“Viv, your timing is amazing,” Piper cried. The two women air hugged and kissed. I glanced at Harrison to see what he made of that. He frowned, looking confused. He wasn’t alone there. What was the point of hugging someone if you didn’t actually hug them? There wasn’t one.

“The girls were just saying we should have a hen because it’s two days before the wedding and when I told them that you were coming, they went mad. Everyone wants you to join in.”

Viv shrugged out of her pale pink cashmere cardigan, letting it slide down her arms. She draped it over her forearm with the grace of a runway model. Then she lowered her sunglasses and studied Piper over the top of her shades.

“I don’t hen,” she said.

With that, she walked around Piper, leaving her bags to the valet who had come rushing outside.

“What does that mean?” Piper turned and asked the rest of us. “She doesn’t hen. Everyone hens. The hen party is the pinnacle of female bonding before a girl gets married.”

“You know Viv,” I said. “She doesn’t do things ‘just because.’ ”

“Well, that’s completely unacceptable,” Piper said. “Do you have any idea what a coup it is for me to have the reclusive Vivian Tremont here for the entire wedding weekend? Come along, Andre, help me change her mind.”

Andre looked like he’d protest, but Piper was stronger than she appeared. She put her arm through his and dragged him after Viv. Halfway up the wide staircase, she swung around and cried, “Good to see you, Harrison. You’re as delicious as ever.” Then she gave him a very significant look that I found I did not like at all. Was there some history there that I didn’t know about? I turned slowly to face my fiancé.

“So, you didn’t mention that you know Piper May,” I said. I was fishing, absolutely. How the man didn’t hear the line spool out from the reel, I have no idea.

“I assumed you knew,” he said.

“How would I know that?”

“I thought Viv would have mentioned it,” he said. “We all ran around in the same post-university set in London. It’s not as big a city as you’d think for twentysomethings.”

“Twentysomethings on the prowl,” I said.

Harry threw back his head and laughed. “Is that why your nose is in a crinkle? You think I had a thing with Piper.”

“No, I don’t. Did you?” I asked. “Because when I met her for the first time, she was very interested in knowing how I bagged you.”

“Bagged?” he asked. “Like I’m a head of cauliflower at the market?”

I shrugged.

“It’s more like I bagged you,” he said.

“So, I’m the cauliflower?” I asked. Of course, I was secretly pleased that he saw it the same way I did.