Up for Heir - Stella Starling Page 0,92

whispered, “Hugo.” His eyes stung, but he sniffled and dashed them away, grinning so hard his cheeks hurt as he gave Leo’s valet a little wave. “Um, h-h-hi.”

“Master Edvin,” Edvin’s fairy godfather said in an ever-so-proper voice that belied the sparkle in his eyes. He stepped aside, gesturing for Edvin to come out. “If you have a moment, sir, I do believe we have a ball to get you to.”

Because, apparently, magic existed after all.

Chapter Eighteen

Leo

Hugo had sent word the moment he’d found Eddie, and even though Leo hadn’t been worried—he hadn’t allowed himself to be, because Eddie was resourceful and competent and Leo had quite simply needed him to be okay—receiving official word that his little librarian had been located safe and sound and was now on his way to the palace had almost sent Leo to his knees with relief. And yet, because of this dratted new commitment to embracing his duties as heir, Leo hadn’t been able to rush off to meet Eddie upon his arrival, not until wrapping up a few pre-ball diplomatic duties. As soon as he’d been able to steal away, though, he’d headed straight for the family wing of the palace and up to the apartment the Bloms had been assigned.

“He’s not here?” Leo asked once Oliver let him in, a stab of unreasonable fear hitting him for a split second before he shook it off. Eddie may not have been in the Bloms’ apartment, but Leo had already been informed that he was okay.

Oliver’s good cheer only served to confirm that fact. The boy’s hair had been tamed, his nails buffed to a high shine, and he was dressed in a dapper, bright blue bespoke suit that had Leo grinning. It was so very… Oliver. He looked handsome, polished, more than a little flamboyant, and—between the glass of Zasfer in his hand, the relief he had to be feeling over Eddie’s return, and the proposition of, as Leo had heard him say to his siblings at one point, the imminent start of the party of the century—also a bit giddy. It was a much better look on him than stricken and hopeless.

“Nope, not here at the moment,” he answered Leo with a wide smile. “But he did stop by to make sure that we’d survived the last twenty-four hours without him around to fuss over us.”

Eddie did a lot more than “fuss” over his siblings, but Leo could tell that Oliver’s irreverent joking was just fueled by relief, so he let it slide. Besides, he was more interested in finding Eddie at the moment than in schooling the younger Blom on properly appreciating Eddie’s concern for him and the rest of his siblings… and a few minutes later, when Leo did finally find Eddie, he was right where Leo hoped he’d always be: in Leo’s suite.

Leo grinned, leaning against the doorframe as something warm and lovely unfurled in his chest. Eddie was being pampered, which could only be Hugo’s doing, and the man was going to abdicate his position as Palace’s Most Aggravating Valet completely if he kept insisting on taking care of Eddie behind Leo’s back like this.

It would almost be annoying how well Hugo understood Leo if he wasn’t currently busy appreciating the fact that he did. The palace had a fully functional spa, but Hugo understood that since Leo hadn’t been able to go find Eddie himself, he’d want him to be in his own space. No, that he’d need him to be.

Eddie was reclined on what looked like a portable spa bed with cucumbers over his eyes, someone seated behind him fussing with his hair, and another someone buffing his nails. There was also the remains of a meal currently being cleared away, two stylists huddled nearby arguing about which of the bespoke suits hanging on a mobile rack would best would complement Leo’s formalwear, a few more uniformed members of the palace staff flitting about under Hugo’s direction, and of course Hugo himself, orchestrating the entire buzzing hive of activity with his usual impeccably unflappable efficiency.

The hair stylist murmured a question, too low for Leo to hear.

“Oh, um, wh-wh-whatever you think Leo would like,” Eddie said in response, an adorably pink blush staining his cheeks.

“Master Edvin,” Hugo said smoothly, gazing down at Eddie with a fond smile that told Leo more clearly than words that the valet was unaware of Leo’s presence. “I’m entirely sure that what Leopold likes is simply you.”

It was true, but more than