She could feel her shoulders relax, felt them drop from their position of ladylike affectedness to something like relaxed. Natsuko’s large dark eyes widened and her mouth forming into a soft little ‘o’, at his suggestion. She had never had a birthday party before, never. Her aunt had always been a little uncomfortable with her gaurdianship duties of Natsuko, and as Natsuko never mentioned her birthday, her aunt had never felt the need to mention it either. As she had stayed at school for most holidays she had celebrated the new year and everything that had entailed there, with school mates, but never a true birthday.
Her eyes fluttered downwards to the board, the match forgotten as she smiled inordinantly pleased at the offer, in a way that was not at all ladylike demurement and very much all real delight. They were such a generous and kind family, all of them – the Foxwoods and the Dashwoods, the sort of people who were warm and giving by their nature , they were born to wealth and so giving was easy and carefree, but Natsuko rather thought that even if they had had nothing, by their very natures, even if their hands had been empty they would have given of their warmth and their friendship, and sometimes those things were better than any material gift a person could give.
Whoever joined them as the future Mrs Foxwood would be lucky indeed to be part of such warmth, she hoped they deserved it, hoped they were as warm and giving as the rest. She could hardly admit to herself that she hoped it was her, but she liked to think herself generous enough of spirit to hope that whomever succeeded in Poppy’s plan to marry her cousin, would truly be worthy of them.
’I hope I am honoured to attend’ she said, in want of something else to say to his discussion of his hope for the future uses of his home, yes, certainly she wouldn’t mind spending more time in so beautiful and idyllic a place, with people she was coming to like rather a great deal. ’Although I admit, she continued, biting her lip, her brow furrowed as she took in the board, ’That I shall perhaps not be coming to the inaugeral Foxwood chess tournament’ Natsuko conceeded, nodding to her king who, made a rather good show of commiting sepeku, spearing himself on his own sword and conceeding the match to the black pieces who had surrounded him, as the remaining rook and pawn looked on.
She laughed and offered her hands once again across the board, ’good game sir, I conceed, you are indeed the winner of our bet.’’
Her eyes fluttered downwards to the board, the match forgotten as she smiled inordinantly pleased at the offer, in a way that was not at all ladylike demurement and very much all real delight. They were such a generous and kind family, all of them – the Foxwoods and the Dashwoods, the sort of people who were warm and giving by their nature , they were born to wealth and so giving was easy and carefree, but Natsuko rather thought that even if they had had nothing, by their very natures, even if their hands had been empty they would have given of their warmth and their friendship, and sometimes those things were better than any material gift a person could give.
Whoever joined them as the future Mrs Foxwood would be lucky indeed to be part of such warmth, she hoped they deserved it, hoped they were as warm and giving as the rest. She could hardly admit to herself that she hoped it was her, but she liked to think herself generous enough of spirit to hope that whomever succeeded in Poppy’s plan to marry her cousin, would truly be worthy of them.
’I hope I am honoured to attend’ she said, in want of something else to say to his discussion of his hope for the future uses of his home, yes, certainly she wouldn’t mind spending more time in so beautiful and idyllic a place, with people she was coming to like rather a great deal. ’Although I admit, she continued, biting her lip, her brow furrowed as she took in the board, ’That I shall perhaps not be coming to the inaugeral Foxwood chess tournament’ Natsuko conceeded, nodding to her king who, made a rather good show of commiting sepeku, spearing himself on his own sword and conceeding the match to the black pieces who had surrounded him, as the remaining rook and pawn looked on.
She laughed and offered her hands once again across the board, ’good game sir, I conceed, you are indeed the winner of our bet.’’
![[Image: 1h84GbB.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/1h84GbB.jpg)
Gin made something stunning