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Madame Lefoux noticed her uncharacteristic silence

"Are you feeling well , my dear?" The inventor placed a soft hand on Alexia’s upper arhtly and experienced an unacceptable well ing of tears Real y, at her age! It see while since anyone touched her with genuine fondness Air kisses and three-fingered pats on the head comprised the bulk of affectionate action in the Loontwil household, and had done since she was a child It wasn’t until Conal had come into her life that Alexia became accustoaged in it with her at every possible opportunity Madaressive, but she was French, and seeht to be co caress

Alexia leaned into the ee and cal oused, and Madaine oil, not open fields, but beggars couldn’t be choosers

"Oh, it is nothing I was reminded of home there for one moment" Alexia took another sip of the tea

The German looked up at her curiously "He did not treat you well ? The olf husband?"

"Not as such in the end," Alexia prevaricated, never one to talk about personal e little Germans

"Werewolves, ya Difficult creatures What is left of the soul is al violence and erate theed "I am under the impression the vampires areshe ht way of phrasing it "You kno vah-up-mucky-mucky and I’m-older-than-thou" She paused "No, I suppose you do not kno they get, do you?"

"Mht olvesabout in ar of normal humans"

"Wel my particular olf did turn out a bit difficult But, to be fair, he was perfectly suitable right up until the end" Alexia was painful y conscious that "perfectly suitable" was a rather understated way of putting it Conal had been a rumpy way: tender, except when it wasn’t necessary, and then rough until gentleness was cal ed for once htly at the ruff and overprotective, but he had adored her It had taken her a good deal of time before she believed that she orth al that fierce affection he lavished upon her To have it stolen away unjustly was that much more cruel

"Isn’t the end result what counts?" Madaainst Conal rimaced "Spoken like a true scientist"

"You cannot possibly forgive him for what he did?" Madae-Wilsdorf glanced up from his meal "Cast you out, did he? Does he not think the child is his?"

"Howlers have never sung of a olf child" Alexia couldn’t believe it, but she was actual y defending her husband "And loving et hiive me a chance"

The German shook his head "Werewolves Eraphic pen decidedly and leaned forward over book and notepad "I spent alwith research My records would seeh, lack of corroborative cases or other information does not make for real evidence There are older records"

"Records kept by va of the Vaave a little wince Alexia glanced at him He chewed his food iht have soestured delicately at her midsection

"Ya If this has happened before, they wil have records of it"

Alexia had grand ro down proof of her innocence--ofhie-Wilsdorf?" asked Madame Lefoux

"I believe, if I abandon the concept of undead but maintain ht be able to explain this pregnancy"

"Wil you be able to maintain the principles of epidermal contact?"

The German looked impressed "You are indeed faineer by training?"

Madahost and so wasexcess soul"

The horrible little dog came over to yap at Alexia’s ankle, and then, to add insult to injury, began to chew on one of her bootlaces Alexia picked the serviette up off of her lap and surreptitiously dropped it on Poche’s head The animal attempted to back out from under it, with little success

"You believe you may have excess soul?" The Ger’s predicament

The Frenchwoht feel like, knowing one was likely to end life as a poltergeist She herself would die with no possibility of salvation or immortality

Preternaturals had no soul to save for either God or ghost