The Fencing Master by Arturo Pérez-Reverte Page B

hand, I can't bear being treated with kid gloves, the way men usually treat women. As you see, I am perfectly capable of putting up a good fight," she added in a tone in which he thought he could hear a touch of menace. "And a sword thrust is a sword thrust, whoever deals it."
    Don Jaime had no choice but to yield to that argument. "In that case, madam, I am the one who should apologize." She in turn graciously saluted. "I accept your apology." Her hair had come undone slightly, and one black lock brushed her shoulders; she raised her arms and pinned it back with the mother-of-pearl comb. "Shall we continue?"
    Don Jaime nodded, picked up her foil from the floor, and handed it back to her. He was amazed at the young woman's courage; during the bout, the metal button that protected the tip of his foil had several times come dangerously close to her face, and yet at no point had she shown any sign of fear or concern.
    "Now we really must use masks," he said. And she agreed. They both put on their masks and stood in the on-guard position. Don Jaime regretted that the metal mesh almost completely obscured the young woman's face. He could, however, still see the gleam in her eyes and the white line of her teeth when she opened her mouth to take a deep breath before making a lunge. This time, the bout proceeded without incident, the young woman fenced with absolute serenity, executing the moves impeccably and moving with great precision. Although she never managed to touch her opponent, he needed all his skill to avoid a couple of thrusts that would certainly have reached their target against someone less skillful than himself. As the metallic clash of foils filled the gallery, Don Jaime was thinking that Señora de Otero was easily a match for the worthiest fencers of his acquaintance. For his part, still holding back slightly despite the young woman's express wishes he finally found himself obliged to take her seriously On two occasions he was forced to touch his opponent in order not to be touched himself In all Señora de Otero received five hits to the chest which was not many given the quality of her veteran opponent.

    When the clock struck six, they both stopped, overcome by the heat and by exhaustion. She took off her mask, wiping away the sweat with the towel that Don Jaime handed to her. Then she looked at him questioningly, awaiting his verdict.
    He was smiling. "I would never have imagined it possible," he confessed frankly, and the young woman half-closed her eyes with satisfaction, like a cat receiving a caress. "How long have you been practicing fencing?"
    "Since I was eighteen." Don Jaime tried to work out her age from that information, and she guessed his intention. "I'm now twenty-seven."
    He made a gesture of gallant surprise, as if to say that he had thought she was much younger.
    "It really doesn't bother me," she said. "I've always thought it stupid to try to hide your age, or to pretend to be younger than you are. Denying your age is like denying your life."

    "A wise philosophy."
    "Just common sense, maestro, just common sense."
    "That's not a very feminine quality," he said with a smile.
    "You'd be surprised how many feminine qualities I lack."
    Someone knocked at the door, and Señora de Otero looked annoyed. "It must be Lucía. I told her to come back for me in an hour."
    Don Jaime excused himself and went to open the door. It was in fact the maid. When he returned to the gallery, the young woman was already in the changing room. Again she had left the door slightly open.
    He returned the foils to their racks and picked up the masks from the floor. When Señora de Otero reappeared, she was once more in her muslin dress and was brushing her hair, gripping the mother-of-pearl comb between her teeth. Her long hair came below her shoulders; it was very black and glossy.
    "So when will you teach me your sword thrust?"
    Don Jaime had to acknowledge that she had every right to learn the two-hundred-escudo thrust.