Chapter 6

Bond Street, with its flurry of activity and cacophony of fashionable chatter, was always a trial for Anthony. His mother and sisters delighted in its splendor, stopping at every glittering window display and exclaiming over the latest in Parisian fashions. Anthony, however, found the entire endeavor quite tedious. It was only the prospect of a good meal afterward that had convinced him to accompany them today.

"Anthony, do keep up," his mother called, her tone brooking no argument as she motioned him closer. "We still have a lot of places that we need to visit."

He quickened his pace, slipping through the crowd with ease. The streets of London were always busy, but he had gotten used to crowds in the European cities he had been to.

His reverie was abruptly interrupted when a voice called out from behind him. "Anthony? Is that you?"

He turned to see an old school friend, Edward Hawthorne, approaching with a broad smile.

"Edward! It has been ages," Anthony replied, shaking his hand warmly.

"Yes, it has," Edward agreed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "What brings you back to London? I thought you were off conquering the Continent."

Anthony chuckled. "I am back for good now. Family obligations and all that. How have you been?"

"Oh wonderful. I do not know if you are aware, but I got married last year."

Anthony raised an eyebrow, genuinely pleased for his friend. "Congratulations, Edward! That is wonderful news. Who is the lucky lady?"

Edward beamed with pride. "Lady Margaret Thompson. You remember her, right? We met at one of those interminable garden parties a few years back."

Anthony nodded, recalling the lively young woman with a keen wit and infectious laugh. "I do remember. She is a fine match. You must be very happy together."

"We are," Edward confirmed, his smile broadening. "And what about you, Anthony? Any prospects on the horizon?"

Anthony's thoughts immediately drifted to Chloe, but he quickly masked his feelings with a casual shrug. "Nothing concrete. I have only just returned, after all."

Edward gave him a knowing look but did not press further. "Well, there is plenty of time. The Season is still young. Perhaps we'll see you at some of the up coming events. I do not know if you have heard, but this is supposed to be one of the most exciting Seasons thus far."

"Yes, I have heard as much, and I am sure we will cross paths since my mother is determined to have me at every dance," Anthony replied, grateful for the distraction. "It is good to see you again, Edward, but I must catch up with my mother. I am supposed to be carrying all of her parcels."

Edward laughed. "It is good to run in to you, Anthony. I look forward to seeing you again."

Anthony took off, worried that he had lost his family through the crowd. Just as he reached his mother's side, he saw her engaged in animated conversation with a young lady. Her profile was strikingly familiar. The soft cascade of her hair, the graceful tilt of her head…

It could not be...

But who else could it be?

It had to be.

It was.

Chloe .

Anthony felt his breath catch in his throat. She looked more beautiful than he remembered, her eyes bright and her smile radiant. It was as though the years apart had refined her beauty, making her more captivating than ever. His heart nearly leapt out of his throat with excitement, but the nerves got the better of him as well. He did not know how to react.

"Anthony!" his mother exclaimed, noticing his approach. "Look who we have run in to! Lady Swift and Chloe."

Chloe turned to face him fully, her expression composed yet surprisingly cool. Anthony could not help but marvel at her poise, though it stung to see a hint of reserve in her eyes. Where was the young girl whose eyes had always lit up at the mere sight of him?

"Chloe," he greeted, taking her hand and bowing slightly. "What a pleasant surprise."

Chloe inclined her head, her smile polite. "Anthony, it is... good to see you again."

The formality in her tone was unmistakable. Anthony's heart sank slightly, but he pushed the feeling aside, determined to make the most of this unexpected encounter. He had been trying to mentally prepare himself for seeing Chloe again, so perhaps she had been doing the same thing. Maybe the more that they talked, the more her walls would come down and their bond would return.

"How have you been?" he asked, searching her eyes for any sign of the warmth they once shared.

"I have been well, thank you," Chloe replied, her voice even. "And yourself?"

"Quite well, thank you," Anthony said, though his mind was far from calm.

He sensed an invisible barrier between them, a distance that had not been there before. It made him regret ever setting foot out of London, even for a moment.

"It has been too long."

"Yes, it has," Chloe agreed, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Far too long."

Anthony felt a pang of regret. He had hoped that seeing Chloe again would rekindle their old camaraderie, but instead, it felt as though they were strangers.

"I see you have been keeping busy," he remarked, gesturing to the parcels at her feet.

Chloe nodded. "Indeed. One must stay occupied. Especially during the Season."

Her words were light, but Anthony detected an under current of reproach. He longed to explain himself, to tell her that his silence had not been born of neglect but necessity. Yet, in the bustling street, with his mother and sisters watching, it was impossible. Had she moved on? Did she no longer see him in the same light? That saddened Anthony. He swallowed hard, struggling to keep a smile on his face.

"Your mother tells me you have been abroad for quite some time," Chloe said, her voice carefully neutral. "On a Grand Tour."

She was hurt. He could see that. Because he never said a thing before he left.

"Yes," Anthony replied, feeling the weight of his mother's curious gaze upon him. "Several years, actually. It has been... enlightening."

Chloe nodded, her eyes searching his face for a moment before she looked away. "I imagine you have seen many interesting places."

"I have," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "But it seems London has changed as well. I almost did not recognize Bond Street with all its new shops."

"Yes, it has grown quite lively," Chloe agreed. "And the fashions have certainly become more elaborate. I am sure you will see during the Season."

Their parents involved themselves in their own conversation, but Anthony could still sense his mother listening in with half an ear.

"What about you, Chloe?" Anthony asked, desperate to keep the conversation going. He ached for their connection, he needed it back somehow. "How have you been keeping yourself occupied?"

"Much the same as always," Chloe replied, her voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness. "Attending social events, fulfilling my duties as expected. It has been the same way for all the years you have been gone."

Anthony could sense the under lying frustration in her words once more. Life seemed to be a struggle for her, but he could not yet find out why. He longed to ask more, to understand what she truly felt, but the setting was far from ideal.

"And your music?" he asked, remembering her love for the piano. "Do you still play the pianoforte?"

"Yes, I have been continuing to play." As she bit down on her bottom lip, Anthony felt his heart flutter.

"I have missed your playing," he confessed.

"Oh, I am sure you have heard a lot of wonderful music while you have been away. Europe is famed to have some of the most beautiful music in the world."

"But nothing is quite the same," Anthony half whispered. "There is nowhere quite like home."

Could she read between the lines? Did she know what he was trying to tell her? She always used to, but that was before. Now… he was not sure. But as their eyes met a flicker of the old familiarity seemed to pass between them, like a whisper from the past. Chloe quickly looked away, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

"Yes, home has a way of making everything else seem... distant."

Now the only thing that did not feel distant to Anthony was Chloe. Of course, she was not her typical warm self, but she was still the closest person to him. Just as she always had been. It seemed that time and distance could do nothing to change that.