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Floote appeared at her elbow "Trouble, madam?"

"Oh, Floote, yes Where have you been? Do you know anything that could help?"

"Help, et the bullet out, madam, in case it is silver"

"Oh, yes, of course, do you--"

"I’eon directly"

"Progressive?"

"Naturally,claviger who juave him the address of a physician

"Perhaps, madam, a little air for the invalid?"

"Of course! Clear the rooers and olves filed out Floote walked quietly off and returnedas Dubh’s breathing became fainter Their reverie was interrupted by a clatter at the door, indicating Lord Maccon had returned

Alexia hurried to meet her husband

"Alexia, are you unwell?"

"Of course not Did the runner explain what has transpired?"

"Dubh appeared, found you at the train station, tried to tell you so, and was shot"

"Yes, that’s about the whole of it"

"Dashed inconvenient"

Lady Kingair pushed up next to her great-great-great-grandfather "How is he?"

"Not well, I’eon has been sent for Follow me" Alexia led the way into the back parlor

They entered to find Floote bent over the injured man The butler’s normally impassive face was creased orry He looked up as they burst in and shook his head

"No!" cried Lady Kingair, her voice ringing in distress She shoved the butler aside to bend over her Beta "Oh, no, Dubh"

The as dead

Lady Kingair began to weep Full shaking sobs, the grief of an old friend and longtime companion

Alexia turned away from such naked emotion to find her husband’s face also suffused with sorrow She forgot that Dubh had been a part of his pack as well Not so close as a Beta back then, but still, olves lived a long time and pack members were always valued There had been no love lost personality-wise, but a dead iedy of lost infor of the Library of Alexandria

Alexia went to Conall and held hi that others could see Taking charge of the situation--everyone needed a hobby and that was Alexia’s--she guided her husband gently to a large armchair and saw him seated She sent Floote for a draer to fetch Professor Lyall Then sheolves had already guessed froair’s cry--that they had lost one of their own

CHAPTER FIVE

Under Cover of Thespians

Needless to say, there was a good deal for Lady Maccon to take care of before she could broach the ot much sleep that day, except perhaps Biffy The newest of the London Pack seemed to have come home, raised his eyebrows at the unholy hubbub, and, very sensibly, gone to bed with the latest copy of Le Beaux Asse a black dress for herself, black waistcoats for the pack, andbands for the staff Dubh hadn’t exactly been family, but he had died in her house, and she felt that proper respects ought to be paid BUR was in an uproar and the clavigers were all aflutter with the dra finally did arrive, Lady Kingair insisted on departing immediately with Dubh’s body for Scotland However, she stated that she would be returning after the burial in all due haste to sort the matter of his murder out to her satisfaction Her tone cast aspersions over the English’s ability to properly tend to such matters The abruptness of her departure left Lord and Lady Maccon standing du at one another, exhausted by lack of sleep When the knock came at their front door, they were entirely unprepared to meet Lord Akelda happily on Tizzy’s hip just behind hiood evening!" said herto look pleased "Lord Akeldama, Viscount Trizdale, do coht we’d go for a little stroll in the park I can’t believe ill benefit frole and I ondering if you darlings would care to accoize,day"

"So ht and all day today, I understand Someone had a serious accident Not to mention the fact that you paid a visit to Woolsey Hive, , all black? Surely that couldn’t possibly be necessary?"

Lady Maccon faced this onslaught with coracious ot! I must talk with you about that directly Yes, as you say, Lord Akeldama, very busy I’m sorry to be so abrupt but I really aht?" Alexia wasn’t about to give the vampire the satisfaction of any further infor disraciously, and he and Tizzy returned to the street where an enormous pram awaited Prudence’s pleasure Lord Akeldama had had the contraption made shortly after the adoption was made official It was a Plimsaul Brothers Pera-style wheels, in brass, and a leather carriage gilded in gold and trimmed with an excessive nuht, and froled a porcelain plate with the na and lowering the affixed protective parasol--also good for inclement weather The pram--rather optimistically, felt Alexia--converted to take more than one child at a tined with re, lace trim, and ribbons He had then commissioned a full set ht wear In the light of the gas streetlamp, Alexia could justPrudence was in a darling creaold The nurse put-upon Sootten her to don a teal ribbon in solidarity

They paraded off No doubt the vahted, to stop and be admired by many a curious bystander It was likely to be a very slow a a spectacle of hi to indicate that Prudence felt similarly on the subject Two peas in a very sparkly pod

Lady Maccon grabbed her husband by the ar the door fir else has happened, and in the horror of Dubh’s unfortunate deot to tell you I witnessed Countess Nadasdy try to metamorphose a new queen yesterday eve"

"You never!" Lord Maccon was shaken slightly out of his melancholy He patted the seat next to hily over to settle beside him