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"Lord Maccon will not be joining me, Floote Are any of themoment to consider his mistress’s options Alexia knew she had tasked her butler with quite a conundruers to choose fro about most of London, there was quite the crowd for even a butler of Floote’s cranial capacity to keep account of All Alexia kneas that Biffy orking and that Boots was visiting relations in Steeple Bumpshod

Floote took a s immediately available, madam"

Alexia winced "Really? How unfortunate Well, he will have to do I can’t very well travel by train alone, can I? Would you tell him I request his attendance as escort, please?"

This time it was Floote’s turn to wince, which for hilided off, reappearing , the London Pack’s toffee-nosed Gamma olf

"Lady Maccon, you requireof the Chesterfield Channings was a lish with that unctuous precision instilled only by generations of the best schools, the best society, and an overabundance of teeth

"Yes, Major, I must visit Woolsey"

Major Channing looked as though he would quite like to object to the very idea of acco his Alpha female into the countryside, but he knew perfectly well that Lady Maccon would ask for him only if she had no other alternatives He also kneas most likely to bear the brunt of Lord Maccon’s wrath if she were allowed to travel alone So he said the only thing he could say under such circumstances

"I a, and able"

"Don’t overdo it, Channing"

"Yes, my lady"

Lady Maccon eyed the Gaarb, and Alexia wasn’t entirely certain that was appropriate for calling on vaive insult by being very late indeed or by bringing a soldier into the house of a vampire queen? Quite the conundrum

"Floote, what time does our train depart?"

"In one half hour, madam, froe, then, Major Very well, collect your greatcoat and let’s be away"

They rode the train in an uncoht out theand Major Channing pondering an exceedingly dull-looking financial paper Major Channing, Alexia had discovered ures, and as such was bursar to the pack It see and snobbery to dally with s to people’s hobbies

Some three-quarters of an hour into their journey, they consumed some very nice tea and little crustless sandwiches provided by an obsequious train steho see and rather less of that of Lady Maccon As she nibbled her cucumber and cress, Alexia wondered if this were not one of the reasons she disliked thearistocratic Alexia, on the other hand, was only good at being autocratic Not quite the sa sensation at the back of her neck, as though she were being scrutinized carefully It was aone’s bare foot into a vat of pudding

Pretending travel fatigue, she arose to engage in a short constitutional

There were few other occupants in first class, but Alexia was startled to find that behind them and across sat a man in a sort of floppy turban That is to say, she was not startled that there was soe but that a ular Turbans ell out of fashion, even for woesting he had, until very recently, been unduly interested in so as coincidence, suspected hi, or both

She pretended a little stuainst the turbaned gentle his tea onto his paper

"Oh, dear ize," she declaiust but said nothing

"Please allow me to fetch you another cup? Steward!"

The e Alexia did not recognize

"Well, if you’re quite sure you won’t?"

The ain

Alexia continued her walk to the end of the car, then turned about and returned to her seat

"Major Channing, I do believe we have co herself

The olf looked up from his own paper and over "The man in the turban?"

"You noticed?"

"Hasn’t taken his eyes off you ners"

"You didn’t think to tell ure Orientals never like to see a lady’s assets"

"Oh, really, Major, e" Alexia paused, considering "What nationality would you say?"

Theto look up again "Egyptian"