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"Good point" Lady Maccon shifted her open parasol defensively so that it shielded theht of the castle

Another shot rang out It hit the ground next to theru "

"Oh, that will be tremendously practical for hot summer afternoons Come on, we need to find cover," hissed his wife "I shall leave the parasol propped here as a diversion"

"Break for that hedge?" suggested Conall, looking over to their right, where a little berarden hedge substitute

Alexia nodded

Lord Maccon hoisted the Frenchwoer have superhu

They dashed toward the ber forth

Only then did they hear yelling Alexia peeked around the rosebush Me about for the source of the shooting Several yelled and pointed up Clavigers and pack reentered the castle at a run

Lord and Lady Maccon stayed hidden until they were convinced that no one would be taking any ed from behind the bushes Lord Maccon carried Madame Lefoux, and Lady Maccon retrieved her parasol

Upon attaining the house, it was found that Madaer but had sied by the bullet

Ivy appeared "Oh dear, has so" Upon catching sight of the comatose form of Madame Lefoux, she added, "Has she coht of the blood, Ivy beca herself Nevertheless, she trailed the to help and interrupting, as they lowered Madaht fatality, has she?"

"What happened?" de Ivy and Felicity, who had also entered the room

"Someone seems to have decided to dispose of Madaes and vinegar Alexia believed that a generous application of cider vinegar could cure most ills, except, of course, for those bacterial disorders that required bicarbonate of soda

Felicity decided to ier via proximity to Madame Lefoux Which, as it absented everyone else froair had the ithal to respond "Good Lord, why? She’s naught ht she saw the Frenchwo? Alexia leaned in on the pretext of checking bandages She caught a whiff of vanilla, mixed with the coppery smell of blood this time instead of mechanical oil The inventor reentle , she was very, very good at it

Lady Maccon glanced toward the door and thought she caught a flicker of servant black Angelique’s white, horrified face peeked around the corner Before Alexia could summon her in, the maid disappeared

"An excellent question Perhaps she will be so kind as to tell us once she has awakened," Lady Maccon said, onceMadame Lefoux’s face No reaction to that statement

Unfortunately for everyone’s curiosity, Madame Lefoux did not awaken, or did not allow herself to be awakened, for the entirety of the rest of the afternoon Despite the assiduous attentions of Lord and Lady Maccon, half the Kingair Pack, and several clavigers, her eyes remained stubbornly shut

Lady Maccon took her tea in the sickroooods would awaken Madaair ca this relation of her husband’s, but she had not the constitution that would allow for anything to interfere with her consumption of tea

"Has our patient awakened yet?" inquired Lady Kingair

"She remains dramatically abed" Alexia frowned into her cup "I do hope nothing is seriously wrong with her Should we call a doctor, do you think?"

"I’ve seen and tended to iment?"

"I may not be a olf, but I’m Alpha feht alongside"

Alexia selected a scone from the tea tray and plopped a dollop of cream and marmalade on top of it "Did you side with the pack when they betrayed my husband?" she asked in forced casualness

"He told you about it"

Lady Maccon nodded and ate a bite of scone

"I was just sixteen when he left, away at finishing school I didna have a say in the pack’s choices"