watsonma@hotmail.com
Everlasting Love
Serena had been living at Muncaster for two weeks
and things had not been as she had expected. Her uncle had very strict
rules regarding her behavior. She was not allowed to wear men's clothing
or practice her fencing. She had to eat dinner with him every evening in
the dark forbidding dining room. Many times they sat in silence, which
over the past few weeks had grown more comfortable for her but not by any
means more interesting.
She did however have most of the days to her
leisure and she spent them wandering the beautiful gardens or gazing out
over the river. Business and whatever else it was he did often occupied
her uncle's days. He often spent hours locked in his study and no one dared
to interrupt him. It made her sad the way he lived his life, locked away
from the world, the warmth and beauty of it never touching his heart.
As much as she enjoyed the beauty of the estate,
it left her with a growing longing to go riding or practice her fencing
skills that she now feared were diminished due to her lack of practice.
She hoped that the little practice in the limited space of her room, that
she did after her bedtime was good enough. Although she had no sword in
her bedroom, she could practice her form and stance. She hoped that was
good enough.
The only persons she had ever fenced with in
her life were her father and her older brother Andrew. She thought it unlikely
that she would ever make use of her abilities but she had always been interested
in collecting knowledge.
Darien walked up slowly, curious as to whom the young man, with ridiculously long blonde hair, fencing with an imaginary partner was. The young man, whomever he was, was of slight build and had excellent form. At the moment he could certainly use a good challenge. He stepped out from behind the tree, and announced his presence.
How would you like a real challenge for a fencing partner, good sir?
The young man jumped at the sound of the voice, almost dropping his rapier. He turned to face the newcomer. I accept the challenge he said in a feminine voice.
Darien was startled to see that the young man before him wasn't a young man at all but rather a beautiful young lady, with bright blue eyes and wild golden blonde hair. I'm sorry, I didn't realize
That I was a woman? she finished for him. You aren't going to back down from your challenge now are you? What in the world,' why am I challenging him?' She thought to herself'. Looking directly into his dark blue eyes, she felt lost in them. His black hair fell into his eyes and the perplexed look on his face only served to make his face even more handsome.
Darien took her bold stare as a challenge. He most certainly hated to lose a challenge to a mere girl despite how her hair shone, her pink lips moved, or her courageous blue eyes glistened with her inner light. I would never back down from a challenge. I will go easy on you however. I'd hate to harm a lady.
It's presumptuous of you to assume victory in this fight. I assure you sir, I am no weakling. With that she charged him. En garde!
Why that little chit! Insolent wench! Darien cursed, unbuttoning his shirt. She had actually defeated him. He was humiliated, to say the least. He had been beaten by a woman, an incredibly beautiful, sexy woman, but a woman no less.
It wasn't for a lack of skill that had lost. It was pure luck on her part, based solely on the fact that she distracted him. She caused his thoughts to run wild, trying to get his mind off how good she looked in the men's black breeches and white shirt, she'd been wearing.
Why that little chit! Insolent wench! Darien cursed, unbuttoning his shirt. She had actually defeated him. He was humiliated, to say the least. He had been beaten by a woman, an incredibly beautiful, sexy woman, but a woman no less.
It wasn't for a lack of skill that had lost. It was pure luck on her part, based solely on the fact that she distracted him. She caused his thoughts to run wild, trying to get his mind off how good she looked in the men's black breeches and white shirt, she'd been wearing.
Darien rose early the next morning, dressed and joined the Duke's hunting party. He most certainly could have come up with a better way to spend his day. The gentlemen's company had been something of a relief from his usual business duties he had attended to on his own estate and his offices in London, but he found their lack of concern for their businesses somewhat distasteful. His opinion was a rather unusual one considering most titled and wealthy gentlemen spent their time at leisure.
The conversation had run along the lines he expected, veering towards politics and lighter conversations on the subject of women. That however had been the most interesting part of the whole event. The hunt had however, been as he had expected, completely boring. It may have been more interesting had he been able to keep his mind on the actual hunt. Even the incessant barking of the dogs failed to distract his thoughts from the path they had taken. It seemed he couldn't get his mind off her. He tried to gain control of his mind but all he could think of were her slender legs and flared hips, perfectly accented by the breeches she had been wearing and the curve of her breasts when the billowy white shirt had been blown by the wind or shifted by her graceful movements.
Who was she anyway? He had never gotten the chance to ask her name. She couldn't have been a servant; her speech had been too perfect. But then they hadn't spoken that much, so she may have been putting on airs to impress him. She most certainly couldn't be a lady. None of the ladies he knew would even dare to put on men's clothing and would find it distasteful to exercise in a manner that would cause one to sweat as fencing did. No, she was definitely not a lady.
He found himself wanting to see her again. He denied himself any thought of having any interest in her. He simply wanted a rematch and a name. A name would be very good.