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E zra parried Frederic’s attack, using his shoulder to throw his friend off his weight. He turned and feigned to the right, opening Frederic up for Ezra to strike.

“Dueces. What has gotten into you, man?” Frederic bent over, resting his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Did I insult your honor?” He joked as he stood back up rubbing his side.

Ezra wiped the sweat from his brow as he walked over to where he had a pitcher of water.

“You always insult my honor.” Ezra taunted before taking a healthy gulp of water.

Frederic dragged himself from where they sparred to a chair by the table. “Seriously, Ezra, is something amiss? You’ve been extra,” he waved his sword back and forth, “stabby today.”

Ezra furrowed his brow. “I’m not extra stabby.” He said defensively. “I just have a lot on my mind and I needed to work out some stress.”

Frederic leaned back in the chair and extended his legs with a groan. “Can’t you find a nice willing woman to take it out on? I fear I’m getting too old to be on the receiving end of this particular stress reliever.”

Ezra clucked his tongue before pursuing his lips and adverting his eyes.

Frederic caught the movement and sat up.

“I know that look. Is there a woman?” He teased. “Please God, tell me there’s a woman. Harriet would love to see me return in one piece tonight.”

At the mention of his sister his mind cleared, until he remembered she was married to the friend sitting in front of him. Ezra groaned with the thought of his best friend and sister together in the biblical sense.

He raised a hand. “Please, do not talk to me of your relationship with my sister.”

Frederic’s smiled widened. It was a well-known fact Frederic loved to tease Ezra with his very loving relationship with his wife.

“What? You tell me of your escapades with the opposite sex. What kind of friend are you if you will not allow me to offer my experiences?”

“The kind that is your brother-in-law and does not wish to think of his baby sister in that way.” Ezra took another sip of his water. “Enough talking. Are you ready for another round?”

Ezra made his way back onto the floor. He turned to see that his friend had not moved from his spot in the chair. He raised his hands to the side. “Well? Are you coming?”

Frederic sat back in the chair and crossed his legs at the ankles. “Not until you tell me what has gotten you so worked up.”

Ezra looked up to the ceiling in frustration. “Why does it matter?”

Frederic lifted a shoulder. “Because I bruise easily and my fragile skin can’t take much more.”

Ezra has seen this man walk out of brawls with two broken ribs and a sprained ankle only to go on a three hour hunt the next morning and bag the biggest kill. He was by no means “fragile.”

Ezra huffed a sigh at his oldest friend and put his hands on his hips. “Are you really not going to come back out here?”

Frederic cradled his side where Ezra’s last strike hit and frowned in pain.

“If I tell you what is on my mind can we get back to sparring?”

Frederic sat back up with interest.

So much for his aching side. Ezra thought with a scowl. With an exaggerated sigh Ezra rolled his eyes and tossed his sword down in defeat.

“Remember how I was late to the party the other night?” He asked as he pulled up a chair next to his friend.

Frederic replied with a blank stare.

“Oh, right. You’re an old married man who doesn’t know how to have some fun or go out any more.”

“Trust me, dear friend. I still know how to have a good time, just ask your sister.” Frederic licked his lips and winked to Ezra’s horror.

“What did I tell you about talking about my sister that way?” Ezra warned.

“Come on, man, you walked right into that one.” Frederic jested with a nudge to Ezra’s shoulder.

Ezra acquiesced. “You’re right, but regardless.” Ezra pushed out a breath. “Caddington was having one of his masquerade parties the other night.”

Frederic whined. “Oh, I used to love those parties. Always had fun there.” He raised his eyebrows up and down.

Ezra frowned. “Watch yourself. You’re married to my sister.”

Frederic laughed loudly. “There is no winning with you, is there? I’m not allowed to talk about being married to your sister, yet at the same time I have to be consciously aware of it at every moment.”

Ezra sniffed. “I don’t see the problem. Anyway, may I continue with my story?” He quipped.

Frederic leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

“As I was saying, I was on my way to the party and I ran into a young woman, one that should not have been wandering Water Street after midnight.”

Frederic smiled. “Sounds tempting.”

Ezra’s eyes flashed to Frederic. “I did not jump the poor woman. I have more sense than that”

“What did you do with her? Or should I say, to her?”

Ezra grimaced at his friend’s off color comment. “I told her to return home at once.”

“My, how times have changed. Have you gone soft on me, brother?”

Ezra shook his head. “This girl did not belong amongst the night crawlers that frequent that street.”

Frederic pointed at Ezra. “You frequent that street.”

“Exactly.” Ezra deadpanned. “I told her to go home. She refused. She had quite a tongue on her.”

“Uh oh.” Frederic supplied.

Ezra’s head snapped to his friend’s. “What does that mean?”

Frederic shrugged. “Nothing. I just know you are always up for a challenge, especially if it comes in a witty little package.”

Beatrice was little, and curvy and, as far as Ezra could tell, everything he did look for in a dalliance. He pushed the thought of her soft body out of his mind.

“Stop interrupting me.” He snapped. “She wouldn’t leave, so I convinced her to.”

Frederic leaned his elbows onto his knees. “Oh, yeah.” He drawled. “How?” The way he drew the word out like a child annoyed Ezra.

“Buy offering her a kiss.”

Frederic whooped in laughter. “You certainly do think highly of yourself, don’t you? How did you know she would leave after a kiss?”

Ezra rolled his lips and stuck one finger in the air.

“This girl had inexperienced written all over her,” he raised a second finger, “she was clearly out of her element, her eyes were wide and scared, even though she tried to hide beneath a hood and false bravado.” He lifted a third finger and with his other hand gestured to himself. “And who wouldn’t want to kiss me?”

Frederic pointed to himself.

The men laughed and Ezra felt a lightness he hadn’t felt in days.

Ever since he met his daring little lady he hadn’t been able to concentrate. And when he can’t concentrate he gets anxious. When he gets anxious he gets, as Frederic puts it, stabby.

“Did it work?” Frederic asked.

Ezra tilted his head and smirked. “Of course it worked. But,” he leaned into his friend, “here’s where it gets interesting.

As she was leaving she dropped a list of ‘to do’ items. On it was things like, kiss someone, which I accidentally helped with.

But other things like drink and gamble, and repeat an opera scene. ”

Frederic cocked his head to the side. “Opera scene? What does that mean?”

Ezra shrugged. “I didn’t get to ask her about that one.”

Frederic sat up. “Wait. You said she dropped the list as she left.”

Ezra shook his head.

“Are you telling me you ran into your midnight wanderer since then?”

“At Swanson’s ball yesterday.”

Frederic slapped his knee. “And?”

Ezra pondered that for a moment. And what? What could he say? That a chance meeting two nights ago, led him to a dance and a conversation yesterday that has consumed every ounce of his being since then?

“And I offered to help her check off the rest of the items on her list.”

That sobered Frederic immediately. “Really? Did you mention your own list?”

Ezra’s cheeks reddened, which he hoped he could still blame on the exertion from their match.

“I did not. It does not affect my assistance in helping her complete hers.”

Frederic just stared at his friend. Ezra has had that particular stare thrown in his direction many times before. Frederic was calling his bluff and most likely adding a few choice words on the end.

“What? I am steadfast in maintaining my own list and I don’t see this changing.”

“I think you misunderstand me. I would love to see you throw that deuced list away.”

Ezra stood and walked to the pitcher to more water into his glass. He hated talking about his own list. Instead of goals, his was one of personal limits and rules. It gave him structure, a clear mindset. If something fell outside the limitations he set forth, he didn’t do it. It was easy as that.

Ezra ran through his list in his mind. He repeated it to himself before every social gathering. Although, it has been on constant repeat in his mind since two nights ago.

1. No ladies of the ton

2. Nothing indecent in public

3. Only dally once with a woman, no repeats

4. No falling in love

“Other than drinking, gambling, and some mysterious opera scene, what else is on her list?” Frederic asked.

Ezra reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny square of paper. He rubbed his thumb over her handwriting and felt a bolt of electricity run through his finger. He balled his other hand into a fist as he gave it to Frederic.

He snatched it from his hands causing Ezra to take a step forward, but he stopped himself from going further. He had a peculiar sense to take the piece of paper back and inspect it for any tears.

Frederic snorted. “You’re going to help her with these? What about her number six? It goes directly against your number four?”

Ezra took a sip of his water. “There’s nothing to worry there. She said she has no desire to fall in love with anyone. Perhaps she is destined for spinsterhood?”

Frederic looked up to him questioningly. “Is there something wrong with her?”

Ezra’s eyes flew to Frederic’s. “Of course not, you dolt!”

Frederic dropped his hands to his lap. Ezra couldn’t take his eyes off the piece of paper. Why did it bother him that it was no longer in his possession?

“Are you seriously considering helping her complete all of these?”

“Well, I already helped her with the first one and my mother always taught me that I should finish what I’ve started.” He winked.

Frederic shook his head in disbelief.

Ezra scoffed. “It’ll be fun.”

“Are you willing to break your rules for a little fun?” Frederic joined his friend at the table of drinks.

“As long as I don’t break that last one I think I’ll be ok.

And it’ll only be this one time. I think I could handle messing around with one lady of the ton if she’s destined for spinster hood.

” A corner of Ezra’s lip quirked up. “I rather like thinking I will be the only man a woman has been with. She can spend her whole life with only me as her experience. Kind of thrilling if you think about it.”

Frederic stood, staring at the list in his hand.

“You’ve had your list for a while.”

“I have.”

Frederic pursed his lips. “I’ve never really asked you about it. We all have our rules when it comes to dealing with women, but yours always interested me more than others.”

His friend was pulling on a thread Ezra did not want touched. He stayed silent hoping the conversation would surprise him and go another way.

“I’ve always meant to ask you, did you create your list after…”

Ezra’s pulse was thumping in between his ears. “After what?”

Frederic sighed. “After what happened to your sister.”

He pulled the thread. Ezra’s back straightened. He hated talking about his sister being married to his best friend, but he despised talking about what happened to her before their marriage.

“This has nothing to do with Harriet.” Ezra said cooly.

Frederic handed Ezra Beatrice’s list. “You know she is very happy now. You took care of-”

“I said it has nothing to do with what happened to my sister.” Ezra bellowed. “Now, if you excuse me. I have some matters to attend to. I will see you later tonight for dinner.”

Ezra turned on his heel, picking up his discarded sword as he walked towards the door.

“I thought we were going to go another round?” Frederic’s question echoed off the walls of the empty room. Ezra was already gone.