Page 26 of The Scent of Intuition
As Bea stood and made her way to the window, she looked out at the moonlit garden below. The night air was cool, and the stars glittered like diamonds scattered across the velvet sky. She felt a sense of peace, a quiet resolution. Whatever path her life would take, she carried with her the strength of hermemories and the knowledge that friendship from this young man had touched her deeply. And she had a feeling she’d have to free herself from the shackles of her station before her parents returned if she wanted to ever experience it again.
The next morning, Bea received a note from Pippa. The butler presented it to her after she’d had her breakfast. Bea had been summoned to 87 Harley Street.
Wedding preparations. Be at Nick’s at four o’clock, please.
Pippa’s notes had grown shorter, and she’d been spending less time at Cloverdale House, giving Bea ample privacy and time: to rub Alfie’s ointments on her face and chest, and to record everything she’d eaten and been in contact with in a journal per his recommendation. She brought the small journal with her, which was less than ten centimeters in length, and it fit in her reticule as she left to meet Pippa. On the way out, Bea examined her reflection and flashed a mirror image of the curt smile that her mother had trained her to produce at the ready. But then she stuck her tongue out, laughed open-mouthed, crinkled her nose, and raised her chin at the beast within. Alfie’s ointment had made it bearable to overcome the hives and return to normal life—whatever that meant among Pippa’s wedding preparations and Bea’s mission to capture the prince to gain her freedom. Bea was ready to act. The bumps had gone, and she covered the remaining redness with powder. He was correct; there was treatment, and the beast had been tamed. She was healing.
What else could Alfie be right about?
Less than half an hour later, Bea stepped from the carriage and entered the front door at 87 Harley Street feeling more alive than she’d ever been. The bustle in the hall and the energetic voices coming from the back kitchen reminded Bea that shewas young, that life brought excitement. That there was more to life than dull balls where she was expected to suppress every emotion, opinion, and her soul. After all this time in near-seclusion, she was ready to burst with energy and was excited to see Nick, his colleagues, and—yes, admittedly—Alfie.
“Do you know what this is about?” Andre asked when Nick had called everyone together as the grandfather clock in the waiting room chimed four times.
Bea shook her head as Andre opened the door to the kitchen for her, and she entered ahead of him. “Pippa asked me to meet her here and made a great fuss about punctuality.” Bea cast Pippa a look as soon as she saw her standing solemnly in front of something that looked like a cart. Bea couldn’t be sure; it was draped with a white cloth.
“Alfie, it’s time!” Nick’s voice resonated from the hall. “Wen-de-e-e!”
Wendy appeared within the minute, and Nick looked smug and proud—just like a groom ought to. Although Bea was happy for her cousin—it was a rare treasure to marry for love—Bea worried that she herself may never have such luck. Even if she managed to woo the prince, she didn’t fool herself into believing that a love potion could make him actually love her. Lust her, perhaps, but love was rare and special.
A blur of memories of the young man from India, Alfie’s kindness and his expertise in crafting the potion for her, and the breathtaking dexterity with which he’d made the potion nearly made Bea sway.Alfie, Alfie, Alfie,her mind thrummed. He’d captured her essence and seen her in a way that nobody else ever had. Was that what Pippa had meant when she said that Nick had seen into her heart? But before Bea could sort her thoughts, he appeared in the doorway. Her heart skipped a few beats.
“I’m here!” Alfie entered behind Nick, wiping his hands on a white towel, and looking just the right amount of disheveled.Bea could imagine him standing over the complicated distilling contraption with the little round glass containers and doing whatever it was with the small gas flame. The combination of danger, intrigue, and intelligence had stirred Bea’s insides. Correction: the mere thought of Alfie had her stomach fluttering most unusually. It couldn’t be healthy, and Bea wanted to speak to Pippa about it.
“Is this an impromptu wedding?” Andre jested, but Nick shot him a look with daggers around his head like a knife thrower at the circus.
“In preparation for the wedding, Andre.” Pippa smiled just as proudly as Nick. “We need your opinions.”
“Where’s Felix?” Wendy asked.
“On a house call. We will save him one of each,” Pippa said as she picked up the corner of the white cloth that hung over the cart. Nick picked up the other end, and they lifted it off together to reveal an intricately decorated selection of small French cakes.
“Oh my!” Wendy clasped her hands together in glee. “How very unusual to have anything but fruit cake!”
Even Bea couldn’t help but marvel. “I think it’s completely unique and a lovely idea!”
“These are some of our favorite selections,” Pippa stated with such severity in her tone that it was as if she were choosing a boarding school for her firstborn son. “We’ve already ruled out two flavors.”
“And thePâtisserie de La Loirehas combined some of ourmostfavorites since they played such a special role in our union,” Nick added. It was where Pippa and Nick had met by accident, but they were fond of calling itfate.
“We need to decide on the wedding cake by tomorrow. The pastry chef needs two days to gather the ingredients and ensure it is ready,” Pippa said.
“He can assemble it at Silvercrest Manor,” Wendy added.
“The wedding is not in London? Are you sure you want everyone to travel to Silvercrest?” Alfie asked. Pippa’s and Bea’s grandfather had left the manor to Pippa, but Bea had spent nearly as much time there as her cousin had. It was more of a castle than a manor, but they’d only ever used it for short periods.
“It’s our grandparents’ estate,” Bea replied to his inquiry then turned to Pippa. “Grandfather would be so proud if you got married there.”
“Oh, I see,” Alfie blurted out, looking at her with an intensity that made her insides jump again, but then, as if he’d chastised himself for being so overt, he looked away.
“So this first one is strawberry and vanilla custard—a classic,” Pippa said.
“Boring,” Andre added.
Bea frowned. “It’s one of their best tarts.”
“But it’s not special enough for a wedding,” Wendy added.
“Well, that was easy.” Pippa opened her eyes wide, and Bea understood. The wedding wasn’t merely about Pippa and Nick; it involved them all. Plus, enlisting her friends’ assistance in the decision-making process allowed Pippa to focus on some of the changes that would soon convert Cloverdale House into a rehabilitation center.
