Chapter 159: sunday afternoon tea XVI

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: sunday afternoon tea XVI

Damian didn’t answer immediately.

Instead...

His gaze drifted across the bustling Student Union Hall.

Christopher Archibald was still there.

Surrounded by several students.

Listening.

Smiling.

Speaking with the same effortless ease he’d always seemed to possess.

...

Damian found himself comparing.

Against his better judgment.

Christopher was taller.

Perhaps only slightly. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Confident in a way that never seemed forced.

The sort of person who could walk into a room...

And immediately make people feel at ease.

He looked...

Exactly like the sort of man Vivienne had described.

The flowers.

The letters.

The grand confession.

The fireworks.

...

Damian couldn’t picture himself doing any of it.

Christopher?

For some reason...

He could.

The realization was profoundly irritating.

Vivienne waited patiently.

"...Damian?"

He looked back at her.

She wasn’t rushing him.

She simply wanted his opinion.

An honest one.

He drew a slow breath.

"If you’re asking whether you’d be compatible..."

He paused.

"I honestly don’t know."

"You’ve only just met."

"People can surprise you."

Vivienne nodded thoughtfully.

"That’s true."

"But..."

She smiled.

"First impressions matter too."

"They do."

Another brief silence.

Then Damian continued.

"I think..."

"You’re both easy to talk to."

"You both enjoy conversations."

"Neither of you seems uncomfortable around new people."

"And..."

He hesitated.

"I don’t think either of you would struggle finding something to talk about."

Vivienne listened quietly.

"So..."

"You think we’d get along?"

Damian lowered his eyes for a moment.

Then answered honestly.

"...Yes."

The single word felt unexpectedly heavy.

Vivienne smiled.

"I see."

"Thank you."

She sounded genuinely pleased.

...

A quiet silence settled between them.

Damian looked at her.

Then...

"...But."

Vivienne blinked.

"But?"

He hesitated.

For a moment...

He almost said nothing.

Then the words came anyway.

"...Don’t rush into anything."

She tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

He searched for the right words.

"You only met him today."

"First impressions..."

"They’re important."

"But they’re not everything."

Vivienne listened quietly.

"I know."

He continued.

"You’ve always been..."

He stopped himself.

"...The sort of person who commits wholeheartedly."

His gaze lowered briefly.

"And once you decide something..."

"You don’t tend to change your mind easily."

Vivienne smiled faintly.

"I suppose that’s true."

"So..."

He met her eyes again.

"Keep your options open."

"Get to know people."

"Don’t decide too quickly."

Another brief silence.

Then Vivienne laughed softly.

"...Are you giving me dating advice?"

Damian looked at her.

For a long moment...

He didn’t answer.

She was smiling at him.

Completely at ease.

Completely unaware.

...

She truly had no idea.

She didn’t know why he’d crossed the hall without thinking.

Why Christopher Archibald had unsettled him so much.

Why he was standing here now...

Asking her not to rush.

Because the truth was...

What he really wanted to say wasn’t—

Keep your options open.

It wasn’t even—

Don’t rush into anything.

It was—

Wait.

Please wait.

Just a little longer.

The thought startled even him.

Wait...

For what?

For him?

He almost laughed at himself.

He had spent the last half hour convincing himself that Christopher Archibald might suit her better.

That Christopher looked more like the man she’d just described.

That he himself could scarcely imagine writing love letters or confessing beneath fireworks.

Every concern he’d thought about remained.

Anthony.

His mother.

His aunt.

His own uncertainty.

Even Vivienne’s impossibly romantic dreams.

None of those problems had disappeared.

They were all real.

All worth worrying about.

And yet...

They couldn’t change one simple truth.

He liked Vivienne Beaumont.

Not as Anthony’s former fiancée.

Not as the little girl who used to follow his cousin everywhere.

But as the woman she had grown up to become.

The one woman who had quietly found a place in his heart...

Before he’d even realized she was there.

His chest tightened faintly.

He wanted a chance.

Just one.

Not today.

Perhaps not tomorrow.

But someday.

Before she gave her whole heart to someone else.

After a long moment...

A small, almost wistful smile touched his lips.

"...Perhaps."

--

"Damian!"

Both of them turned.

Julian and Adrian were making their way toward them.

"There you are," Julian said.

"We’ve been looking all over the hall."

He stopped before them.

His gaze shifted naturally toward the young lady beside Damian.

For perhaps the first time...

The teasing smile on his face softened into something more polite.

Damian spoke almost instinctively.

"Vivienne."

"These are the two friends I’ve mentioned before."

"Julian Spencer."

"Adrian Carlisle."

Vivienne’s eyes brightened with recognition.

"Oh."

"So you’re Julian and Adrian."

She smiled warmly.

"It’s a pleasure to finally meet you."

Julian smiled politely.

"The pleasure is ours, Lady Beaumont."

Then he blinked.

"...Wait."

"You know our names?"

Vivienne nodded.

"Damian mentioned both of you a few times."

A quiet silence followed.

Julian slowly turned toward Adrian.

Adrian looked back at him.

Neither said a word.

...

Damian immediately understood.

He almost sighed.

They were absolutely thinking the wrong thing.

Julian looked back at Damian.

A perfectly innocent smile rested on his face.

"...What?"

Damian answered flatly.

"Don’t."

"I haven’t said anything."

"You don’t have to."

Adrian nodded once.

"...We understood."

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You understood nothing."

Vivienne looked between the three of them.

"...Am I missing something?"

Julian smiled pleasantly.

"Not at all."

"Absolutely nothing."

Damian wasn’t convinced for even a second.

Before anyone could continue—

A gentle chime echoed through the Student Union Hall.

The conversations around them gradually quieted.

Near the front of the hall, members of the Student Union began making their way toward the podium.

Julian glanced over.

"Oh."

"I think they’re about to begin the closing remarks."

Adrian nodded.

"The event’s ending."

Around them, students gradually turned their attention toward the front, the lively conversations slowly giving way to anticipation as the Student Union President stepped up to the microphone.

The Student Union President stepped behind the podium.

A warm smile crossed his face as he looked over the gathering.

"Ladies and gentlemen..."

"On behalf of the Student Union, thank you all for joining us this afternoon..."

His closing remarks continued as the hall gradually fell silent.

When the speech finally came to an end...

Polite applause filled the room.

Almost immediately, conversations resumed as students began gathering their belongings.

Vivienne glanced across the hall.

Amelia was already waving at her from beside Claire and Eleanor.

It seemed the three of them had been waiting.

She smiled apologetically.

"I should probably go."

Julian chuckled.

"I imagine your friends have quite a few questions."

Vivienne laughed.

"I have a feeling you’re right."

She turned toward Adrian.

"It was a pleasure meeting you."

"And you as well, Lady Beaumont," Adrian replied with a polite nod.

Then she looked at Julian.

"I hope we’ll meet again."

"I’m sure we will."

Finally...

Her gaze settled on Damian.

"I’ll see you around."

Damian nodded.

"...see you around."

She smiled one last time before making her way back across the hall.

The moment Amelia saw her approaching...

The grin on her face widened considerably.

Claire smiled knowingly.

Even Eleanor looked rather amused.

Within moments...

Vivienne disappeared into their little circle.

Only then did Julian let out a quiet breath.

"...Well."

Before Damian could react...

Julian casually slung an arm over his shoulder.

"Come on."

"We’re heading the same way."

Adrian adjusted the strap of his satchel.

"We should leave before the crowd gets worse."

Damian cast one last glance across the hall.

Vivienne was already laughing at something Amelia had whispered into her ear.

...

He found himself smiling.

Only slightly.

Then he turned away.

Together...

The three young men walked toward the exit as the Student Union Hall gradually emptied behind them