Page 25 (1/2)

She checked about the chamber for a safe place to secrete her dispatch case, with little success There seemed nowhere acceptably discreet, so she trundled three doors down to where Miss Hisselpenny was billeted

As she passed one of the other chambers, she heard Felicity say, in a breathy voice, "Oh, Mr Tunstell, shall I be safe in the rooht next to yours, do you think?"

Seconds later, she witnessed Tunstell, panic in every freckle, ee of his s cha her trunk when Alexia tapped politely on her door and wandered in

"Oh, thank heavens, Alexia I was just pondering, do you think there eists? Please do not think I aainst the supernatural set, but I sihosts, especially not those at the final stage of disanio wafting about losing bits of their noncorporeal selves One rounds a corner of soeway only to find a dise and potted palm" Miss Hisselpenny shuddered as she carefully stacked her twelve hatboxes next to the wardrobe

Alexia thought back to what her husband had said If the olves here could not change, then the plague of huair The castle would have been co, Ivy," she said with confidence, "that ghosts will definitely not be frequenting this locale"

Ivy looked unconvinced "But, Alexia, really youseehosts"

Lady Maccon clicked her tongue in exasperation "Oh, Ivy, do not be ridiculous Appearances have nothing to do with it; you know that Only in Gothic novels are ghosts linked so, and we both kno utterly fanciful fiction has becoet the supernatural correct I mean to say, the last one I read essentially claiic, when everyone knows there are perfectly valid scientific and medical explanations for excess soul Why, just the other day, I read that--"

Miss Hisselpenny interrupted her hastily before she could go on "Yes, well, no need to oversetexplanations and Royal Society papers I shall take your word for it What tiair say supper was to commence?"

"Nine, I believe"

Another look of panic suffused her friend’s face "Will they be serving"--she gulped--"haggis, do you think?"

Lady Maccon made a face "Surely not for our first meal But best prepare yourself; one never knows" Conall had described the disastrous foodstuff, with unwarranted delight, during their carriage ride in The ladies were living in hed "Very well We had better get dressed, then Would my periwinkle taffeta be appropriate for the occasion?"

"For the haggis?"

"No, silly, for dinner"

"Does it have aher stack of hatboxes with a disgusted expression "Alexia, do not talk such folderol It is a dinner gown"

"Then I think it will serve very well May I ask you a favor? I have a gift for ht conceal it in your roo so he does not accidentally uncover it? I wish it to be a surprise"

Miss Hisselpenny’s eyes shone "Oh, really! How lovely and wifely of you I should never have pegged you for a rorappled with her brain for an appropriate answer What would one possibly buy for a man and then hide in a dispatch case? "Uh Socks"

Miss Hisselpenny was crushed "Only socks? I hardly think socks cry out for secrecy"

"They are lucky, special socks"

Miss Hisselpenny saw no apparent illogicality in that and carefully tucked Lady Maccon’s dispatch case behind her stack of hatboxes

"I may need to access it from time to time," said Alexia

Miss Hisselpenny was bemused "Why?"

"To, uh, check on the condition of the, uh, socks"

"Alexia, are you feeling quite the thing?"

Lady Maccon instantly spoke, in order to throw Miss Hisselpenny off the scent "Did you know, I just passed Tunstell leaving Felicity’s rooan furiously arranging her accessories for dinner, tossing gloves, jewelry, and lacy hair cap on top of the dress already laid out upon the bed

"Alexia, I do not mean to be at all rude But I really do believe your sister ht, Ivy dear I cannot stomach her uilty for having told her about Tunstell, "Would you like to borrow Angelique this evening to do up your hair? The rain’s ruined mine beyond all repair I’m afraid, so it would be a wasted effort"

"Oh, really? Thank you, that would be lovely" Ivy perked up immediately

With that, Lady Maccon retreated to her own roo when Lady Maccon reentered her bedroom

"I have told Ivy shecould possibly be done to help mine at this point" Alexia’s dark locks were a mass of frizzy curls in reaction to the unpleasant Scottish climate "I shall simply pop on one of those horrible lace et me to wear"

"Yez, my lady" The maid bobbed a curtsy and went to do as she was bid She paused in the doorway, looking back at her mistress "Please, my lady, why is Madame Lefoux still with us?"

"You really do not like her, do you, Angelique?"

A quintessentially French shrug met that statement

"It was my husband’s idea, I am afraid to say I do not trust her either, air has a ht well look surprised Who would have thought a backwater place like this could possess anything sodifficulties Secondhand goods, I understand Well, what do you expect? Anyhow, Conall brought Mada I could do to stop hielique looked blank at that and bobbed a quick curtsy, and went off to see to Ivy