Yet she seemed to recover quickly enough as she nodded and took up her stance, holding her foil in a defensive pose as she began to circle.
Cassian had to admit that she was better than he had imagined. Her footwork was decent, and she managed to outstep him a few times with the first few thrusts, parrying them with skilled precision.
“I must hand it to you, Lady Isabella. You are far more skilled than I imagined.”
His words only seemed to egg her on as she parried with force, almost stumbling as he stepped out of her way with ease.
She caught herself just in time, regaining her footing as she turned back to him with labored breaths. “Good, you are not allowing me to win.”
“I promised that I would not, didn’t I?” He raised his foil toward her, holding his free hand above his head in a challenge.
Isabella was just about to join again when the doors to the hall suddenly opened. “Oh, for goodness sake, who is it?” She complained quite loudly, turning toward the disruption.
The butler entered apologetically, carrying a silver tray toward his grandmother.
“I think it is the special license,” Cassian explained.
“Oh, I forgot about that…” Her eyes followed the tray as his grandmother accepted the letter.
“You forgot about that? How could you forget about the entire first half of this day? Was it not the reason that we ended up here in the first place?” He wanted to laugh again, but instantly picked up on the serious tone in her voice.
“I have more important matters to occupy my time,” she said sharply, turning back to him and raising her foil.
His grandmother’s voice cut through the air just as they were about to start again. “The Duchess and I would like to have another cup of tea while you finish your match, dearest. Will you come and join us when you are done?”
Cassian nodded.
The other ladies left the hall, closing the doors behind them.
Isabella wasted no time in parrying forward, her steps quick and immaculate as she unleashed her fury on him.
Stepping out of the way several times, Cassian began to grow irritable with her onslaught. She was taking her anger out on him; whatever the reason for it had been.
“You are overexerting yourself, my lady,” he cautioned her.
“I think I know when I have had enough, Your Grace!” she blurted angrily and lunged at him, clashing her foil against his as if it were a sword.
Cassian gritted his teeth only for a second, pushing back until she yielded. “Why are you so angry with me?” he demanded.
Taking the mesh mask from her face, Isabella glared at him as she cast it aside. Her cheeks were radiantly bright, not the same kind of red that came from blushing, but the kind of color that only exercise could bring.
“Who says I am angry?” she placed her foil on the ground before lifting the padded shirt over her head and discarding it as well.
“Your overly enthusiastic display to prove yourself, that is who,” he gritted his teeth in anger again when she picked up her foil.
Her hair was slightly mussed, causing a few strands to fall in her face. “Do not tell me how I feel!” she lunged at him with the foil in both hands, yielding it once again like a sword rather than a fencing foil.
Cassian quickly stepped out of her way, discarding his own foil before turning with expert precision and catching her from behind.
“Let go of me, you brute!” she struggled against him with all her might.
Catching her wrists in his hands, Cassian pulled her toward him, holding her steady until she dropped her foil. “That is better. Now, I am going to need you to calm down and tell me what is bothering you before we continue.”
Tears welled in her eyes without him even having to look at her; he knew by the way her body stiffened, along with her voice.
“Do not tell me how to feel!” she practically screamed it at him this time and began to kick her legs in the air in an attempt to get away.
He crossed her arms over her chest, holding her to him as he hissed in her ear. “Is that what this is all about? You are angry that I said I… love you?”
