The last game was to be bobbing for apples.
“Simple enough,” Gawain muttered as they were all herded into the garden, where four barrels filled with water were set out on mats. Fiona dropped one apple into each barrel. Footmen stood close by with towels in hand because everyone who played was going to get soaked.
They were four teams of four who were to participate, so sixteen players in all.
How he got roped into this, Gawain did not know. But he owed it to Fiona to endure this night of torture, since she was helping him out with Reggie.
“It shall be the men against the ladies in this one,” Fiona announced. “If I were to pit you men against one another, you would try to drown each other. So I shall assign one man on eachteam to a lady on the opposing team. First one to come up with the apple in their mouth wins.”
They played in turns, and the first teams selected were not his or Cherish’s team.
He stood watching beside Cherish as she cheered and seemed to take genuine delight in watching the mayhem of the game. Everyone on a team took a turn, but each game was limited to two minutes, so no points were awarded if neither player came up with the apple in time. Few players came up with the apple, so only two out of the first set of challengers were awarded a point.
No one seemed to care if they won or lost. There was an awful lot of accidental kissing as both sets of lips were vying for the same apple. A time or two, the apple was forgotten and the contestants went straight to the kissing part.
Then his team was called up, Gawain was not surprised to be pitted against Cherish, because Fiona was diabolical when she wanted to be and had to know this would irk him. By this time, all of the men had removed their jackets, cravats, and waistcoats so as not to ruin the expensive fabrics as they were sloshed with water.
The ladies were given towels to wear as bibs to protect their gowns and they each were provided mats to prevent grass and mud stains on their clothing as they bent on their knees and dipped their head in the barrel.
A fresh apple was dropped into the barrel for each round.
Cherish smiled at him. “Are you ready, Your Grace?”
“Something tells me you are an expert at this game.”
She laughed. “Not at all. If anything, you have the advantage, since you have the bigger mouth to grasp that apple. But I’ve forgotten what silly fun these games can be. It feels good to take a simple pleasure and not worry about what others think.”
He saw the enchantment in her features again, the shimmering joy in her beautiful eyes.
“Ready! Set! Go!” Fiona called out, and everyone’s face hit water as they began to chase the bobbing apple.
Too often, Gawain missed the apple and wound up with his lips on Cherish’s cheek or nose. His entire body exploded in heat when the apple slipped away and his lips wound up on hers. Yes, that was hardest to draw away. She had the sweetest lips.
Suddenly, all he wanted to do was kiss her.
Kiss her wet. Kiss her hard. Just kiss her.
He was spared his continuing agony when Fiona called time and no one on the four teams had caught their apples. But the end of his round did not mean the end of his spurt of heat over Cherish.
As for Cherish, she appeared completely unaffected by the innocent touch of their lips. She left his side and now took over as timekeeper when Fiona’s turn came up. Fiona groaned when she realized she had to face Pershing, who had finally awakened from his drunken stupor. “I’m sure there must be some mistake,” she muttered.
Gawain could not stifle his grin. “You’re the one who set up the game. Serves you right, Fiona. I had that idiot on my team the entire night. Now he is all yours.”
To no one’s surprise, the stupid sot of a lord almost drowned when he passed out in the water, and Gawain had to lift his head out of the barrel when it did not bob up after the apple.
He turned with a scowl toward Reggie. “If you ever behave like this idiot, I will drown you myself.”
“Botheration, what did I do?” Reggie griped back at him.
Gawain sighed. “Nothing, just don’t ever be like him.”
“Fine, I’ll be just like you and hold myself out to be such a paragon that no woman will ever be good enough for me. I cannot wait to die alone in a cold bed.”
Cherish had been standing beside them all the while and now turned to them with a gasp. But she quickly turned away again and continued to keep time on the other players.
Gawain felt his nephew’s words acutely because the boy was right and the barb had struck straight in his heart. He strode off toward the beach, knowing the games were now at an end and everyone would soon return inside to chat, play cards or billiards, or simply retire to bed.
He would not join them, for he was not fit company. Losing always put him in a bad temperament.
