Chapter 155: Sunday afternoon tea XII

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Sunday afternoon tea XII

Vivienne continued walking.

One step.

Then another.

The distance between them gradually disappeared.

Damian’s heartbeat grew louder with each passing second.

...She really is coming this way.

His thoughts immediately betrayed him.

Could she have changed her mind?

About what?

He didn’t know.

He hadn’t even decided what exactly she might have changed her mind about.

Only that...

She was coming closer.

The young lady seated across from him continued speaking pleasantly.

"...I’ve heard Professor Hawthorne is quite strict."

Damian nodded automatically.

"So I’ve heard."

He wasn’t listening.

Not really.

His attention remained fixed on the ivory dress steadily approaching through the hall.

Closer.

Closer.

Almost there.

Then—

Vivienne walked past him.

Without slowing.

Without stopping.

Damian blinked.

Once.

Twice.

His head turned almost instinctively, following her.

"...Lord Blackwood?"

The young lady looked at him curiously.

He didn’t answer.

Vivienne continued walking.

Past him.

Several more steps.

Then...

She stopped.

Not beside him.

Not behind him.

But in front of someone else.

Christopher Archibald.

--

(Vivienne POV)

Vivienne slowed to a stop several paces away.

Christopher was still speaking with another young lady.

Rather than interrupt...

She waited quietly.

Almost immediately, their conversation came to a natural end.

The young lady thanked Christopher politely before disappearing back into the crowd.

Only then...

Did Vivienne take the last few steps.

Almost unconsciously...

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear.

Pull yourself together.

You’re only saying hello.

Christopher looked up.

Their eyes met.

For the briefest moment...

There was unmistakable surprise in his grey eyes.

"...Lady Beaumont?"

He had noticed Lady Beaumont earlier, of course.

It would have been difficult not to.

But standing this close...

He was struck once again by just how beautiful she was.

On the other hand, Vivienne thought that his voice was every bit as pleasant as she remembered.

Low.

Calm.

Smooth.

A small smile appeared.

"I wasn’t expecting to see you again quite so soon."

Vivienne smiled.

"I wasn’t expecting to come over quite so soon either."

"I suppose we’ve both surprised ourselves."

Christopher inclined his head slightly.

"I suppose we have."

Standing this close...

Vivienne finally understood why Amelia had reacted the way she did.

Christopher Archibald was...

Exceptionally handsome.

Not in Anthony’s brilliant, princely sort of way.

Nor in Damian’s refined elegance.

Christopher possessed an entirely different kind of presence.

His platinum blonde hair caught the afternoon light.

His tailored charcoal suit rested effortlessly across broad shoulders.

Everything about him seemed composed.

Confident.

Effortless.

He looked less like a university student...

And more like the impossibly capable executive heir straight out of one of the romance novels she’d loved reading in her previous life.

Good grief...

He’s exactly my type.

She immediately scolded herself.

You’re twenty-nine.

Stop behaving like a university girl with an obvious crush.

...

It wasn’t helping.

Christopher noticed the tiny smile she seemed to be suppressing.

"...Something amusing?"

Vivienne blinked.

"Oh."

She lowered her eyes briefly before meeting his gaze again.

"I was just thinking..."

"I’m beginning to understand why half the university seems to know your name."

A hint of amusement appeared in Christopher’s eyes.

"I hope that isn’t a bad thing."

"Not at all."

She hesitated for just a second.

"I don’t think anyone warned me..."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Warned you?"

"...That the Student Council Vice President was this handsome."

For perhaps the first time that afternoon...

Christopher genuinely looked caught off guard.

Then the corners of his lips lifted.

"I don’t believe anyone has ever introduced me quite like that before."

Vivienne covered half her face for a moment.

"I really said that out loud..."

"You did."

There was the faintest trace of laughter in his voice.

"I don’t mind."

She felt her ears warming.

Wonderful.

Now he probably thinks I’m shameless.

"I hope I’m not interrupting."

Christopher shook his head.

"Not at all."

"My conversation had just finished."

"I’d say your timing was rather fortunate."

The small knot in Vivienne’s chest quietly loosened.

"I’m glad."

Christopher regarded her for a moment.

"Did you enjoy today’s event?"

"I did. Much more than I expected, actually. I almost didn’t come."

"Oh?"

"I only found out about the event earlier today. My friends insisted that I come with them."

A faint smile appeared on Christopher’s face.

"In that case..."

"I suppose I owe them my thanks."

Vivienne tilted her head.

"...Why?"

"Otherwise..."

He answered simply.

"I doubt we’d have had a chance to talk."

Her heart skipped.

...That was smooth.

The thought appeared before she could stop it.

He hadn’t even sounded like he was trying.

She lowered her eyes for a brief moment.

"I suppose that’s true."

Eventually...

After a brief pause...

Vivienne gathered her courage.

"I was actually wondering..."

Christopher gave her his full attention.

"Yes?"

She tucked another loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I really enjoyed talking with you earlier."

"And..."

"I thought..."

"It would be a shame if today’s conversation was our last."

Christopher looked at her quietly.

Then nodded once.

"I think so too."

The simple answer somehow made her less nervous.

"So..."

She smiled.

"Would you mind..."

"If we exchanged phone numbers?"

For the first time that afternoon...

Christopher looked genuinely surprised.

Not because no one had ever asked for his number before.

Quite the opposite.

He had politely declined more requests than he cared to remember.

Yet somehow...

Standing before Lady Beaumont...

Saying yes felt perfectly natural.

"I’d be delighted."

Relief flickered across Vivienne’s face.

"Thank you."

Christopher slipped his mobile phone from his pocket.

Vivienne did the same.

He recited his number slowly.

She entered each digit carefully.

"...There."

She checked the screen once before looking back up.

"I’ll just give you a missed call."

"That way we’ll know I entered it correctly."

Christopher nodded.

"A sensible idea."

Vivienne pressed the call button.

A second later...

Christopher’s phone vibrated softly.

He glanced at the screen.

1 Missed Call

He looked back at her.

"It seems you got it right."

Vivienne let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

"Good."

"I was worried I’d mistyped something."

Christopher selected the number.

Saved it.

Vivienne Beaumont.

After slipping the phone back into his pocket, he met her eyes once more.

"I’ll remember to answer next time."

Vivienne looked at him.

For just a heartbeat...

She forgot what she had been about to say.

Then...

The corners of her lips lifted.

"I’ll be looking forward to it."

They looked at one another for a brief moment.

Neither seemed particularly eager to be the first to end the conversation.

Then—

--

Tbc