“Oh no!” She gasped.

“Is your horse just washing his feet, or are the darker forces at work here?” A voice suddenly asked.

Chloe looked up to see a handsome young man seated upon a horse. He had a smiling face on and was watching her with a twinkle in his eye. He looked oddly familiar.

Chloe smiled, he was obviously a gentlemen thought. “Something has happened to the wheel and I can’t move.”

“Well,” The man said as he moved his horse around her. “You’ll just have to live there then. Bye.”

Chloe frowned.

The man chuckled though. “I suppose that won’t do. I’ll help you home.”

Chloe smiled again, he was only teasing her.

“Thank you so much Mr...?”

“Luthor. Lucas Luthor.”

Chloe gasped. “A name I know as well as my own! I am Miss Chloe Sullivan, my governess is your step-mother, and your brother Julian is married to my eldest sister Isabelle.”

Mr. Lucas Luthor smiled as well. “Miss Sullivan, I’ve heard much about you from my step-mother and from my eldest brother Alexander.”

“I thought you looked familiar. You look a lot like Lex.”

“I shall take that as a compliment.”

Chloe laughed. Things were finally beginning to look brighter in Smallville.

*^*^*^*^*^*^ Chloe sat across from her father in the sitting room.

“I ran into Miss Helen Bates this afternoon in town Papa.”

“Oh yes?”

“She told me that the Luthors' are having a party for Lucas this Saturday. Have we received an invitation?”

Her father smiled. “No. None has come in the mail.”

Chloe tapped her fingers the armchair. “How odd. It must have been delayed.”

“Of course my dear.” Gabe said. “The invitation is delayed.”

“Actually it wasn’t delayed.” A voice said from the window sill. It was Lex. “Lex! You have our invitation!”

Lex smiled, “But of course my dear. I thought you deserved to be kept waiting for once in your life.”

Chloe rolled her eyes at him. “Very funny.”

“Come inside Alexander.” Her father called out. “You’ll catch an early spring cold if you remain outside any longer.”

Lex and Chloe both laughed at her fathers comment.

Chloe leaned back in her chair. Her life was getting back on track, Mr. Lucas Luthor had arrived. Lex and her had returned to their earlier friendship and her father’s health had improved since the winter. Things were much better now.

*^*^*^*^*^*^

(Luthor Estate)

“What a lovely party you’ve put together Mrs. Luthor.” Chloe said as she kissed Martha’s cheek.

“Thank you Chloe.”

“And such a lovely new piano as well, when did you get it?” Chloe asked pointing to where a crowd gathered looking it over.

“A few weeks ago. But there is now an even prettier one in town.”

“Oh yes?” Chloe asked.

“It seems that a piano was sent to Desrie Attkins.”

Chloe covered up the frown that appeared on her face. “Desrie Attkins?”

Lucas Luthor appeared beside his step-mother.

“Good evening Miss Sullivan.”

“Mr. Luthor, you look well.”

“Thank you.”

Martha smiled. “I’ll leave you two alone for a moment if I can. I’ve got to check on things.”

“Well.” Lucas smiled down at Chloe. “Who do you think sent Miss Desrie Attkins a piano as a gift?”

“I couldn’t guess.”

Lucas smiled. “It’s a bit of a mystery it seems. There was no note to say who it was from.”

“Really?” That got Chloe’s attention. She loved a good mystery. “Perhaps it was sent by Mr. Dickson.”

“Who?” Chloe asked.

Lucas smirked slightly, reminding her again of how similar he looked to Lex. “Miss Cambell, was the close friend of Miss Desrie Attkins. Mr. Dickson married Miss Cambell, a very plain girl. Perhaps Mr. Dickson fell in love with Miss Desrie Attkins who is..."

“Very elegant, yes. But what makes you say that?” Chloe asked.

“Well, she must think that it was Mr. Dickson as well. Perhaps that is why Miss Desrie Attkins did not go to Ireland with the Cambells. Instead, she came here, to avoid Mr. Dickson. Of course, this is all just a theory of mine.” Lucas finished saying.

Chloe mewed that thought over as the party continued on. Who had sent Desrie Attkins that piano?

“Chloe!” Mrs. Luthor said a while later at the party. “Come. I haven’t had the chance to speak with you yet tonight. Come sit down over here.”

“How are you coping with tonight’s large party?”

“As well as can be expected. Now my dear. Did you hear how Miss Helen Bates and Desrie Attkins arrived to our party?”

“No.”

“Alexander loaned them his own personal carriage.”

“Really?” Chloe frowned. Why would he do that? Speaking of Lex, she had yet to even see him at tonight’s party. Where was he?

“Really.” Martha continued. “I confess a thought has popped into my head that I can’t get rid of. My step-son Alexander Luthor and Miss Desrie Attkins are a couple!”

“WHAT?!” Chloe gasped.

“A secret couple of course.”

“Did Lex tell you this?”

“Well no.”

Chloe frowned. “Please Mrs. Luthor. Do not try to play the matchmaker, you do it very ill. Really, Lex and Miss Desrie Attkins. The very notion is nauseating.”

“Oh wait!” Mrs. Luthor continued. “What if Desrie’s new piano was from Alexander?”

“You run wild with a silly thought Mrs. Luthor.” Chloe said as calmly as she could.

“Perhaps.”

“If Lex and her are in love as you claim, why isn’t he with her this very moment. She is standing with your other step-son Lucas Luthor over there.”

“Perhaps they stay apart to help keep it all a secrete.” Chloe frowned. No. It couldn’t be. She wouldn’t believe it. No.

Absolutely not!

*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Lex sat down with the other guests as Chloe sat down at the new piano and delighted them all with a small piece of music. Her playing was very refreshing, Lex always thought, like a fresh stream…what on earth was Lucas doing?

Lex sat up straighter in his chair as he watched his youngest brother suddenly start singing along to Chloe’s piano music. Damn. And he could sing very well indeed. Lex felt a twist in his gut, the way Chloe looked up at Lucas made him want to yell at Lucas to sit down and shut up!

The song came to an end and everyone politely clapped. Lucas took Chloe’s hand and escorted her back to her seat. Then he turned back around and helped Desrie Attkins with her music.

Lex moved just his eyes to his left to see that Chloe was a little out of sorts at having been abandoned by his younger brother. Suddenly, Chloe saw that he was watching her and quickly averted her eyes elsewhere.

Lex shook his head. He slowly stood up and went over to sit down next to Chloe.

“Doesn’t she play marvelously?” He whispered as he sat down next to her.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Yes. And how sweet it was of you to lend her your carriage so that her fingers could be warm enough for the performance.”

Lex smirked. Chloe actually sounded jealous. Whether it was simply over the beautiful Miss Desrie Attkins, or his own attention about the young woman that Chloe was jealous about was a little unclear though.

“Your playing was lovely.” Lex assured Chloe.

“More than Miss Desrie Attkins playing?”

“Yes! It was...very...elegant.”

Chloe smiled, reached over and patted Lex’s hand with her own. “You are very kind.

Lex sucked in his breath at the touch. Suddenly he wanted to grab her, shake her and tell her that they had slept together in a bed three months ago and since then he couldn’t ever think about sleeping with anyone else except her. But...of course he didn’t do that.

“Wasn’t it nice of the Cambell’s to give Miss Desrie Attkins such a lovely piano?” Chloe interrupted his guilty thoughts.

Lex frowned. “I never approve of such large surprises. Bad judgement on the Cambell’s part if they gave her that piano.”

Lex suddenly noticed Chloe’s smile widen considerably. What had he just said to give her such a smile?

“Chloe,” Lex leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “I wanted to tell you...”

“Mr. Luthor!” A small voice interrupted. “You’re brother is making Desrie sing another song, she will sing herself hoarse.”

It was that kind woman Miss Helen Bates.

“Yes. Of course Miss Bates, I will see to it immediately.” Lex stood up and went over to tell his younger brother in very polite terms, to shut up and sit down and let Desrie return to her seat. He would have to corner Chloe another time.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*