“Ben, this is not a good idea. This man is troubled.”
“Troubled?” Mr. Winston laughed. “Quite possibly the most accurate description of me yet.”
Ben added his laughter, admonishing me with a look. “He is no more troubled than I.”
I looked heavenward. “I shall leave you two alone then.”
Ben’s jaw dropped, and he gave me a pleading, desperate look. “But you agreed. You gave me your word for one last adventure, just for us. Something to look back on fondly.”
Mr. Winston cast me a knowing look. “I see,” he said. “Surely you wish tofollow Ben on a grand adventure. Do you not, Miss Newbury?”
My mouth fell open. He’d quoted item number three verbatim. Did he have my entire list memorized after reading it once? Shock mixed with frustration from his taunting, and I crossed my arms and huffed.
He rubbed his growing grin away with a hand.
“Come, Ros. Just one lesson,” Ben begged. “Mr. Winston can teach us both, together.”
ChapterSeven
My pulse pounded in my ears. Me? Learn to fight? My fists were as delicate as porcelain. This had to be a joke. Only, no one was laughing. Indeed, Mr. Winston awaited my response with adamant curiosity, like there was a right and wrong answer and I would be judged accordingly. Not that I cared what he thought of me.
But I did care what he could tell Father.
“Is this some sort of test?” I asked, looking between both men. “I will not participate. I would not want my father to hear of this.” I gave Mr. Winston a pointed look.
He drew back as though my insinuation wounded him. “I assure you, Miss Newbury, our lesson shall not endanger you in the least. Your secretsshall be safe with me.” He winked and tossed his mufflers aside.
Somehow, I felt even less secure than ever.
Ben rubbed his hands together.
“You must learn proper footwork first. We’ll start with the basics of fencing.” Mr. Winston picked up a long stick from the ground and held it out to me. It was not unlike the ones Ben and I used to fight each other with as children. He shrugged and said, “You’ll pick it up quickly.”
Ben picked up a matching stick-sword and, before I could argue, walked a few paces ahead of me. He faced me with one foot in front of the other, his stick raised at the ready.
The serious look on his face, the same he’d held as a boy when he truly believed he wielded a real sword, brought back a time when the only thing I worried over was whether Mama would allow me an extra dessert after dinner.
My shoulders relaxed. A laugh tickled up my throat at his seriousness. I wanted to never forget this face. “You look ridiculous, Benjamin.”
Ben straightened his stance. His face pinked, and his lips turned into a scowl. Suddenly he leapt at me, jabbing the stick toward my stomach, but the distance between us only made him look foolish.
“Let us see your skill, then, Ros. If fencing is so beneath you, it should be easy to best me.”
I pursed my lips. It wasn’t that fencing was beneath me. I was a lady. And there were certain things a lady mustn’t do. Ben knew the limitations of my sex, same as I, and his adamancy to prove otherwise made me wish Icouldjab him in his stomach with my stick.
Mr. Winston held out the stick for me. “Hold tightly, about here,” he said, pointing to a place where a handle would have been on a sword. The stick was heavy and gnarly. My thumb traced a knob on its side.
Just once. One go at Ben, for memory’s sake.
Mr. Winston’s rich brown eyes fixed firmly on mine. “One foot in front, one in back. Glide forward on the balls of your feet to advance a hit. Lead with your back foot to retreat. Always keep your sword at the ready.”
“My stick, you mean?” I straightened.
But he did not laugh. “Imagine that you are cornered here. That whatever it is you are searching for, whatever you most desire, lies just beyond your opponent. To reach it, to find that happiness you seek, you must pass to the other side untouched.”
“This is silly,” I said, poking my stick into the earth.
“Sillier than a list of things to accomplish before one marries?” His voice was low, only for me, and his eyes held mine.
