“I am.” My shoulders tensed, and Mr. Winston’s eyes dropped as though on cue to watch the motion. He smirked.
“What?” I clipped, forcing my muscles to relax. “What are you smirking about?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged, looking back at Benjamin. “Raise your fists a touch higher, Newbury.Thereit is. Stay on the balls of your feet and put everything into your right arm.”
I waited, feeling equal parts frustrated and unsure. He clearly had something to say. Why would he not relent?
He flicked me a glance. “You look like you want to strike me again.”
“Why are you so smug all the time? You’ve been cast out of your family home. No allowance. Burdening your family.”
“Oh, I am not this smug all the time.”
“No?”
“Just when I’m around you.”
I scoffed and looked heavenward, unsure if he meant to flatter or irk me. “I cannot imagine why.”
He grabbed my muffled hand from my side and started unlacing it. “I was wrong about you. You do not see your successful match as a prize. You are willfully forfeiting your dreams—”
“I amnot—” I tried to argue, but he silenced me with a knowing stare.
“—albeithonorably. For your family. Giving up a year or two in service to your ailing parents or grandparents would be one thing, but giving the rest of your life to a marriage you do not desire, all for the sake of your family’s future ... That is either selflessness or stupidity.”
Cool air hit my sweaty fist as the muffler was peeled away. Mr. Winston took my other hand. His movements were natural, familiar to him, but gentle.Hewas gentle, which was so ironic, considering the fading bruises on his face and the scars and crooked nose.
Somehow, in the course of one ridiculous boxing lesson, he’d cared enough to determine the source of my anxiety. Whether he was right or not was another question entirely. But my voice softened anyway.
“I am the only one who can bring a title to the family. I am the only daughter.”
“But why should your happiness be sacrificed to gain that?” He spoke with passion, as though there was some lesson I stood to learn.
“Who’s to say it will be? I will live in luxury all my life.”
“Yes, but what is luxury over—” He stopped his sentence.
“Love?”
His fingers stilled on my glove, and his eyes met mine, curious and seeking. Somehow, I’d admitted the deepest worry of my heart to this man without any effort at all.
“I wouldn’t know,” I said with a forced smile. I would never know.
Mr. Winston slid my other glove off. “Yet still, you so easily forfeit the chance.”
“I never said my choice was an easy one to make.” Though I had made it rather fast. At the time, surrounded by Father’s excitement for the title and Mama’s romanticized wedding plans, the choice had never really seemed like achoiceat all.
Mr. Winston nodded his head. “Well, it is your life.”
“Thank you.”Thank you?What in the devil did I need to thankhimfor? As though I needed his approval.
“Out of curiosity.” He squinted his eyes at me. “What would you be doing with your summer if you’d chosen another path besides marriage? I’ve heard stories about you from Liza, but after meeting you in person, I wonder if they’re true.”
“Mr. Winston,” I started to chide him. This was too familiar.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Indulge me. I did save your life, you recall. And I shall truly keep your secrets from now on. No stipulations. I promise.”
I raised my brow. That was quite a promise. I glanced at Ben, who was far enough away to not overhear us, not to mention his attention was entirely focused on the leather bag.
