Nola smiled. “You won’t find anything of interest there.” She tapped on the driver’s partition. “Please find a drugstore.” She shifted the baby’s position and chanted, “I’m sure you need diapers, and bottles, and formula—”

“Don’t get carried away.” Wade scratched his palm. “The Chinese will demand it back within the hour, I’m sure.”

“Speaking of diapers,” Leslie said as he took his hairdresser’s cape out of his bag and tucked it under the baby, “your dress is too precious to serve as one.”

The baby squirmed in Nola's arms, then, grabbing the diamond necklace, tried to pull herself up. Her arm was thin, yet strong.

“Take it easy.” Wade reached to unclench the baby’s fingers. “This is expensive stuff.”

The infant’s mouth, twin ruby cushions, curved down in the onset of a cry.

A wave of protectiveness washed over Nola. She flicked an angry look at Wade. “He didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she told the baby, and rocked her against her shoulder. The soft, yet solid body contoured right into hers. “Little Dumpling, I’ll take good care of you.”

The baby rolled her tongue as though trying to speak: “Lululululululululu.”

“Lulu? Is that your name? It’s a pretty one. Lulu.”

The limousine drove on through the Forbidden City. At night, the majestic temples and secret-filled gardens lay dormant, as they had since the ousting of the last emperor, even though once taboo for common people, they were now open to all. As the car passed marble palaces, red-roofed pagodas, and moss-covered rocks, Nola felt more than saw the timeless beauty of the place. She rested her cheek on the silky crown, her breathing in rhythm with the baby’s.

After a minute, Lulu began to whimper. The limousine slowed at an intersection. Nola stared into the depths of an ancient willow drooping over a pond and caught the shimmer of twinkling starlight. What now?

“How far is that drugstore?” she called out.

“This is not New York. This baby needs a wet nurse, and hundreds of people are waiting for you at the hotel ballroom. We’re not going to stop.” Wade flipped open his cell phone cover. “We’ll find a discreet way to get rid of it.”

“Her,” Nola corrected. “Look how cute she is.” Nola jiggled one of her gold-and-diamond drop earrings in front of Lulu and chanted, “Your mommy wanted me to make you happy. What kind of food do you eat? Do you need a diaper changed? A pacifier? Are you colicky?”

“Colicky! How come you know so much about babies?” Leslie asked.

Nola's emotions ricocheted off invisible walls of old doubts. She avoided meeting Wade's eyes, but felt him searching her face. “My innate resourcefulness,” she told Leslie. Only Wade should be able to understand why she pulled the baby closer and rubbed her nose against the soft cheek.