AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Antony was reeling as the lady ran from him. The pale blue gown had fluttered behind her in her desperation to be far away from him. The moment he saw the look of horror in her eyes, he’d felt guilty for what he had done. He was unable to stay away, lost in their amusing argument, and he’d thrown caution to the wind and succumbed to his desire to kiss her. The game had worked, and he had pulled her from the chair.
She kissed me back.She had responded with fervor, and he could still imagine the way her lips had pressed back on his, along with her body sliding against his own.
“She is a lady,” he muttered to himself. “I should not have done that.”
He sank down into the chair beside his father’s and picked up the book that she had been reading, turning it to read for himself. He’d read it once the year before when it was published, but for some reason, now that he had seen her with it, he wished to enjoy the story another time.
As he turned the pages, his mind kept flicking back to the lady and the way she had ran from him. He was sorry to have made her so ill at ease yet still thrilled she has kissed him back.
He couldn’t wait to meet her officially the next morning and reveal that he was no staff member after all but the Duke.
* * *
“Careful!” Fergus complained as Antony pulled the rapier back. They were both awake early, long before breakfast, and Antony had taken the opportunity to practice his fencing skills in the sports room they had built for the purpose.
Along one wall was a rack of rapiers and beside them were padding and netted helmets. One such helmet he now had on his head with padding over the top of his loose shirt.
“You nearly got me with that strike,” Fergus complained, pulling off his mask to reveal his usually coiffed hair now tousled beneath. His face was flushed too with the effort of keeping up with Antony. “May I remind you, this is merely a bit of fun?”
“This comes from the naval officer,” he said, chuckling. “You should be better at this than I am.”
“If only,” Fergus complained, slowly lifting the mask back up.
“Come on. All you need is a little practice,” Antony said with glee as he advanced on his brother another time. Fergus had to rush to slip the mask in place before he lifted his rapier to block Antony’s blow.
The two of them parried for a few minutes, striking back and forth. At first, Fergus was strong, forcing Antony back a couple of steps, but Antony still had the taller and stronger build that worked in his favor. Soon, he was driving Fergus across the room.
With one clean strike, he managed to knock the weapon completely out of his brother’s hand before placing the tip of the rapier at his chest. “I think you win again,” Fergus said, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Try not to scar each other, dearests,” a kindly voice came from the side of the room. Antony turned, lifting the helmet and mask off his head, to see his mother standing in the doorway of the room. “What will our guests say if you turn up at breakfast bleeding?”
“It is just practice, mother,” Fergus said, lifting the sword from the floor again. “As a naval officer, I need to improve my skills.”
“When you are the next Duke, you won’t have to worry about such things so much,” Antony said as he crossed the room and replaced the sword in the racking.
“Antony, please.” His mother’s voice made him turn around, just as she scurried toward him, with the skirt of the dress so narrow that her feet could only take tiny steps. “Tell me you are not still clinging to this awful resolution never to marry.”
“I am, mother,” he said, resolutely. “That is the end of it. I think Fergus is rather pleased by the idea.”
“I never thought I’d be a Duke growing up,” Fergus said from where he stood behind them practicing a few strikes by himself. “It’s quite a thrill to know it’s now possible.”
“But…” Rose faltered then looked down at the floor.
“Is something wrong?” Antony asked, watching her closely.
“I would like grandchildren, Antony,” she said, lifting her face again.
“Mother, I’m sure Fergus will give you that whenever he marries,” Antony assured her, patting her shoulder as he walked past her.
“But I wantlotsof grandchildren,” she pleaded, hurrying after him across the sports hall.
“Lots?” Antony said. “Did you hear that, Fergus? When you do marry a lady, you best make sure you perform your duty a lot it seems.” Behind their mother’s back, Fergus smiled mischievously.
“Be serious,” Rose said, pulling on Antony’s arm. “Is it so awful for me to hope you will marry?”
“These days, yes,” Antony said with full seriousness.
“But what happened… Not all women are–”
