Chapter 164: Christopher Archibald

Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Christopher Archibald

Tuesday morning began like any other day at St. Albion.

By the time Christopher Archibald entered the Political Governance lecture hall, most of the fourth-year students were already in their seats.

He greeted several classmates as he walked toward his usual place.

"Morning."

"Morning, Christopher."

"Did you finish the reading?"

"Eventually."

A quiet laugh followed.

Christopher smiled and took his seat.

At twenty-two, he was one of the senior students in the department.

Fourth year.

Political Governance.

And, until the previous academic year, he had served as President of the Student Council.

The transition afterward was a tradition at St. Albion.

Third-year students served as President.

Once they advanced into their final year, they stepped down from the presidency and became Vice President instead.

It allowed the new president to take over while the previous one remained available to advise when necessary.

Christopher had found the arrangement perfectly reasonable.

It also meant his responsibilities were considerably lighter now.

He attended important meetings.

Reviewed matters when the President requested his opinion.

Checked that ongoing projects were progressing properly.

Helped when something required the attention of an older student.

Otherwise...

He was simply a fourth-year student trying to survive his final year.

And Christopher preferred it that way.

He had no particular desire to spend his last year buried beneath paperwork.

His family already supplied enough expectations for one lifetime.

The Archibalds were an old political family.

His father was the current Prime Minister.

His grandfather had served in the same office before him.

And the generation before that had also held prominent positions in government.

Their influence had lasted for decades.

Their wealth had lasted even longer.

Christopher had grown up surrounded by both.

He was also well aware that his family name made people curious about him.

Some expected arrogance.

Some expected distance.

Some expected him to behave as though the university belonged to him.

Christopher had never seen the point.

He preferred conversations.

He liked people.

He could talk to almost anyone without much difficulty, whether they were a first-year student who had just arrived at St. Albion or a professor who had been teaching there for thirty years.

Perhaps that was why the Student Council had trusted him with the presidency in the first place.

He simply knew how to deal with people.

Across the lecture hall, Damian Blackwood took his seat.

Julian Spencer and Adrian Carlisle sat nearby.

Christopher acknowledged them with a nod.

Damian returned it.

Nothing unusual.

The professor entered shortly afterward, and the room settled.

--

The first lecture passed without incident.

Christopher took notes when necessary, contributed to the discussion when he had something worth adding, and listened when someone else had the better argument.

By the end of the class, students began gathering their things.

Christopher closed his notebook.

As he stood, he noticed Damian looking at him.

He paused.

Damian looked away.

Christopher raised an eyebrow..

He said nothing.

The two of them had known each other for years.

Damian wasn’t particularly being subtle, but Christopher couldn’t imagine what it was this time.

They moved toward the next lecture hall together.

Julian and Adrian were discussing an upcoming departmental requirement.

Damian was unusually quiet.

Christopher glanced at him once.

Then again.

Nothing.

Perhaps he was simply tired.

The thought disappeared as the second lecture began.

--

By the middle of Constitutional law, Christopher had almost forgotten about it.

Almost.

Then he noticed Damian looking at him again.

This time...

It was unmistakable.

Christopher lowered his pen.

Damian immediately looked toward the board.

Christopher stared at him for a second.

What was that about?

He considered asking.

Then decided against it.

He had a fairly good idea.

Sunday.

The Founders’ Afternoon Tea.

Vivienne Beaumont.

The number exchange.

Damian had been there.

And Damian was Anthony Ashford’s cousin.

That was probably all there was to it.

Christopher had heard enough university rumors over the years to know better than to take them seriously.

There had already been plenty of speculation about Lady Beaumont and Lord Blackwood simply because they had been seen speaking together.

He hadn’t paid attention to any of it.

If Damian was curious about what had happened on Sunday...

That was his business.

Christopher returned his attention to the professor.

A few minutes later, he glanced toward Damian again.

The other man was looking at him.

Christopher almost smiled.

Definitely about Sunday.

He let it go.

--

When the lecture ended, Christopher gathered his things.

As everyone began leaving, Damian looked at him one more time.

Christopher caught his eye.

Damian immediately turned away.

Christopher almost laughed.

What exactly was he expecting to discover?

He shook his head and followed the others into the corridor.

The thought of Vivienne returned briefly.

Not because he had been thinking about her all morning.

Because Damian had reminded him.

Sunday had been pleasant.

That was all.

He remembered her smile.

The way she had approached him without hesitation.

The conversation they’d shared.

She had been charming.

He’d noticed that immediately.

Not in the sense that she had been trying too hard.

Quite the opposite.

She had been direct.

Confident.

She had clearly wanted to make a good impression, but she hadn’t played the usual games.

She hadn’t pretended to be uninterested.

She had simply spoken to him.

And then asked for his number.

That alone was unusual enough.

Christopher was accustomed to people approaching him.

His family name guaranteed that.

His position at the university guaranteed even more.

But Lady Beaumont was hardly someone who needed to pursue anyone’s attention.

She was the daughter of a duke.

Beautiful.

Wealthy.

Well-connected.

And, until very recently, engaged to Anthony Ashford.

If anything, Christopher had found her confidence mildly refreshing.

Still...

He didn’t assume it meant anything.

People could be charming without being interested.

People could enjoy someone’s company without wanting anything more.

And Christopher had no intention of assigning meaning to a conversation simply because he had enjoyed it.

Especially not when Vivienne’s circumstances were complicated.

She had announced that her engagement to Anthony had ended.

Christopher knew that much.

There was no mystery about whether she was still engaged.

But Anthony was still Anthony.

A fellow Student Council member.

A junior.

Someone Christopher respected.

Even if the engagement had ended, Christopher had no desire to behave carelessly around a situation involving someone he worked with.

Perhaps that was another reason he hadn’t contacted her.

Not because he was uninterested.

If they happened to speak again...

They would.

--

Tbc