“Just to be perfectly clear, I didn’t want to hire him,” Piper said. “My mother insisted. We met him at India Couture Week last year and he was all the rage. You know how my mother is, so concerned about what everyone will think all the time. Javier was the flavor of the month after he designed Hannah Waddingham’s iconic hat in the last season of Ted Lasso. There was simply no talking her out of him.”

“The cost of life in the society pages, I suppose,” Viv said. She made a sympathetic noise in the back of her throat. She didn’t have me fooled one little bit, however.

“You know you’re my absolute favorite milliner in the whole wide world,” Piper gushed. I thought she might be putting it on a little thick there but Viv didn’t seem to mind.

“Thank you,” Viv said. “I imagine the loss of the bridesmaids’ hats is quite a crushing blow.”

“I’ll say,” Piper said. “They cost seven hundred pounds each, and I have seven bridesmaids. My father about had a fit. He’s horribly tight and has been such a scrooge about the entire wedding.”

Viv nodded. She was used to the expense of custom-designed millinery, but I was not. Being an American, I didn’t entirely grasp the whole hat thing. Even though I’d grown up in Mim’s Whims during my school holidays and summer breaks, and I appreciated the artistry that went into each one, I was still frequently caught off guard by how much a single hat could cost.

“Such a shame,” Viv said. “Perhaps you can find something suitable at Harrods?”

Piper made a pained face. “Off the rack? Really, Viv, there’s no need to be cruel.”

A small smile curved Viv’s lips. Whatever she’d been about to say was interrupted by Andre with a tea tray. Bella was not with him, so I assumed he’d left her with Fee in the workroom. I knew I should probably go and check on my baby but I wanted to know what was going to happen between Viv and Piper. I watched from my spot at the counter while Andre served them.

“Cuppa, Scarlett?” he asked me.

“Yes, please,” I said. This was all the invitation I needed to join the ladies. I took the seat next to Viv on the love seat, leaving the other armchair for Andre.

He handed me a delicate china cup of tea, prepared with milk and sugar exactly as I liked it, which was a true mark of friendship in my book. I took a cautious sip. Perfection.

“Viv.” Piper paused to sip her tea. She beamed her thanks at Andre. “Are you really going to make me beg?”

“Of course not,” Viv said. “I would never be so hateful, especially since there is no amount of begging that could change the circumstance.”