University Challenge, Chapter Eighteen teaser
I hoped I'd have a full chapter ready for today but that hasn't worked out. However, here's a relatively sizeable extract from the new chapter to keep you going until I can post it all.
Happy Monday!
“Well, Matthew, are you coming to London? I’ve just been texting Livia and she says it’s fine if you both come - the more the merrier - but you really should be in costume if you want to fit in.”
They had not had a chance to discuss it. Mary kicked the door shut with her foot and went directly into the front room. “You don’t have to come, Matthew, it’s really too much to ask of you, but I’m going to go. After all, someone needs to be there to beat Tom up if he’s difficult and Sybil wants me over Daddy.”
There was no debate in Matthew’s mind. “Of course I’m coming!” He slid his arm round her waist. “Now, what’s this about costumes?”
She gave him an doubtful look. “I really don’t think we are required to dress up. Do you have black tie? That will be quite enough.”
“Five years of formal hall at Oxford. I think it’s safe to say that I have black tie,” said Matthew, trailing her into the kitchen.
At the same time Sybil protested that Olivia’s sister was absolutely definitely positively going as Sansa Stark and she was twenty-three.
Mary rolled her eyes. “I’m sure we can come up with something. Now what are you going to make us?”
“Me?” Matthew grinned at her. She stared right back and for a moment he allowed himself to be lost in her eyes before he stepped back and placed a chopping board and knife in front of her. “We are going to make brunch and you are going to chop the mushrooms.”
She picked up the knife as if she had never seen one before. “Chop mushrooms?”
He came round behind her, pressing her against the counter and sliding his hand over hers on the knife. “Yes, you take a mushroom - you do know what a mushroom is? - and put it on the board, then…”
Daring to tease Mary, to flirt with her - it was a heady rush of exhilaration and sweetness. The knife cut through the mushroom sharply and Matthew, looking down at their joined hands, had a flash of recognition of that one occasion when a man and woman would traditionally share a knife to make a first cut. He blinked and chastised himself. Thoughts like that were definitely out of place for this stage in their relationship. Fortunately Mary did not seem to notice. She slid her hand out from under his and shifted against him but without separating them.
“I have never prepared mushrooms like this before,” she confessed, sounding slightly breathless.
“First time for everything,” he replied softly and pressed his lips to her neck, wondering if she had ever prepared mushrooms in any way before. “Time to live in the real world, sweetheart. It’s not so bad when you get used to it.”
Now she managed to turn in his arms and met his eyes. “Perhaps if you’re my guide…” Her eyes dipped.
Matthew didn’t wait to hear the end of the sentence but kissed her deeply. The knife slid from his fingers onto the chopping board as he wrapped his arms round her waist and drank her in, pressing her even more firmly against the counter. She responded eagerly, her fingers touching his arms, his neck, finally sliding up into his hair.
“It’s lucky I’m the nice sister,” commented Sybil from the sitting room when they finally parted, though only far enough for him to rest his forehead against Mary’s as they both caught their breath. “Please do carry on, don’t mind me. Though if you are going to make any food at some point today I wouldn’t object to some toast after all.”
Mary laughed softly, a delicious husky sound that he felt all the way down to his toes, and gently pushed him away.
“What’s the point of making me cook,” she asked demurely, “if you’re just going to distract me like this?”
Happy Monday!
“Well, Matthew, are you coming to London? I’ve just been texting Livia and she says it’s fine if you both come - the more the merrier - but you really should be in costume if you want to fit in.”
They had not had a chance to discuss it. Mary kicked the door shut with her foot and went directly into the front room. “You don’t have to come, Matthew, it’s really too much to ask of you, but I’m going to go. After all, someone needs to be there to beat Tom up if he’s difficult and Sybil wants me over Daddy.”
There was no debate in Matthew’s mind. “Of course I’m coming!” He slid his arm round her waist. “Now, what’s this about costumes?”
She gave him an doubtful look. “I really don’t think we are required to dress up. Do you have black tie? That will be quite enough.”
“Five years of formal hall at Oxford. I think it’s safe to say that I have black tie,” said Matthew, trailing her into the kitchen.
At the same time Sybil protested that Olivia’s sister was absolutely definitely positively going as Sansa Stark and she was twenty-three.
Mary rolled her eyes. “I’m sure we can come up with something. Now what are you going to make us?”
“Me?” Matthew grinned at her. She stared right back and for a moment he allowed himself to be lost in her eyes before he stepped back and placed a chopping board and knife in front of her. “We are going to make brunch and you are going to chop the mushrooms.”
She picked up the knife as if she had never seen one before. “Chop mushrooms?”
He came round behind her, pressing her against the counter and sliding his hand over hers on the knife. “Yes, you take a mushroom - you do know what a mushroom is? - and put it on the board, then…”
Daring to tease Mary, to flirt with her - it was a heady rush of exhilaration and sweetness. The knife cut through the mushroom sharply and Matthew, looking down at their joined hands, had a flash of recognition of that one occasion when a man and woman would traditionally share a knife to make a first cut. He blinked and chastised himself. Thoughts like that were definitely out of place for this stage in their relationship. Fortunately Mary did not seem to notice. She slid her hand out from under his and shifted against him but without separating them.
“I have never prepared mushrooms like this before,” she confessed, sounding slightly breathless.
“First time for everything,” he replied softly and pressed his lips to her neck, wondering if she had ever prepared mushrooms in any way before. “Time to live in the real world, sweetheart. It’s not so bad when you get used to it.”
Now she managed to turn in his arms and met his eyes. “Perhaps if you’re my guide…” Her eyes dipped.
Matthew didn’t wait to hear the end of the sentence but kissed her deeply. The knife slid from his fingers onto the chopping board as he wrapped his arms round her waist and drank her in, pressing her even more firmly against the counter. She responded eagerly, her fingers touching his arms, his neck, finally sliding up into his hair.
“It’s lucky I’m the nice sister,” commented Sybil from the sitting room when they finally parted, though only far enough for him to rest his forehead against Mary’s as they both caught their breath. “Please do carry on, don’t mind me. Though if you are going to make any food at some point today I wouldn’t object to some toast after all.”
Mary laughed softly, a delicious husky sound that he felt all the way down to his toes, and gently pushed him away.
“What’s the point of making me cook,” she asked demurely, “if you’re just going to distract me like this?”