The autumn sun filtered through the golden leaves of the ancient oaks, casting moving patterns on the ground like lacework of light. The park, vast and silent, stretched out like a living painting, where every tree, every bush, every varnished wooden bench seemed to await the light steps of Eleanor and Edward. Their elegant, upright figures glided along the gravel paths with a grace that betrayed their familiarity with London’s drawing rooms. She wore a muslin gown of ivory with delicate flounces, a straw hat adorned with pale blue ribbons resting on her chestnut curls; he, in a grey tweed suit, silver-knobbed cane in hand, wore a gaze as soft as the October sky.
 
The lake, a motionless mirror, reflected the fluffy clouds and the fiery foliage. Occasionally, a gentle breeze rippled its surface, and the reflections danced for a moment before regaining their calm. Eleanor paused, her fingers brushing the water’s surface. A dead leaf, red as a ruby, detached itself from a maple and landed at her feet. She picked it up, contemplated it for a moment, then slipped it into the small book of poems she held against her chest. Edward smiled, amused by her delicate gesture, and offered her his arm. Their steps led them to an abandoned bandstand, where the echo of a forgotten waltz seemed to linger in the air.
 
They sat on a bench, facing the expanse of water. A duck, majestic in its indifference, carved a perfect furrow before disappearing into the reeds. Eleanor opened her book and softly read aloud verses by Tennyson, while Edward, his eyes half-closed, listened to the whisper of the wind and the distant crackling of branches. For them, time had stood still. There was only the scent of damp earth, the song of birds, and the infinite peace that arises from simple things.
 
A child, far behind them, burst into laughter. The crystalline sound briefly interrupted their reverie, but they were not offended. On the contrary, the laughter reminded them that the world, despite its trials, retained a touch of innocence. Edward took a gold watch from his pocket, glanced at the time, and put it away without haste. “We have all the time in the world,” he whispered. Eleanor rested her head on his shoulder, and they remained thus, motionless, like two marble statues watching over this fleeting corner of paradise.