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“What really is going on here?” Maeve asked, looking between the two of them. “Leo, all I want to know is why you are avoiding Chloe. She has enough happening in her life at the moment without one of her friends turning his back on her. I received letter from Chloe this morning. From how damp it is, I expect they tried to deliver it last night in the rain. I know Chloe, better than anyone. She might try to sound calm in her letter, but she’s not. She’s sad.” Maeve reached into her reticule and pulled out a rather damp looking letter before tossing it onto the tray beside the coffee cups.
Leo’s eyes shot toward that letter. He itched to pick it up and read it.
“Why have you made her sad, Leo? Why are you avoiding her?” Maeve demanded to know. Leo looked to Benjamin, wondering what to say now. It was plain that Benjamin thought it time to speak the truth.
“The rumors,” Leo said, holding Benjamin’s gaze. “They are painful to hear.”
“They would hurt anyone to hear, that doesn’t mean hiding from Chloe makes sense,” Maeve quipped dismissively.
“No, love,” Benjamin turned his focus on her. “I think Leo is trying to tell us that the rumors have upset him in another way. In particular, the rumors about Chloe providing favors to gentlemen. I fear they have made him rather envious.”
Benjamin’s words had a sudden effect. Maeve dropped her coffee cup completely. It fell to the floor and shattered on the wooden boards. Maeve sat like a statue, as if she couldn’t believe her ears.
“And I’m the clumsy one always breaking things, am I?” Leo asked, bending down to pick up a few of the larger shards, before throwing a large napkin over the rest. He’d call for the maid to clear the mess up later, but for now, he couldn’t handle the intrusion. “You’re as bad as I am.”
“You mean you . . .” Maeve looked between them, before settling her eyes on Benjamin. “You knew?” she accused, jumping to her feet. “You knew my brother cared for Chloe?”
“Well, it just took a little observation.” Benjamin rather skulked back in his chair. “How am I in more trouble than you?” he asked Leo.
“I’m not sure,” Leo laughed as Maeve rounded the tea tray on the dumbwaiter table and came to tap Benjamin on the arm in reprimand.
“Maeve, love, it was rather obvious. The way Leo kept looking at your friend, not to mention the way he was around her. Being even clumsier than usual.”
“I’m not that bad.” Leo’s objection just earned a smirk of amusement from Benjamin.
“Are you really so hurt by these rumors that you have hidden yourself away here, though?” Benjamin was clearly able to tackle the task at hand whilst Maeve stood back in amazement. “You know they are not true.”
“I want to believe they’re not true. I know Chloe better than anyone—” Leo started.
“You know her better than I do, do you?” Maeve corrected him.
“Well, I like to think I do,” Leo adjusted his words. “Yet one day I found two gentlemen in her shop bringing her flowers. They were most desirous to see her.”
“So, she had admirers!” Maeve waved an arm. “Oh, I cannot believe I didn’t know about any of this. How long have you cared for Chloe? Does she know about it? Are you in love with her?”
“Maeve, I think he can only answer one question at a time,” Benjamin said, sitting back in his chair once more with a mischievous smile when his wife glared at him again.
“I do love her.” Leo wasn’t afraid to say the words, though he was amazed at Maeve’s reaction. She sat back in the seat she had vacated earlier, shaking her head.
“Then you are a fool, Leo.”
“For what? For falling in love?”
“No, for allowing your fears to let you suspect for one moment that any of these rumors could be true.” Maeve spoke insistently, leaning forward in her seat.
“It’s not exactly that, it’s just . . .” Leo struggled to explain himself. “I never told her how I felt, as I was scared that she wouldn’t feel the same. Now, with all these gentlemen hovering, it truly makes me doubt I even have a chance.”
“Then you have to try.” Benjamin’s words were succinct, so lacking in elaboration that Leo sat there, dumbfounded.
“What?”
“Enough games, Leo.” Benjamin sat forward, lifting his coffee cup another time. “You want to know how Chloe feels? You want to know if you ever stand a chance of winning her heart? Then hiding from her is hardly going to accomplish your goals, is it?”
“No.” Leo sighed, knowingly. “Telling her how I feel would.”
“Precisely! Tell her what you feel and ask how she feels too. “Now, are you going to do it? Or shall we let Maeve break another cup in anger?”
“Benjamin!” She made a dive to grab his own cup out of his hand.
