She was thoroughly annoyed with Gareth, just as she was with Nicholas, and she did not particularly care if he knew it. "I certainly would not want any of the guests in my household to have cause to be displeased with the entertainment."
Nicholas slammed his goblet down on the table. "Well, I do not much care for the new song. All that nonsense about spring flowers is dull and boring."
"Do you find it so?" Gareth glanced at him very casually. "Mayhap you lack the wit to enjoy the more refined aspects of the verses."
Nicholas glowered at him. "Are you saying I lack wit?"
"Aye. 'Twas no doubt one of the reasons Lady Clare sought other suitors.
She has stated quite clearly that she desires a husband who is both clever and well educated."
Nicholas flushed with fury. A reckless glitter lit his eyes. "I'll wager Lady Clare prefers the other song. Is that not right, madam?"
Clare tried to think of an excuse to end the evening and send everyone off to bed. She wished someone would do her a favor and raise the alarm for fire or siege.
"I take pleasure in all types of music." Desperately she sought a distraction. "Would you please pass me the bowl of figs, Sir Nicholas?"
"Certainly." Nicholas smiled slowly. "Allow me to choose a fig for you."
Instead of handing her the bowl, he reached into it with his short, broad fingers and plucked out one of the figs. He dipped the dried fruit into a dish of cinnamon and honey and held the morsel to Clare's lips.
She stared at the dirt under Nicholas's nails and tried to think. She was intensely aware of Gareth watching the small scene, a deceptively neutral expression in his eyes.
The whole situation was getting ridiculous, she thought angrily. This was her hall and she was in command here. She refused to surrender it to either of these large, overbearing males.
She smiled coolly at Nicholas and removed the fig from his hand. She set the dried fruit down on her plate without taking a single bite.
"I have changed my mind. I believe I have eaten enough this evening," she said.
"You disappoint me, lady," Nicholas said. "Why, when you stayed with me at Seabern last month, your appetite was much keener." He paused to leer. "And not just for figs."
Clare experienced a distinct chill. "I do not recall."
"Ah, but I do," Nicholas said. "How could I forget those enticing meals we shared? I confess that my fondest memories are of how very pleased you were when I satisfied your extremely delightful appetites.
I trust you have not forgotten your sweet satisfaction?"
"You tease me, Sir Nicholas," Clare said. Foreboding, dark and disquieting, stole over her. She was rapidly losing all hope of staving off disaster. "I would have you cease at once. I do not find it amusing."
"Nay?" Nicholas watched her, but it was obvious his real attention was on Gareth. He was weighing each goading word he spoke, pushing a little harder, searching for the point where blood could be drawn. "I am devastated to learn that, madam. I certainly found you to be most entertaining. Indeed, I eagerly await your return to Seabern so that we may again satisfy our appetites together."
The implication of Nicholas's words were clear to all who heard them.
Joanna toyed nervously with her spoon. Ulrich gazed at Gareth in stone-cold silence.
Gareth helped himself to a fig. He said nothing. "I wish to discuss something else." Clare realized her voice was starting to rise.
"But I prefer to reminisce about the meals we have shared." Nicholas took back the honeyed fig Clare had placed on her plate. He sucked on it and then made loud smacking noises. "They were so very pleasurable."
Gareth lounged in his chair. "Lady Clare has requested that the topic of conversation be changed. She does not find it amusing. Nor do I."
Nicholas chuckled. "Do you think I care whether or not you find it amusing?"
" Tis the lady's wishes that concern me. They should be a matter of some concern to you, too."
Clare's heart sank. The situation was
Nicholas slammed his goblet down on the table. "Well, I do not much care for the new song. All that nonsense about spring flowers is dull and boring."
"Do you find it so?" Gareth glanced at him very casually. "Mayhap you lack the wit to enjoy the more refined aspects of the verses."
Nicholas glowered at him. "Are you saying I lack wit?"
"Aye. 'Twas no doubt one of the reasons Lady Clare sought other suitors.
She has stated quite clearly that she desires a husband who is both clever and well educated."
Nicholas flushed with fury. A reckless glitter lit his eyes. "I'll wager Lady Clare prefers the other song. Is that not right, madam?"
Clare tried to think of an excuse to end the evening and send everyone off to bed. She wished someone would do her a favor and raise the alarm for fire or siege.
"I take pleasure in all types of music." Desperately she sought a distraction. "Would you please pass me the bowl of figs, Sir Nicholas?"
"Certainly." Nicholas smiled slowly. "Allow me to choose a fig for you."
Instead of handing her the bowl, he reached into it with his short, broad fingers and plucked out one of the figs. He dipped the dried fruit into a dish of cinnamon and honey and held the morsel to Clare's lips.
She stared at the dirt under Nicholas's nails and tried to think. She was intensely aware of Gareth watching the small scene, a deceptively neutral expression in his eyes.
The whole situation was getting ridiculous, she thought angrily. This was her hall and she was in command here. She refused to surrender it to either of these large, overbearing males.
She smiled coolly at Nicholas and removed the fig from his hand. She set the dried fruit down on her plate without taking a single bite.
"I have changed my mind. I believe I have eaten enough this evening," she said.
"You disappoint me, lady," Nicholas said. "Why, when you stayed with me at Seabern last month, your appetite was much keener." He paused to leer. "And not just for figs."
Clare experienced a distinct chill. "I do not recall."
"Ah, but I do," Nicholas said. "How could I forget those enticing meals we shared? I confess that my fondest memories are of how very pleased you were when I satisfied your extremely delightful appetites.
I trust you have not forgotten your sweet satisfaction?"
"You tease me, Sir Nicholas," Clare said. Foreboding, dark and disquieting, stole over her. She was rapidly losing all hope of staving off disaster. "I would have you cease at once. I do not find it amusing."
"Nay?" Nicholas watched her, but it was obvious his real attention was on Gareth. He was weighing each goading word he spoke, pushing a little harder, searching for the point where blood could be drawn. "I am devastated to learn that, madam. I certainly found you to be most entertaining. Indeed, I eagerly await your return to Seabern so that we may again satisfy our appetites together."
The implication of Nicholas's words were clear to all who heard them.
Joanna toyed nervously with her spoon. Ulrich gazed at Gareth in stone-cold silence.
Gareth helped himself to a fig. He said nothing. "I wish to discuss something else." Clare realized her voice was starting to rise.
"But I prefer to reminisce about the meals we have shared." Nicholas took back the honeyed fig Clare had placed on her plate. He sucked on it and then made loud smacking noises. "They were so very pleasurable."
Gareth lounged in his chair. "Lady Clare has requested that the topic of conversation be changed. She does not find it amusing. Nor do I."
Nicholas chuckled. "Do you think I care whether or not you find it amusing?"
" Tis the lady's wishes that concern me. They should be a matter of some concern to you, too."
Clare's heart sank. The situation was
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