Chapter Twenty-One
B oudicca was perspiring before she even stepped foot on the piste. Surely she would be recognized. Someone would notice she wasn’t Wesley. But no one did. She felt a couple of glances, but maybe the fact that she was wielding his weapon confirmed her identity to them. Besides, more often than not people saw what they wanted to see, what they expected to see, not what was truly in front of them.
She had already been there a day and a half, but somehow it felt new. All eyes were on her. But it was as if she had a blank slate. They didn’t see her for Boudicca. They saw her as Wesley. A man. A man who could do anything. A man who had options. A man who had power. But those resources should not be exclusive to men. She would show the world the options and power a woman could possess. Let the gossip ruin her. If it could, it would. And if it didn’t, then that would be its own beast to contend with because then she would have to face herself and the future she had been putting off for so long.
With confidence, she stepped up to face Samuel. But it wasn’t just Samuel. He was all the people who didn’t believe in her. He was all the people who didn’t think a woman could be strong. Agile. Athletic. He was all the men that had made her work twice as hard as a man to get half as much.
This was her battle. This was her war.
She would use her skill and then her brains to win it. For all the outraged daughters. For all the daughters who knew it was wrong for women to be subjugated. And for all the daughters who didn’t know. For all the daughters who didn’t know that they had the right to dream. To do. To become.
To become more than just a woman or a lady. To be seen simply as a person. Not for their beauty. Not for their skill. Not for their polite smile. Their curtsy or tea pouring abilities. A person to love and be loved.
It was altogether too much to put on a simple match. Yet still not enough.
The match had been reset and begun and Samuel aggressively advanced. He was direct. With a lightning fast lunge, he took the first point high outside. Rattled, Boudicca restarted. But her emotions were wound tight, and she was caught off guard. He quickly snagged a second point with nearly the exact same maneuver. He probably thought Wesley was a simpleton.
But to hell with that. She wasn’t going down this way. By jove, she had come to fight. No, she had come to win. This was her chance. If she didn’t pull it off, then it would all be for nothing. Wesley would have let her take his place only to secure him another loss. That was intolerable. She would not fail him. But even more importantly, she wouldn’t fail herself.
She would not get this chance again. It was now or never.
She shuffled her sword and gracelessly moved forward in hopes that the awkward movement would distract Samuel. If it looked like she didn’t know what she was doing, he wouldn’t know how to prepare a defense or counterattack. One. The flop worked. His eyes didn’t know where to focus, and she stole a point low inside. Quicker on the attack than even him, she snared a second point high outside. Two. When she struck, she heard his labored breathing, and she knew the win was within reach.
This was her time. She was not the kind to show off. To boast of her skill was considered improper for a lady. But right now she wasn’t a lady. She was a fencer. And she was damn well going to be the best bloody fencer the ton had seen yet.
She readied herself for Samuel’s aggressive lunge, and parried it away. She feinted right and moved left, letting him nearly go by her. He would turn quickly to strike, thinking he had won. In her mind’s eye she could see him smiling. And then…
He didn’t see it coming. He didn’t have a chance. She swung her arm high and around, snagging him high outside on his shoulder.
Three.
The crowd erupted. Her signature move had the men, all of them, on their feet shouting praises. For as long as she could bear it, she let the shouting pour over her. The referee was on his way over to her to confer her medal. It was a moment for the ages. They had never seen anyone strike like that before. Let alone…a woman.
She tore off her mask and slammed it to the ground.
The referee became a statue. The crowd was in a second, even louder uproar. A woman. How can she fence? Where’s the Duke of Baskim? Wait. Wait. Wait.
And then…
Hands were on her legs and around her waist. Wesley was there with James and Chris, and they were hoisting her upon their shoulders. It was scandal after scandal. But she didn’t care. She had the support, literally, of three dukes beneath her.
The three, plus a mixed crowd, were cheering for her with the loudest voices and largest grins. Chris, the quiet one, she had least expected such boisterous support from. James, she knew the least, yet he had been the one to steady her on Wesley’s and Chris’ shoulders. And Wesley must have been watching the whole thing, for he had been at her side first. That thought thrilled her the most.
She glanced down to see that Samuel had an inscrutable glare reserved for her. Even amidst all the chaos, she saw Wesley nudge Samuel hard in the ribs. Then she overheard him hiss at his friend, “You can get your arrogant arse over here to support my future wife, or you can stand there like an imbecile who just lost to a woman.”
Or perhaps it was that threat that thrilled her the most.
*
After her triumph, Wesley used his carriage to take Boudicca home. They sat in her drawing room with tea between them. It had been such a rush to see her beat Samuel, though he had no doubts that she could, that this moment felt far too serene.
“You must know that you won’t receive the medal.”
“Yes, I figured.”
“And they’ll probably redo the tournament.”
“That makes sense.”
“But everyone knows you beat him. Fair and square.”
Her smile warmed his heart. “I suppose some people will try to spread gossip that it was all a scheme.”
“There are conspiracies about everything. It’s bound to happen.”
“People will say anything, but the majority will know the truth.” It was optimistic, but he still hoped it would play out that way. “Rest assured that anyone wanting to remain in good favor with the four of us dukes will agree upon the truth that a woman is the best fencer in London.”
“Even if only a few know the truth, that’s more than before. I’ve come a long way.” She took a sip of tea.
“We both have.” He sighed, wanting to tell her so much, and knowing this was the time to do it. “I need you to know something about me. My standards are so high because of my father. He had to have the best, and he made it known that I had to be the best. He drilled it into me that winning was everything. He would always tell me not to come home unless I won.”
“He couldn’t be serious, could he?”
“Locked-me-out-of-the-house-and-sent-me-away serious.”
“I see.”
“I’m telling you this because I feel as though today I finally saw Boudicca in all her fullness.” He raked a hand through his hair. “And…I want you to see me more fully because well, I want us to fully see each other.” It was not as smooth as he had intended, but it was just the way the words tumbled out.
Her raised brow invited him to add more to his already eloquent speech.
“I know you must hate me. I deceived you. There’s no excuse for it. It was one of the most imbecilic actions I’ve ever taken. But truth be told, it was the best most imbecilic action I’ve ever taken as well. Fate intervened and led me to you.” He stood and walked around the table, then kneeled at her side and took her hand in his. “It led me to you. If I must beg your forgiveness every day, I will do so.”
“In full transparency, I should tell you something about my sisters before you go any further.”
“Tell me.”
“We each have plans to snare ourselves a duke.”
He waved his hand in the air. “That is nothing new.”
“By any means necessary.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll use your discretion.” He looked up at her solemn eyes. “Won’t you?”
“I can’t speak for the other three, but I don’t regret my actions.”
“Neither do I. Now, really, I have something of utmost importance to ask you. I can’t imagine another day without you. The last week has been hollow. I have missed my time with you. You are the most incredible woman I have ever met. You will make an excellent wife, an inspiring mother, and a formidable duchess. I have never told a woman this before, but…I love you.” His heart was pounding, waiting to see if she felt the same way and to see if she would take the leap.
Her hand cupped his jaw, and he had to still his breathing.
“I love you, Wesley.”
He gazed deeply into clear blue eyes, envisioning himself with her forevermore. “Will you marry me?”
Her brows knit together as she looked around the room and then caught his eye, “Wait, did you not bring me flowers?”
*
The next evening Boudicca sat at the dinner table with her family laughing about the previous weekend.
She was recounting all of the events to them. “And he didn’t return until he had flowers—”
“Pink peonies,” Wesley pointed out.
“And chocolates.”
“And a gift.”
“Oh yes, a gift.” Boudicca smiled.
“A gift? Bodi, it was the gift of the century.”
“The century, really? Isn’t that a bit overreaching?” she challenged him.
“Well, what do you call it when someone gifts his betrothed her dream gift? A building that she can use for fencing to her heart’s delight? And so that she doesn’t always have to come running home to her father’s house—no offense Humphrey—to do what she loves?”
The sisters around the table let out soft chuckles.
“When did you tell him about your dream to open a fencing school for girls?” Mimi asked.
Wesley dropped his fork. “She never told me that.” He turned to stare at Boudicca. “You want to instruct young girls to rebel against societal structures and follow in your footsteps?”
Boudicca nodded firmly.
He stroked his jaw. “So what you’re saying is, I really did buy you your dream gift, and you didn’t even have to ask for it?”
She nodded again.
“So it is actually the perfect gift for you?”
She nodded a third time. This time with tears in her eyes.
He reached over and pulled her into an embrace. “You silly gel. Why didn’t you tell me about that?”
“I was trying to ease you into my future.”
“Your future?”
“Our future.”
“I didn’t think you knew how to ease into anything. I thought you just always came out guns blazing.”
“That’s Zenobia,” she chuckled.
“What?” Wesley asked in bewilderment.
“The guns,” Boudicca explained. “Never mind. Thank you for the gift. It is perfect, and it’s really the only reason I agreed to be your wife and create a future together.”
“Well, it’s our future, and I can’t wait for more of it.”
“So if he hadn’t bought you the gymnasium you would have refused his offer?” Joan smiled, knowingly.
Boudicca only shrugged. “Well I did tell him that he also owes me half of what he wins for his silly little bet.”
“What does he win?” Mimi asked.
“I have no idea, but it better be good.”