Chapter 28

He was supposed to be meeting with some men who own a company that makes and sells camping gear, to talk about possibly representing them and being the face of their company. After that meeting he had a press conference and then after lunch was supposed to be seclusion to relax and prepare for his presentation. Thats what he was supposed to be doing when he asked the chauffeur to drive him to the Bougainvillea estate, while he stood at the door and waited for his knock to be answered, when the nanny was the one to answer the door and immediately welcomed him in. "She's hiding again. Will you help me find her?" He chuckled as he agreed to search the house but before she could scurry away he got his question out. "Is Violet home?"

The nanny smiled, a knowing smile that made him feel somewhat comforted. "Yes. She's also looking for the little miss. She's wearing yellow today, incase that helps you find her." And with that she scurried off.

He headed upstairs, searching the bedrooms for the little girl with her father's hair and eye color, but otherwise looks like her mother, and who will be wearing a yellow dress. He looked under beds and inside cabinets.

He returned down stairs searching every nook and cranny he could think to hide in until he found himself in what must be Violet's office, where he spotted a pair of tiny feet at the bottom of the fabric curtains that cover the window. Instead of pulling the fabric back to reveal the hiding child he pretended not to notice her and that he was also hiding from her mother and her nanny as he slid into the other side of the curtains and jumped in fake surprise when he saw her. She quietly giggled and signed for him to stay quiet.

Leon shook his head in very serious agreement. "Why are you hiding?" He asks, having to spell out hiding.

She shows him how to sign the missing word from his vocabulary before responding. "It's fun! I like when mommy finds me."

"Oh. I see. Me too." He smiles. Unbeknownst to the two hiding behind the curtains, Violet can see all of this on the other side of the window, and instead of marching in, stays there for a moment, watching her daughter so happy. Aster has always been a happy child, even when she was first born she was happy and easy, and Violet was grateful for that, especially when Gilbert passed away.

After awhile got an idea and tugged on Leon's arm to get his undivided attention. "I can teach you to sign more." He big smile melts him.

As they exited the curtained they were greeted by a black cat with bright green eyes and a loud meow before he approached Aster with rubs on her legs. "This is M-A-J-O-R" Aster spell the name out before showing him the unique sign she made for her cat that mimics a soldier's salute, but her hands are in the sign for M.

Gilbert smiles as he reaches down and pets the cat. "Pretty cat." He signs after the cat has finished getting it's five and half pets from the stranger and jumping onto the window sill to stare out at some bugs.

Aster pulls out one of her favorite books, not Leon's collection of photos from around the world, but a book that depicts different weather patterns, moon phases, and a couple astrological phenomenon. When she points to an image, if he doesn't already know the word she shows him.

Violet had come back inside and checked on lunch preparations before walking to her study. She paused at the doorway as she watched Leon and Aster discussing the weather. Her laughter surprised Leon, which Aster responded to and quickly signed to her mother. "Can he stay for lunch?"

She is wearing another long skirt, this one is Ruby read and her shirt has vertical red stripes. He hair is pulled back into a bun, except those messy bangs that the wind is allowed to play with. "If he wants to he is welcome. Your uncle is going to be here soon. Go wash up."

The energetic five year old excitedly runs from the room, leaving behind a very confused Leon who stands as he watches the little one leave before turning to her mother who helps clear up some confusion. "She wants to know if you would like to stay for dinner, she just forgot to actually ask you because she is so excited for her uncle to show up that she ran off to wash." They both stifle a little laughter.

"If it's not too much of an inconvenience." He smiles as the familiar glow fills his cheeks.

"Then it is settled, you'll be staying for lunch." She smiles just a second before the doorbell rings and he eyes get a little nervous. "That will be Gilbert's older brother, Dietfried, and his fiancé, Irma Fliech."

Leon suddenly felt extremely nervous. He had thought he would just show up and get to the point, ask her his questions and find out if she ever had feelings for him. He didn't want to do that in front of Gilbert's brother though. "Wait. Irma Fliech, like the Irma Fliech. The opera singer?"

Violet smiled with a little lift to her eyebrows. "Yes. The one and only. Aster doesn't know that they are engaged yet, so they're coming to tell her."

He hears the newly engaged couple being welcomed by the nanny into the house and quickly pulls Violet into the office. He hadn't realized how hard he had pulled her until her hands rested on his chest and they were both instantly blushing, but not moving their feet as she looked up into his soft blue eyes and forgot her other guests for a moment until he spoke in a low voice. "Are you sure it's okay for me to be here with such— intimate— family events happening?"

Violet raised an eyebrow. "I know you've just met Aster, does she seem like the kind of child that would appreciate her friends baling on lunch?"

Leon stifled a laugh when he saw the serious placidness of Violet's face, only to then have the facade break into a tiny bit of laughter. "I think her teasing is wearing off on me. I apologize." She shakes her head and becomes away of her hands on his chest and his hands that are gently holding her upper arms again. "Leon?" She hesitates to look up into his eyes, a bit scared of what those soft blue eyes might do to her knees.

"Yes Violet?" He asks, already in a complete trance thanks to her laughter a moment ago.

She slowly brings her eyes up as she speaks. "Why are you here?"

He took a breath before speaking, silently praying that Gilbert would have his back in this moment. "I received letter from Gilbert last night and I—"

"A letter? From my brother? Who are you?" Dietfried Bougainvillea interrogated as he watched the pair with his piercing green eyes until they let go of each other.