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“Benedict advanced immediately, lunging and attacking, but Colin had always been particularly fleet of foot, and he retreated carefully, meeting Benedict’s attack with an expert parry.
“You’re in a bloody bad mood today,�� Colin said, lunging forward and just nearly catching Benedict on the shoulder.
Benedict stepped out of his way, lifting his blade to block the attack. “Yes, well, I had a bad”�� he advanced again, his foil stretched straight forward—�� day.��
Colin sidestepped his attack neatly. “Nice riposte,�� he said, touching his forehead with the handle of his foil in a mock salute.
“Shut up and fence,�� Benedict snapped.
Colin chuckled and advanced, swishing his blade this way and that, keeping Benedict on the retreat. “It must be a woman,�� he said.
Benedict blocked Colin’s attack and quickly began his own advance. “None of your damned business.��
“It’s a woman,�� Colin said, smirking.
Benedict lunged forward, the tip of his foil catching Colin on the collarbone. “Point,�� he grunted.
Colin gave a curt nod. “Touch for you.�� They walked back to the center of the room. “Are you ready?�� he asked.
Benedict nodded.
��En garde. Fence!��
This time Colin was the first to take the attack. “If you need some advice about women . . .�� he said, driving Benedict back to the corner.
Benedict raised his foil, blocking Colin’s attack with enough force to send his younger brother stumbling backward. “If I need advice about women,�� he returned, “the last person I’d go to would be you.��
“You wound me,�� Colin said, regaining his balance.
“No,�� Benedict drawled. “That’s what the safety tip is for.��
“I certainly have a better record with women than you.��
“Oh really?�� Benedict said sarcastically. He stuck his nose in the air, and in a fair imitation of Colin said, “�� I am certainly not going to marry Penelope Featherington!’��
Colin winced.
“You,�� Benedict said, “shouldn’t be giving advice to anyone.��
“I didn’t know she was there.��
Benedict lunged forward, just barely missing Colin’s shoulder. “That’s no excuse. You were in public, in broad daylight. Even if she hadn’t been there, someone would have heard and the bloody thing would have ended up in Whistledown.��
Colin met his lunge with a parry, then riposted with blinding speed, catching Benedict neatly in the belly. “My touch,�� he grunted.
Benedict gave him a nod, acknowledging the point.
“I was foolish,�� Colin said as they walked back to the center of the room. “You, on the other hand, are stupid.��
“What the hell does that mean?��
Colin sighed as he pushed up his mask. “Why don’t you just do us all a favor and marry the girl?”
― Julia Quinn, An Offer From a Gentleman