Chapter 147: Sunday afternoon tea IV

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Sunday afternoon tea IV

Now that the ladies had already taken their seats...

The competition had quietly shifted.

Not over which table they belonged to.

That had already been decided by the draw.

But over which empty chair they would claim once they arrived.

At nearly every table, four vacant seats waited for the gentlemen.

Two beside one young lady.

Two beside another.

It didn’t take long for certain gentlemen to noticeably increase their pace after spotting the most attractive young lady at their assigned table.

One young man had almost reached an empty chair beside a brunette before another casually slipped into it first.

"...Too slow."

His friend only sighed before settling for the seat opposite instead.

Elsewhere...

Two gentlemen reached the same chair at nearly the same time.

One smiled good-naturedly and gestured for the other to take it.

"Much obliged."

The other simply laughed before taking the remaining seat.

The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed.

Almost...

Playful.

Just as Damian approached Table Twenty-Seven...

Another familiar figure arrived from the opposite direction.

Platinum-blond hair.

Gray eyes.

An impeccably tailored navy suit.

Christopher Archibald.

Christopher looked up at almost the same moment.

Their eyes met.

For a brief second...

Both men looked mildly surprised.

"... Blackwood."

"Archibald."

Christopher’s eyes drifted briefly to the ivory token still resting between Damian’s fingers.

"Table Twenty-Seven?"

Damian turned his own token over.

"So it would seem."

A faint smile tugged at Christopher’s lips.

"What are the odds?"

Damian looked toward the table ahead before chuckling quietly.

"Apparently better than either of us expected."

A brief silence followed.

Then Christopher tilted his head ever so slightly.

"...May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What are you doing here?"

The question came without judgment.

Only genuine curiosity.

Damian smiled faintly.

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

Christopher laughed.

"Fair enough."

He slipped his token into his jacket pocket.

"The Student Union falls under the Student Council."

"They asked that someone represent us."

"Anthony, naturally, was exempt."

"So..."

"The responsibility found its way to me."

Damian nodded.

"A duty rather than a choice."

"More or less."

Christopher looked back at him.

"And you?"

Damian didn’t hesitate.

"Julian."

Christopher smiled knowingly.

"I should have guessed."

"He has a remarkable talent for making suggestions sound mandatory."

"Persistent is probably the better word."

"I won’t argue with that."

The two shared a quiet laugh before continuing toward the table.

Christopher’s gaze swept over the table almost instinctively.

The four ladies had already taken their seats.

Two gentlemen were introducing themselves, each having evidently claimed the seats they preferred.

Only two empty chairs remained.

Christopher adjusted one of his cuffs before gesturing lightly toward the table.

"After you."

Damian inclined his head.

"Thank you."

The two approached together.

--

The four young ladies looked up almost instinctively as footsteps drew near.

For a brief moment...

Conversation stopped.

One of the girls blinked.

"...Lord Blackwood?"

Another’s eyes widened.

"...Senior Archibald."

The two gentlemen who had arrived ahead of them looked up as well.

Their expressions froze.

One slowly turned toward the other.

"...We’re in the same rotation group."

His companion stared silently at Damian...

Then at Christopher...

Before letting out a long, defeated sigh.

"...Well."

"There go our chances."

The first young man gave a helpless laugh.

"Not just for this table."

He looked between the two seniors once more.

"...For the entire afternoon."

The realization seemed to hit both of them simultaneously.

They weren’t simply sharing one table with Damian Blackwood and Christopher Archibald.

The four of them would be rotating together from table to table for the rest of the structured session.

The first young man leaned back in his chair.

"

"I suddenly feel like going home."

His companion looked between Damian and Christopher before nodding solemnly.

"An excellent idea."

"Unfortunately..."

"I think we’re already committed."

A quiet laugh spread around the table.

Even Christopher smiled.

"I’m afraid it’s a little late for that."

"It was worth saying," one of them replied with theatrical resignation.

Damian could only smile apologetically before taking one of the remaining seats.

Somehow...

He had a feeling the afternoon was going to be far livelier than he’d anticipated.

--

Around the hall...

The remaining gentlemen gradually found their assigned tables.

The quiet murmur of introductions blended with the soft strains of the string quartet playing near the windows.

Tea was already being poured.

Delicate pastries and finger sandwiches were arranged neatly upon each table, untouched as the students settled into their seats.

Once everyone had been seated...

A clear chime rang through the Student Union Hall.

The conversations gradually subsided.

The Student Union representative returned to the front of the room.

"Thank you, everyone."

"It looks as though we’ve managed to get everyone seated."

A few light chuckles drifted through the hall.

He smiled before continuing.

"Before we begin, I’d like to explain one final detail."

Several gentlemen glanced curiously at the ivory tokens in their pockets.

"The number printed on the front of your token indicates only your starting table."

He lifted one identical ivory token for everyone to see.

"For our gentlemen..."

"If you’ll unfold the reverse side of your token..."

"You’ll find the order of the remaining tables your group will visit throughout the afternoon."

Almost immediately, dozens of gentlemen turned their tokens over.

A soft rustle swept through the hall.

Damian also followed by turning his.

Beneath Table Twenty-Seven...

Five additional table numbers had been neatly printed in sequence.

A predetermined route.

Christopher glanced at his own token before giving a small nod.

"So that’s how they’re organizing it."

"It certainly saves a great deal of confusion," Damian observed.

The representative continued.

"Our ladies, meanwhile..."

He turned with a smile toward the seated young women.

"...will remain at their assigned tables throughout the structured session."

"The gentlemen will rotate as a group whenever the bell rings."

"Simply proceed to the next table listed on the reverse side of your token."

"Our volunteers will also be stationed throughout the hall should anyone require assistance."

He smiled.

"That way..."

"You’ll never have to wonder where you’re going next."

Another appreciative murmur spread across the room.

"We’ll spend approximately fifteen minutes at each table."

"By the conclusion of the structured rotations..."

"Each group of gentlemen will have visited six different tables."

"And each table will have welcomed six different groups of gentlemen."

"After the final bell..."

"The remainder of the afternoon will be open for everyone to mingle freely."

He closed the folder in his hands.

"If there are no questions..."

A brief silence followed.

Seeing none...

He smiled warmly.

"Excellent."

"In that case..."

"I hope each of you enjoys the afternoon."

He lifted the small brass bell.

Its bright, cheerful ring echoed across the hall.

"The first round..."

"...begins now."