Chapter 12

As Leo and Emma’s friendship grew, he began having romantic feelings for her but mentioned nothing of it to her. And whenever he returned from school, the first thing he did was to find out where she was. He never missed a chance to see her. He would beg Meg to look out for him, to help him to avoid being caught by his parents. Sometimes, he stole food and snacks—the ones the servants weren’t allowed to eat—to give her and little Lionel. He helped her watch over the latter, too, enjoying every moment of doing things for her. He told her every detail of all that took place in his high-priced high school and all the things he disliked about the fancy places his parents took him and Elena to for vacations. He taught her to differentiate Pinot Noir from Moon Drops and explained how heavy rains spelled doom for grapes. He told her how thoroughly he was being taught about his family wine business and how he would one day run it. She, on the other hand, spared no detail in narrating what h