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One was Lady Shrewsbury, her expression not hiding anything. Her lips were parted in amazement at the emptiness of the room, and her eyes were wide. The other person to arrive was Lord Gloucester.
“I wonder why he has come?” Chloe said wryly and reached back to the glass once again.
“Hmm?” Leo murmured the noise distractedly.
“He has come to see Rosaline.”
On cue, Lord Gloucester hurried to Rosaline’s side, where the two greeted each other warmly and clasped a hand. At that touch, Chloe looked sideways at Leo, wondering why he had not taken her hand yet.
Perhaps if Leo did once feel anything for me, it is now at an end? After all, he is the son of an earl, he’d want to court someone who was affluent, and who was respected, not a disgraced modiste.
The thought made Chloe more miserable, and she knocked back more of the brandy.
“I do not understand,” Lady Shrewsbury said, walking forward. “No one is here? Only us?”
“So it would seem,” Maeve said, wringing her hands together as she looked around the room. “I really thought they would come.”
“As did I,” the Duke admitted. “The invitation was from us. You would have thought they would come because of that.”
“Your sister and the Duke are now tainted because of me, aren’t they?” Chloe whispered to Leo at her side, glad they were so far at the edge of the room that no one else could hear her.
“Don’t say that,” Leo pleaded.
“How can I not?” Chloe shrugged and turned back, reaching to top up the glass. When the carafe was taken away, before she could get hold of it, she turned a narrowed glare at Leo. “I was about to use that.”
“I don’t think it wise.”
“You’ll drop it and make Maeve most upset.”
“I’d rather that, than you drowning your sorrows in brandy.” He purposefully placed the brandy glass far out of reach. When he knocked over a couple of the champagne glasses in his task, they both hurried to right them, ending up Leo clasping Chloe’s hand over one of the glasses.
She expected him to pull away at once. Holding her breath, she waited for the inevitable, but it didn’t happen. They both stayed as they were, unmoving, staring down at their hands together.
“Leo . . .” Chloe began slowly.
“Yes?” His voice had become deeper.
She was suddenly aware how close they were standing.
Perhaps I should say something. This is the wrong moment in so many regards, but what if I did?
“I . . .” Chloe stood straight, ready to tell Leo her true feelings, when Lady Shrewsbury appeared beside them, and Chloe snapped her hand away from Leo’s.
“Oh, Chloe, my dear, I am so sorry.” Lady Shrewsbury embraced her quickly. “Do not despair, though, alright? We will think of something else.”
“What?” Chloe said slowly. “I am sorry, but I do not know what can help at this rate. I think people’s absence here tonight makes it plain just how they feel about me.” She motioned to the empty room. “They do not even want to come to an event where I am. They have made their opinion known. They might as well have shouted it from the roof of the Tower of London.”
“Then we shall seek to change that opinion. Have faith yet, my friend.” Lady Shrewsbury kept her smile before walking off, hurrying to Maeve’s side once again where the two began a rather hurried and hushed conversation.
“Please may I have that drink?” Chloe whispered. A second later, she found the carafe presented to her and Leo topped up her brandy glass.
“Just for tonight,” he said softly. “I would not be your good friend if I let you do this often.”
“Friend,” Chloe murmured the word. At that time, she resented it. She and Leo were friends, the dearest of friends, yet she wanted to be so much more, and the way he had used “friend” made her feel very small.
“Yes, my friend,” Leo’s voice had deepened further. “Chloe, Lady Shrewsbury is right. This is not the end.”
“Oh, you’re intending to make me feel better too then?” Chloe lifted the glass to her lips and devoted her focus entirely to Leo.
