Chapter 81: Another Friday Morning

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Another Friday Morning

The preliminary examinations finally concluded beneath a week of quiet libraries, late-night study sessions, and classrooms filled with nervous anticipation.

Little by little...

The tension that had settled over St. Albion began to lift.

Books gradually disappeared from students’ hands.

The library slowly returned to its usual rhythm.

Conversations once again filled the campus walkways.

Students spoke of weekend plans.

Club activities.

The Foundation’s upcoming field visits.

And...

More frequently than anything else...

The Founders’ Ball.

--

Friday morning arrived beneath another cloudless sky.

For the first time all week...

Vivienne awoke feeling genuinely refreshed.

The examinations were finally over.

She stretched beneath the warm morning light filtering through the curtains before a familiar thought quietly surfaced.

...It’s Friday.

Almost immediately...

Another smile followed.

She would finally see Anthony again.

Perhaps they would simply exchange greetings.

Perhaps they would even have a few quiet minutes to talk.

After all...

They still needed to settle the final arrangements for Monday evening.

Where they would meet.

Whether he would come for her before the Ball.

Little details like that still remained.

It was the perfect opportunity.

Across the room...

Claire had only just opened one eye.

She watched Vivienne quietly get ready.

There was no hurried cramming.

No review notes scattered across the room.

No anxious pacing.

Instead...

Vivienne carefully adjusted the ribbon holding back her blonde hair before checking her reflection one last time.

Claire smiled to herself.

"...Friday."

Vivienne looked over.

"...Yes?"

Claire simply shook her head.

"You’re leaving early again."

Vivienne smiled.

"I am."

"I noticed."

Claire’s lips curved knowingly.

"I’ll see you later."

"See you."

--

The morning air remained pleasantly cool when Vivienne arrived at the equestrian grounds.

The stables were still quiet.

Only a handful of stable hands had begun preparing the horses for the day’s lessons.

One groom looked up in surprise.

"Good morning, Lady Beaumont."

"Good morning."

She smiled politely.

Then continued toward the familiar stone pathway separating the equestrian grounds from the neighboring Polo Club.

She looked around.

No students.

Not yet.

Not a single member of either club had arrived.

She laughed quietly to herself.

"...I might have overdone it."

Apparently...

She had become the very first student on this side of campus that morning.

The realization should probably have embarrassed her.

Instead...

It only made her smile.

She found her usual place beside the pathway.

The one Anthony almost always passed on his way to the Polo Club.

Then...

She waited.

The grounds remained peaceful.

Birdsong drifted through the trees.

Somewhere nearby, one of the horses gave a soft whinny.

Vivienne folded her hands behind her back.

The examinations had occupied nearly every waking hour.

Lectures.

Review sessions.

Late nights.

Study groups.

Somehow...

She hadn’t realized until now just how much she had missed this.

Waiting here.

Hoping to catch Anthony before practice.

She laughed softly beneath her breath.

"...I really missed him."

There was no point pretending otherwise.

Only now, with the examinations finally behind her, had she realized just how much she had been looking forward to seeing him again.

The thought alone brought another quiet smile to her lips.

Minutes slipped quietly past.

More stable hands arrived.

Still...

No students.

Eventually...

Movement appeared at the far end of the avenue leading from the residence halls.

Vivienne instinctively looked up.

Two familiar figures walked side by side.

Anthony Ashford.

And...

Lady Evelyn Sinclair.

Vivienne’s smile slowly faded.

The two of them walked at an easy pace.

Comfortable.

Unhurried.

Anthony carried his riding helmet beneath one arm.

Evelyn matched his stride naturally.

Neither seemed in any particular hurry.

--

The avenue leading from the residence halls remained quiet at this early hour.

Anthony Ashford walked toward the Polo Club with his riding helmet tucked beneath one arm.

Footsteps approached from behind.

He slowed slightly.

"Lord Ashford."

Anthony turned.

Lady Evelyn Sinclair.

"...Lady Sinclair."

She fell naturally into step beside him.

Anthony thought little of it.

Since Lady Evelyn had come to live at the Ashford Estate years ago...

Crossing paths with her had become an ordinary part of life.

Whether during the summer...

The winter holidays...

Or Foundation events...

Their schedules had often overlapped.

Walking together for a while before going their separate ways was hardly unusual.

So, without another thought...

He simply continued toward the Polo Club.

--

For a while...

They walked in comfortable silence.

Eventually...

Evelyn spoke.

"How were your examinations?"

"They went well."

"I’m glad."

Anthony glanced toward her.

"And yours?"

"I believe they went reasonably well."

A small smile appeared.

"Although I’ve already begun wondering whether I misunderstood one of the essay questions."

Anthony considered that for a moment.

"I doubt it."

She looked at him.

"You sound rather certain."

"Your examination results have always been good."

Evelyn laughed softly.

"You’ve seen them?"

"No."

Anthony shook his head.

"My parents have mentioned it from time to time."

"They’ve always spoken highly of your studies."

Evelyn laughed softly.

"I hope I don’t disappoint them this term."

"I doubt you will."

The reply came simply.

Without hesitation.

For some reason...

That made her happier than she expected.

A comfortable silence settled between them before Evelyn spoke again.

"Our team will be visiting several communities tomorrow."

Anthony looked toward her.

"Oh?"

"We’re beginning by observing the Foundation’s existing workshops."

"The vocational training sessions."

"And a few of the small businesses that already work with the Foundation."

"We want to understand how the programs operate before we decide where our proposal should grow."

Anthony nodded thoughtfully.

"A sensible approach."

"Which districts?"

Evelyn named them.

Anthony recognized each almost immediately.

"The western districts."

"The Foundation has worked there for years."

"They’ve developed several successful apprenticeship programs."

"I imagine you’ll learn quite a bit."

"I hope so."

She smiled.

"Yesterday mostly involved planning."

"Tomorrow will be the first time we’ll actually see everything for ourselves."

Anthony gave a small nod.

"I’ll probably stop by at some point."

"As House Ashford’s representative..."

"I’d like to see how the project is progressing."

"I’d be glad if you did."

She meant it.

Perhaps a little more than she should have.

Another few quiet steps passed between them.

Then Evelyn spoke again.

"...Have you given much thought to Monday evening?"

"The Founders’ Ball?"

"Yes."

She laughed softly.

"It’s my first."

"I realized only yesterday that I hadn’t really thought about it at all."

Anthony understood.

His own first Founders’ Ball had been much the same.

He had attended because it was expected of him.

Nothing more.

"I don’t remember giving mine much thought either."

Evelyn smiled.

"I suppose we’re rather alike in that respect."

"Perhaps."

She hesitated for only a moment.

"...I also realized something else."

Anthony waited.

"I don’t actually have anyone to spend the evening with."

His brows lifted ever so slightly.

"No one?"

The question escaped almost naturally.

Evelyn noticed the faint surprise in his voice and smiled.

"I know."

"It surprised me a little too."

Anthony found himself quietly puzzled.

He had assumed...

Surely someone would have asked her already.

Lady Sinclair was well regarded throughout the University.

Kind.

Capable.

Graceful.

She was exactly the sort of young lady many gentlemen would hope to accompany.

"I imagine you’ll receive invitations."

"Perhaps."

She looked ahead again.

"But even if I do..."

A faint smile lingered on her lips.

"I’ve been wondering who I’ll end up sharing the dances with."

Anthony considered that.

It sounded like the sort of thing most students probably worried about.

Had Lady Beaumont not already been his fiancée...

He doubted he would have given the matter any thought himself.

"The evening has a way of arranging itself."

he said after a moment.

"I wouldn’t worry too much."

Evelyn smiled.

"...Perhaps you’re right."

She didn’t mention the thought that remained quietly in her heart.

She wasn’t hoping for an escort.

She already knew Anthony would arrive with Lady Beaumont.

She simply hoped...

That somewhere during the evening...

He might save one dance for her.

She kept that thought to herself.

Some things...

Were better left unspoken.

--