"Come on, Captain! Go on!" Robert yelled, riding a black steed, his blonde hair dancing in the wind, his white shirt billowing, a hand holding the reins while the other held a stopwatch.

It was day three of training and the last two had been spent training on the Captain's flexibility and agility. Considering his huge size, those were his only shortcomings and needed to be worked on. The Captain with no shirt on, and in nothing but white trousers, ran up the green hill of Mrs Tucker's vast backyard.

His huge muscles were oiled with sweat, each sprint pumping his arm muscles. The man was a beast in human form. At the top of the hill was Howard waiting for him with a watch in his hands.

"Come on Captain!" Robert yelled, pressing hard into the sides of his horse. "You can do this! Ten more seconds!"

They had been doing this sprinting exercise for the past three hours and it was already afternoon, the hot sun baking Robert's skin tan. If the Captain could reach the top of the hill at the record time Robert set, he would know that they've crossed one drawback and all that would be left was boxing practice.

Three seconds were down and the Captain was a few metres from the top and was already slowing down. That was bad. If he didn't top it now, it would be hard to do it again. But if he could, he would be unstoppable.

Robert rode closer to the Captain and leaned down to whisper as they kept going up the hill. "Think of Dorice and Campbell. We saw that asshole that day in his office. Imagine what he'll do to them if he wins the match."

"Argh!" The Captain's eyes flashed with rage, adrenaline pumping through his veins and his pace tripled, his legs so fast you could only see a flash of white. Robert had to admit, he was quite the motivator.

Robert smiled. "That's it, Captain! Three, two and one!"

At the last word, the Captain reached the top of the hill and arched his back, his hands on his knees as he breathed heavily. That was one hurdle crossed. Robert rode to the top of the hill where Mrs Tucker, the lads and Ella were waiting in white fine seats, food placed before them on white draped tables.

He came off his horse and it was then the Captain fell with his back to the floor as he tried to catch his breath. He needed the rest; the drill was not an easy one.

Alice, the maid, walked up to Robert and gave him a cup of water which he gulped down. But he didn't fail to see her checking him out. He looked over to where Ella sat and noticed her frowning. She probably saw that. So she was jealous, eh? That was cute.

"Oy, Robert," The Captain said, panting. "How dare you drink water first? I'm the one who was running like a bloody horse."

Howard and Robert laughed and soon the Captain joined too. The giggling twins ran to the Captain and fell over his sweaty body, rolling over him. Alarmed, the maid tried to take them away but the Captain told her not to bother. He truly wanted children, didn't he? Well, whoever his children were, they would be lucky to have him.

"What did you say to him that made him bolt?" Howard asked as he and Robert walked over to the ladies.

Robert sat next to Ella who was still frowning, crossing her arms. "I just reminded him of the reason he was doing this."

"Well it worked like a charm," Howard said and picked up a bar of chocolate and began eating it.

Robert turned in the chair so he could be facing Ella. "Why do you look moody?"

"Nothing."

He knew it was far from nothing but decided to play it off. "Okay, if you say so."

He reached out to a chocolate bar on a plate and Ella moved it far from him. Smiling at her cute attempt to behave angrily, he reclined back in his seat.

"I saw the way Alice looked at you," she said, looking at him with eyes reduced to a slit.

"Oh, that. She gave me a glass of water."

"While looking at you like you were her meal for the day."

"Are you jealous, Ella?" Robert asked, playfully, leaning into her, a smirk at the corner of his lips.

"Of course not." Ella closed her eyes. "Why would I be?"

"You don't have to worry yourself. Nothing is going on between us." Ella was revealing to him that she felt the way he did. But he was still resistant to telling her he loved her. He had been going through the novel Howard gave him. And he had to say, love was indeed a beautiful thing. What Mr Darcy and Elizabeth had was rare to find.

"I've told you, I'm not jealous," Ella said brusquely and shifted back his plate of chocolate to him. "Go on, take your chocolate."

He collected it and took a bite. "Good girl."

********

The walls of the boxing room were coloured in a faint grey paint, a punching bag by the corner, and a few dumbbells littered the concrete floor. Beams of honey light entered the room threw the windows at the sides, all converging at the centre where the boxing ring was.

Mrs Tucker had the room cleaned up for training. She claimed it was her dead husband's training room. Robert was glad that she already had such a room in her house. If she didn't, they would have to go out and find one. Which would be crowded with other boxers.

Captain Asher needed special training and it wouldn't be conducive if he wasn't the only one in the training room. Besides, today was the last day of training and it was going to determine how ready the Captain was.

Mrs Tucker tapped her cane onto the floor, grabbing everyone's attention. "Now listen boys, the name of Pittsbury's fighter is Ayomide. He's naturally athletic despite his huge size. So fighting him would be like fighting two people at once. That is why I advised you two," she pointed at Robert and Howard who were bare-shirted in the ring. "Would fight him."

Her black eyes stopped at Captain Asher who was leaning at the corner of the ring. Ella was attending to him, wiping his face clean of any sweat with a towel. That was to ensure he started with a sweat-free face; that way no sweat would enter his eyes when he starts fighting. When Ella was done, she wrapped his hands with a white bandage to prevent any bruises. Robert and Howard already had theirs on.

Captain Asher's strong arms rested on the ropes, his brown eyes reflecting predatorial instincts. This wasn't his first time in the ring. Robert gulped and stood taller, rubbing his wrist with his hand. He had to give it his all to bring out the best in Captain Asher. That way they would yield the best results and win the match. This was for a great cause; finding the Captain's children and completing his moonlamp.

Before they began fighting, Ella walked up to Robert and said, "Try not to get your pretty face beaten."

"The only thing touching this pretty face tonight are your hands," he said, his blue eyes conveying desire.

She smiled at his silliness. "Not now, Mister. Focus on the match and if you win, I may have a little surprise for you."

The lustful gleam in her eyes made blood rush down Robert's groin. He watched her sway her voluptuous hips out of the ring, her large behind rippling in the soft silk dress she wore. Focus, Robert. Focus.

"I believe her derriere shouldn't be what you should be looking at now," Howard reminded Robert.

He knew that; they were in this ring for one reason. To give their all and hope the Captain could beat the two of them. But the thought of it hurt his pride. It was the price he had to pay for this mission.

The twins held onto their grandma's hands and watched the ring with awe. She hit the cane against the floor, signalling for the fight to start. The Marquess shuffled to the right side of the ring while Howard went to the left side. With those moves, a triangle was formed between the three fighters.

It forced the Captain into a position where he had to protect both sides of his body. Howard went first, his lean form making him faster. With his big hands, the Captain blocked his punch easily, leaving his right side vulnerable. Robert went for the Captain's right rib with a jab. The hit did its effect, making the Captain groan and pull back.

"Your eyes have to always be alert. Blocking a punch on the right leaves your other side vulnerable. Ayomide is fast. He would jab you just the way his Lordship did if you're not quick enough," Mrs Tucker said.

"Come on, Captain," Robert said, shielding his face with both forearms. "One more time."

This time it was Robert who went first, sending a fist to his face. It was easily blocked with an elbow. Howard was quick, going for Captain Asher's stomach. This time, Robert could see the Captain's eyes travelling down there. But he wasn't quick to dodge. He coughed as the punch hit his guts, making him stagger to the ropes.

"One more time!" Mrs Tucker commanded.

There was an improvement. At first, Captain Asher didn't notice Robert's punch. But the second time, he noticed Howard's gut punch. But he wasn't quick enough to dodge it. They went again this time, but both at once. The Captain ducked, their punches flying through the air and making them lose their balance.

By the time Howard turned, the Captain swathed his face with a floor-sending punch, making the private secretary curse out profanities so vile that Ella had to cover the twins' ears. Robert lunged his arm but the Captain caught it between his sweaty arms. He smiled cheekily before he whacked Robert's hard face, sending him to the canvas.

He groaned and laid his belly flat on the flooring. That was a disaster on Robert's part. He didn't even put up a fight. You couldn't blame him, he barely boxed.

As he spread flat on the floor, Ella walked up to him from outside the ring and patted his face softly. He screamed inwardly knowing what she was about to say.

"You got beat," she said resting her chin on her hands as she looked at him. "No surprise for you."

Groaning, he turned and looked up at the ceiling. "At least I get a kiss, don't I?"

"Maybe," she winked at him before she walked out of his sight. He couldn't wait.

Smiling, he gave the Captain a thumbs up and said, "I believe you're ready Captain."

"Aye, I am."

********