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The only answer was a shake of the other man's head as he dropped his chin towards his chest. He didn't expound on his beliefs and turned away to look out the solarium windows. Benjamin took a deep breath against the empty hole between his lungs. It varied in size from hour to hour. Right now it was livable, even after the brief conversation with his godfather.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Prescott," he said and stood up.
Benjamin walked slowly from the solarium with his thumbs hooked through his two front belt loops. George met him in the front hall, a distressed look on his face. He waved Benjamin over to him with a fervent hand.
"Benjamin, I've been looking for you for half an hour."
"I was in the solarium. What's wrong, George?"
"It's Ms. Kincaid."
"What about her?" The hairs on the back of Benjamin's neck bristled and his insides clenched in immediate dread. "Did something else happen with her and Jon?"
George shook his head. "I called a cab for her twenty-five minutes ago. She’s going to the airport to rent a car. I believe she’s returning to Boston.”
"What? Where is she now?"
"She just came down with her bag," George clarified.
"Shit," Benjamin cursed and sprinted to the front door.
Jewell sat near the bottom of the front stairs. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and the autumn breeze shifted her loose hair around her shoulders. Benjamin slowed his stride to walk to the end of the landing and took a deep breath before he took the first step. From his position behind her, he saw her wipe her fingers across her cheek.
Benjamin knew her reason for leaving. He had made a royal ass of himself. Again. Could he blame her? Absolutely not.
She turned and looked up at him just before he reached her. Her smile was small and hesitant, but there nonetheless. Jewell took one hand from her coat pocket to give him a small wave and mouthed, "hi." Benjamin sat down on the cold marble step beside her. He tried to read her face, to judge her level of anger, but saw none in her soft expression. Her appearance wasn't one of sadness or melancholy, but more like defeat. The loss of spark in her usually bright eyes made Benjamin feel about an inch tall.
"Were you going to leave without telling me?" he signed.
Jewell shook her head. "I left you a note. Just to let you know I'd see you when you got back to Boston."
Benjamin took in the details of her beautiful face. Jewell's cheeks were milky white with the slightest shade of pink from the November wind. A smattering of freckles bridged her nose. As always when he looked into her eyes, the dazzling depth of them amazed him. The color itself was alive, despite the diminished glint, as alive as the burnished copper of her hair. He took in a deep, tired breath.
"Why are you leaving?"
Jewell seemed to focus on the movements of his hands more than what was necessary to understand his question. He caught a slight quiver of her chin before she shifted her gaze past him. His gut sank like a lead weight.
"I came here to be a help. Something tells me I'm more of a hindrance."
"Why would you think that?"
She waved her hands in frustration. "I don't know what to do for you. Or what to say."
"I don't expect you to do or say anything."
She tucked her chin into her chest and covered her eyes with her hands for a moment before looking at him again. "I've caused more friction between you and your parents. Just look at this morning."
Benjamin adamantly shook his head. "No. No. This morning had nothing to do with you. It's my fault. I knew the animosity against me would carry over to you. You could be Mother Theresa and he wouldn't respect you, just because you're with me. For that I apologize."
A yellow cab came through the open front gate and pulled up the drive, and Benjamin read the name Hartford Cab Company on the side of the sedan as it stopped. Jewell stood up and reached for her suitcase. He jumped to his feet and stopped her hand before she picked it up.
"Don't leave."
Jewell's chin lifted slowly to meet his stare, and moisture glistened in her eyes. "Benjamin, I'm not trying to be a drama queen or to get your attention. In fact, I think you need as little drama in your life as possible right now. I had wanted to be gone by the time you found out. From the moment we heard the news, I've wanted to do whatever I thought was best for you. Right now, this is what I think is best."
She took the last couple of steps to reach the cab and opened the back door. The old Benjamin would have let her climb in and ride away. The choice was hers to make, and he wouldn't have thought twice about letting her decide. But he was a different Benjamin now. Different because of her and now he couldn't let her leave.
He took the one step needed to get between her and the cab. Her eyes rounded in shock.
