Page 21 of A Bonny Pretender
Chapter Six
The Two Sides of Truth
March 1820
Angelo’s Fencing Academy
“Afriendly assault,no points kept.” Henry Charles Angelo announced to the opponents, who both nodded in agreement. “Then we shall begin.”
“En-garde.” The men took their positions.
“Pret.” Epees raised and ready.
“Allez!”
Frank advanced, on the offensive, as was his style. The whistle of blades sliced through air, followed by thesssscrt! ssscrt!of steel against steel. The younger Angelo feinted and scored a hit. Frank engaged again, cursing his lack of concentration when both players ended in acorps-a-corps, pushing against one another’s swords at an impasse.
Frank thrust his weight forward, then stepped back in almost one movement to disengage and separate their locked blades. He advanced again and this time scored a point. His opponent lunged, Frank parried, and Angelo counter-parried.
Bloody hell!
“Francis, you are distracted.”
“Yes, thank you for pointing that out.” Frank’s chin tilted up, the tip of the blade at his throat.
“My son bested you with little effort,” the fencing master goaded.
The older Angelo had been Frank’s instructor since Eton, taking the place of the blacksmith in Frank’s physical training. Angelo was the second generation of a fencing-family dynasty, his father a renowned Italian master. Besides teaching in over forty schools, he had continued his own father’s original academy. Classes focused on cavalry swordsmanship and attracted the patronage of royal and noble families with younger sons entering the military. He had become a celebrity in his own right, and Frank never missed an opportunity to visit whenever he was in London.
Angelo’s academy shared a building with Gentleman Jackson’s establishment on 13 Bond Street. The two men appreciated both sports as essential to any gentleman’s education and had referred students to each other since the opening of the Academy. The original Angelo had been good friends with Jackson and had given the boxer the idea to open the boxing establishment.
Frank thanked the younger Angelo, now third generation running the Academy, for the practice and began taking off his vest and face mask. He enjoyed the challenge provided, but he missed going against his old master. “How is the retired life?”
“Excruciating, but it was my own fault. Both Edmund and I were out of shape, and I did not follow my own rules.” Angelo, over fifty years old, had taken a holiday with his wife. When he returned after months of not fencing, he went to Edmund Keane’s home to give the actor a private lesson. Instead, he pulled the muscles in the back of one leg and ended his days as a master. Fortunately, his son had been in training since a child and took over the academy in 1817.
“It was a sad day for all of us when you were forced to retire.”
“Ah, but life goes on, does it not? Now, back to you, Francis. What kind of trouble are you in?”
Frank laughed. The man had always been able to read his moods. In fact, Angelo had been more of a father to him than the late viscount. “Nothing dramatic or exciting. I’m here to find a wife. I’m doing well with my estate and properties and feel it’s time to start a family of my own.”
“Wise man,” agreed Angelo. “A good woman can make such a difference in man’s life. I know firsthand.”
“Buthowdid you know?” Frank had no one to turn to in the area of romance. His best friend Charles was not yet interested in marriage. How pathetic was it to turn to a childhood instructor for advice?
“Ah, the age-old question. How do you know if it’s love?” He tipped his head and studied his past student. “Is there a particular young lady?”
Frank nodded, wondering how much he should reveal. Then again, what did he have to lose by unloading his worries? “I’ve met a woman, not the usual debutante, and I believe she would be a good match.”
“So you are interested in agoodmatch, not alovematch?”
“In truth, I was only concerned with a match that would suit me and my way of life. I don’t care for London, and the woman in question would be somewhat isolated from the usual Town distractions.” He sighed. “But I believe I may have found both.”
“Does your pulse speed up when you see her?” asked Angelo.
He nodded.
“Do you wonder when you will see her next as soon as she is gone?”
