Society's Expectations & Too Many Complications {Finalist}

Chapter 28

"You're are... you are..." One man stammered.

"A woman," another finished for him.

"Ah, yes I may... be that," I said. "But, you know, that... that is not a bad thing, in all."

"Do you mean to say, that Marcellus was beaten by a woman?" Nimrod laughed. The rest of them followed in an uproar, with Marcellus appearing stony-faced.

This is all they could think of?

"Rosalia Taylor, is it not?" Marcellus stated sardonically. "The Duke of Westershire's very own daughter."

"No!"

"That is the daughter of the Duke of Westershire?"

"Can't be..."

"Yes," I admitted. "I am Rosalia Taylor."

"But you are a woman," one man held onto the words.

"I.. I thought we already established this," I said curiously. "Yes, I am a woman. Yes, I am Rosalia Taylor. And yes, you should keep this absolutely secret."

"Why should we keep this secret?" a scrawny, brown-haired man asked. "Nice piece of talk here."

"You have heard of my mother?" I asked the group. "The Duchess herself?"

"Well, let me put this simply," I continued. "I will die, if you breathe a word of this. It will get to her ears and I will be put to death by her hand. A painful one, with many lectures along the way. So, that is why, you should keep this expressly secret."

"Why would you want to be here, anyway?" Nimrod asked me. "Shouldn't you be at a ladies' luncheon or something ladylike, milady?"

"I like fencing," I said bluntly. "I like it extremely well, but the unfortunate thing is ladies cannot fence. So, I became Charles."

"Are you sure ladies are suited to fencing?" Marcellus asked spikily.

"I am far more suited to it, than you are, I believe," I said sweetly. "With the number of times I have beaten you, I would think so."

"Perhaps Marcellus is a lady too!" Some idiot exclaimed. There was a scuffle as the gentleman in question had his hair mauled by several others.

"Get off me!" I heard a muffled yell.

Marcellus pushed the others away angrily.

"I think that ends today's session," Franklin announced, puzzled.

"I could not agree more," I said darkly. "Sebastian, can you... oooh."

"You do not have your carriage here," I announced in dismay.

"Excellent deduction," Sebastian said happily. "It would be rather conspicuous of my escape."

"Then, who am I to ride home with?" I said unhappily. "It is growing dark...."

"What of me?" Marcellus offered. I looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"You?" I asked him, incredulously.

"Me," he asserted himself.

"You?" I repeated, still processing.

"Are you slow today?" Marcellus erupted in annoyance. "Yes, I will have my carriage drive you home. My family is not so well-off as yours, but we do have a carriage."

"How... lovely," I uttered in shades of dismay.

Sebastian silently laughed at my predicament.

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