She shook her head. “No, please stay. I would rather not dine alone. Besides, you have been very patiently awaiting the chance to taste the results of our labor. There’s a bottle of wine in the cabinet. Will you pour for us while I bring in one of the game pies?”
“As you wish.” He watched her dart off, wondering what thoughts were spinning through her head. Perhaps he ought to have left her, but that did not seem right. She had expressly told him she did not wish to be alone, nor did he wish to go. Besides, he did not need her to be witty and chattering. He just needed to be with her.
Yes, just be with her.
That was a bit of a kick in the head, wasn’t it?
The time he spent with her always passed pleasantly and seemed too short.
She soon returned with one of the pies and set it on the table. “Oh, did you not find the bottle of wine?”
He had been thinking about her and forgot to take it out of the cabinet. “Just got distracted.” He brought the bottle to the table and poured a glass for each of them. He then settled beside her.
“The moment of truth,” she murmured, casting him a gentle smile. “Let’s hope you like it.”
“Viola, I know I will like it. The only question is how much of it can I devour before I eat you out of house and home?” She set a generous portion on his plate and a smaller portion for herself. Steam rose from the pie when she cut into it and released more of the fragrant aroma. Honey, apricot, raisins, and her aromatic spices wafted upward, mixing with the heavier, savory scents of game meat and potatoes.
He took a bite. “Lord, that’s good.”
She blushed, looking quite pleased.
He devoured his serving and asked for another. “This is delicious. I’ve never tasted anything so good in my life.”
“I thought it would work well on the party menu.”
“Viola, it is a triumph. Make a list of the ingredients you will require and Mrs. Lester will see to it that all is stocked. I’ll ride to Oxford myself if we lack anything in Ardley.”
She smiled as she watched him eat, her pride in her work obvious. And yet, she was humble as he complimented her with every bite he took.
Was there a sweeter girl in all of England?
He did not think so.
Between them, they polished off the entire pie. Well, he had done most of the polishing off, eating like a ravenous wolf. But he declined when she offered to bring out the second pie. “I came here merely to taste your work, not devour everything in sight. I’ll help you clean up and then I had better be on my way before my father sends out a hunting party to haul me back.”
“Mrs. Bligh and I will take care of washing these dishes. In truth, there isn’t much left to do and she’ll tend to it while I look in on my father.” She stuck out her hands to show him their delicacy. “See, I do very little of the hard work around here.”
He took them in his, running his thumbs in a light swirl along her palms. “They are soft.”
He felt her light shiver and understood his touch was affecting her.
The apple in her throat bobbed, a sure sign she was not immune to him. He understood perfectly what he was doing, the seduction of his touch. He was not a womanizer, but he had learned early on how to arouse a woman’s pleasure.
It was not something a man ever forgot.
Yet, how could he do this to Viola?
She was no match for him.
Kiss her.
She cleared her throat. “Shall I pack up one of the pies for you? I’ll only need one for my father. He’ll hardly eat more than a sliver.”
“Yes, I’ll take one. My own father will need calming down and I can think of no better way to do it than have him taste your remarkable food.”
She glanced down at her hands which he still held in his. “Um, shall I pack it up for you now?”
He chuckled. “Yes, Viola.”
