Katherine Kensington hits the mat back-first, the thud resounding across the empty training room despite the relative lightness of the young British heiress. The bump knocks the air out of her, but she does not stay down for very long; instead, she sits up and angrily smacks her hands against the canvas, groaning:
'Oh, Nigel, I am hopeless! I shall never be capable of even the most basic of things!'
'Stop talking bollocks, coz', says a handsome young man with a ponytail, as he steps forward and holds out his hand. Katie takes it, daintily, and uses it as leverage as she regains a vertical base. Halfway up, she clings onto Nigel's neck for added stability, holding the hug for a moment before breaking off and taking a step back. Standing in the centre of the ring once more, she loosens her neck and skips on the balls of her feet, clearly focusing for the next round of sparring. After another moment, she once again locks up with her cousin, but history repeats itself: Nigel uses his weight advantage to win the test of strength, and Katie takes a tumble to the mat. This time, all politeness is put aside, as the neophyte wrestler lets out a groan of pure frustration.
'Nigel Kensington III, you are being horrid to me, and I am quite convinced you are doing it on purpose!'
The young man chuckles, flashing his dazzling smile as he helps his cousin up once again. 'Perhaps I am. But there is only one way to learn, coz.' Then, taking pity on the young woman, he adds: 'Besides, you have yet to learn the most important trade secret for a grappler...'
'Oooh, what is it? Oh, do tell Nigel! I am positively breathless with anticipation!' Her eyes twinkling, the young Brit leans forward, ready to take in anything and everything her cousin might have to say.
Before Nigel can expound on his statement, however, the duo are interrupted by the entrance of yet another dashing young man. About the same age as Nigel and Katie - that is to say, in his mid-20s - he has swept-back blond hair, an enviable physique, and is dressed in the height of expensive London fashion. The unrepentant swagger with which he walks into the room indicates someone brimming with confidence, an impression cemented by a cocky smirk.
'Are we quite finished then?', he asks, as he struts in with a drink in hand.
'Not quite, mate', Nigel says. 'She is still struggling a fair bit, I'm afraid...'
The newcomer rolls his eyes. 'Oh, come now, Nigel mate! By the time we even get to the bloody place, all the tidy birds will have gone!'
'Go right ahead, then, Rupes', Nigel says. 'I shall catch up to you as soon as i have taught Katie the secret to being a successful pro grappler.'
This, surprisingly, has the blond youth interested. 'And what secret would that be, pray tell...?'
Nigel smirks. 'You know...ours.'
'Ooooh, ours!', the newcomer chuckles. 'Yes, she absolutely must be made aware of that!'
'What is it?', Katie pleads, lunging forward to grip her cousin by the shoulder. 'Oh, please, Nigel, pray do not be such a brute! Do tell!'
At this point, the blond steps forward and effortlessly, boldly slips an arm around Katie's waist. 'Yes, Nigel is being rather a brute, isn't he? But do not worry, Katherine...I shall tell you the secret. If you would do me the honour of stepping out into the balcony...?'
To her own horror, Katie feels herself redden. 'Mr. Royston-Fellowes!'
'Rupert.'
'...Rupert...! How astonishingly forward of you!'
Rupert smiles, cocking an eyebrow, a glint in his eye. Katie feels her knees melt. 'Do you object to it, Miss Kensington...? Katherine...?'
'For Christ's sake, Rupes!', Nigel snaps, stepping in to drag his cousin away. 'We are trying to prevent Katie from being defeated again! This is no time for flirtation!'
'Any time is a time for flirtation', Rupert retorts, winking at Katherine. 'But by all means...the secret...'
'Yes.' Nigel notices his cousin is flustered after her exchange with Rupert, and gives her a few moments to collect herself. This interval is enough, however, for another arrival to disrupt proceedings; this time, it is Katherine's father, James, who enters the premises.
'How are things going in here, chaps?', he questions, taking a sip of the malt whiskey in his hand. Then, noticing his daughter's sparkling pupils, he adds: 'Kitty darling, have you been crying?'
'Oh, Daddy!', Katherine says, flinging herself at her father's neck. 'I am dreadful, hopeless! I fail at the most basic of things! Oh, I wish I were never born!'
'Do not be silly, darling', James scolds, rubbing his daughter's back as she bawls into his shoulder. 'Of course you are not hopeless and deserved to be born!'
'But Daddy', Katie sobs. 'How shall I ever obtain a victory if I cannot grasp the basics?'
'That', Nigel interjects, 'is where the secret comes in.'
This once again gets Katherine's attention, but before she can beg her cousin to elaborate one more time, Nigel spots a DVD protruding from James's pocket. 'What is that, Uncle?'
'Oh, this?', James seems to have forgotten about the existence of the disc until a moment ago. He now absent-mindedly reaches into his pocket to withdraw it. 'It is footage of Kitty's opponent this week. I have procured it from the Sin City offices. I thought it might come in handy vis-a-vis her preparation...'
'It does', Nigel assents. He takes the DVD, walks over to the bench upon which he has set his laptop, flips the device open and inserts the disc into the drive. A moment later, four pairs of eyes are marvelling at the tag-team antics of the duo known as Azz'n'Class.
'These girls are good', the Kensington cousin mutters, in awe. 'Extremely good.'
'You mean good to seduce, surely?', Rupert asks mordantly. 'For Christ's sake, Nige, they are birds! The only place they ought to be wrestling in is a pool full of Cabernet Sauvignon!' Then, glancing over at Katie: '...present company excluded, of course.'
'Of course', Nigel replies, with more than a hint of sarcasm. The entire exchange, however, is totally lost on Katie, who now seems apprehensive.
'Oh, I shall never best them!', the Kent native wails. 'It is hopeless! Daddy, telephone the offices this instant and present my resignation!'
'Katherine!', James snaps. 'That is quite enough of such theatrics! You do not for a second believe what you are telling us! You are a beautiful, intelligent young woman and you are capable of anything you set your mind to!'
'Quite' Nigel says. 'And besides, you do not yet know the secret...'
This time, however, Katherine does not hear him. She is far too deep into her woe-is-me routine to fully register what is going on around her. 'But Daddy, what if the officiating is as shameful and scandalous as it was in the previous occasion?'
'It will not be', James retorts. 'I will see to it.'
This does manage to lift Katie's spirits, as she gives her father a hug. Still, even as she pulls away, she pouts: 'I do wish they would not give me such wretched adversaries, though!'
'As I said, coz, only way to learn', Nigel chimes in again. 'And besides, that is why you need the secret!'
'Yes, the secret, what is it?!', Katie asks, somewhat impatiently. Her cousin smiles teasingly, but surprisingly, it is Rupert who swoops in for the rescue.
'Oh, come now, Nige, put the poor girl out of her misery!' He smiles, slipping an arm around Katherine's shoulder familiarly, only to have the gesture politely rebuked. Not missing a beat, he places his hands on his lap, leaning forward at the same time as the heiress, a knowing grin crossing his features as his best friend and tag team partner finally discloses the secret:
'You see, Katie, when you are a grappler, there are times in which you feel...powerless. Drained. At the end of your tether. Out of resources. Somewhat similar to what you are feeling now.'
Katie nods, her attention redoubling as her cousin makes his way to his point:
'Once you have reached that stage, there is only one thing left to do. The greatest trade secret in professional grappling. One which has gotten me and Rupes out of countless scrapes in the past.'
Nigel Kensington Junior's son takes a moment to delight in the sight of his cousin physically quivering with anticipation before continuing:
'Should you ever find yourself in such a position...'
He draws his face even closer to Katie's, smirking:
'...you are to wait until the official has his attention drawn elsewhere...'
By now, his mouth is to her ear, and it is in a whisper that he breathes the last few words:
'...and cheat.'
