Scarlet Rose

Chapter 23

He let his alcohol-infused stare wander over the glitzy party guests, flashing smiles and air kisses between darlings across the floor. Cigarette smoke weaved with ladies' perfumes was carried on the frantic notes of charleston sweeping the impressive hallway that opened like a flower at the end of a grand staircase. Feet were tap tapping, beaded hips were swaying and the whole set up reminded him of a merry-go-round in full speed. He didn't mind though. With a few drinks inside him, his face was soft, his eyes playful and the thought of seeing her again made his skin feel excited under his black tie suit. "Terry behave" had turned into his mantra all the time he spent while getting his bearings once he left the pub to make his way to Christian's party. He had decided not to take a taxi but rather walk. A clear mind was imperative under the circumstances.

"Well, well, well! What the devil...! Terrence Grandchester?!"

He heard a man's voice behind him making its way through all the noise in the room. There were very few people that knew him as a Grandchester...and they all belonged to his past, he thought as he turned to put a face to the voice. Surprise burst in his blue eyes like the cork from the champagne bottle. He actually never thought he would say this, but in the years past, this was the first time he felt happiness seeing Archibald Cornwell in front of him.

Not teenager foe, Archie, the one who had sparred with him on the St. Paul's grounds for the eyes of Candy - what a surprise - but an adult Archie who however carried still that annoying haughtiness in his appearance. His lips curled into a half-mocking smile but still a genuine one.

"Archibald Cornwell...fancy meeting you here!", he said as he came closer for a handshake with his old adversary.

Archie returned the smile and shook his hand with a firm grip. He too was quite happy to see Terry, despite their history. Especially now...he already had Candy telling him about their meeting at the gallery. In the past, he hated Terry's guts and even now, it wasn't as if the hate had turned into brother's love, but...but, from the two evils, in that case, Christian being the glaring obvious one, he preferred his cousin to fall into the arms of the lesser one.

Having said that, and given his previous reaction over Candy's shenanigans with Christian at the tango club, a small part of him wished to be close when Terry may have had the pleasure to witness similar scenes. "Oh, I'm going to hell...", he thought to himself and chuckled.

"From all the mansions in the world...you happened to enter this one...Grant", he had started saying before Terry cut him.

"It's Graham now, old chum. The Grantchester you knew, is left back in St.Paul's", he said, lowering the voice to share his secret with him.

Archie laughed while he gave a pat on Terry's shoulder. What's wrong with these people changing their names?! First his crazy cousin, and now this egocentric prick. Although to be fair, he kind of understood Terry. But still he found the coincidence funny.

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"So...Graham...what on earth brought you here?", Archie asked Terry.

Indeed, from all the people he could think of from his younger years, he had never expected to see this guy again. He remembered the adolescent arrogance he used to see in his eyes. There was a confident seriousness οn Terry's face now, almost verging to cynicism he could say. He seemed not to respond to his question. Instead he stood silent while his eyes scanned the crowd. Archie took a sip from his drink, wondering how life must have treated Terry all those years. Staying with a woman who had forced herself in his life. Not a situation he was unfamiliar with. In fact, despite them never having been able of seeing eye to eye, they certainly had a lot in common. At least with the women in their lives. Terry having stayed with Susanna for the past decade and him having married Annie, while both of them having the hots for...He shook his head, dispelling the awkward thoughts. What did it matter in any case. It was water under that cliched old stone bridge of their lives. The last image in his mind shaped into a bitter smile on his lips. Terry certainly looked like someone who had lived through a lot and not much would surprise him by now. Apart from his cousin perhaps, he thought. The way Terry's composure looked tense, his attention not being there. Surely, that was why he was there.