The Bareknuckle Groom - Holly Bush Page 0,55
when he saw MacAvoy smile. “I should have never fired you. You’re the best cornerman in the business, and I was foolish and full of myself to think I’d done what I’d done in the ring alone. You are as much a part of my success as my fives. I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”
“I just didn’t understand why, James. You’re my best friend. I want you to stand with me when I marry Mrs. Emory.”
“Is it enough for me to tell you I’m a horse’s arse?”
MacAvoy shrugged. “It’s factual anyway.”
James laughed and held out his hand. “Are we good?”
“Yes. We’re good,” MacAvoy said and shook James’s hand. “Why are you working out in your bedroom? Why not at one of the rings? And what are you working out for?”
“What do you think?”
MacAvoy shook his head. “No. Don’t tell me you’re going back in the ring.”
James nodded slowly. “I have to. I have to finish it.”
“No, you don’t. You don’t have to finish anything. You’re the champ.”
“It was a draw, MacAvoy. There’s to be a rematch. And you have to get me ready to fight.”
MacAvoy backed up, holding his hands in front of him. “And risk Murdoch’s wrath, let alone your sisters’? Even Payden would be pissed. We almost lost you, James.”
“You’re not going to lose me, but I am going to beat Jackson in the ring. It will be my last fight, I promise.”
“It damn well may be your last fight if you don’t have a decent cornerman.”
“Exactly.”
“One thing, though, James, and you’re not going to like it. You’ve got to do what I tell you during the fight. If I tell you to take a knee, you’ve got to do it. You’ve got to listen to me. I won’t do it otherwise.”
“I never had to take a knee before.”
“But Jackson is different than any other boxer you’ve faced. You know it. If you fight him, you’re going to have to be clever about it. You can’t just go out in the ring like you’ve done so many times and clobber the other boxer with overwhelming strength. He’s as strong as you, but he has weaknesses too. I’ll not do it unless you promise me.”
James took a deep breath. He hated the idea of stopping the match, but he knew in his heart that MacAvoy was right, that Jackson was near his equal, and if he didn’t use his strength judiciously, he’d end up on his back—or dead, as MacAvoy implied. “I promise.”
“The Young family is coming to the city, renting a house, and planning on an extended stay,” Lucinda’s father said over dinner.
“How nice.” Aunt Louisa turned to her. “I’d like to visit Madame LaFray’s this week, dear. Now that Renaldo’s family is here permanently, I thought I might take Susannah for some new dresses, and she is very excited to go. Without her older sister nearby, she’s had to rely on her papa. He has excellent taste, of course, but he does not know what clothing would please a twelve-year-old girl. Would you like to come too? It will be such fun!”
“I thought we might host a ball,” her father said.
“A ball, Henri? For any particular occasion?”
He laid down his silverware and looked at Aunt Louisa. “I just told you. The Youngs are coming to Philadelphia, and I thought we could introduce them to Philadelphia society, as it were.”
“I will not be sponsoring Mrs. Althea Young in any way into Philadelphia society. She is a social climber and an unpleasant woman as well. Do as you want, Henri, but I won’t attend,” she said.
“Not attend? Wouldn’t it be a good time to introduce Delgado as well?”
Aunt Louisa stilled. “Yes. It would be a very good time to introduce Renaldo and his family.” She took a deep breath. “But I will have a party here for their family alone or have it at whatever home he settles on, if you’d rather I didn’t go to the expense separately.”
He signaled for more wine and turned to Lucinda. “It sounds as though your aunt may be busy. Why don’t you take charge of this event, my dear? Your very first ball to plan all on your own. Spare no expense either, Daughter. I don’t want the Youngs to think we’ve cheaped on our entertainments.”
“Thank you for your confidence in me, Papa, but I really have no interest in planning an event such as this,” Lucinda said.
“Come now,” he said. “You’ll be planning these sorts of events as