Nicholas chuckled and sat on the floor, reaching for the glass of wine she handed to him. Cressida was the embodiment of temptation. Leaning over, she took up the single fork, broke off a piece of cake and held it out to him. He ate from her, savoring the sweet delicacy.
“Isn’t it lovely? My sister loves strawberry cake, and her chef was sent by the heavens. I had to steal this bit for us.”
“Bit? This is at least half of a cake.”
She grinned. “Perhaps. Mama is coming to call tomorrow, and I am certain I shan’t be allowed to have any then.” Cressida popped a piece in her mouth and moaned. “This is so wonderful!”
“Why not?”
She rolled her eyes. “I am to watch my figure it seems, and I have an incurable sweet tooth. According to mama, I am too plump.”
“Delightfully plump.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Come,” he said, “let’s play.”
Almost thirty minutes later, she murmured, “Checkmate.”
“You are good,” Nicholas said.
She winked. “I know.”
A few moves later he sat back with a smug smile.
“You won!”
“Did I mention I was also good?”
She laughed and took a sip of her wine. “Who taught you?”
“Colin. My eldest brother. Our father taught him and he…he taught us.”
Cressida smiled at him. “It was my father who also taught me.”
“Our life was simple. I even had a pet chicken. Lizzy claimed it was hers, but I named her Sophie, so she was mine.”
Cressida pealed with laughter. “I have always wanted a puppy. No matter how much I begged, the answer was always no.”
He silently vowed then to grant her every wish if she would let him.
“What was your life like before you came to town?”
Nicholas smiled. “Simple. Idyllic. We lived in a small village in Cornwall. Penporth. Our father was a country gentleman of modest means who scandalously had twelve children with his wife whom he publicly adored. I loved painting and had little thought of what to do with my future but have fun and paint. I did not carry the burdens of most younger sons even with my family’s modest wealth. Our father had grown us to be very independent in our thoughts and ambitions.”
“He sounds like he was a great man.”
Nicholas cleared his throat. “He was the best of fathers. I am certain he would be amused that we are all now rubbing shoulders with theton. If there is an afterlife, he has a front row seat to spectate upon the shenanigans of our lives.”
“Were you surprised that your brother was declared the new Lord of Celdon?”
“We were all damned shocked, and the way our lives changed was not something we could have ever imagined or dreamed about. It was not even something we really wanted.”
“I cannot imagine how daunting it must have been, to inherit an earldom and such responsibilities when one had never expected to. Your brother has acquitted himself rather well. Even mama manages to speak of him occasionally in admiring tones.”
Cressida lowered the fork and glided her finger into the thick glob of icing and lifted those fingers to him. Amusement danced in her eyes. “More cake?”
Nicholas grabbed her wrist and guided her hand to his mouth. Holding her stare, Nicholas licked the sweet treat from her fingers, curling his tongue over the digits.