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Lenore slipped into the room when the rest of the Whitlock household was asleep. The excitement of the reunion had died down a bit, and though they still held hands after kissing and caressing each other, they were calmer.
"So... what's the next step?" Lenore asked, stroking her knuckles.
"Thanks to the bet on my hand, it's something relatively simple: if you beat me in a game of chess, you become my fiancée," Annabel stroked her chin, Lenore kissed her hand, "now we have to decide how to proceed."
Lenore thought for a moment.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to let me win," she commented.
"No, it isn't. Because of some of your comments, they might think you're just a Casanova and I'm a naive girl who fell for it. I don't want to risk my father not accepting it because he thinks you have your eye on the family fortune and we obviously can't explain the context in which we met."
"Then I must defeat you in earnest."
"Indeed. We could choreograph a game of memorized moves."
Lenore stood, her eyes lost somewhere in the room. Then she looked at Annabel, who had taken a seat on the edge of the mattress.
"Or I can beat you in a game," she said firmly. Annabel blinked.
"Pet. It's not that I doubt your ability to do... whatever, you're here with me after all," she replied somewhat hesitantly, "but... I've been through dozens of chess halls without anyone being able to beat me."
"Not even close?"
"Edgar got a draw once. I think it was the sixth or seventh game, I hadn't slept at all that night and could barely stand up."
Lenore clenched her jaw.
"The season lasts three months. Give me two and a half to beat you fair and square, or I'll give in with a plan to choreograph a game," she played with the fabric of her pants, wringing it between her fingers, "I have two things to ask of you," she said, extending two fingers, "first, that you agree to play against anyone who asks. Start the season, you're probably going to get a lot of proposals."
"What's the second?"
"How many times have you beaten this guy?" the words seemed to be filled with venom.
"Twelve times."
"I want eleven practice games."
"What will you do with number twelve?"
"Beat you."
Annabel looked at her for a moment, then reached over and placed her hand on Lenore's cheek.
"You know you don't have to do that, don't you?" she asked worriedly, something in her demeanor making her uneasy.
Lenore kissed her hand without removing it from her face.
"You made this bet to escape a marriage you didn't want," she whispered.
"I want to marry you," she replied, annoyed that Lenore was comparing herself to every suitor who had come before.
"I know, I want to too. But how can I think I'm better than any of these men if I can't meet your one requirement?" she explained in a tone that almost sounded like a plea, "You'll marry whoever beats you in a game of chess, that's what I'll do.
Annabel was about to reply, but there was something in Lenore's eyes that went beyond determination. A kind of restlessness that, she deduced, would not go away until she saw her desire satisfied.
Lenore didn't want to prove herself to Annabel, she wanted to prove herself to herself. She would not take that away from her.
She sighed.
"If you've decided, all I can do is give you what you want," she kissed her on the lips before pulling a board from the drawer, "take the white ones. And I hope you remember how to move the pieces."
Lenore placed her pawn on f3. Annabel stretched.
"Would you like to read? I have a book of poems I would have liked to read to you when I first met you."
"But we're not finished."
"You've already lost," Lenore frowned.
"How could you know that?"
Instead of answering, Annabel moved her pawn to e5. Lenore responded by moving hers to g4.
Annabel moved her queen to h4.
"Checkmate." (1)
Lenore blinked.
"How did you do that?"
"When you boil chess down to its basics, you realize it's not about strategy, it's about calculation," she replied, "You have to see your opponent's moves before they make them, predict their moves, and cut them off before they even know it."
"What's your record for moves forward?"
"Six. Edgar is really easy."
Lenore pursed her lips.
"Oh, what's that face? Jealous, pet?" Annabel recoiled as she watched Lenore clench her jaw and look away. To be honest, she didn't find it easy to take such concerns seriously, but the look on her lover's face was disturbing "I'm sorry, is it... a problem for you that I brought it up?"
"A little," she admitted, "your father has promised your hand to this man. I don't know, the thought of him makes me sick."
"In that case, let's not talk about him," she replied, but then she took Lenore's hands between hers and looked her in the eyes, "but I want to make one thing clear. I respect Edgar as a playmate, and although he's a bit dull, I don't find him unpleasant. However, there is only one person that I love immensely, deeply and genuinely with all my heart: and that is you," she fixed a lock of her hair, "please don't forget that."
Lenore hugged her and stood.
"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Annabel asked. Lenore growled softly.
"Hug me, tell me you love me, and read me the book you wanted to show me."
Annabel kissed her.
"Your wish is my command."
Seeing the look on Annabel's face when one of the men she had been chatting with in the group proposed a game, Lenore thought about telling her to take a walk through the art exhibit later as she would have less time to look at the paintings she wanted.
Although she was as diplomatic and polite as ever, the fact that she didn't make any jokes or witty remarks during the game indicated to Lenore that she was in a very bad mood. Despite her concern, she managed not to be distracted.
Annabel, playing White, placed her bishop on f4 to escape the attacking pawn. Her opponent responded by moving the knight that had been on g8 to f6, possibly to try to dominate part of the center of the board.
Lenore glanced at the board: the black king was on c8 after the man had castling, so it had the rook next to it and the knight on d7, diagonally to the right.
She sighed and, directing her hand to an area of the board that seemed to have been forgotten for at least three moves, moved the white bishop from the other end of the board to a6, attacking the king from the diagonal.
"Checkmate" reported, "thanks for the game, love". (2)
As the watching group commented on the situation and talked about the game, Lenore quickly slipped into a corner where no one could see her as she pulled a small notebook and fountain pen from her jacket pocket.
Lenore asked for a second game within a week of watching, Annabel noticed right away that her game had improved a bit, maybe she had been studying. However...
"Your turn," Lenore said. Annabel thought for a few seconds.
"I am aware," she began, "that you want to win this fairly, and I will do my best to respect that, but I would also like to offer my advice," she opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it.
"Go ahead."
"I've taught Edgar enough, you wouldn't cheat," Lenore raised an eyebrow.
"I assume you're saying that for a reason..." she tried to avoid bringing up the subject. After some thought, she relented, "Okay, I'll take your advice, but I don't want you teaching me how to play."
"I won't, pet. But at least let me tell you that you've already lost."
She captured the white queen with her knight.
"That's not checkmate."
"If you lose the queen like that, it's impossible to win. The queen is the most important piece on the board, and without it, your king is easy prey."
"That sounds oddly romantic," she commented.
"After all, what is a king without a queen?"
"Anyway, I'd like to finish the game. I know it's a bit boring, but I want to practice as much as possible, so give it your best shot."
"I don't know, pet, finishing a won game is uninspiring. Unless I have a proper incentive."
"Mmm... well, maybe someone stopped by a bakery and brought cookies, but how do I know?"
Annabel defeated her in four moves.
This was one of those days when Lenore felt a little guilty about ask Annabel having to accept every game that was offered to her. Not every gentleman was a suitor, of course, but Annabel had beaten the first contestant in a clever way, and that had aroused enough curiosity for them to ask her for games in a row.
Exhibited as a sort of trick-playing carnival pony. Lenore fought her better impulses to intervene, pointing out that Annabel might be tired after so many games in a row and might want to enjoy the dance instead of sitting around playing.
But the look she got after the third game was a reminder that while her attentions were flattering, Annabel would be furious if she didn't allow hold up her end of the bargain. So Lenore kept quiet and paid attention.
The board was a mess of scattered pieces, and Lenore wondered why the hell Annabel had her king on the black side, on e6. Especially since there was a black bishop on f8 and the enemy queen on G5, wasn't that a strange risk?
No, wait a second.
The white queen moved from the other side of the board to f7.
"Check," Annabel reported. Her opponent moved the king to d8, and Annabel's queen followed suit, settling on d7.
Right diagonally to the white king.
"Checkmate," Annabel informed her opponent, holding out her hand. (3)
Lenore smiled to herself: that was two steps forward.
Weeks went by, and in the coming days, the practice games would run out. This was the eighth. Lenore scratched her head.
"I'm going to lose, aren't I?" She commented, looking at the board.
"That you can see it is a good sign," Lenore pouted, "I'm bloody serious."
"Wait, I've seen you do this several times, what's it called?"
Annabel leaned forward, taking Lenore by surprise as she planted a kiss on her lips, Lenore placed her hand on her chin to deepen it. She heard the sound of a piece being moved and Annabel chuckling.
"Kiss of death."
Annabel's opponent moved his queen to B3. She would then counter by moving the black bishop to C4 so that it would run diagonally to the black knight. White didn't know that he had already lost, so in an attempt to be intimidating, he would place his queen on C3 to intimidate her.
But Annabel would move the knight to f4. Keeping the white king in check. Lenore thought that even if the man had sacrificed his queen to remove the pawn-protected bishop, Annabel had her own queen nearby, waiting.
Then the black knight would be placed on h3 and....
"Checkmate." (4)
The king, with the three castling pawns on top, had nowhere to go.
Pink eyes fixed on her.
"Come to think of it, Leo, you're always watching my games, do you have any particular interest?"
Lenore smiled mischievously at her.
"Maybe."
"Your father gave me permission to play with you, he was happy, which is a relief," Lenore commented as she paced the room, "unfortunately I won't be staying, I want to study a bit for tomorrow, too bad I'm out of practice games."
Annabel bit her tongue to keep from offering another.
"In that case I wish you good luck, try to get some rest, okay?"
"As if any of us are going to sleep tonight," Lenore joked, but kissed her goodbye anyway, "do your best."
"I wouldn't dare less, pet. I told you, your wish is my command, and if you want a fair duel, that's what I'll give you."
Another kiss. Annabel watched her walk off into the darkness.
Sometimes it was really hard to keep her word.
Annabel would have preferred it to be private, but her father was a man prone to pomposity, and "Leo" had attracted enough attention - partly because of his charming nature, partly because it didn't take a genius to see the flirtation in their interactions - to make this game something that had to be seen.
So there they were, at a garden party, with a few curious onlookers watching: the board was already laid out, with only one pawn missing on each side. Annabel's father shuffled it behind his back and then put his clenched fists in front of it.
"Ladies choose," Lenore said chivalrously, and Annabel touched his right fist: it was her turn to play black. They shook hands to start the game.
Lenore moved her pawn to E4, Annabel responded by moving hers to E5.
White pawn to F4, Annabel captured the piece with her own pawn.
"Oops," Lenore said in a relaxed tone, placing her bishop on C4.
"A bold move," commented Annabel, moving a pawn to B5 to attack the bishop.
Lenore captured the pawn with her bishop.
"Looks like we're even now," she commented.
Annabel moved her queen to h4.
"I don't think so. Check."
Lenore let her king escape, leaving it on F1. Annabel's response was to move her knight to f6.
"If I may copy you..." she placed her knight on F3 to attack the queen, Annabel moved the piece to H6.
She analyzed the situation for a moment: Lenore was gaining some advantage in terms of control of the center of the board, but she had not moved any of the pawns needed to bring out the full arsenal on the left side and no longer had a chance to castle.
The white pawn moved to D3, barely allowing the queen to breathe. The black knight moved to h5 and white followed again, this time staying just ahead on h4.
She analyzed the moves and was sure that Lenore would go after her queen, so she had to seize the opportunity.
Annabel attacked the bishop by moving her pawn to c6.
"If you continue to follow me, I think you'll get into trouble."
"In that case, allow me."
As she expected, the white knight moved to f5, Annabel let her queen escape by placing it on g5, and this time Lenore decided to attack her knight by placing a pawn on g4 and Annabel had to retreat by placing it on f6.
She heard some comments suggesting that she had the advantage. That was true: yes, Lenore had the pawns tidy enough to dominate part of the board, but with some of her pieces trapped, things were about to get ugly.
Lenore moved the rook to G1, Annabel captured the white bishop with the pawn, leaving it on B5.
A white pawn was moved to H4 to attack the black queen, and when Annabel pushed her back to G6, a white pawn was moved to H5 to continue the chase. She moved it to G5 to end the problem.
"You take good care of your queen, that's really sweet of you," Lenore commented with a smug smile. Annabel tried not to blush.
"She's the most important piece on the board, after all," she replied, downplaying it.
"Now that you mention it..." the white queen moved to f3, Annabel placed her knight on g8 and Lenore attacked by placing her bishop on f4, capturing the pawn protecting the queen and moving it to f6.
Lenore moved her knight to C3 and Annabel moved her bishop to C5.
To her surprise, Lenore used the knight to attack the queen again, placing it on d5. Annabel moved her queen to B2, capturing a pawn.
"Let's see..." the white bishop moved to D5. Annabel captured a rook with the bishop, leaving it on G1.
The white pawn moved to E5. Annabel captured the other rook on A1 with her queen.
"Check," she reported, trying hard to hide her nervousness.
What the hell did Lenore do?
The white king escaped to E2 and Annabel moved her knight to A6, while Lenore captured a pawn on G7.
"Check," Lenore whispered. Annabel moved her king to D8.
Then Lenore moved her queen to F6. Some men commented that she had just given away the game.
But Annabel's hand hovered over the board for several seconds.
It's a little risky because you leave a blot, but it's unlikely your opponent will pick up. This early they'll be too busy setting up their own strategy, and there will likely be gasp for the blot to hop through on the second turn.
She smiled.
"You really are extraordinary," she whispered, so low that only Lenore might hear her.
"Will you do me the honor?"
Annabel placed her knight on F6 to capture the white queen.
"Go ahead."
If anyone had looked under the table, they would have noticed Lenore's legs trembling as she took her bishop and placed it on E7.
It was as if everyone was silent, processing what had just happened, until Lenore found the voice to say.
"Checkmate, Miss Whitlock." (5)
They had looked at their hands together for nearly forty minutes, caressing their knuckles and leaving little kisses: the engagement rings were nothing more than a plain silver ring, but Lenore preferred it that way, the ring with the flower had not traveled from the United States to be overshadowed by another jewel.
"The jeweler laughed at me when I told him I hoped I hadn't bought them in vain because I hadn't won your hand yet."
"I confess I was surprised. But now that I think about it, you really did take my blot. I guess you're the dashing rogue for a reason."
"Speaking of which," Lenore reached for her jacket and pulled the notebook out of it, "here. I'm going to get rid of this, but I think you might find it interesting to look at before I burn it."
Opening it, Annabel found a bunch of clippings of drawings that Lenore had probably taken from various chess books.
Her favorite opening.
There was a sentence next to a careful count of the number of times she had initiated a queen's gambit next to a drawing of that opening, plus all the moves she made after initiating it, depending on the situation.
But she almost never takes the gambit with Black.
She found a section devoted to types of checkmate.
Her favorite checkmate.
It was the title of a bunch of notes on the Kiss of Death.
The list went on.
She only uses Scholar's Mate when she is tired.
Her second favorites are Blackburne's Mate and Suffocation Mate.
She dislikes Sicilian Defense.
Prefers knights and bishops to rooks.
Does not usually prioritize rook movement.
Very protective of its queen.
NEVER castles.
This was a complete study of Annabel's playing style. Lenore had done a detailed review of the more than 20 games she had played during the two-month season and the 11 games she had promised her privately.
"I knew there was no way I'd ever be better than you at chess," she commented as Annabel continued to stare at the notebook, "but if I could understand how you played, I might have a chance."
"Don't get rid of this," she whispered, stroking the pages.
"Huh? Why...?"
The text was forgotten on the bed and Lenore had to hold her down so they wouldn't both fall too hard on the bed as Annabel hugged her, sinking her face into her chest.
"Annie..." she called to her, a little worried, "are you...are you crying? what's wrong?"
"Just...let me stay here for a moment."
Lenore hugged her and tangled one of the locks of hair between her fingers.
"You really are extraordinary, you know that?" she repeated again.
Lenore just closed her eyes, enjoying the weight on her as she hugged her.
When Annabel said it, it was a little easier to believe.