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“He said you were not here, and that they would all have to try again another day,” Rosaline explained in a hurry, placing the beads that had been dislodged back into a bowl on the table. “I had just explained you were upstairs.”
“Why did he do that?” Gretchen asked, still staring down at the flowers.
“Oh, I rather think he was disappointed to see Chloe had other suitors today.” Rosaline spoke with a small smile.
“Othersuitors?” Chloe repeated, shocked Rosaline thought of Leo as her suitor. “Rosaline, please would you explain yourself a little better, as I am very confused here.”
“Very well.” Rosaline stepped away from the table, giving Chloe her full attention. “Lord Felton arrived a few minutes ago with a gift for you.” She gestured to the counter, where there was a parcel wrapped in tissue paper. Chloe crossed toward it, still ignoring the flowers, as she listened to Rosaline. “When the other two gentlemen arrived, Lord Felton declared you were not here, and they left. Yet Lord Felton stayed. I rather think he wanted to see you alone.”
“Then why did he run off?” Gretchen asked in confusion.
“Guilt, perhaps?” Rosaline offered. “Oh, Chloe, he was in such a hurry to leave that he nearly knocked over this table.”
“That sounds like Leo,” Chloe murmured, as she turned her attention down to the tissue-wrapped parcel. In a hurry, with quick fingers, she pulled back the tissue paper to reveal what Leo had brought her.
When she found a leather-bound sketchpad inside, she stood there, stunned. It was soft to the touch and was clearly expensive, but what amazed her most was when she turned the book to reveal the spine. It had been engraved with her own name.
Oh, my . . . what a beautiful book!
Never had she owned such a sketchbook before.
“That is his gift?” Rosaline gushed, moving to Chloe’s side.
“It is beautiful.” Gretchen was suddenly no longer interested in the flowers, hurrying to place them down and move to Chloe’s other side, staring at the book.
Chloe lifted the front cover, revealing a small note that slipped out of the book. Picking it up off the table, Chloe turned the note over to see that Leo had left a message for her.
Chloe,
For your designs.
Yours,
Leo.
It was a simple note, yet Chloe couldn’t help her excitement, for it was an incredibly sweet gift that showed how much Leo knew her. He had not bought her flowers, or anything else as innocuous, as the two other suitors had done. He had taken the time and money to buy her something much more personal. She loved and cherished his thoughtful gift much more than she did the flowers.
“This gift . . .” Chloe murmured in amazement, running her fingers over it. “What kindness.”
“Suitors have a habit of being kind,” Rosaline said with a giggle.
“Suitors!?” Chloe repeated again, this time nearly dropping the sketchbook. She caught it from the air and held it flush to her chest, determined not to let it fall, for risk of damaging it.
“Chloe, can you be in any doubt of what just happened here?” Rosaline asked, giggling once again. “Yourfriendas you so call him, was so disappointed to see other gentlemen at your door, bringing flowers no less—”
“Very beautiful flowers,” Gretchen admitted, playing with one of the blooms.
“Just so. That he told a lie in order to have the chance of seeing you alone,” Rosaline finished the thought.
“Then he ran off.” Chloe flicked her eyes to the door. “If Leo was a suitor . . . If he saw me in that way, why would he run?”
“You mean you are not yet courting?” Rosaline asked, looking completely surprised by the idea.
“Nothing has been said of courtship!” Chloe took the sketchbook and walked away from the counter, finding she needed that distance to think clearly. She moved to the door and peered beyond the glass windows, looking out to the street in the hope of a glimpse of Leo, but he was far away by now. “Nothing at all, except . . . Oh good lord, maybe he did say something.”
Chloe thought back to the last time she had seen Leo, in this very building, upstairs in the sewing room. She thought of what he had asked her, and how her answer had sent him scurrying out of the house.
“He asked if I had a gentleman in my life, and if I had ever considered courting someone,” Chloe murmured quietly. It didn’t seem to matter how softly the words were spoken, for turning back she found Rosaline and Gretchen leaning on the counter, hanging onto her words. “Did that mean . . . Was he asking for himself?” Chloe suddenly felt blind. She had not thought it possible, not until Leo had run out of the house, but later she had dismissed the idea as wishful thinking. But, was it possible? Was Leo asking out of his own interest and was she just too blind to see it?
