“Be gentle with me.”
It didn’t take long to discover he couldn’t lift his foil to her. He was showing her a riposte; how to counterattack after he blocked her with a parry. But when he tried to lift his arm to tap her, he found it impossible. He wasn’t in any pain. His arm didn’t disobey because of his wound. He’d been fighting for too long. Offensive maneuvers meant injury or death to his opponent. Lifting his sword against her, even in practice, seemed to be impossible. Every point he described to her, she picked up and used on him. He should have parried or lunged and tapped his foil to her, but no part of him would obey to move when it came time to take the offense. Watching her stretch and move didn’t help. Even her sloppy movements managed to catch him.
She won every match and ended up laughing too hard while he stood there covered in ink spots to continue.
Through the corner of his eye he saw Sudbury staring in awe at the fearsome captain’s soiled uniform.
“It’s a good thing my enemies don’t know about you,” Ben told her lightly as they removed their face masks. “They would use you to win against me in every battle.”
She blinked her wide eyes at him. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“Miss Ramsey,” Prudence said standing near her chair. “Do you truly think what you’re doing is decent? Thetonwould never approve of–”
“What’s indecent about trying to learn how to protect myself? I won’t depend on the duke or anyone to protect me. I’ll protect myself.”
Prudence laughedat her. “You’re a fool.”
“What if all the men are off fighting and you’re attacked?” Fable asked her. “Don’t you want to fight back? I already know some self-defense moves my friend Patrick taught me. I can teach you. A woman should know–”
“Enough!” Prudence commanded, fanning herself. “Benjamin, I implore you to cease your interest in this woman at once! Her outlandish ideas that women can protect themselves will be your ruin!”
“Your Grace,” Fable said,turning slightly to him, "would you help me demonstrate ‘street defense’?”
“Of course.” Was this how easily he would agree to whatever she asked?
“You could get hurt,” she added.
Should he smile? Was she being truthful? There was one way to find out. Curiosity made him–
She came close, took hold of his wrist, tucked her shoulder–what? He was going over! He lay on his back staring up at the ceiling. What just happened? Did she flip him over her shoulder as if he weighed nothing at all? Impossible. She was no bigger than an insect!
As he stood up, he saw Sudbury, hands on his head, stricken, once again. His sister stood as if frozen with her hands to her chest, her eyes huge with both terror and astonishment.
“Your Grace,” Fable cast her bright beautiful eyes on him again. “Come at me.”
“What?”
She motioned with her hands to come forward. “Attack me as if you had a knife.”
“No. I–”
She moved closer and took hold of his wrist again.
“Fable, don’t–”
She turned her back to him, wrapping his arm around her throat as if he was attacking her. “You follow me into a dark alley. You have a knife so you think you can do what you want to the girl walking alone.” As if on cue, she flipped him over her shoulder!
She did it again, he thought, staring at the ceiling.
“But I’m not done,” she announced, making him dread her next move. “First thing is to get rid of his weapon.” With that, she grabbed his hand and twisted it backward. “His friend wants to help!” She pointed at Sudbury and motioned him forward. He shook his head, refusing. “Then there’s nothing left to do but use the knife and kill the one on the ground.” She bent to Ben and pretended to hold a knife to his throat. He stared into her eyes.
She was a fighter, this one. He liked it and began to smile at her.
Poor Sudbury thought to take that opportunity, while they stared into each other’s eyes, to attack. Coming from behind, his shadow stretched toward the ceiling. Fable saw it, turned, and swept her leg across Sudbury’s ankle. He lost his balance, but he was too big to take down with a sweep. While he teetered, she hooked his ankle with her foot and with the strength of her leg behind her, pulled him down to join his friend flat on his back.
Finally, she let go of Ben’s hand, untwisting his wrist. Though the pain stopped, he missed the feel of her.
“Who taught you to fight like that?” he asked as he stood up. Sudbury sat up and shook his head in stunned surprise.
