Chapter 37

It was less than ten minutes walk to Maple Hall, but it seemed like hours. The party was in full swing when he arrived, students over-flowing onto the lawn, laughing and shouting. He shoved his way into the crowd and searched the crowd for Lydia. The music was too loud, the smells too overwhelming, but he kept going, leaning in to every person’s face. Then he saw her. She was at the back of the room, apparently unsteady on her feet, as some guy he vaguely recognized guided her in the direction of a hallway, his arm around her waist, his mouth way too near her ear.