Chasing Cecilia

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 12:

Cecilia:

"We must host a dinner!" The thought had come to me one night in my sleep and I had made sure to be awake early enough to catch Rory before he left for the fields or his study. 

He was certainly surprised to see me up and dressed before the sun had fully risen, I knew most ladies stayed in bed for hours on end but I for one hated idly lying in bed when there were things to be done. So it was with excitement and some sleepiness that I presented my idea to Rory at the breakfast table.

"What do you say? We have hardly done anything since we married and I'm sure it is expected of us to host some sort of social occasion." I tried to put my case as convincingly as possible, I had never hosted, or been to, a dinner before and I needed Rory to say yes so I could put my plan into action.

Ever since that humiliating day by the stream I had been plotting and planning the perfect way to exact my revenge on Rory and, after much deliberation, I had come up with what I thought to be the perfect plan.

Rory's eyes widened at the suggestion, "A dinner?" his eyes narrow at me and I tried to mask my face into an blank canvas of emotion. 

It was like he was trying to find the reason for my sudden interest in hosting a dinner in my eyes and I was definitely not going to let him guess my motives. 

I was also excited to host my first dinner as well as carry out my plan to embarrass Rory, I mulled over the preparations I would need to make as I awaited Rory's answer. First I would have to speak to cook and discuss the menu with her...

My thoughts were interrupted by Rory who still had his eyes fixed on me calculatingly. "Who did you want to invite?" He continues, not giving anything away. To be honest I had not completely thought through the guest list and as he was giving nothing away, I decided to be equally vague.

"Oh you know, friends, neighbours, people we ought to invite." He frowned at my ambiguity and I smirked slightly but returned my face to a look of impassive indifference when his eyes once more turned upon me.

I walked around the table and perched myself on the arm of Rory's chair ignoring the footmen placed around the room. Rory's eyes shot up to mine as I gingerly placed a hand on his chest, the other I looped around the back of his neck. 

This had to work, and, if I knew anything about men, I was hopeful it would. I watched with silent mirth as Rory clocked all the staff present in the room and a struggle ensued on his face, luckily I won and his eyes returned to meet mine in confusion and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I ran one of my fingers down his shirt slowly and leaned in so close that an inch more and our lips would meet. I battled to stop the thumping of my heart and the warm flutter inside my chest, for god's sake, I had a job to do and I was so close to accomplishing it. I would not be taken in by his devilishly handsome looks, I would focus on my aim.

I noticed smugly how my closeness seemed to be having an effect on him too. His eyes were wide and a dark walnut colour, his breathing had hitched as I shifted myself closer and beneath my fluttering fingertips I could feel the steady beat of his heart increase tenfold. 

So, I thought gleefully, I affected him as much as he affected me... I knew arguing with myself and trying to convince myself that he had no influence on me or my body would be fruitless. The devil effected me in ways I had not known of before and it maddened me to no end. 

Returning my focus to the job in front of me I twisted my head slightly to whisper in his ear, "Please?"

I watched with proud satisfaction as Rory mumbled the one word I had been waiting to hear, "Yes." I let a small squeal of excitement escape my lips and immediately jumped up from his chair, an enthusiastic smile on my face.