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“I mean, yes, it is strange she would not write to me to say where she was going, but do you think she would have told you after you have been avoiding her these last few days?” Maeve asked him without blinking. That penetrating look made Leo turn away once more, the guilt rising.
“I know, I know. I have no right to be angry.” Yet it didn’t stop his fears from making him angry.
What he had told Maeve and Benjamin was the truth. Hearing the rumors about Chloe had made fear bloom inside of him—a fear that perhaps he had lost Chloe to the other men that swarmed around her. At first, he’d thought some space would be good to protect his heart. Now, it all seemed absurd. Avoiding her had accomplished nothing, only caused her disappearance and his heartache.
“This is ridiculous. We have to find her!” Leo declared with purpose as he walked off in another direction.
“We will.” Maeve spoke in earnest and followed behind him. “Yet we have run out of places to look. Where else could we try that we have not yet been?”
“Let us try the shop again.”
“Again? Good lord, Leo! We have been there six times at least.”
“Then we will go a seventh time,” Leo said pointedly, aware that the set of his jaw was stern as he glanced back at Maeve. She nodded, putting up no more fuss and followed behind him.
They circled the square and headed straight for Chloe’s shop on the other side of Covent Garden. When they reached the door, Leo tried it, only to find it locked. Cursing under his breath, he pressed his face to the nearest window, peering inside beside Maeve, who was making the glass cloudy with her mouth pressed so close to the glass.
“It is still empty,” Maeve whispered with a sigh. “There is no one there.”
Leo’s eyes danced across the shop. Nothing had changed since they last checked the building, showing that Chloe had not returned to it. Leo was ready to curse again when he stepped back and bumped into something.
“Oh!” a man gasped in surprised as Leo spun round and grabbed the gentleman’s arm.
“I am so sorry,” Leo said and settled the man on his feet. He had been mere inches away from knocking the man over completely. “Forgive me, I am not looking where I am going. I am somewhat distracted.”
“What is your excuse the rest of the time?” Maeve mumbled quietly, and Leo shot her a glare, rather glad this gentleman could not hear her.
“Please, do not apologize, sir, I was not looking where I was going either, so it was inevitable,” the kindly man said with a gentle face. “I am so intent on getting to my shop these days, I barely look at where I’m putting my feet.” The man laughed and gestured to his shop, which was directly beside Chloe’s.
Leo stood straighter, when he saw the shop that the man was motioning to.
“This is your shop?” Leo asked, looking straight at it.
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, then forgive me for prying, but a dear friend of mine is the owner of this modiste beside you. By any chance, have you seen her these last couple of days? We fear . . .” Leo swallowed, feeling the nerves forming a lump in his throat. “We fear where she has gone, as no one can find her.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” the man said with another smile, but this one was more a smile of comfort. “I did see her two days ago.”
Maeve moved forward with the words, clearly as hopeful as Leo.
“Was she in the shop?” Maeve asked.
“Leaving it. She took a carriage, I believe.”
“A carriage?” Leo repeated in confusion.
“Two days ago, late into the evening. I am afraid I know no more than that.” The man offered an apology as he gestured to his shop. “Well, if you would excuse me.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you.” Leo called after the man then turned to Maeve, lowering his voice to a rather harsh whisper. He murmured a curse so shocking out of panic that Maeve flinched at his words.
“Your fears are making you somewhat relentless, have you noticed that?” Maeve motioned to him.
“Call it desperation.” Leo held his sister’s gaze, his lips pressed flat as he spoke the words, showing his sincerity.
“I cannot believe I never noticed this before.”
“Noticed what?” Leo said, looking to his sister as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the shop, back through Covent Garden.
