain exploded through him. He could feel himself trembling all over.