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"Of course, Madame Tarabotti Of course"

To be certain there was tea, of indifferent quality, but Alexia’s attention was drawn to the food on offer There were stacks of raw vegetables--raw!--and soestive biscuits There was nothing sweet at alAlexia was deeply suspicious of the whole arrangement However, upon selection of a smaldelicious, with the exception of the tea, which proved itself to be as indifferent in taste as it had appeared initial y

The clockmaker nibbled delicately at so that he believed tea would e served cold over ice

Were ice, of course, to become a less expensive commodity At which staterity

He continued his conversation with Madah they had never been interrupted "On the contrary, h in the aetheric phenomena to keep up with the current literature out of Italy Contrary to the British and the Aeative societies now hold that souls are connected to the correct deroodness’ sake, how preposterous" Alexia was not impressed The infant-inconvenience appeared to feel equal y uni and put a hand to her sto Couldn’t it leave her in peace for one meal?

Floote, previously occupied with his own comestibles, immediately moved toward her in concern

Alexia shook her head at him

"Ah, you are a reader of scientific literature, Madame Tarabotti?"

Alexia inclined her head

"Wel it may seem absurd to you, but I believe their ideas havethe fact that this particular theory has temporarily halted Templar-sanctioned vivisections of supernatural test subjects"

"You are a progressive?" Alexia was surprised

"I try to stay out of politics However, England see openly accepted the supernatural That is not to say I approve Making thees I should love to have access to soations for one; the things they know about clocks! I also do not believe the supernatural should be hunted down and treated like animals as in the Italian mode"

The little rooold as the sun began to set over the Parisian rooftops

The clocke "Wel , well , we have chatted long enough, I suspect You ht with me, of course?"

"If you don’t mind the i as you forgive the arrangements, for they wil be quite craether"

Alexia gave Mada look The Frenchwoman had made her preferences, and her interest, clear "I suspect h he would like to object

Alexia gave him a funny look There was no possible way her father’s ex-valet could be a prude in id ideas about sensible dress and public behavior, but he had never batted a single eye at the entirely untoward private doings of Woolsey Castle’s rambunctious olf pack On the other hand, he had never particularly liked Lord Akeldama, either Alexia twitched a save her a blank stare

Perhaps he stil mistrusted Mada over theto Floote

--or, ood, Alexia swept by him and fol owed Monsieur Trouvé up the hal way to a tiny bedroo dress and was just enjoying a little nap before supper when thefrom the downstairs clock shop

"Oh, for the love of treacle, what now?"

Grabbing her parasol in one hand and her dispatch case in the other, she charged out into the hal way It was very dark, as the lights in the apartlow emanated up from the shop below

Alexia bumped into Floote at the top of the stairs

"Mada on matters clock-related while you rested," he informed her softly

"That cannot possibly account for such a hul abaloo"

So crashed into the front door Unlike London, the Paris shops did not stay open late in order to cater to olves and vaainst any possible supernatural clientele

Alexia and Floote bounded down the stairs--as nant woht Paris’s closed-door policy ht well have its e vampires did the sas were extended, and they did not look in favor of formal introductions

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Trouble with Vaht Professor Lyal as he cleaned his glassicals with a handkerchief, was that they got hung up on the details Vas did not turn out as planned, they lost al capacity for refine chaos The upshot was that they panicked and resorted to a course of action that never ended as elegantly as they had original y hoped

"Where is our il ustrious Alpha?" asked He himself to several slices of ham and a kipper It was dinnertime for entlemen were never served at breakfast, the staff ers see to the up He was so drunk last night he olf The dungeon seemed like the best place to stash him"

"Gol y"