“How is it going up there?” Mr. Winter asked. “I thought I heard noise from her room this morning.”

Titus looked across the dining room table at Rose’s parents. They both looked nervous. “Try and calm yourselves,” he said, picking up a second piece of toast. “This time next week, you will not recognise the girl living under your roof.”

“You aren’t going to hurt her, are you? Only last night, in her room…” Mr. Winter’s voice faded away to nothing.

“Last night was necessary. If you had taken such a step with her many years ago, there would have been no need to administer the spanking she underwent last night.”

“You…you spanked her?” Mrs. Winter asked, putting a hand to her mouth. “Oh my goodness.”

“I did spank her and I should point out it was for her own good.”

“Where is she now? She is normally down for breakfast by this time.”

“For the next week, she will take breakfast in her nanny’s room. A little foible of mine that I ask you to indulge. Is there any more coffee by any chance?”

“But that is not entirely proper. Is it?” Mr. Winter seemed to be looking to Titus for guidance. He was happy to oblige.

“I have made clear she will be treated like an infant. Right now she is trying to decide whether or not to continue with this ridiculous notion of remaining childish. I have no doubt that by the time I visit her, she will have made the sensible choice to put aside youthful fancies and embrace the life of an adult. As I see no sign of coffee, I shall bid you good morning and go and check in on her.”

Titus nodded to them both, rising from his seat with a final slice of toast in his hand. He ate it whilst ascending the stairs to the second floor of the house. At the top of the stairs was a wide landing with corridors heading east and west. He took the east hallway, passing by a number of closed doors before stopping outside Anita’s room. He listened but heard nothing. With the slightest of frowns, he pushed open the door and walked inside.

A smile spread across his face at the sight waiting for him within. Rose was curled up on Mama’s lap, a bottle in her mouth, held in place by Mama whilst she sucked greedily at the contents. “Good little girl,” Titus said, crossing the room to stroke her hair as she continued to drink. “I am very impressed.”

He saw the guilt in her eyes as she looked up at him. She clearly knew this wasn’t right, this wasn’t normal. Yet she sat in a nappy and short dress, drinking milk as if she were an infant, not the adult her parents expected her to be.

“How has she been?” Titus asked.

“Oh, good as gold,” Anita replied. “She has finished one bottle. This is the second.”

“No complaints?”

“She whined a little at first but the threat of a spanking was enough to quiet her.”

“Nappy changed yet this morning?”

“Not yet.”

“Let’s see if it needs it.” He reached down and felt the cloth between her legs. “Heavy and more than a little damp. She clearly needs changing. Do not trouble yourself, Mama, I shall do it. Go and get your breakfast, you must be famished.”

Anita helped Rose to her feet before standing and nodding to Titus. “As you wish.” She turned and left, closing the door behind her, leaving Titus and Rose alone. For a moment, Titus felt something in the air. But whatever it was vanished almost at once, leaving him to wonder if he had imagined it.

“Let’s get you changed, shall we?” he said, taking a towel from the pile next to Anita’s bed. “Come and lie down.”

“Yes, Papa,” Rose said, the sound of her immediate submission making Titus think. That was not the answer someone gave who found this humiliating. That was not what one said if one wanted to be treated like an adult. Had he found the one he had been looking for longer than he cared to remember? Could she be the one? No, it was not possible. And yet there she was, laid on her back, her legs spread, her eyes closed, waiting for him to change her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Where had that angry spoilt girl gone?

Titus knelt down between her legs and untied the knot by her left thigh, peeling away the corner of cloth whilst untying the other knot with his free hand. Lowering the centre part of the nappy, her core came into view and in that moment he was transfixed, all thought of what he was supposed to be doing was lost. He could do nothing but stare at her, those pink folds of flesh that called to him in the most seductive manner. A scent of womanly delight rose up from her, assailing his nostrils and making his heart skip a beat.

He coughed, trying to return to the job at hand. He did not have time to fall for her. He only had a week to make this work. Focus, he told himself whilst reaching for the jar of skin cream. He coated his fingers in a generous quantity of the light yellow cream, leaning towards her thighs whilst staring again at her core. “This is to prevent you getting a rash,” he said, pressing his fingers to her a moment later.

He began massaging the cream into the folds of her core, spreading it down to her thighs and up over her nub which seemed to heat up under his touch. Though Rose remained silent, her chest began to heave as her breathing grew heavier. Her hips shifted as he rubbed the cream towards her buttocks, sliding into the soft valley that hid her most private place.

He spent far longer applying the cream than he ever had before, unable to tear himself from the simple joy of sliding his hands over her core, spreading her lips apart to stare at the darker pink of her inner beauty, the entrance to her glistening with wetness.

“What are you doing?” Rose asked, jolting him out of his reverie. He realised he had been holding her open for some time, his hands not moving, just looking at her.

“I am examining you for any signs that you have been touching yourself.”

“Touching myself? What on earth do you mean?”

“Giving yourself carnal pleasure, touching yourself, frigging, masturbating, making yourself come.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I want to believe you but the body does not lie. Observe this wetness.” He slid a finger just inside her, coating his digit in her juices before moving his hand up to her face. “That is arousal and it speaks the truth even when words do not.”

“I am at a loss to understand you, Papa.”

“You really are an innocent little Rose, aren’t you? Not yet in flower, as it were.” He slid his finger into her again, sliding it gently back and forth as he spoke. “Men and women pleasure themselves at times. For women, an action like this may suffice. In other circumstances, they may prefer something like this.” He slid his finger from her, moving it up to her nub, circling it slowly and softly, observing the colour rising in her cheeks as she glanced down at him, her eyes widening. “That is your clitoris. It can bring you pleasure beyond belief if handled in the right way. See how wet you are becoming now, feel the heat rising inside you?”

Rose nodded, her mouth falling open as she let out a deep sigh. “I do, Papa.”

“If that were to continue to grow, you would eventually have an orgasm.”

“What is an orgasm?”

“It is something you must experience to understand. But it is something only grown ups do, it is a pleasure for adults, not for little girls like you.”

“But it feels so nice, Papa.”

“That is because you are learning how to grow up. I want you to promise me you will not touch yourself in this manner whilst I am in this house.” His finger continued to circle her clit, the movement growing faster with each passing moment.

“But why?”

“Because I said so, that should be answer enough. Now promise me.”

“I promise, Papa.”

“Good, little Rose.” Watching her face closely, he moved his finger down to her entrance, sliding it all the way inside her. “When you are a big girl and get married, you will be free to feel like this as often as you like.” He added a second finger beside the first, feeling the tightness of her walls pressing against him, gripping him in place. With his free hand, he returned to her clit, circling it whilst thrusting into her. As she began to groan above him, he picked up speed, watching her reaction the entire time.

Her hips began to push up against his hand, her face flushed with colour as she panted loudly. He felt her insides suddenly squeeze against his fingers and he knew she was on the edge. All at once, he moved away from her, leaving her thrusting up into thin air as he grabbed a fresh nappy and tied it in place.

“Why did you stop?” Rose asked, her voice weak.

“Because it is time for Mama to shave you.”