Deciding to go on the hunt at Cliveden was something of a spur of the moment decision for William, but it wasn't one he regretted. The weather was good, the company was better than expected (The impossible had perhaps happened and he may have gained a friend.) and he was filled with stories to share with not only Catherine, but also with Mr. Lockhart. While the man had been surprisingly warm and welcoming when William first asked for Catherine's hand, he didn't want to take that goodwill for granted and looked forward to asking his opinion about some of the things he'd seen in Cliveden. He knew the man was where Catherine gained her love of books and if it was possible to forge a bond with the man over stories, William wanted to do so.
In what was becoming a habit after returning from a trip away, William skipped going home to get settled back in and instead had his carriage take him directly to the Lockhart home to see Catherine. It could be excused as wanting to collect Orion, but William meant what he'd told Catherine before and she was the first person he wanted to share his new stories with, which was understandable, wasn't it? No one would judge him if he wanted to see his fiancée and all things considered, William was more collected than he was upon returning from Margate when he was suffering from a lack of sleep and an abundance of drink, almost frantic to try winning approval to marry Catherine. This was different, it was gathering up Orion and asking Mr. Lockhart how Catherine handled it and what he thought of William's idea of getting Catherine a kitten as a wedding present as well as giving him the chance to see Catherine, asking if her flowers were delivered on schedule, his promise still kept.
Left in a good mood after the hunt and feeling even more pleased with the prospect of seeing Catherine, William failed to notice the look on the face of the staff member who opened the door for him, but he did notice a tension by the time he was shown to the sitting room. It could have been anything, it could have been his imagination, but it immediately became clear that it wasn't, his eyes going from Mrs. Lockhart's face to Catherine, a sense of dread settling in his stomach like a vault of ill tidings. "What's wrong?" He asked, the smile that started to form on instinct at seeing Catherine vanishing from his face. "What's happened?" // @tenderstarved