I glanced at him from over my book. He was clearly annoyed, shaking his head as he read across a page. “At leasttryto get it right. Perhaps this particular event was written by a woman.”
My jaw hit the floor. “What did you say?”
Marlow’s lips twitched. “Nothing.”
“No,” I demanded. “What did you say about a woman writing that? Do you think women are incapable of understanding the rules of fencing?”
He glanced lazily at me over his page. “Doyouknow how to fence?”
“I have sat in on my brother’s lessons. Even practiced with him a time or two.”
“Then you’d know the difference between a lunge and a parry? Technically as opposed to theoretically.”
I scoffed. “Of course.”
He raised his brows and looked back at his page. “Prove it, then,” he muttered under his breath.
“What was that?” I asked through my teeth. He was baiting me, I could guarantee it, but the more he opened his mouth to speak, the more I wanted to jab a saber straight through him.
He cleared his throat and looked nonchalantly in my direction. “Care to prove me wrong?”
Do not rise to him, Georgiana.The hour was late enough. And fencing wasnota woman’s sport. Arguably not a sport at all!
“I don’t feel it necessary. I have already told you I am knowledgeable on the subject.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Very well, then.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t believe me?”
He tilted his head. His growing smile mocked me. “What does it matter if I believe you or not?”
Saints, he was infuriating! I groaned. “Get up, then. Have it your way! Give me a sword.”
He smirked. “I think you mean a foil?”
I threw my arms out wide. “Hurry on before I change my mind.”
“I have a few in my room. I shall retrieve them.” He stood, watching me, and then he vanished out the door.
Not my smartest move by far.
I’d regret this.
I had no idea how to truly, properly fence. I’d seen Peter lunge at his tutors, keeping one hand back, one leg bent in a wide stance. My part in his practicing had always been acting. Mimicking.
I was going to make a fool out of myself.
I gritted my teeth.
Perhaps then Marlow would worry less about who I spent my time with.
He’d definitely been teasing me when he said a woman wrote that excerpt. He’d known his words would ignite my fury. Perhaps he was bored.
Well, I’d teach him not to dismiss women so easily. I might not be an expert, but I could jab a man with a sword.
Indeed, after how he’d treated me earlier, Iwantedto.
ChapterNineteen
