“I just hope that one day I meet a man who will love me the way my cousin so obviously adores you,” she confided. “Though from what I’ve seen among my friends and acquaintances, that sort of love is very, very rare. You’re a lucky woman, Tessa, to have a man like Ian. But, then again, that goes both ways. I wish you both every happiness, my dear. And I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at dinner this evening. Not to mention that party tomorrow night!”

Charlotte rang off after that, needing to tend to her three demanding children, but Tessa was feeling very pleased with herself as she set down her phone. After Ian had told her the news about his cousin’s impending divorce, she’d felt the need to reach out to Charlotte, especially since they had tended to avoid her during their visits to London, unwilling to be in Jason’s presence even for a minute. Ian had offered to call and extend the invitation to the party, but Tessa had impulsively volunteered to do it instead.

She’d always felt guilty about how the quick, unexpected move back to England must have impacted Charlotte and her children. As much as Tessa had been relieved to see the last of Jason on this continent, she’d known that none of what had occurred could be blamed on Charlotte. But it seemed that Ian’s cousin had been all too happy to return home, where family and friends had evidently given her the push she’d needed all these years to divorce her cheating, no-good husband, and make a better life for her and her children.

And now there was the added bonus of not having to suffer Jason’s revolting presence at any of the family dinners that had been planned, plus the wedding itself. All in all, thought Tessa with a sense of satisfaction, it seemed that Charlotte’s impending divorce from that bastard was good news for everyone concerned.

“This is such a fantastic party, Tessa! Nathan and I had talked about having a joint bachelor/bachelorette party, but let ourselves get talked out of it. Mostly by you know who.”

Julia inclined her head towards the sleek, leather-topped bar, where her twin sister Lauren was entertaining a group of Ian’s friends and relatives with stories of her escapades as a photographer for National Geographic. She was also, noticed Tessa with a grin, more than keeping pace with most of the men in terms of her alcohol consumption. Tessa had previously witnessed just how many tequila shots Lauren could put away, and she guessed that while most everyone else gathered around her would be shit-faced before too much longer, Julia’s sister would still be stone-cold sober.

“I remember,” replied Tessa. “I also recall how Lauren got all of us kicked out of a club when she picked a fight with a group of guys.”

Julia shuddered in recollection. “I was furious with her that night. And of course, she claimed to be the innocent in all of it, as usual. Fortunately, since she married Ben, she’s stopped all bar brawls. He might be a quiet guy, but my brother-in-law knows how to control Lauren. I think he’s the only person on the planet who can. Did you ever read Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew?”

Tessa shook her head. “No. But I watched Kiss Me Kate with Ian a few months ago. He said it’s based on the novel.”

“I love that movie!” declared Julia. “And, well, my dad always says that Ben and Lauren are like a modern day version of Petruchio and Katherine, and that Ben was finally the one to tame the shrew.”

“Hmm.” Tessa took a sip of her blackberry mojito. “Ian told me about that dinner party he attended at your old flat, the one Lauren was also at. I think he briefly thought about asking her out on a date, but decided pretty quickly that she was more than he could handle. What was it that he said - ah, that he didn’t think there was a man alive capable of taming her. I guess there was at least one man.”

Julia chuckled. “Ben’s got her number all right. But he’s also made her incredibly happy, so she isn’t as cranky and argumentative as usual. It was good of you to invite them tonight, Tessa. And my parents are so delighted that you asked them to the wedding. My mom just adores you, you know.”

“Spending last Thanksgiving with your family was one of the best nights of my life,” she told Julia. “I knew then that I wanted all of them here at the wedding. And I’m thrilled that your aunt and uncle are going to be able to make it after all.”

“It’s so weird to think of my Aunt Maddy as a married woman after all these years,” acknowledged Julia. “And to realize I have an Uncle James now. But those two are like a pair of teenagers in love. I’m just dreading the day she retires from Bergdorf’s, because that will mean the end of my quarterly shipments of goodies from the store. Nathan keeps teasing me to stock up now because once Maddy retires I’m cut off.”

Tessa laughed as she linked arms with Julia. The potent mojitos she’d been drinking all evening were making her feel carefree and giggly.

“I think you have more clothes in your closet than an entire department store,” she teased. “Speaking of which, is this a new addition?”

Julia nodded, smoothing her hands over the short silver gray cocktail dress. The V-neck bodice was covered in sparkly silver sequins, while the multi-tiered tulle skirt ended several inches above the knee. The sequined silver pumps had a heel so high that Tessa had no idea how her petite friend was managing to stay upright, especially given how many of the delicious, fruity mojitos she had been drinking.

“Isn’t it adorable?” she cooed. “Aunt Maddy just sent it to me last week, and I knew right away it would be perfect for this party. But it’s nowhere near as dynamite as your dress, Tessa. You look - well, like sin. It will provide quite a contrast to your wedding gown in a few days - the devil tonight, the angel on Saturday.”

Tessa hadn’t been able to decide on the image she wanted to present at tonight’s party. On the one hand, she’d wanted to look classy and refined, to reinforce the belief of Ian’s close friends here this evening that she was a worthy match for someone like him. But, on the other hand, this evening was also about having fun and maybe getting a little wild, and not looking as though she were attending a symphony fundraiser ball.

In the end, it had been Ian who’d made the decision for her about what to wear. He had entered their enormous walk-in closet as she was trying on dresses, and had immediately declared, “That one. Don’t even try anything else on. You’ll have the tongue of every man in the room hanging out when they see you in that, while I’ll get to gloat the entire evening.”