Page 2 of A Duchess to Fight For
When he turned to face the front, his back to the boys, Percy flapped his arms like a bird. Louisa squeaked and covered her mouth with her gloved hand, trying to cover her outburst with a cough.
Once the girls knew their part, they paired up. Louisa and Percy were a pair. When their hands met over their heads, Percy held hers with a crushing grip. She grimaced but said nothing. When she gave him a look designed to melt his face with fire, he stepped on her foot. Hard. So hard, it brought tears to her eyes.
She had to get serious about her revenge.
At the next lesson when Louisa and Percy were paired together, she stepped closer to him and breathed out.
“Lord Pemberton,” Mr Downs admonished when Percy took an abrupt step back.
“What did you eat?” he whispered to Louisa through clenched teeth.
She stepped as close as she dared, “Pardon?” She breathed on him again, and he stepped back again.
“Lord Pemberton,” Mr Downs snapped.
“Onions and sardines,” she said with a smug grin. “You like?”
Percy’s face turned red. “You’re disgusting.”
“Lord Pemberton,” Mr Downs said in a stern voice. “Please take a seat.”
Louisa turned her back on Mr Downs and pouted at Percy. She mouthed, “Ha, ha,” then turned back to Mr Downs with a smile.
After months of lessons, the six students eventually learned to dance despite Louisa and Percy’s antics. The two of them enjoyed their pranks with each other so much that they became good friends. They actually thought of each other like the brother and sister neither had. They vowed not to marry someone if their betrothed didn’t like Louisa or Percy.
They considered themselves a package deal. Percy and Louisa knew they would never be linked in marriage. They didn’t think of each other in that way. Besides, who could live day in and day out with someone plotting his or her next prank on you?
