“Does it have detachable skirts?” Pippa chimed in.
“This dress’s secret power is…” Fi paused for effect before winking. “Its ability to bring a husband to his knees.”
Livy rolled her eyes. “You hardly need a dress for that.”
“In fact,” Pippa said, a sly curve to her cheek, “thelackof a dress might accomplish that feat better.”
Pippa and Livy exchanged knowing looks and giggled.
With a disgruntled sigh, Glory crossed her gloved arms. “Now that Fiona is getting married too, I shall be the only unwed Angel left. You have all gone and joined a club to which I don’t belong.”
Fi reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. “You will always belong, dear.”
“Sisters first will see us through.” Livy and Pippa quoted the Angels’ creed in unison.
“Besides, nothing is going to change after I’m married,” Fi said. “I will carry on precisely as I’ve always done.”
Silence greeted her statement. Livy and Pippa shared another glance.
“What?” Fi tilted her head. “Hawk and I have the perfect arrangement. He is not going to interfere with my work, nor I with his.”
She hadn’t told her friends about her suspicion that Hawk was, in fact, the raffish French thief. The secret did not feel like hers to share. Besides, she had decided that she would not speculate about her fiancé’s hobbies. It seemed only fair that she should afford him the same privacy that he was giving her.
“Being married may change your perception of things,” Pippa said gently.
“I am not letting marriage interfere with being an Angel.” Fi’s wave was dismissive. “Besides, you and Livy haven’t stopped investigating.”
“That is true,” Livy acknowledged. “Yet there is more to balance as well. I must consider Hadleigh’s wishes and he mine. Moreover, we have our daughter Esme to think about. Marriage simultaneously gives one more and less freedom; it is about compromise.”
“Love changes everything.” Pippa’s azure eyes turned dreamy.
Fiona felt a strange thrill of panic…bridal jitters, she told herself.
“As Hawk and I have agreed to a partnership based on convenience, not love,” she said doggedly, “I don’t see why anything has to change.”
“If you say so,” Livy murmured.
Fi had an uneasy feeling that her friends, who’d married for love, did not believe that she had made a different choice. Being driven and self-possessed, she would choose the freedom to determine her own destiny over love any day. She would be perfectly content with a marriage built on respect and passion.
“I do say so. And Hawk agrees with me,” Fi said firmly.
“Since I have known Hawksmoor all my life,” Pippa said, “I would say that you are more than a convenience to him, dearest. I’ve never seen him look at a lady the way he looks at you.”
As Pippa’s parents had a close connection to the Hartefords, she’d grown up around Hawksmoor. She’d been delighted to hear of Fi’s engagement to him, saying she believed their match to be ideal. Her present observation stirred Fi’s curiosity. During their whirlwind engagement, Fi hadn’t had a chance to be alone with Hawk, and she realized that there was much she didn’t know about him.
Fi cleared her throat. “Is it different from the way he looked at his first wife?”
“Hawksmoor married when he was barely of age. From what I recall, Caroline was a lovely, intellectual lady,” Pippa said thoughtfully. “He was very fond of her. Yet as the years passed, I did not see much of them. They lived year-round at their country estate since Hawksmoor preferred the seclusion for his work. Apparently, the pair did not welcome visitors. His mama often complained to mine about how infrequently she saw them.”
Fi made a mental note to schedule regular visits with her mama-in-law. As she’d told Hawk, she was committed to being a good wife to him. To her mind, her role included maintaining good relations with his family and taking charge of the domestic sphere. Her pride demanded that she fulfill her new duties with excellence. She would never give Hawk cause to regret choosing her to be his countess.
“After Caroline’s passing, Aunt Helena wanted Hawksmoor to remarry, but he wasn’t paying her much mind…until he met you.” Pippa beamed. “I think you are just what he needs, Fiona.”
The idea of being needed struck a wistful chord in Fi. Yet she told herself that Pippa, being a romantic, was likely exaggerating.
“Hawk and I want the same things from marriage: respect and privacy,” she said in pragmatic tones. “And he is holding up his end of the bargain splendidly. Two days ago, he invited me for a drive during the time I’d planned to canvass theatres for clues to Lillian. When I told him I was otherwise engaged, he was perfectly understanding. He didn’t raise a fuss or question what I was doing. I didn’t even have to make an excuse.”
“That is wonderful, dear…” Pippa began.
