“Good afternoon, Heath,” she said blithely in greeting as she reached him.
Since her challenging smile dared him to object to her choice of apparel, Heath kept his response mild. “So what is the point of your unusual costume, sweeting?”
“I can hardly learn to fence dressed in skirts, can I? Breeches allow me comfort and freedom of movement. Moreover, they should make it easier for you to pretend I am a man.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Why the devil would I want to pretend you are a man?”
“So you won’t treat me as a mere female and coddle me as a weakling.”
She was gravely mistaken if she thought for one instant that he could ever think of her as a man. Those breeches only called attention to the lithe, feminine curves of her hips and legs, while her shirt molded the ripe swells of her breasts.
“You are not just dressing outrageously in order to put me off?”
Her laugh was low and delighted. “I confess the thought had crossed my mind. You don’t want a marchioness who wears such scandalous attire.”
Heath shook his head. Lily’s scandalous attire didn’t daunt him in the least. In truth, it was enjoyable, finding a woman who was more rash and rebellious in nature than he was. “You will discover that I am rather broadminded. I don’t plan to dictate your wardrobe when we are wed.”
“But society would care and condemn me as a Jezebel.”
“Not necessarily. The wealthy nobility are held to different standards than most denizens of society. If you wear breeches as my marchioness, you’ll more likely be termed an eccentric.”
His observation made Lily’s expression turn thoughtful, and Heath pressed his point. “
Furthermore, as my wife, you will enjoy much more freedom than you are permitted now as an unmarried young lady. And I can assure you, life with me would never be dull. We can hold fencing bouts every day if you wish.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Not even that delightful prospect can tempt me, my lord.”
“You are to call me Heath, remember?”
“Oh, yes, then…Heath. Are those rapiers?” she asked, indicating the long leather case he carried.
“Yes, my practice foils. The blades are kept dull and the points are buttoned with leather safety tips.”
“Good.” She flashed him a bright smile. “I would not want to skewer you accidently.”
She could still catch him off guard with her smile, Heath thought, arrested by the dazzling sight. Indeed, her sparkle and vibrancy impacted him like no woman he had ever met.
Yet Lily seemed completely unaware of her uncommon charms. “Come,” she said, “the makeshift salon is this way.”
He followed her from the entrance hall toward the rear of the house, admiring the gentle sway of her derriere. The parlor she led him to was a fairly large room. The floor had been cleared to practice dance steps, the chairs and tables all pushed against the walls, the carpet rolled up to expose a shining wood surface.
“Will this suffice for my lesson?” Lily asked.
“It will do very well.”
Shutting the door behind him, Heath quietly turned the key in the lock. This was a rare opportunity to be alone with Lily, and he wanted no interruptions.
He intended to give her a much more potent lesson than mere fencing, though. For all her passionate nature, she was sexually innocent and badly needed awakening. Teaching her about physical pleasure, he surmised, would soften her defenses and make her more willing to wed him.
Smiling to himself in anticipation, Heath set his rapier case down on a table, then casually removed his coat and waistcoat and cravat.
“So where do we begin?” Lily wondered aloud as he opened the case.
“With the basics. Stance and handwork first. Then the fundamentals of movement and hitting. And finally simple attacks and defense. In some future lesson, we’ll cover tactics and strategy for beating your opponent, but for today we will keep it elementary.”
Withdrawing a long, slim foil, he let her examine the button that kept the sharp steel point from becoming deadly. Then he showed her the proper position for her body-right arm extended, foil raised, left arm bent upward. Next he demonstrated the basic elements-thrust and parry, feint, riposte, recovery, counter-parry, lunge-and had her practice each technique.
Heath enjoyed that he was able to touch her frequently, and admired the fact that Lily caught on quickly because of her agility and natural athleticism.