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“For a . . . friend.” Leo corrected, though from the tone of his voice, he rather suspected the shopkeeper could guess well enough what sort of friend. The shopkeeper continued to smile as he hurried to write out the order for the engraver.
“And would you like us to deliver it, sir?”
“No, thank you. I will deliver it myself.” Leo grew confident in his decision. In truth, he didn’t know why he felt so compelled to find a gift for Chloe, but he had already been to three different shops that morning before seeing the art shop.
Surely she would much prefer this than anything else I could buy her?
Leo grew more sure in his choice as he paid the shopkeeper, yet his mind kept going back to the last time he had seen Chloe.
She said she did not have time for love.
He couldn’t help hoping that he could change her mind.
* * *
“I’m a fool,” Leo muttered to himself as he walked toward the shop, carrying his gift for Chloe wrapped in tissue paper under his arm.
For two days he had avoided her. He couldn’t help it. After hearing that she had no current interest in marriage, he had been crushed, much more so than he had ever expected. These last few weeks, spending so much time with her, it had been easy to persuade himself that Chloe felt something for him too, but clearly, he was wrong. She had declared outright that she didn’t have time for love.
Perhaps I can change her mind?
Leo glanced down at the gift again before stepping through the open shop door, quite determined. Her gift of a pocket watch had been very special. It had resided in his waistcoat pocket ever since she had given it to him. Now, it was his turn, and he wanted to make quite certain that he would deliver a gift she would remember.
A new sketchpad for her designs resided in the tissue paper, one adorned in fine leather and engraved with her name. Leo smiled briefly at the sketchpad before he looked up, expecting to see Chloe behind the counter, yet she wasn’t there.
“Oh, Lord Felton!” Miss Baker’s voice greeted him.
“Miss Baker?” Leo said in surprise, watching as the seamstress stepped out from the counter.
“You have come to see Chloe too? As have I, but I am told by Gretchen here that the mistress is so busy working on her designs upstairs that she has left the shop to Gretchen’s capable hands this morning.” Miss Baker’s compliments clearly praised the young seamstress, who stood a little taller behind the counter.
Leo flicked his eyes to the ceiling and tucked his gift a little more under his arm, keeping it hidden. He wanted to see Chloe, but he didn’t need the seamstresses gossiping about him bringing a gift for her.
“Ah, I see. She’s always so busy.” Leo sighed with disappointment, wondering how he could persuade one of the seamstresses to fetch Chloe without causing a scene. Before Leo could think of the words to say, the door opened once again behind him. Leo turned, expecting to see young ladies entering the shop, ready to peruse Chloe’s designs, but it was no lady. It was a young man.
“Good morning. Is Miss Green here today?” this gentleman asked, striding past Leo as if he was not there. Leo nearly collided with the nearest table in his attempt to get out of the way, but he just managed to avoid a collision, holding his gift up to stop it from falling.
The incomer cut quite a dapper figure, though he was a gentleman Leo did not recognize. He clutched a bunch of flowers in his hands.
Leo paled at the sight of the flowers. He needed no great leap of the imagination to wonder why the gentleman was there. Carrying flowers and asking to see Chloe? Evidently, he wished to make his intentions known!
Perhaps I should have brought flowers too?
Leo looked down at the sketchbook wrapped in tissue paper and held onto it tightly. The day before, he had been so confident it was a gift that Chloe would love, now he was beginning to wonder if he should have considered items that spoke of a more traditional courtship.
“Miss Green is quite popular this morning,” Gretchen said with a laugh as she gestured to the young gentleman and then looked at Leo.
The stranger turned to look at Leo, acknowledging his presence for the first time. His look of surprise was equal to Leo’s own.
Before anything could be said between the two of them, a second gentleman walked in. Leo’s eyes went wide, seeing this gentleman with another set of flowers, not dissimilar to the first gentleman’s own. It was easy for Leo to guess that they had been put together by the same florist, no doubt they were purchased just a short walk away in Covent Garden.
This second gentleman stood still in the doorway and looked around, startled by the other gentlemen standing before him.
“Good day to you, sir,” Gretchen said, welcoming him in. “Have you come to see—”
“Miss Green?” Leo finished the sentence, finding his eyes flicking down to the flowers in the gentleman’s hand.
This is getting to be a busy place!
