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Alexia let Conall swoop her up and deposit her onto the big featherher down into the puffy warently but firmly took the control from him Most of the time, because her husband was a dear bossy brute in the best possible way, she let hie in the matter of bed sport But sometimes he ht nature would not permit her to always follow his lead in any part of their life together She knew, given Dubh’s death, that Conall needed to be cared for, and she needed to look after hi s theether She wanted toanywhere Their custo passion could wait until she had e Conall understood perfectly

Ivy Tunstell received Alexia Maccon in her sitting room The advent of twins into Mrs Tunstell’s life had affected neither the decoration of her house, which was pastel and frilly, nor of herself, as more so How she and her husband afforded a nurseauche as to ask With such an addendue appearances were little affected by the unexpected double blessing As a matter of fact, she looked, behaved, and spoke much as she had before she hter, seemed unpardonably well behaved On those few occasions when they had had occasion to oo," and the babies had cooed and batted their overly long eyelashes back until someone came and took them ahich was all that one could really ask of babies Alexia found thelad they were abed when she arrived

"My dearest Alexia, how do you do?" Mrs Tunstell greeted her friend with genuine pleasure, hands outstretched to clasp both of Alexia’s She drew Lady Maccon in to blow air kisses at either cheek, an affectation Alexia found overly French but was learning to accept as a consequence of time spent in the company of thespians

"Ivy,this fine evening?"

"I a in the commonplace refinement of family life"

"Oh, ah, yes, and how is Tunstell?"

"Perfectly darling as ever You know, heAll that has changed since then, of course"

"And the twins?" Born some half a year after Prudence, they were named Percival and Primrose, but more commonly called Percy and Tidwinkle by their mother Percy was, of course, understandable, but Alexia had yet to understand hoinkle evolved froels sh of devotion "Oh, the darlings I could just eat thes And your little Prudence, how is she?"

"A tremendous bother and holy terror, of course"

Mrs Tunstell tittered at that "Oh, Alexia, you are too wicked I about one’s own child in such a manner!"

"My dearest Ivy, I speak only the barest of truths"

"Well, I suppose young Prudence is a bit of a oodness I have help or I’d be practically run off of my feet, I tell you!"

"Yes," Ivy said suspiciously "I’ Prudence for a stroll in the park as we speak"

Ivy gestured Alexia to sit and sent the maid for tea

Alexia did as she was bid

Ivy settled herself happily opposite her friend, delighted as always that dear Lady Maccon still afforded her any tie disparity in their consequence as a result of e, no matter how much Alexia tried to convince Ivy otherwise, that Ivy always felt she was being honored by the continued acquaintance Even a position as intimate as fellow h to reconcile Mrs Tunstell to the fact that Lady Maccon, wife of an earl, came to take tea with her… in Soho! In rented apartments!

Still, it did not stop Mrs Tunstell froently on the subject of Lord Akeldaeous for fatherhood The va, in Ivy’s universe, far less a thing than his scandalous comportment and flamboyant dress Even her fellow actors were not so bad "Couldn’t you have gotten yourself a nice nursemaid, Alexia dear? For stabilization of the vital ehly"

"Oh, Lord Akeldama has one of those as well His humors are quite stable, I assure you It hter Prudence requires all hands toTwice as difficult as her father, even on his best days"

Ivy shook her head "Alexia, really, you do say thesuch pleasantries ht continue in this vein for three-quarters of an hour or n of your new play the night before last"

"Did you, indeed? How kind Very patronly of you Did you enjoy it?" Ivy clasped her hands together and regarded her friend ide, shining eyes

TheAlexia a moment to properly phrase her reply She waited while Ivy poured and then took a"As your patroness, I approve most heartily You and Tunstell have done inal portrayal of love and tragedy I can safely say, I am convinced London has never seen its like before Nor will it again I thought the bu"

"Oh, thank you! It war" Ivy positively beaht

"I ondering how long you’re scheduled to run this performance at this particular venue, and whether you had considered taking it on tour?"