Seeing her friend’s rosy cheeks, Fiona needed no further explanation. Being married had affected her rest as well. At the same time, with Hawk holding her through the night, she’d experienced the deepest, most refreshing sleep of her life. Her marriage of convenience wasn’t so convenient anymore, and she was glad. Glad for their growing closeness, which had allowed her to talk about the incident with Lady Ayles. Hawk’s understanding had made Fi feel safe in a way she’d never felt before. As had sleeping and waking in his arms.
“Fiona.” Mrs. Peabody’s voice snapped her back.
“Um, yes?”
Brows raised, the instructor directed a look first at Fi, then at Fi’s target. “A direct hit between the eyes and in the heart. Feeling bloodthirsty, are we?”
“I was, um, imagining that I was in mortal danger,” Fi said.
“Did you use the visualization technique?”
Fi had mentally affixed Lady Ayles’s smirking visage onto the dummy’s head. Just because Fi felt secure in Hawk’s affections didn’t mean she forgave his ex-mistress for slandering her.
“Yes, Mrs. Peabody,” she said truthfully. “It was very effective.”
Pippa and Charlie entered the room. Their bonnets and redingotes indicated that they’d just returned from an outing.
“We’ve identified the shop that Lillian’s packages came from,” Pippa announced. “A plumassier I spoke to sells black swan feathers in bulk to a shop in Soho called Swann’s. The shop uses the feathers to embellish its parcels.”
“Are we off to Swann’s then?” Fiona asked.
“It is not quite that simple.” Pippa exchanged a look with Charlie.
“Swann’s, as it turns out, is a unique establishment,” Charlie said. “The discretion of the proprietress, Susanna Swann, is such that I had to do some digging to find out more about her.”
“What did you discover?” Glory wanted to know.
“Mrs. Swann bills herself as a purveyor of sexual fulfillment,” Charlie said matter-of-factly. “From what I can tell, she is not a bawd and does not employ prostitutes. Instead, she facilitates the exploration of desires. Most of her patrons are couples, and her shop provides a place and tools for them to carry out their fantasies.”
Charlie was not one to mince words. Her philosophy was that ignorance made women vulnerable, and empowerment lay in having access to accurate information.
“Oh.” Glory’s lashes waved rapidly over her large hazel eyes. “Well.”
“If this Susanna Swann is as discreet as you say, do you think that she will talk to us?” Livy asked. “Tell us what she knows about Lillian?”
“I am not certain.” Charlie folded her arms over her forest-green redingote, her gaze contemplative. “Mrs. Swann is reputed to be as tight-lipped as a clam, which has earned her an elite and loyal clientele.”
“Then we will need to go in disguise,” Livy surmised.
“Mrs. Swann is said to be very shrewd,” Charlie said. “Which, given her entrepreneurial success, comes as no surprise. I do not think it will be easy to pull the wool over her eyes. We will have one shot to gain her cooperation. If we trigger her distrust, we will learn nothing. We must select our strategy with the utmost care.”
“Perhaps we can appeal to her empathy.” Fi chewed on her bottom lip. “A woman who has risen on her own merits might be inclined to feel compassion for another who is struggling to achieve her dream.”
“You are suggesting that we tell Mrs. Swann the truth?” Charlie asked.
Fi nodded. “Lillian is an ambitious young woman who is flying in the face of convention to follow her heart. Who could understand better than an owner of an, ahem, unusual business?”
“An excellent point,” Livy said, her looped braids swinging.
“Moreover, a girl’s welfare is at risk,” Fi went on. “If we tell Mrs. Swann that Lillian has fallen prey to an abusive man, perhaps she might want to help. We’ve seen time and again that there is honor among women, especially ones who have fought for their survival.”
“We have also seen the opposite.” Charlie narrowed her eyes. “Survival can strip one of compassion, leaving only the skeleton of self-interest. The question is what kind of woman is Susanna Swann?”
“I could find out,” Fi offered. “If I meet with Mrs. Swann, I can follow my instincts and adjust my strategy—truth or subterfuge—accordingly.”
“When it comes to managing people, Fi is the best of us,” Glory piped up.
Fi’s cheeks warmed. Among her brilliant and capable friends, she was a trifle embarrassed to have her paltry talent highlighted.
