Work Text:
No one wanted to go. The cantankerous lady had invited Augusta to a poetry reading that afternoon, but she didn't want to go alone. Being surrounded by old people she hardly knew who wanted to discover the budding poetess, even though her uncle and Charlotte were not invited to stay, seemed so exasperating. Lady Denham was in fine form, and neither Alexander nor Charlotte wanted to be subjected to her acerbic allusions about their relationship and their future marriage, which was fast approaching. The thinly veiled references to their difficulties in managing their mutual attraction were becoming irritating. Charlotte had therefore proposed a challenge to determine who should accompany Augusta. Charlotte was convinced that by proposing a pastry-making competition she would beat Sir Alexander Colbourne to the punch, who probably hadn't kneaded a pie crust for... ever, in fact. She was a little disconcerted to see the small smile on his face when he accepted the competition.
In the kitchen, Mrs Birch gave them the space and ingredients they needed to make a dessert. She wasn't sure how it would turn out, but she didn't mind taking some time off to see her sister in town, wondering what state she would find her kitchen in. Lunch was in the process of being cooked, so why worry about it? Mrs Wheatley was going to keep an eye on things... Leo was all excited at the idea of deciding between her parents by tasting her favourite meal, dessert. It was by far the best part of the meal. Augusta grumbled a little because she couldn't avoid going to Lady D's, while Charlotte or Xander still had a chance. Mrs Wheatley watched in amusement as the two lovers took out the utensils and prepared the necessary ingredients. They had made a point of hiding the recipe they had each chosen from each other so as not to be disturbed, but she had clearly recognised what Xander was preparing, the only recipe in fact that he had known how to cook perfectly since he had started hanging around in the kitchen years ago: Custard Cream. And Mrs Wheatley also recognised the proportions of the apple pie Charlotte was about to prepare. Let the competition begin!
Charlotte and Alexander stood facing each other on the large kitchen table, one taking flour, the other beet sugar from Mr Chawston's French circuit. It was an exchange of butter, milk and cheese from Heyrick Farm for sugar not produced by the slave colonies, in support of Georgiana and Otis's fight. There were many mystery ingredients, like the pecan nut that Charlotte was planning to add, a new flavour from America via Spain, or the vanilla from Guyana, the wonders of which France was beginning to discover and which Alexander was eager to use. He had managed to obtain some thanks to his French correspondents. They chatted happily about who would have the honour of going to Sanditon House.
Charlotte, seeing Alexander coping perfectly with his recipe, did her best to confuse him. She took off her kerchief and leaned a little further than necessary in front of him to roll out the dough. She pulled a few strands of hair languidly up her neck, looking straight into his eyes. Alexander did not let himself be disturbed, well aware of his beauty's motivations. As soon as her back was turned, he moved noiselessly behind her as she poured the apple filling onto the tart shell. His warm breath on the back of her neck, he spread his arms around her and reached for the vanilla pod hidden in the bread box on the shelf, rubbing her shoulders as he went, his white shirt with the sleeves rolled up revealing his well-defined muscles. Charlotte froze and held her breath, intoxicated by Xander's unbearably pleasant smell. She could feel his chest against her back. All she wanted to do was run her fingers over his skin to the bottom of his half-opened shirt. Charlotte arched her back slightly to maintain contact with Xander, before Mrs Wheatley's shadow approached and tore them apart. Leo watched his parents' teasing, but didn't see the sensual side of it. The preparation took far too long for the little girl to stay put. She ran off to her room, promising to be back for lunch. Mrs Wheatley, well aware of the warm atmosphere in the kitchen, joined Augusta who had called her into her bedroom to help fix a stubborn brooch in her hair.
Charlotte and Xander were alone. Finally. Because despite all the love they had for their entourage, and because of the rules of propriety, they never really had any time together, just the two of them. So, challenge or not, the urge was stronger than anything. As soon as Mrs Wheatley was out of sight, they suddenly dropped spoon and spatula and ran into each other's arms to exchange a hungry kiss. They knew time was running out and didn't want to miss a single moment of intimacy. Charlotte grabbed the back of Xander's neck and his hair with both hands as he held her tightly against him, encircling her waist and almost lifting her. She smoothed her hands down his arms, over his back, his waist and still refrained from openly caressing his tempting buttocks, at least until the church service had officially declared them husband and wife. He traced the curves of her body with his eager, needy hands, stopping himself from pulling up her petticoats to caress the skin that he guessed was tender and warm. Keeping quiet was as difficult as curbing their ardour. Every minute counted and every kiss and caress was worth its weight in gold. He pressed Charlotte against the storage cupboard, wrapping his forearms around her head. She gripped the lapels of his half-open jacket and ran her fingers down his chest, stroking the silky hair. His skin was soft and warm, his heart pounding in unison with her own pulse. She loved the effect she had on him, his body taut as a bow against her. You couldn't have slipped a grain of sand between them, they were so close together. The heat they gave off would have been enough to set the fireplace ablaze. Their breath was ragged, their lips teasing each other, red and swollen from previous kisses. They struggled to keep from sweeping everything off the table and lying on top of each other. Their eyes were the same, feverish with desire.
The feeling of being able to tip at any moment, of giving free rein to one's desires, was intoxicating and painful at the same time. Restraining their desires had become increasingly burdensome as the date of their wedding drew nearer, and Mrs Wheatley was keeping a close eye on them to make sure no one caught them in an embarrassing situation. She came down the stairs with a heavy step to let them know she was coming. Xander leapt to his feet and took long strides towards the sink, banging his head against the shelf while avoiding swearing. Charlotte hastily slipped in front of the cast iron stove to stir the cream which had been lacking attention for some time. She bit her lower lip when she noticed that Xander's shirt was sticking out of his trousers, the result of her attentions.
Mrs Wheatley smiled mischievously at their somewhat stiffened faces. She knew, she saw and she guessed. But she was also the guardian of good manners, at least before marriage, for these incorrigible lovers who could finally tame happiness in their own way. So she stayed by their side, refereeing their squabbles, which was only fair, given what was at stake. No ingredient was left out, the cooking was supervised, and the desserts were ready for tasting in front of an uncompromising jury, Leo and Augusta delighted to be in a position of strength.
As much to say that Charlotte's apple pie was delicious, as was Xander's custard cream. It was hard to decide between them, but Xander won a special prize from Leo for the rarity and taste of the vanilla pod he had incorporated into his cream. Charlotte gave him a dark look - but not too dark - as she and Augusta left for Sanditon House after lunch. With an insistent raise of her eyebrows, she made sure Xander understood that she would have a right of reply when she returned. The flour that Mrs Wheatley discovered on their clothes and in their hair as they parted at nightfall was certainly a good indication that Charlotte had got her revenge...