Page 40 of A Winter with the Rakish Duke

He threw a sword to the ground, the sound echoing throughout the large room, gesturing for her to take it. “That’s a fencing sword—an epee. It’s light to hold, so you don’t have to worry. I’ll teach you how to move, and we can engage in a little challenge.”

“Again?” she asked. “What challenge?”

“Questions and commands.”

Her brows pinched in curiosity, trying to understand what game he was referring to. Of course, he was trying to tease her, but it had to be more than that. There was no way he liked her; he’d certainly been with more experienced and charming women before, so perhaps this was his trick for seducing her. It would make perfect sense. But she scolded herself for thinking that way.

“All right. I’ll engage. But first, show me how to fence,” she quickly said.

“It’s simple really,” he continued. “First, move your right leg forward.” Placing himself in a half-squatting position, he pointed at his foot as it faced her. “Do as I do. Your foot should be facing me, and it should sting a bit.”

Eloise moved as instructed, her chemise sliding up a bit and revealing her bare calves. Something in her stomach stirred at the sight of Simon’s hungry stare, one that traveled all the way from her feet to the outline of her breasts. But she pushed it away. They should absolutely keep this appropriate.

She held the epee tight in her hand, finding it easier to move in that position. “Is that fine?”

“Just one mistake,” he commented. “Here, I’ll help.”

While still holding the fencing sword in his hands, Simon walked around and then behind her. His steps were slow. Torturous. They swept through the room, and she froze as his hands held her hips tightly, holding her in place.

“You should keep this part of your body as forward as possible,” he said, his hands trailing to her bottom. “Don’t push it back. All right?”

“Mmmhmm,” was all she could muster. He stepped away from her once more, returning to his position in front of her.

“It’s simple. Push the epee forward,” he instructed. She did as told. “Then retract before I have the chance to hit you; the blades are blunt, so you won’t harm me.”

The tip of the sword was flat, certainly not enough to do any damage. Putting all of her strength to her core, she pushed forward with her tender legs, moving swiftly to hit Simon. He didn’t try to avoid her. He followed her previous movement, yet this time, she attempted to get out of the way, dodging his attack.

“I did it!” She cheered like a child, knowing that this achievement meant nothing to him.

“You did.” He smiled. “Now for our challenge. The rules are simple: each time I get a point, you either must answer to anything I ask or do as I instruct. The same holds true for you.”

“That sounds fair.” She held the epee tighter, squinting her gentle eyes.

“May the best man—or Lady, win.”

Eloise pulled her toes in and out, trying to remain concentrated solely on Simon’s arm; she had a few questions she wanted to ask him, and she wouldn’t miss the chance. He lunged forward, and she dodged back. It was her turn to move.

She found her chance the moment Simon’s gaze drifted to her legs once more. Without hesitation, she plowed at him, and she managed to touch the tip on his torso.

“I win! So I go first.” She tapped a finger on her chin, trying to think of what to ask him—or command him. There were a few questions running through her mind. Where were his parents? Had he any friends? What secrets does he hide inside the Castle? But her curiosity and…jealousy chose on something bolder. “I want to know…how many women you’ve slept with.”

He suddenly began coughing as he looked anywhere but her, in a lazy effort to avoid the question. She already knew she wasn’t going to like the answer, but this made her feel slightly worse than before; was it honestly that bad? Yet, he didn’t say anything further.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard you, but…uh,” he paused. It was perhaps the first time she’d seen him so stunned and panicky. “Why don’t you choose another question? I’ll answer anything else,” he paused, noticing the grimace on her face. Her lips had curled downwards, and she twirled her thumbs worryingly. “I’m not trying to keep secrets from you. I’ve been with multiple women, you already know that—I just don’t believe the exact number truly matters.”

She didn’t completely believe him. There was certainly more to his story than him simply sleeping around with a few women; that was expected, but him hiding it seemed unusual. Not wanting to push this any further, knowing full well the answer would frustrate her beyond belief, she decided that for now, she would change it. But she wouldn’t give up so easily in the future.

“We’ll change the rules then. My new question is simple: have you any friends? You’re only seen with women, the papers never bring that subject up, and I don’t think there are rumors about any Lord who knows you.”

He pressed the epee into the floor as he walked closer to the table to take a sip of water, suddenly stopping when he saw the glass was not there. “I avoid socials, so rumors about my friendships are hard to spread about, but my friends are sparse and close. Lord Colin, the Earl of Chesville, is one of them.”

“He is?” She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “The Lord of ahundred Vineyards?”

“A hundred and thirteen to be exact. You know him?” he asked.

“Of course, he’s quite the spectacle among the ton, no doubt for his lavish lifestyle and incapacity to remain…capacitated. He’s your friend?”

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