Page 96 of A Winter By the Sea
He arrived promptly and greeted James with an arched brow and a smirk. “Ready to lose?”
Mr. Thomson’s thin nostrils flared. “Are you?”
“Boys, boys, boys,” Emily admonished. “No need to posture like bulls in a ring.”
Charles gave her a more genuine grin. “Only teasing him. I may have once been champion, but that was years ago. These days, I fence only twice a week with a local master.”
James shook his head. “Of course you do.”
“And you, Thomson?”
“As I said before, I’ve had little time to practice lately, and few worthy opponents.”
“Hey!” Georgiana interjected. “Don’t forget about me.”
Charles looked from Georgie to James Thomson in question.
Emily explained, “Mr. Thomson has kindly been teaching Georgiana to fence.” She hesitated. “And I have had one lesson as well.”
“Have you indeed?” Charles’s brows lowered. “Then perhaps you would like to witness our bout.”
Both men looked at her, expressions sober and expectant.
Hoping to lighten the competitive atmosphere, Emily was about to decline. Before she could, Georgiana enthusiastically answered for them both. “To be sure she would, and so would I!”
The men marched up the stairs to the former nursery in the attic. Georgiana followed eagerly—Emily less so.
“My apologies, ladies....” Charles removed his coat. Beneath it he wore pantaloons and a loose white shirt. “I am afraid I did not bring my fencing kit with me.”
“That’s all right,” Georgiana assured him.
Mr. Thomson wore buff knee britches and a white fencing coat buttoned down one side. He opened his case, and each man chose a foil.
The bout began.
Emily sat in one of the small chairs pushed to the side of the room, and her sister sat beside her. As they watched, Georgiana quietly commented on the moves she recognized.
“Advance, lunge, retreat. Strike-parry-riposte. Feint-parry-riposte.”
On and on, the pattern continued, until Charles jumped forward in a maneuver Emily had not seen before.
“Oh! I think that was a balestra,” Georgie observed. “I’m not certain.”
Charles seemed more graceful and his form finer. James, however, was also skillful, as well as quick and determined.
In short order, however, Mr. Thomson was breathing hard, while Charles seemed at ease. James’s recent lack of practice clearly hindered him compared to Charles’s conditioned endurance.
As Mr. Thomson tired, his guard slipped, and he gave his opponent an opening to land a strike.
“Charles scored!” Georgiana whispered excitedly.
The bout continued. Charles struck hard again, and this time James parried. James lunged and Charles attempted to counter, but James scored a hit.
“Bravo,” Georgiana cheered.
“Well done,” Charles acknowledged. “You are better than I recall.”
Mr. Thomson leaned over, panting to catch his breath. Charles, meanwhile, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.
