“Fight me!” he snarled once more, his hands so tightly wrapped around her arms that he was afraid he would snap them in two. “I dare you!” As she stared up at him, her eyes not wavering from his, he held his breath, hoping, praying to see the spark ignite.
Although she appeared strong-willed most of the time, more than once Edmond had glimpsed a deep pain reflected in her eyes. At some point, she had sustained a wound. A wound that crippled her to this day. A wound that had her doubt her own worth. Was it possible that he had inflicted that wound? Had it been him and his careless proposal?
As much as her stubbornness infuriated him most days, he realised he still cared for her deeply. Seeing her trembling in his arms, he almost abandoned his pursuit to rouse her anger and comforted her. But in the last moment he stopped himself. She didn’t need comfort. No, what she needed was a confrontation. Whatever it was that had created this insurmountable distance between them they had to get it out in the open.
Observing her closely, Edmond’s hope sank. Instead of anger, he saw resignation wash over her, unspilled tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. “Damn it, Anna, fight me!” he growled, feeling his own spirits sink in the face of such desperate need. How was he to rile her into responding with anything but surrender?
When her eyes finally dropped from his face and all tension left her shoulders, a thought struck. Shaking her, he snarled, “I will make you fight me, if it’s the last thing I’ll do!” Then he grabbed her chin, forced her head up and claimed her mouth.
Immediately, she tensed, but did not try to stop him. Neither did she respond in any way.
Abandoning all thoughts of tenderness, Edmond allowed his hands to travel over her body without restriction. Deliberately rough, he squeezed her tender flesh, relieved to note a slight reaction in the way she held herself. Her hands came up to his chest, but she did not push him away…yet.
Continuing his explorations, Edmond reached for her most tender spots. All the while his hungry mouth fed on hers, bruising her lips.
Startled, she opened her mouth in outrage, and he noticed a new strength coming to the hands resting on his chest. Encouraged, Edmond continued his onslaught. Reclaiming her mouth, he bit her lower lip, while his hands found her buttocks, pressing her into him.
As though lightning had struck, Anna came to life. A menacing growl rose from deep within her, and forceful hands pushed him back.
Relieved, Edmond almost forgot to maintain a serious expression on his face before reality found him again in the form of her hand connecting with his left cheek in a quite painful way. Bloody hell, that woman had strength!
Rubbing his cheek, he stared at her.
“I told you not to touch me!” she snarled, eyes ablaze with barely contained fury.
“Good,” he said, allowing a smirk to return to his face, knowing only too well the effect it had on her. “Here,” he called then, throwing her foil at her. Holding his own, he advanced on her, a clear challenge in his eyes.
For a second, Anna hesitated, and Edmond held his breath. Then she slid into position, a snarl drawing down the corners of her mouth.
“Scared?” he asked.
She attacked.
Parrying her lunge, Edmond once more increased the distance between them. “Not bad, my lady,” he mocked. “For a moment, I thought you had actually forgotten your strength.”
Again she came at him, her movements less smooth than they had been before, hindered by the uncontrollable anger he saw flashing in her eyes. Her arm moved too much, and her lunge lost impact. Instead of calling her on her mistake though, Edmond decided to focus on the real problem that had her abandon all she had learnt. “Strong you are, but are you also strong-willed?”
A frown drew down her brows, and her lips tightened. “Shut up!” she growled, advancing on him again.
Allowing her to control the fight, Edmond took up a defensive position, hoping that the exercise would help her work through her anger. “Let me tell you, for someone who is utterly afraid to surrender to another’s will, you’ve quite easily allowed your friend to dictate your life.”
“What?” Stopping in her tracks, she glared at him. “What would you know of Henrietta? She is my friend. I very much doubt that you know what a real friend is.”
Edmond grinned. “Ouch! My lady, you’ve wounded me!” he mocked, revelling in the anger that once more shone in her eyes. “However, my ability as a friend is not the issue here. Miss Henrietta Turner’s is though.” Again she lunged at him, an angry scream rising from her throat. Side-stepping her attack, Edmond shook his head in the most condescending way he could muster. “After meeting your charming friend a few weeks past, I’ve made enquiries.”
“Enquiries?” she asked, staring at him. “How dare you!”
He shrugged. “Well, I thought it my duty to find out what sort of people my wife is acquainted with.” Her eyes narrowed. “What I learnt is precisely what led me to believe that you, my lady, are not speaking from your own mind.” Although the anger on her face remained, Edmond thought to see a slight shake go through her body as his words sank in. “From what I was told, the young lady exhibits a strong dislike for men in general at almost every occasion, constantly com-plaining about their openly portrayed disrespect for women as well as arguing that women ought to be considered equal to men in every way and allowed the same rights.”
“And is she not justified in her demands?”
“Whether her demands are justified or not is not the issue,” Edmond stated, allowing her to chase him across the clearing as he carefully retreated from her continued attack. “The issue is that these are not your demands. Certainly, you are one to demand respect for who she is, however, you, my lady, are not a crusader.” She stopped, and her eyes narrowed. “Yes, most men may be morons when it comes to their view of how women ought to be. And make no mistake, I do count myself among them. And although you might find that irritating, it is not enough for you to develop such hatred. You,” he said, stepping toward her, “do not generally have a bad opinion of men. Or at least, I am certain, you did not use to before you met her.” His eyes fixed on hers, he saw a small flash of doubt flare into life. Only for a moment, but it gave him hope. “The only man you have a bad opinion of,” he whispered, leaning closer, “is me.”
She drew a deep breath then, her eyes distant.
“Punish me for what I have done,” he pleaded, then shook his head, “but not for something you are afraid I might do.”
“You’re wrong.” Her voice rose as a mere whisper from her throat as her eyes focused on him once more. “There are others I do not hold in high esteem either. Do not flatter yourself. You are far from a unique individual.”
A grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “Jesting, are we? And I had thought you had lost all humour.” Again he took a step forward, only a foil’s length away now. “Granted, you may be disappointed in your father for the agreement he struck with me, but you do not loathe the very sight of him, do you? And besides him, is there truly anyone else you dislike in the same manner?” He shrugged. “I doubt it. From what little time I’ve spent in your company I believe you to be a buoyant woman, who loves and laughs as much as she can. A woman who sees the good in people. A woman who would sacrifice everything to save someone she loves.”
Tears sprang up in her eyes, but she fought them down, her lips thinning once more. She glared at him then, and in one fluid motion she lifted her right arm, bringing the tip of the foil to his chest. “Do not pretend you know me!” she snarled, though on the last word her voice caught. Her hand began to tremble, but her eyes held no mercy. “You!” she spat. “You know nothing about me or Henrietta or the friendship between us. You go through life without a single care in the world, certain that money will solve everything. And when the money runs out, then you just strike a bargain for a wife with a sizable dowry. It doesn’t matter who she is as long as the funds are transferred on time.” She took a step closer and the blossom came to rest against his chest. Rage burning in her eyes, she snarled, “You sicken me!”
Convinced that they had finally gotten to the root of her anger, Edmond knew he had to call her out, to force her to make her choice and reveal her true feelings. Not quite as convinced of the outcome as he would have like to be, Edmond swallowed, meeting her eyes. “I have wronged you, my lady. And you have every right to demand satisfaction. So…” Lifting his hand, he took the blossom off her foil, its deadly tip glistening in the sunlight. “I took your life,” he said, his eyes resting on hers. Then he took a step forward until the sharp tip of the foil came to rest on his chest. “So I am offering mine in return.” Dropping his own foil, he spread his arms. “Exact your revenge, my lady.”