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Chloe had said that.
Yet he found his lips too thin.
The mere thought of Chloe made him pull at his cravat again and turn his eyes towards the door.
Is she here today? Will I see her?
“This is wonderful!” Benjamin gushed as Maeve sat straight and pressed a handkerchief to her eyes, stopping tears of happiness from leaking down her cheeks. “Maeve, did you ever think your books would sell like this?”
“Never.” She laughed at herself and dried the last tear. “Thank you for bringing this, Leo. To think I am giving people such enjoyment; I cannot tell you how that makes me feel.”
“I am glad for it.” Leo sat forward and picked up the teacup Maeve had poured for him. He nearly knocked the teacup off the saucer in his effort, before he managed to right it. Maeve narrowed a glare at him, as Benjamin smiled, humored by the mishap. “It’s alright, it’s not cracked.” Though Leo lifted the teacup and analyzed it a bit just to be sure before he took a sip. “So, how are the preparations for your ball progressing?”
“With vigor,” Benjamin said tiredly. “I can scarcely believe how much effort goes into holding a ball for the ton, especially at this scale. All to just announce us as duke and duchess? It all feels rather, pointless.”
“Exactly.” Maeve sighed as she sat back in her seat, still looking over the paperwork, but distractedly now. “That is why I hope we can do something more with this ball.”
“What do you mean?” Leo asked. When Nathan came to his side and presented him with another horse. Leo made a horse’s whinny through his lips, which caused Nathan to laugh raucously, then the boy took the horse back again.
“Leo would be as good as our nursemaid for Nathan,” Benjamin said, reaching for his own teacup while Leo rolled his eyes.
“You were talking about an ulterior motive for the ball, Maeve,” Leo encouraged his sister.
“I wish to take the opportunity to do something more with it.” Maeve moved to the edge of her seat, her excitement barely contained. “It is high time Chloe was not just admired by the two of us for her designs.”
Chloe?
The mere mention of Chloe’s name made something jolt in Leo’s stomach. The teacup nearly slipped out of his hand. He took a firmer hold of it, earning more raised eyebrows from his sister.
“The cup is safe,” he assured her.
“As I was saying. I wish to show off her designs, and I am hoping the ball will be an opportunity to do so. I have asked Chloe to make me a unique design for the evening.” Maeve placed down the papers, now completely absorbed in what she had to say. “She thinks I asked her to design it in order to appear a proper duchess. In actual fact, it is because I wish to sing her praises to the ton all night.”
Leo smiled at the idea. Maeve and Chloe had first come to London two years ago, and they had both stayed with Leo at the time in his apartments for a while. There, he had seen what talent Chloe had as a seamstress. She had a way of looking at women’s fashion that made her dresses unique, both alluring and captivating. He hadn’t ever told her as much though. He rather thought his compliments were a little thin on the ground at times, but he feared what she would think if he was too gushing in his praise.
Leo looked down at his teacup as he thought of the time Chloe spent in his apartments. He rather missed her presence these days. There was no one to make him laugh at himself with wit and a ready jest. The lodgings were far too empty.
“Do you think it a good idea, brother?” Maeve asked, clearly eager for his opinion.
“I do.” He nodded, looking up from his teacup again. “Is Chloe . . . I mean, is she here today?” He tried not to sound too eager as he glanced at the door.
Maeve didn’t appear to notice the way he had stumbled over the sentence in his nervousness, but Benjamin lowered his teacup an inch and stared at Leo. It made Leo lift his teacup to his lips once again, hiding his expression and what he feared might be a reddening face.
“She is. In fact, she said at some point she would come to see me this afternoon—” Before Maeve, could finish, the door burst open, “—God’s wounds, Chloe!”
“Maeve, Maeve! I just had to show you.”
Chloe!
Leo nearly dropped the teacup again as his eyes shot to her. This time he managed to spill tea all over his hand and up his sleeve, much to Nathan’s amusement.
“Maeve, it is your new gown – what do you . . .” Chloe trailed off.
In her hands she held a new design, but her eyes were no longer on Maeve. She had clearly noticed Leo, and she was staring at him with the same surprise he felt.
Her dark black hair was elegantly curled at the back of her head in an updo, and her green eyes were wider than usual. The lips that were usually smiling at her own latest jest were now parted as she stared at him.
That familiar jolt was back in Leo’s stomach. It was the same every time he looked at her. She was beautiful, though she never seemed to notice. She wasn’t like other ladies of the ton who would flutter their fans in front of their faces and hope to bat their eyelashes just enough to make a gentleman admire them. No, Chloe was different.
