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“Ow!” Christina yelped out as she was struck with Art’s belt one final time. He lifted his leg a couple of times to indicate she can get off him.
“I hoped you learn your lesson, young lady,” Art said as he gently slapped his belt against his palm.
“Sure did!” Christina forced a smile while dusting herself off. “I will never do that, with those, in there, for that long, ever again!”
“Good girl, Christina, good girl,” Art gently pinched her cheek.
As Art took a sip of bourbon, Christina was waiting for an additional lecture from him, but was surprised to hear nothing from him.
“Um, is that all?” She asked.
“Yep, you can be on your way now,” Art waved her off.
“Ah,” Christina dropped her smile, but still tried to keep the conversation going. “Before I go, can I ask you a question?”
“Ugh, only one,” Art slightly slugged in his study chair.
“Well, uh…” Christina’s heart was beating a bit louder as she actually need to improvise a question. She suddenly looked down at the skinned bear rug and go with that. “I was wondering… can me and you go out to the woods, at some point?”
“Now, why would a girl like you want to go out in the woods?” Art laughed out.
“Because… I want to spend more time with you? Outside of the study?”
“No can do, kiddo. You know the rules God assigned each sex to do. It’s in the 24th Buried Commandments.”
“‘Woman does the cooking and cleaning; man does the hard labor and leadership’,” Christina quoted as she glanced at said Commandment mounted on the wall.
“Exactly!” Art took another sip. “Hunting is another thing that is for the men. Why, if a female like yourself is doing a man’s job, then that just further proves that women can do anything men can do. And that’s just blasphemous.”
“Then, can I just watch you hunt animals? I can sit there and uh, look pretty and compliment you!”
“Now, you’re thinking like a lady! Tell you what, I’ll consider it, and when I made up my mind, I will let you know, okay?”
“Okay!” Christina beamed.
“Good,” Art got up from the study chair. “Come, your mother should be done with dinner, by now.”