London, England 1803
Gerard slowly walked down the hallway, his damp shoes squeaking off the cobbled floor. The halls were empty, all the other students currently at dinner or just staying as far as way from the classrooms as possible. He continued walking, his small leather bag smacking gently off his thigh he held his few books in a tight grip, the unknowing feeling of his anxious self making themselves present physically from the way his shoulders were hunched and tense the small nail marks one would see in his palm if he were to unravelled his hand.
Gerard had passed many empty classrooms, his eyes making quick searches over them, but then just ahead of him he saw Thomas leaving Wellington classroom, his hair tousled and his bottom lip dropping. Gerard walked forward till he was a few steps away from his friend "Thomas" Gerard spoke, and the black haired boy looked up, his face completely changing his eyes now more light and a cheesy grin covering his face "Gerard, what are you doing here ?" Thomas questioned, quickly sorting out his bag, "I was just walking. What are you doing here ?" Gerard returned the question. "Oh I was... I was just speaking to Mr W-Wellington about our upcoming assignment" Thomas answered, his eyes looking away and then back to Gerard, his smile returning "unusual for you, you're never one to care about studies" Gerard gave his pal a light-hearted joke "I do, just not often" Thomas replied putting his hands in his pockets and walking ahead making Gerard jog a few steps to catch up with his friend.
"What is our upcoming assignment then ?" Gerard asked "if I told you then you would go back to your dorm and do it all and then be head of the class" Thomas shook his head smiling "you can't blame me for trying" Gerard shrugged his shoulders "I can, and I will" Thomas let out a small chuckle "why aren't you with Ben and Charlie ?" Thomas looked to his friend who walked beside him. "You know he hates you calling him that" Gerard warned his friend. It was true Charles hated being called Charlie, he expressed it many times, but Thomas used it to get under his skin to make it seem like he had some form of power over the boy.
"Don't deflect my question Walseworth" Thomas ignored Gerard's words, "I wasn't hungry and if I have to see Benedict chomp on his food like a pig again I think it will put me off food all together." Gerard spoke, making Thomas snicker at his words, "how was your Christmas ?" Thomas asked another question, "it was good I enjoyed the quietness of the school while everyone was away" Gerard admitted, but of course it was a lie. He'd spent his Christmas alone, yes, but he did not enjoy it one bit.
"Good to know you like school better when your best pals aren't here." Thomas added, kicking a small pebble across the floor, "How was yours ?" Gerard took a small glance at the boy and then at the pebble he continued to kick down the hall, "it was good I saw my aunt and uncle again. My sister brought her children all a bunch of twats to be truthful, but they're my family and my mother and father gave me endless questions about how school was going" Thomas explained his Christmas break in a few short sentences "and what did you tell them ?" Gerard gave a small chuckle, "I- I told them that it was all good." Thomas let out a sigh as he kicked the pebble one last time, hearing it hit loudly off a wood door. The action left a small silence between the pair. Gerard's eyes still on the door where the pebble had caused a small dent, and yet Thomas remained staring at his friend, his face unchanging. "We better go." Thomas spoke up, grabbing Gerard's attention, and the pair walked away off to the loud ruckus of the dinning hall.
Upon entering they were greeted with boasting chatter and laughter of boys ranging from ages thirteen and twenty, "Gerard ! Tom !" Charles stood from his seat, motioning the boys over with his chubby hand, the pair followed the hand through the busy hall, sitting down beside their friends "ohhh this food is delicious." Benedict groaned as he continued to eat, "most you be so piggish all the time." Thomas sat down, throwing his bag to the floor, "how can I not ?" Benedict smiled with a mouth full of food, puffing his cheeks out, making Gerard laugh "you encourage his behaviour" Charles added, picking at his food "it is not like my mother makes it." Charles prodded the beans on his plate, "it is not like my mother makes it." Thomas mimicked his friend "your mammy isn't here Charlie" Thomas looked at Charles who stuck his finger up at him "stop the bickering, I want a peaceful dinner" Benedict looked at his two friends. "And I want to be king of England. We can't always get what we want, can we, Bridgerton ?" Thomas shrugged.
YOU ARE READING
A Lords love |Gerard Walseworth|
Romance|~2~| Gerard Walseworth who was renowned for his rigid nature and closed heart, had always remained indifferent to the prospect of romance and refused to believe in the fanciful idea of love. The eldest of the four Walseworth stayed out of society...
