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Pippa grabs hold of his hand. "Oh, no. Please! They would never forgive me for telling you the truth. Please understand that I'm only looking out for your welfare."

She's giving him her large, pleading eyes. Her charms have the desired effect.

"You do understand that if I were to break this engagement, your reputationyour very virtuewould be called into question."

Ah, yes. Wouldn't want us if the old virtue were questionable. Heaven forbid.

"Yes," Pippa says, eyes downcast. "That is why I think it would be best for me to refuse you" She slides the ring from her finger and drops it into his palm. I wait to see if he will beg her to reconsider, if he will pledge his love in spite of her ailment. But he seems relieved, his tone imperious.

"What shall I say to your parents, then?"

"Say that I am too young and foolish to take as a wife and that you have been noble enough to allow me to end things and save my reputation. They will not press you."

Pippa has never been lovelier than she is at this moment, with her head held high, her eyes shining in triumph. For once, she's not flowing with the current but swimming against it.

" Very well, then."

Mrs. Nightwing enters. "Oh, Mr. Bumble, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. One of our girls had a bit of the hysterics, but she seems to be fine now."

"It's no matter, Mrs. Nightwing. I was just leaving."

"Already?" Mrs. Nightwing is quite flummoxed.

"Yes. I'm afraid I have a pressing matter that needs my attention. Ladies, good day to you."

Confused but duty-bound, Mrs. Nightwing sees him out.

"How was I?" Pippa asks, sinking into the chair like lead.

"Brilliant. Miss Lily Trimble herself couldn't have done better." Pippa surveys her bare finger. "Pity about the ring, though."

"You could have waited till he asked to have it back!"

"He wouldn't have, though."

"Exactly my point!"

We're laughing when Mrs. Nightwing enters, suspicious and predatory. "Pippa, is all as it was between you and Mr. Bumble?"

Pippa swallows hard. "Yes, Mrs. Nightwing."

"Then where, pray tell, has your ring gone to?"

We hadn't gotten this far in our planninghow to explain the loss of the ring to everyone. Now we're stuck, I fear. But Pippa lifts her chin, the faintest hint of a smile beginning to show.

"Oh, that. He noticed a flaw."

We sit, sheltered by the colorful scarves of Felicity's private salon. Pippa and I are giving an account of the morning's adventure with Mr. Bumble in rapid, sometimes overlapping detail.

"And then Pippa said"

" he found a flaw!"

We laugh till no sound comes out of our mouths, till our sides ache from it.

"Oh, that's sublime," Felicity says, wiping a tear from her eye. "Let us hope that is the last we shall see of the unfortunate Mr. Bumble."

"Mrs. Bartleby Bumble." Pip spits out the hard Bs. "Can you imagine the horror of that?"

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