Dominic (20 page)

“Do
m
inic,
you
know
we
can’t,”
she
laughed,
jumping to her feet. “If we were dis
c
overed everything would be at an end.”

“And that would be a great pity,” he said, of a
s
udden serious. “I
w
ould be loath to lose
m
y pupil.”

“And I
m
y
t
utor, sir,” she replied in return.

Grinning,
he
rose
to
sta
n
d
before
her. “Then
we
will
let prudence win the day. Now away with you Jack before, whether you like it or not, I yield to an al
m
ost overwhel
m
ing te
m
ptati
o
n to throw
y
ou into t
h
e lake.”

“You would not, sir
?
” she cried, skipping out of his reach.

“But you know very well t
h
at I would, brat,” he laughed.
“
And
enjoy
myself
hugely
into
the
bargain
.
Indeed, I have half a
m
i
nd to...” and he started toward her.

Snatching up her shoes and stockings Sophie ran
laughing along the path, leaving his lordship to swim
alone,
o
n
ly
stopping
when
well
out
of
reach
to
wave
gaily
in
f
arewell.

*****

So
m
uch
did
Vale
ent
e
r
into
the
r
ole
of tutor
that,
knowing that balance and grip were paramount, he
ordered
a
fo
il
to
be
m
ade
to
suit
his
pupil.
He
p
resented the blade in an intricately wrought scabbard one thundery afternoon
when
they
were
forced
to
confine
their
lessons to the long picture-gallery at Stovely.

“It is perfect, D
o
m
i
nic,” she cried,
h
olding t
h
e blade
before
her.
“Now
I have a foil of my own
I can truly learn
to
fence,” and she lunged at an i
m
a
ginary opponent.

“Not if you wave the damned thing about in that way,” he
re
p
roved
f
orcibly.
“Y
ou
will
h
a
ve
the
butt
o
n
o
ff
,
be still.
I will teach you
m
any
m
ov
e
m
e
nts
but
you
will
no
t
, I repeat
not,
wave
your
blade
about in
that
hoydenish
m
anner. Not only is it inele
g
ant, but it is dangerous. Swordplay is an art and shou
l
d be treated as such. There are two styles
to consider
, French
a
nd Italian and
tho
u
gh
the
French
is
the
m
o
st
popular
,
I will atte
m
pt to teach you
a
little
o
f each
.
 
Firstly,
we
will
go t
h
r
o
ugh
the
basics.
I
will
demonstrate each for
m
al
m
ove
m
ent
and then we will
a
t
te
m
pt them together.”

Sophie
seated
herself
on
one
of
the
chairs
that
ranged
along
the
w
alls
of
the
gallery.
Dra
w
ing
her
feet
up
under
her and resting her chin on her
hand,
she
gave
all
her atte
n
tion to his lor
d
ship,
ea
g
erly ta
ki
ng in each move
m
ent.

Vale
stood
before
her
showing
his
m
astery
of
the
art. “
The
basic attacking motion is the lunge
,
”
he
said
,
executing
a
stabbing
action
and
thrusting
forward
on
his right
leg.
“Then
the
parry.
There
are
eight
move
m
ents, each
desig
n
ed
to
protect
a
different
part
of
the
body.”
He counted
out
each
as
he
de
m
onstrated,
“
prime,
seconde, tierce,
quatre,
quinte,
sixte,
septime
and
octave.
A
riposte
is
the
ret
u
rn
thrust
m
ade
im
m
ediately
following
a
parry.
A
flec
h
e
is
a
running
attack.”
Suddenly
he
stopped.
“Jack, are
you
paying
attention
to
m
e
?
”
he
snapped,
seeing
her attention
riveted
on
the
further
end
of
the
gallery
and
at the sound of a dreaded voice he turned sharply on his heel.

“Very
prettily
done,”
drawled
the
d
uke.
“Pray
do
not
let
m
e
distract
you
from your
lesson.
I
heard
ru
m
ors
that you had acquired a pupil and I c
a
m
e to see for myself. It is indeed a novel situation and one that I would have been loath
to
m
iss.
My
observation
however,
is
most
enlightening. A word alone, if you please.”

Chapter
Six

“You will
m
arry the chit,” com
m
anded the d
uke, bringing his hand forcefully down on the desk as Vale, hands held tensely behind his back and a look of thunderous defiance on his face,
s
t
o
od rebellio
u
sly before hi
m
.

“I will do no such thing,” he responded,
m
i
rroring his father’s frown. “You
m
ay not have noticed sir, but I am well
pas
t
the
a
g
e
of
m
y
m
ajority
and
you
have
no power whatsoever over my actions. I am
m
y own
m
an.”

“Not
where
the
honor of the
Blake
na
m
e
is con
c
erned,” responded the d
uke. “She is undoubtedly a young lady of quality
and
you,
in
your
foolhardy
sche
m
e,
have compromised
her. Therefore it is your duty to
m
arry her.”

“My duty, sir?
My duty be da
m
ned! There has been no
i
m
propriety whatsoever
.
W
e have but enjoyed each
other’s company.”

“That
is
not
how
society
will see
it.
She
is
not
one
of
your
lightskirts
;
she
is
a
lady
of
quality
.
S
he
will
be
ruine
d
; her
r
eputation will be in t
a
tt
er
s.”

“Then that for society and its s
m
a
ll
m
inded ways,” replied
the
e
arl,
snapping
his fingers
and
turning
on
his heel, but his father’s words halted his heated departure.

“
W
hat
of
your
m
other?
Is
s
h
e
to
be
continually reminded of
your indiscretions?
W
h
y should she have the need to defend
you
when
your
scandals
are
brought
to
her
notice by every tabby of her acquaintance?”

Vale
halted and
t
u
rned
to
face
the
d
uke,
his
face softening
slightly
and
his
a
nger abating so
m
ewhat. “You know
I
wouldn’t
wish to hurt
m
y
m
o
t
her in any way, but I will
not
be
coerced
into
m
arriage
a
nd
I
am damned
sure Sophie
has
no
m
ore
wi
s
h to
m
arry
m
e
than
I
have
to
wed her.
Besides,
it
would
not
suit
m
y
purpose
to
e
n
t
e
r
into the
most holy state of matrimony.”