Thankfully, today she needed to be at Pandora’s Box. Wanted to be there to help Venus, who managed the store alone Tuesday through Friday.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the store’s glass window and stopped.

I look different. More alive.

To compose herself before her inquisitive sisters saw her altered state, she bought time by studying the window display. All pure Diana. Elegant but whimsical. A mannequin, wearing a lavender French lace 1940s peignoir and matching nightgown perched at a dark mahogany dressing table with a large center mirror and two smaller ones. Beautiful perfume bottles, a large compact with a heart picked out in red crystals, and a party invitation for a Service Club of Chicago Black Tie Ball lay on the table. Beside the dresser stood a mannequin in a 1947 Dior New Look black and white checked evening gown with an underskirt of tulle and bodice of black cotton lace. On the other side, the third mannequin, in a pale blue 1950s organza dress, fitted at the waist and bordered in bands of pink and yellow flowers, lounged on a slipper chair. They looked like they were talking, gossiping together before they went off to a fabulous black tie affair. Just as she so often did with her sisters.

Taking a long, deep breath, Athena strolled in, ready with answers when her sisters reacted.

The store glistened brighter than ever this morning, like it had been polished to perfection. The ivory satin Valentino gown and matching long coat looked exquisite on the mannequin, welcoming everyone in.

Venus looked up from arranging pieces of jewelry on the round table in the center of the room. Her eyes widened, stretching at the corners.

“Thank God! You got rid of those hideous glasses.” Her mock shudder was so over-the-top dramatic, Athena laughed.

Diana rushed through the arch from the other room. “Welcome back, Athena. We’ve missed you.”

“I just took off my dark glasses.”

It is so much more.

Feeling guilty, she hugged Diana. In her entire life she’d kept only three secrets from her sisters, and Drew had been the first, and now he was here again.

“I’m glad our old fearless leader is back.” Diana pulled away and looked up at her. “We need you. Dad called before you came in, and I let it slip about the robbery and Bertha’s gown making you sick. He’s upset.”

Venus tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Diana, I told you not to say anything about what Dad told us until later.”

Fear cooled all the lustful fantasies about Drew.

Did Dad say something about why he’s staying away or about his troubles with the Clayworths?

She didn’t want to wait. She needed to know the worst now.

She’d heard the worry in Diana’s voice and saw the secretive glance between her sisters.

“Tell me now,” she demanded.

The shop door opened with its little musical jingle as two women drifted in.

“We’ll tell you later,” Diana muttered, heading toward the younger woman wandering into the hat and accessories room. Venus turned to the other woman gazing enraptured at the jewelry table.

Athena slipped into the small alcove and dropped her Burberry tote and tried to dump her worry. The jingle of the door opening again sent her back out into the store with no time to brood.

Within an hour, Pandora’s Box buzzed with women and one man who came, terror in his eyes, to look for an anniversary present. Half an hour later he left beaming, swinging a gift bag that contained a one-of-a-kind French Art Nouveau brass and black onyx demi-parure necklace and earrings.

Late in the afternoon, only three customers remained sitting in front of the triple mirrored vanity trying on evening hats, little black concoctions of satin and silk, some lined in red, all with whimsical feathers, netting, bows, and French paste ornaments. Athena heard them all laughing as Diana showed them how to wear the hats tilted just so over one eye.

Athena burned to know what Dad had told them. Restless, trying to hide her impatience, she drifted back to the office to check her e-mails. Maybe Dad had contacted her. His usual form of communication. E-mails. No body language. No voice inflections. Nothing to give himself away. Nothing to give her a clue to why he shut her out.

Her iPhone vibrated beside her. Dad’s number. Like she’d somehow willed him to call. Or the old bond they shared had been somehow reconnected and he knew she was thinking about him.

For an instant she thought of not answering.

Not today. I don’t want to think about Dad and what might have happened with the Clayworths.

She wanted to kick sand in the Fates’ faces. Blind them for a second so she could run away again.

No, I’m done hiding.

“Hi, Dad. What a nice surprise.” She actually sounded surprised, pleased she could still hide her confusion.

“I missed you earlier. You should have told me about the robbery and about being sick.” The note of worry in his voice made her feel so guilty she felt tears pool in her eyes.

I should have called him.

“I’m fine. Really. I didn’t want to worry you. Everything’s good now. We’ve found two of the Bertha gowns.” Even she could detect the strain in her voice now.

“Are you sure you’re all right? Something’s wrong. I hear it in your voice.”

“No, I’m great. Really. Fine. Honestly.”

“This robbery and your illness change things. It’s time I came home.”

What will that mean for Drew and me?

She felt like a selfish pig. This shouldn’t be about her and Drew. This should be about her Dad and figuring out what had gone wrong for him at Clayworth’s. But part of her knew this was another barrier, keeping her away from Drew. She tried to hide it.

“Great, Dad. I look forward to seeing you.”

“You don’t sound like you mean that, Athena.” The crisp, hurt tone in his voice couldn’t be missed.

She didn’t, and the guilt gnawed a hole in her stomach. “Really, we’ll all be happy to see you.” The little bell, jingling once more as the door opened, saved her.

“I’m sorry, Dad. Customer.”

“Go. I’ll be in touch. Soon.”

She shut her eyes, her heart pounding like a hammer against her ribs.

Why does it feel as if my life is rushing to some grand exposé of lies, love, and larceny?

Refusing to give the Fates the upper hand, she marched into the main room of the store to find a tall woman with a long, solemn face shifting through the evening clothes.

“Hi, I’m Athena Smith. May I help you?”

The woman glanced up and smiled. Athena was startled at how pretty she looked with her eyes crinkled, her mouth curled deeply at the corners and dimples denting each cheek.

“Hello, I’m Dottie Crawford. I saw you and the shop on Talk of the Town. I never miss Rebecca’s show or column.” She glanced around. “As usual, Rebecca’s right. This is so beautiful and unique. She said it was the perfect place to find a wedding dress.”

Athena figured Dottie to be in her late forties, early fifties. Second wedding? She gestured toward the mannequin. “This is the Valentino dress Rebecca liked.”

The woman shook her head, her low ponytail swishing across her back, but Athena saw longing in her eyes. “No, no, too grand for me.”

“You have the height and figure to carry this gown off.”

Dottie ran her fingertips over one rhinestone-encrusted sleeve. “It’s beautiful, but it’s my fiancée’s second wedding and we’re trying to keep it simple.” She blushed, and the color made little gold flecks show in her brown eyes. “It’s my first wedding, so Fred thinks we should do it up a little.”

“Congratulations. When’s the wedding?”

Blushing again, Dottie laughed. “Two weeks.”

“Two weeks! We need to get started.” Athena went through the long gowns and pulled out two. A Malcolm Starr and a Lilli Diamond. “Let’s try these.”