With Love in Their Corner (The Boxers of Brook Street #1)

Chapter Five

June 20, 1817

Stapleton Boxing Salon

Mayfair, London

I t had been two days since Lewis had temporarily misplaced his sanity and had kissed Miss Dawson in this very room. Two days since she’d admitted she was a young woman in disguise. Two days since she’d knocked him on his arse with beginner’s luck in swinging punches.

To be fair, he’d been distracted over her face and form, but that shouldn’t have mattered. She was a student, and such a thing couldn’t happen again.

Still, he couldn’t evict the incident from his mind, and because of that, he had the devil’s own time trying to sleep for the past two nights. The remembrance of her lips against his, the way her soft curves fit against his harder body, the sounds of pleasure she’d made when he’d kissed her, the way excitement and awe had shone in her blue eyes for the seconds she’d straddled him all worked to cloak the common sense he usually showed.

What the devil is wrong with me? Certainly, he’d known better than to even engage in such a scandalous activity, and with an innocent and a stranger to boot. God, Lewis, get your head out of your arse and don’t muck this venture up. Distraction was much of the reason he’d fled to the boxing salon before it had officially opened for the day.

Unfortunately, his brothers apparently had the same idea, for they arrived at the salon a half hour after he had. He saw them as they entered the space from the windows in his office. With a sigh, he stood up from his desk and then joined them in the lesson space.

“What are the two of you doing here so early?”

Both brothers showed varying degrees of surprise upon seeing him.

It was Duncan who spoke first. “More to the point, what are you doing here? The last time I knew, you didn’t rise from your bed until nearly noon.”

“Ordinarily, that is true.” Lewis shoved a hand through his hair before resting his hands on his hips. “However, I’ve been having trouble sleeping recently, and I haven’t been to my club since we opened the salon. Too much to do.”

Alexander narrowed his eyes. “While that may be so, there is something else at play here.” As he spoke, his brother tidied the pallets and mattress ticks. “You have been acting oddly ever since you took on that new client, that young man, the short one.”

“You’re right,” Duncan said with a nod. “As soon as that young man’s first lesson was over, you were acting differently. In fact, why the devil would you conduct a private lesson behind closed blinds when he’s no different than any of our other clients?”

Well, damn.

“There is something I haven’t told you, something I only just recently found out,” he admitted in a soft voice. Not understanding why this bothered him so much, Lewis leaned a shoulder against the wooden frame that held up one of the straw-filled bags.

“Shit, Lewis, have you mucked this up for us already?” Censure rang in Alexander’s voice as he glared. “We haven’t even been open a month.”

“Come off it. Of course I didn’t.” Much. “Uh, when the young man in question first approached me for lessons in boxing and self-defense, I was doubtful, for something didn’t ring true about the fellow’s appearance and demeanor.”

Duncan frowned as he tidied the pile of padded mittens. “Meaning?”

Lewis blew out a breath. “I suspected the young Mr. Feathers was a woman in disguise but didn’t push for the admission at that time.”

Shock reflected on his middle brother’s face. “Why not?”

He shrugged and then crossed his arms at his chest. “There was no need to tip her hand at that point. She was frightened and wary, nearly shrank away from me when I barely touched her to teach her the positions or how to form a fist.”

Duncan came over with a bucket of dirty rags in his hand. “What happened then?”

“I honestly thought it might be a one-off experience because I wasn’t certain she’d come back after the first lesson.” He pushed off the wooden frame in favor of pacing the length of the salon floor. “Then, two days ago, she returned for her second lesson.”

“Still disguised as a boy?” Duncan wanted to know.

“Yes.” He nodded. “She paid the fee without complaint, wouldn’t let me keep things at the basics, so I put her into some mittens and give her some pointers on sparring so she could get the feel of hitting her fists into something other than my hands.”

Alexander nodded. “Good next step. She must either be a quick study or have some natural skill for you to move to mittens so soon.”

“Honestly, I’m impressed.” He shrugged again. “Truth to tell, she knocked me on my arse when she rushed me. I wasn’t expecting it, and my knee decided to lock at the moment of impact, so I went down hard on my back.”

Both of his brothers snickered.

Heat crept up the back of his neck. “She did well. Even admitted she was a woman and removed her cap so I could see her hair that had been pulled back into a severe bun.” In his mind’s eye, he saw the scene replay, felt the weight of her on top of him. “After that, things changed. The mood shifted.”

“How?” Alexander asked as Duncan continued to gather dirtied rags from around the space. “Changed as in you told her you would cease her lessons since the truth came out?”

“Ah, no.” Lewis shook his head. “I… uh…” He heaved out a huff. “I kissed the woman, or rather she kissed me, which I would never have expected given her wariness of men in general.”

“I beg your pardon, but did you say that you kissed her? A woman you don’t know? A veritable stranger you’ve met a grand total of two times?” Shock reflected on Alexander’s face as he gawked at Lewis.

“Yes.”

The same emotions lay stamped through Duncan’s expression. “I never thought you had in in you, Lewis. Damn.” A wide smile curved his lips. “How was she? From the looks of her in those breeches, she’s got enough curves to tempt the saints.”

Mild annoyance rose in his chest. His brother was a womanizer, and the last thing Miss Dawson needed was his kind of harassment. “Have some respect.”

“Why? You obviously didn’t if you kissed her.” There was a challenge in Duncan’s eyes as he stared Lewis down.

“I deserve that.” Clearly, he’d gone mad in that moment. “It was a kiss, nothing more, and it won’t happen again. You both have my promise.” Had he become so randy from not having a woman in his life for a year that he’d kiss the first one he came by? God, what an idiot he was.

“I’m afraid I don’t even know what to think.” Alexander slowly shook his head. He darted his gaze between the brothers. “What do I do?”

“What the hell do you think? Tell her there is no possible way she can continue taking boxing lessons!” Alexander’s voice rose with each word. “It’s pure folly as well as scandal to have her continue to come here.” He regarded Lewis as if he’d grown two heads. “If she talks about taking lessons, or hell, about you kissing her… can you imagine the scandal, not only for the salon but also for your personal life?”

Damn, but he hadn’t given his life a thought. “I’ll be honest, I’d only cared about the salon. However, Miss Dawson won’t talk. She’s not the type to blab for a sensation.” Neither was she a fortune hunter. Frankly, he doubted that had ever occurred to her; she was only concerned about keeping herself safe.

Duncan snorted. “How do you know? You said yourself she’s a stranger.”

“I just know.” He shrugged. “It’s a feeling.”

“It’s shocking you’re such a nodcock.” Alexander shook his head. “What do you know of her? Other than wanting boxing lessons?”

He narrowed his eyes on his brother. Though their skepticism was valid, they should realize he wouldn’t put his family or their business into jeopardy for the attentions of a woman—any woman. “Next to nothing except being harassed by a brutish man at the docks.”

“Why the hell was she at the docks?”

“Apparently, she keeps the books for her father’s shipping business. Other than that, I don’t know if she lives there or how often she’s at the office.”

For long moments, his brothers stared at him.

Finally, Alexander nodded. “Perhaps you should start there.”

“How?”

“What the hell do you mean how ? You go be charming. Meet with her outside of the salon capacity, and you start asking questions, inquire into her life and past.”

Lewis frowned. “What difference will that make? We don’t do the same for any of our other clients.”

“True, but then our other clients aren’t female.” One of Alex’s eyebrows rose in challenge. “If she is adamant about pursuing lessons, something will need to be worked out. We can’t have skirts trailing in here.”

“I agree.” His mind went in a thousand different directions. Yet that fear in her eyes hadn’t been false. She was truly worried.

Duncan cleared his throat. “Well, we did open the salon for people of all walks of life. We just didn’t count on the fact that women might be interested. You could either give her private lessons or she could come here in disguise after hours.” He shrugged. “But you never answered my earlier question.”

“Oh? What?”

A cheeky expression went over his face. “Did you enjoy the kiss? You’ve had a bit of a dry run lately, and I find it more than interesting that you showed enough of an interest in a woman to kiss her, regardless of how it came about.”

The heat on the back of his neck had returned, but he couldn’t hold back his grin. “Oddly, I did, but it can’t happen again. I can’t afford the distraction.”

And he hoped to God that would hold true.

*

When Miss Dawson arrived at the salon that afternoon, he ushered her into his office that already had the blinds closed, and ignored the curious look Alexander shot him. Though she was dressed once more as a young man, she removed the cap as soon as she dropped onto a low sofa at the rear of the room beneath the window that overlooked the alley.

“You seem quite harried, Miss Dawson. Is all well?” Though he’d only spent two hours in her company over the past four days, he’d looked forward to this visit.

“It is becoming more and more difficult to go by my father’s shipping office due to the unwanted attentions of Mr. Derrickson.” She tangled her gloved fingers together in her lap while her eyes held a sheen of tears. “I managed to evade him this afternoon, and only because one of his fellows called his attention away, but I can’t speak to the future.” Briefly, she bit her bottom lip. “I wished James was with me, but he is with his friends today.”

He frowned. “James is your beau?”

“Of course not. Don’t be silly.” When her gaze snapped to his, an electric sort of sensation twisted down his spine. “He is my brother.” With a sigh, she removed her gloves and then shoved them into a satchel she carried that showed the outline of a book or two. Perhaps she had visited the bookshop nearby. “In any event, I’ve looked forward to this lesson.”

Finally, there was a natural break he needed. “About that.” Unbidden, he sank onto the sofa a bit away from her. “We should use this time for a discussion instead of actually boxing work.”

When her lips turned downward, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her mouth. “Whyever for?”

Pull yourself together, Stapleton!

“We were rather carried away at our last session, and I don’t want there to be an excess of emotion this time around. Also, I do apologize for my conduct with the kiss. You can be assured that such will not happen again.”

For long moments, she regarded him, her expression inscrutable. Then she nodded. “I agree. My behavior was unconscionable as well. Because of my forwardness, things bordered on the scandalous. I wasn’t thinking.” Then she dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap. “Does this mean you don’t wish to give me boxing lessons any longer?”

“No!” He cleared his throat and tempered his enthusiastic reply. “That is, I would never begrudge anyone the chance to learn to defend themselves. However, surely you must know that now your secret is out, I can hardly have you here while other men are about, for I don’t wish for you to think you need to continually hide in a disguise.”

“What do you mean?” The inquiry was couched in a tremulous whisper that went straight through his chest.

Lewis held up a hand to stave off hysterics. “What I am proposing is this. We continue to have lessons, but they will either need to be here after hours, at your father’s office, or at times in Hyde Park where we would have more room to spar—during the non-busy times, of course.”

“Truly?” When she raised her gaze to his once more, those blue pools of her eyes were so fathomless he wondered what it would feel like to drown in them.

“Of course.” Mentally, he gave his head a shake. Focus on the task at hand, man. Don’t let her become a distraction. She is a student, nothing more. “First, I would like to learn a bit more about you, if you are of a mind to share.”

“All right.” She nodded. “I promise to answer to the best of my abilities, but I should hope you will return the favor sometime.”

“I will.” Was that crossing the line of instructor and student? At the last second, he tamped down the urge to snort. He’d already kissed her, so that line had been left in the dust a long time ago. “Since you are past the first and second blooms of youth, may I ask why you aren’t attached? Perhaps you were a war bride and now a widow?” Of course, mentioning her supposed age and her lack of martial status wasn’t well done of him, but he couldn’t recall the words.

“Oh. How rude of you to drive home the point that I am unmarried.” Some of the color faded from her face. “I was engaged once, so it wasn’t as if I was unwanted. There is a difference, you know.”

“Of course there is.” Why did she want to impress that point on him? How interesting. “What happened? Did he die?”

“No, but there were times when I wished he would have.”

Lewis could do nothing but gawk at her. “What?” Was he inadvertently harboring a criminal?

She stood, apparently restless, and with her arms wrapped around herself, she began to pace in front of the sofa. “I was engaged at a young age—nineteen. At the time, my father was a celebrated ship captain; everyone in society adored him and he was sought after to make up numbers at dinner parties and routs.”

“I believe we have done business with your father in some capacity over the recent months, but Alexander handles the books, so I may be speaking out of turn.” None of that mattered and it certainly didn’t pertain to the current conversation.

A sigh escaped her. “Because of that, he made many connections, and one of them was a viscount who had a son a few years older than me.”

“Ah, and because he is a caring father, he wanted you to make a good connection within the ton , so he endorsed the match.” It was a story told time out of hand. “What happened?”

“At first, everything went well. He was attentive and romantic and everything I thought a fiancé should be.” She paused in her pacing to stare out the rear window. “A few months into the engagement, things changed—he changed.”

“In what way?” But his chest tightened, for he both didn’t want to know and was dying to discover the truth at the same time.

“He had a temper, and when he lost at the gaming tables or when misfortune of any kind came his way, he would take out those frustrations on me, which resulted in multiple bruises, and once, he nearly broke my arm. Of course, he always apologized after the incidents happened, told me they would never happen again. At first I believed him… until it continued.”

“The bounder!” Before he could understand his reaction, Lewis sprang up from the sofa. “Give me his name, and I will go clean his clock.”

When she turned about to face him, her tiny smile had his chest tightening for a completely different reason. “While that is a lovely thing to say, I refuse to voice his name aloud. That time in my life is over.” Her chin trembled as she met his gaze. “Finally, I told my father about the beatings. He immediately paid a call to the man, threatened many things, and from what he told me, ran him out of Town, for I haven’t seen my fiancé since.”

Once more, Lewis gawked at her. “Was the engagement broken?”

“I would imagine. My father was the last person to have words with him. Due to the delicate nature of the circumstances surrounding the abrupt end to the engagement, Papa as well as the viscount thought it best to say my former fiancé had important and sensitive pressing business in America, and instead of wishing to continue the engagement indefinitely, all parties agreed to end it.”

“Ah, and thereby saving your reputation.”

She nodded. “Among other reasons.”

“Meaning?” Why were there still so many secrets lurking in her eyes?

“It is neither here nor there.”

“How long were you with your fiancé?”

“Not more than a year.”

“And you never wished to try again?”

A blush stained her pale cheeks. “Perhaps here and there, but after such a thing happens to a woman, trust that is lost is all too difficult to rebuild.”

Lewis nodded. “Understandable.”

She heaved a sigh. “When I began having problems with men at the docks, my patience with men snapped.” Resolve reflected in her eyes. “That is why I wished to learn how to box. I need a way to defend myself. My father says I should stay at home, that he’ll bring the ledgers and paperwork to me, but if I do that, I allow the bullies to win and honestly, I don’t wish to have my wings clipped, so to speak.” Then a plea entered those blue pools. “Please don’t cancel our lessons, Mr. Stapleton. I couldn’t bear it, and that would feel all too much like defeat.”

Well, damn. How could he send her away now?

“All right. Calm yourself, please.” He shoved a hand through his hair. There was a responsibility to the salon, but he also had one toward her. “We can continue the lessons at your home.”

“I would rather we didn’t, for there are servants underfoot and my brother has his tutors throughout the week.”

“Very well. Then your father’s shipping office?”

“That would work. Rarely is he there on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those are the days when he meets with investors and clients, and when he inspects cargo coming off ships.” Her eyes were luminous with tears. “Thank you, Mr. Stapleton.”

I am the biggest nodcock in the world, all for a pair of jewel-like eyes. But he nodded like a dunce. “Please call me Lewis.”

“All right… Lewis. I am Cecilia.” Then she smiled, and he thought his world might upend if he didn’t grab hold of something. Before, the shortened version of her name had slipped out in the moment, but now he officially could use her given name. It was quite the boon. “Shall we resume next week?”

“And miss days? Hardly.” With a queer feeling in the pit of his stomach, he briefly pressed his lips together. “Come here to the salon on Sunday. We don’t open on that day, but I’ll meet you here. Wear your usual boy’s attire, and I will keep the alley door unlocked so you can easily slip in before anyone sees you. We will do more sparring at that time.”

“I appreciate that so much. You have no idea.” Then she collected her cap and set it back over her blonde tresses. “Have a lovely afternoon, Lewis.”

The way she said his name, as if her lips caressed the word before releasing it into the air, was like poetry. Such thoughts pushed him further toward madness, surely. “You as well, Cecilia.” Then he cleared his throat, for something kept poking at him. “Uh, why did you kiss me?”

At the door, she shrugged. “Oddly, I felt safe with you, as if I were protected. Somehow, I knew you wouldn’t hurt me where others have.” It was said in such a matter-of-fact tone that he couldn’t help but believe it as truth. “That being said, why did you return the kiss?”

Heat went up the back of his neck. Was there an easy answer? “I wanted to because there is something about you that makes me feel… different. I can’t explain it.” That would have to suffice.

“Fair enough.” Then, with a nod, she opened the door to his office and was gone with his next breath.

How the devil was he to explain this to his brothers?