She stiffened slightly at the mention of her late friend and nodded. “It has. It’s difficult for such a thing not to make youexamine your own life. To make you question…I don’t know, question everything.”
He pursed his lips. She wasn’t wrong. How could one not ponder one’s place in the world under such circumstances?
“You have such a long face,” Marianne said with a frown. “Areyouwell, Finn?”
He forced a smile. Thanks to unreliable and often cruel parents, the two of them had never had anyone but each other. The old habits of defending each other, worrying over each other, died hard. Perhaps it was good that they never did.
“I’m fine,” he said, and didn’t quite believe it. “I’ve been thinking about our upcoming trip to the country and also about upgrades to the estate in Delacourt.”
He’d also been obsessed with a certain young woman from a sex club, but there was no way to bring that up to an innocent spinster of a younger sister. And what would he say at any rate?
But she knew nothing of those thoughts and instead leaned closer as they began to discuss both their trip and the estate. And he found his mind was eased, at least for a while, though the discomfort that had haunted him recently still sat in the background, waiting. It would find him again soon enough.
He entered the boxing club an hour after he’d left his sister, trying to shake off continuing troubled thoughts and found it was crowded. Of course it would be—the exhibition match between the Hellion and Betty Lightly was that day. Despite the complaints of some members, it seemed they’d all come to watch the show.
He edged his way into the crowd, moving toward the front and the large ring now set up in the middle of the room. Ripley stood in the middle, talking to two young women.
“Look a little small to be champions,” one of the men around him said.
“Naw, that’s their corners,” someone else answered. “Look at that blonde one. I’d love to go a round or two with her.”
The two laughed and Finn turned his nose up in disgust as he moved away to find some more pleasant company. He found it when he saw the Duke of Northfield closer to the front.
He moved toward the man. He’d gone to school with him and they’d always been friendly. Plus, the man knew how to throw a punch. He had to be respected either in or out of the ring.
“Northfield,” Finn said as he reached him.
“Ah, Delacourt, good to see you,” Northfield said as he shook his hand. “It’s quite a crush. Looks to be an excellent match.”
“Indeed,” Finn agreed. “Have you seen Ramsbury?”
“No. I don’t think he’s here.”
Finn wrinkled his brow. Sebastian had said he’d be coming today. He hadn’t thought his wild friend would miss this kind of exhibit, but he’d been so strange lately. Breaking appointments, acting odd when they spoke. He’d been closed off, distracted, sometimes it felt like he refused to meet Finn’s eyes. It seemed everyone in his world was out of sorts and Finn didn’t like it.
Ripley came to one unoccupied corner of the ring and posted up on one of the ropes. “Gentleman, let’s quiet down. Today you get a real treat, so I hope you appreciate it. We get to observe two of the greatest women in the business doing what they do best.”
“Are you sure it’s what they do best?” came a lewd voice from the crowd.
Ripley’s mouth thinned and he stared out into the chuckling group with steel in his stare. He said nothing and the laughter faded. Once it had, he said, “Are you finished?”
Silence greeted him and he nodded. “Good.” His tone shifted to something a little different, rather like a barker at a fair, trying to draw the crowd in. “First, let me introduce Betty Lightly. She’s a bruiser from Cornwall, one of the finest in her class.”
From the back of the room behind a curtain, a woman came. She was dressed in a long, simple blue gown that was sleeveless with leather corset tied tight at her waist. Her dark hair was bound back in a severe style and her crooked nose spoke to the fact that she’d taken more than few blows.
There was polite applause from the men before Ripley continued, “And our second fighter is new to the game, but oh so impressive. She’s undefeated and mysterious as hell. Welcome the Hellion.”
The applause was louder now as the men craned their necks to see the second woman come out from behind a different curtain. She pushed it back and exited. Unlike Betty, the Hellion’s face was covered with a red leather mask that matched her red sleeveless gown. She, too, wore a leather corset at her middle, which only served to accentuate lush curves.
Finn stared, not because she was beautiful, which she was. Not because she had confidence and power as she entered the ring and turned, arms outstretched, to show herself to the crowing men.
He stared because he instantly recognized her. She was the woman from Donville the week before. His captivating Miss X who had walked away from him without even a backward glance. It explained her black eye, but he remained astonished by this information.
“Your mouth is open,” Northfield said with a chuckle. “She is a beauty, one can hardly blame you. Though I vastly prefer my lovely wife.”
Finn shook his head, brought back to reality by the friendly ribbing. “Indeed,” he muttered.
In the ring, Ripley held up a pound mark in each hand. “The rules are simple. Each woman will hold a coin in her fist. The first to drop their coin twice loses the battle. Has everyone placed their bets with Brentwood?”
