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Chloe could hear the commotion inside at once. The gardener’s voice had clearly carried through the walls, for she had barely dragged the portmanteau out of the carriage door when the front door of the house was thrust open, and she was faced with her father.
He looked a little older, and his face held an expression of concern. In one hand was the letter she had hastily written to him and sent by express to warn him of her impending arrival.
“Chloe?” he called to her and stumbled forward.
“Father?” She felt her breath hitch in her throat. Soon, she would reveal all to him, everything that she had not said in her letter, but he didn’t pressure her for that information, clearly not when he could see she was on the brink of tears.
Instead, he hurried to her side with open arms.
“Chloe, love. Look at you.” He smiled rather sadly. “You’re home now.”
“Thank God for it.” She discarded her portmanteau where it was soon picked up by a footman, and she walked into her father’s arms.
Arthur, known to most as Baron Maywood, wrapped her in his arms warmly. She loved his hugs, for he was so much taller than her that she felt enveloped by his embrace.
“Everything has gone wrong, father,” she whispered as she rested her face against his shoulder. “All of it.”
“Shh, now. We will talk of it all in time, and we will figure out what to do, yet it is not urgent,” he comforted her, his voice gentle. “You need think of none of that here. Not now.”
I cannot escape the disgrace, no matter where I go.
Even as Chloe clung to her father, she peered over his shoulder, glancing back at the carriage. The rumors from London would no doubt follow her here soon enough. It was as if they were a shadow that trailed at her heels, but there was another ghost. Someone not present who Chloe missed so much he might as well have been right beside her.
Leo.
She had left him behind too. Yet she couldn’t help fearing that unlike the rumors, he would not follow her all the way to Sussex.
Chapter 26
Leo
“What ruckus is this?” Leo lifted himself from his chair with the words and moved to his apartment window, peering down. It was still rather early in the day, and though people were going about their business, there weren’t too many people on the street.
Outside his apartment building, a carriage had pulled up, with such speed that the horses had nearly collided with another cart, much to the driver’s dismay. As the horses whinnied, and the two drivers argued, the door to the carriage open and three people hurried down.
“What the . . .” Leo trailed off when he saw who was hurrying to his building. Benjamin was there, leading the group, and behind him was Lord Gloucester and Miss Baker. Clutched in Miss Baker’s hand was some sort of paper, and she was evidently so excited about something that she had blushed nearly as red as her hair.
Before they could even make it up the stairs, Leo hurried to let the group in. He only stopped to look in the mirror to check his reflection. Having fallen asleep in a chair in the living room once again, he was wearing the same clothes as the day before. He had shadows under his eyes, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up, but he was presentable enough for the time being. Hurrying to the door, he flung it open, and stood there, watching as the others practically ran up the stairs. When Miss Baker nearly slipped, Lord Gloucester reached back to take her hand. The smile that they shared made envy spike in Leo’s stomach.
I cannot smile at Chloe like that now. She is not here to share in it.
“Leo!” Benjamin was the first up the stairs, practically bounding. “We found him.”
Something in Leo’s stomach dropped when he realized Benjamin had said they’d found “him” not “her.” Benjamin was evidently not speaking of Chloe.
“The writer?” Leo said, beckoning them all into his flat.
“Just so.” They ended up in the hallway together but made it no further, for Leo was too eager to hear what was happening.
“How? Where?” Leo asked, looking between the gentlemen.
“We may have put a little pressure on some of our writing friends,” Lord Gloucester said with a rather satisfied smirk. “Warning people that they won’t have our influence with publishers if they don’t tell us their secrets, it turned out to be rather effective.”
“A threat I never thought I’d make, but the situation called for it,” Benjamin said, nodding in agreement. “What a night it was, Leo. We went from one club to another, speaking to as many gentlemen as we could.”
“In the end, we found him.” Lord Gloucester stepped forward as he spoke, eager with his words. Miss Baker was still attached to his arm. Their intimate stance made Leo jealous once again.
Oh, Chloe. Where on earth are you?
