Chapter 149: Sunday afternoon tea VI

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Sunday afternoon tea VI

(Vivienne’s Table)

The bright chime of the brass bell echoed gently throughout the Student Union Hall.

Almost immediately...

The gentlemen rose from their chairs, thanking the ladies before making their way toward their next assigned tables.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you."

"You as well," Mary replied warmly.

"I hope you enjoy the rest of the afternoon."

"We certainly will."

Within moments...

Table Twenty-Three belonged once more to the four young ladies.

Janella smiled.

"I wasn’t expecting that to be so enjoyable."

Mary nodded.

"Neither was I."

"I was so nervous before they arrived."

Vivienne laughed softly.

"I think everyone was."

"The first few minutes were probably the hardest."

Rebecca quietly lifted her teacup.

"They weren’t too bad."

It was the first thing she had said since the previous group departed.

The others smiled in agreement.

Then...

Another cheerful chime echoed through the hall.

The next rotation had begun.

Four gentlemen approached Table Twenty-Three.

As they drew near...

One of them glanced briefly around the table before slipping into the empty chair beside Vivienne.

Another immediately claimed the seat on her opposite side.

Only then did the remaining two gentlemen take the seats beside Rebecca.

Rebecca watched the exchange for the briefest moment.

...Again?

The thought surfaced almost instinctively.

Perhaps...

It was simply coincidence.

There had only been seconds to choose.

She dismissed the idea.

One of the gentlemen laughed as everyone settled.

"I think we’ve all become surprisingly competitive over empty seats."

Janella grinned.

"I noticed."

"I didn’t realize today’s event included a race."

The young man rubbed the back of his neck.

"In our defense..."

"There wasn’t much time to think."

Mary smiled.

"I suppose that’s true."

Introductions soon followed.

Names.

Years.

Colleges.

Then, as naturally as before...

Conversation flowed.

One of the gentlemen turned toward Vivienne.

"So, Miss Beaumont..."

"How are you finding your first year?"

Vivienne smiled.

"I’ve really enjoyed it."

"Everyone has been much kinder than I expected."

She glanced around the table.

"And I’ve already met quite a few interesting people."

"I think that’s the best part of university," another gentleman agreed.

"The people."

The discussion drifted effortlessly from campus life to favorite cafés, student societies, difficult professors, and embarrassing first-week mishaps.

Vivienne listened with genuine interest.

Every now and then...

She found herself quietly observing the gentlemen beside her.

The young man on her left certainly looked the part.

Tall.

Well dressed.

Pleasant smile.

Undeniably handsome.

She listened for another few minutes.

...A little too fond of talking about himself.

Vivienne hid a smile behind her teacup.

Perhaps not.

The gentleman on her right was different.

Not quite as handsome.

At least...

Not by her standards.

Still...

He listened more than he spoke.

His questions were thoughtful.

His laugh came easily.

He’s nice.

Another glance.

...Though perhaps not quite my type.

For a fleeting moment...

Vivienne wondered whether her standards had become too demanding.

She quietly shook the thought away.

No.

If she was going to choose someone this time...

She wanted to choose carefully.

Across the table...

Rebecca answered a question about her homeland before asking one of her own.

The gentlemen beside her were courteous and easy to talk to.

Yet, as the conversation continued...

She couldn’t help noticing how naturally everyone’s attention seemed to drift toward Vivienne.

Perhaps I’m imagining things.

The thought faded as quickly as it came.

A few minutes later...

One of the gentlemen beside Vivienne smiled.

"Lady Beaumont..."

"I hope you won’t mind my asking."

Vivienne looked up.

"Yes?"

He smiled sheepishly.

"I’ve really enjoyed talking with you."

"I was wondering..."

"Would you be willing to exchange phone numbers?"

For a brief moment...

The table grew quiet.

Vivienne smiled apologetically.

"I’m truly flattered."

"Thank you."

She hesitated only briefly.

"But I’d like to meet everyone first."

"If you still feel the same way after the afternoon ends..."

"I’d be happy to exchange numbers then."

The young man laughed.

"I can’t argue with that."

"I suppose I’ll have to try again later."

The others chuckled.

Just then...

The bright chime of the brass bell echoed throughout the hall once more.

Round Two had come to an end.

The gentlemen exchanged farewells before making their way toward the next table.

Vivienne watched them leave with a quiet smile.

So far...

She was enjoying herself far more than she had expected.

Across the table...

Rebecca lifted her teacup once more.

The earlier thought returned for only a moment.

Twice.

Then she quietly set it aside.

Surely...

It was only coincidence.

--

The afternoon quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm.

Bells chimed.

Gentlemen exchanged tables.

New introductions became easy conversations before dissolving into warm farewells.

Vivienne met students from nearly every college in the university—future lawyers, engineers, musicians, entrepreneurs, even an aspiring diplomat. Each possessed his own charm, yet none lingered in her thoughts after the bell rang.

Some were handsome but too full of themselves. Others were thoughtful and kind, though she never felt the quiet spark she hoped for. Several asked whether they might exchange phone numbers once the event ended, and each received the same gentle answer: she wanted to meet everyone first.

Across the table, Rebecca gradually stopped believing the seating pattern was coincidence. By the fourth round, the first two empty chairs were almost always those beside Vivienne. She never allowed her smile to falter, but the question lingered all the same.

Why her?

--

The bell rang once more.

The fifth group exchanged warm farewells before disappearing into the crowd.

Silence briefly settled over Table Twenty-Three.

Vivienne watched them leave with a thoughtful smile.

Five rounds.

She had genuinely enjoyed herself.

She had met wonderful people.

Yet none had made her want the conversation to continue after the bell.

Perhaps...

Perhaps she simply hadn’t met him yet.

Then she smiled to herself.

One last round.

Who knows?

Across the table...

Rebecca calmly set down her teacup.

Five rounds.

Five times the same pattern.

The first empty seats.

The easiest laughter.

The longest conversations.

Always beside Vivienne.

Her expression remained perfectly composed.

No one would have guessed that, for the first time that afternoon...

She found the situation frustratingly irritating.

The bell rang.

The final rotation had begun.

--