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"I don’t know," pressed Alexia, although his talk was clearly not directed at her "Why don’t you tellstarted and ry at the same time Everyone’s attention was on him

"Yes," came Lyall’s soft voice, "why don’t you?" There was steel there, behind the studied indifference

"Oh, it is nothing much Only that, while ere on the boat and for the entirety of the journey over the Mediterranean and through the straits, none of us could change into wolf forrew beards Basically, ere mortal the whole time Once we left the ship and traveled some ways toward Woolsey, we suddenly became our old supernatural selves once iven recent occurrences, and you didn’t e to tell rier than she was

"You took that as a slight and did not erous" Now Alexia was getting angry "Is so sla the dishes "We have only just arrived back after six years abroad, and our illustrious Alpha takes off, leaving his pack to go and see to the business of another!" The hteousness

"Yup," said He pointed a threatening finger at hih, ht to tareater caution with your words, runt I outrank you"

Hement of the threat’s validity, and then proceeded to finish his supper and keep his opinions to hiers watched the conversation ide-eyed interest Having the entire pack home was a novel experience for theh for ers to have never h of Major Channing for one evening With this new inforent she head into town, and so she rose froe

"Back into London again this evening,in the hallith herperturbed

"Will you be needing the dispatch case?"

"Not tonight, Floote I a as possible"

Floote’s silence was eloquent, as so many of Floote’s silences were What his beloved mistress made up for in brains she lacked in subtlety; she was about as innocuous as one of Ivy Hisselpenny’s hats

Alexia rolled her eyes at hi I aht’s incident And noe know that whatever it was caiments I simply must see if I can catch Lord Akeldama What BUR did not uncover, his boys will have"

Floote looked slightly perturbed by this One eyelid fluttered almost imperceptibly Alexia would never have noticed had she not labored under twenty-six years of acquaintance with the man What it meant was that he did not entirely approve of her fraternization with the most outlandish of London’s vampire roves

"Do not alarious care Pity I do not have a legitih People will remark upon my break from the normal schedule"

A timid feminine voice said, "My lady, I may be able to assist with that"

Alexia looked up with a smile Female voices were rare about Woolsey Castle, but this was one of the few cohosts went, Forrown fond of her over the last few , Foras nothing as-lit hallway The front hall was at the farthest end of her tether, so it was difficult for her to solidify It also meant her body must be located somewhere in the upper portion of Woolsey Castle, probably walled in somewhere, a fact Alexia preferred not to think about and hoped fervently never to se to deliver to you, uess, as Lord Maccon was the only one ould ehost rather than so up his oife and talking to her before he left for once

The ghostly form swayed a bit up and down, Formerly Merriway’s version of a nod "From his lordship, yes"

"Well?" barked Alexia

Forhtly Despite copious pro to wander about the castle looking to lay hands on Merriway’s corpse, the ghost could not get over her fear of the preternatural She persisted in seeing i attitude Alexia took, which, given Alexia’s character, hed and e to me, Formerly Merriway, please?" She used the hall elique’s hairdo It perched far to the back of the head in an entirely useless manner, but as the sun was not out, Alexia supposed she did not have to ," said Formerly Merriway, quite unexpectedly

Alexia wrinkled her forehead and pulled on her gloves "I aain "He recoent Street called Chapeau de Poupe He emphasized that you should visit it without delay"

Lord Maccon rarely took an interest in his own attire Lady Maccon could hardly believe he would suddenly take an interest in hers

She said only, "Ah, well, I was just thinking how I did not like this hat Not that I really require a new one"

"Well, I certainly know so from just behind her shoulder

"Yes, Floote, I aized Poor Floote had very delicate sensibilities

"Suffering coely Then he handed over a blue and white lace parasol and saw her down the steps and into the waiting carriage

"To the Hisselpenny town residence," he instructed the driver, "posthaste"

"Oh, Floote" Lady Maccon stuck her head out theas the carriage wheeled off down the drive "Cancel tomorrow’s dinner party, would you? Since my husband has chosen to absent himself, there is si carriage in acknowledgment and went to see to the details

Alexia felt justified in turning up on Ivy’s doorstep without announce before