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"Tall order, my lady Professor Lyall?"

"Everyone has secrets Biffy, even Lyall"

"Especially Professor Lyall, oodly number of everyone else’s secrets as well as his own"

"You see, what did I say? Perceptive Now, there will be irregular dirigibleI’ll provide you with a schedule of the ones you’ll need to utilize, depending on where we are After that, I intend to set up an aethographic connection to the public access transmitter in Alexandria I have the valve frequensor codes here, and I will give thees in code I’ll send you the first one just after sunset the day after we arrive--London sunset Please coordinate the ti and be ready to receive Lord Akeldaraphic transs of every single transy first cahtful fun, isn’t it, my lady?"

At that, Lady Maccon put an arm about his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder "That’s the spirit!"

"Oh, dear heavens, Ivy,so many hats?"

They had let the entire first-class coach for the short haul from London to Southampton, where their steamer awaited the tides Lady Maccon stood next to her husband on the platfor to board

Mrs Tunstell earing a traveling gown of pale pink and apple-green stripes, trireat tower of feather puffs, pink and green, through which peeked the heads of stuffed bluebirds and more ribbons In addition to her hatboxes, of which she took the greatest care and supervision, Mrs Tunstell was accompanied by her husband, her children, their nursener, and six supporting castactors, the whole lot of the a train with all the po circus

Everyone was a flutter of broad gestures, eye-searing attire, and loudly projected voices Tunstell was his usual cheery redheaded self, the exciterin more broadly at the world Alexia wouldn’t exactly accuse Tunstell of being the kind of ht and in a vocal plaid, his top hat was purple, and his traveling coat was scarlet In fact, his entire outfit see out for the hunt Biffy, who had coht faint at the very sight of it and took his leave quite hurriedly

Alexia carried Prudence in her naked ar until the sun was properly up, at which juncture she could hand the squir toddler off to her husband without fear of any furry recrireat eloves, but she was taking absolutely no chances They had a train to catch Prudence si wolf and running off

There had been a very tearful good-bye before they left their house Lady Maccon held Prudence close while Lord Akeldale with kisses Tizzy, Boots, and all the other dronesout an excessive nuifts for the journey Lady Maccon was beginning to suspect her child of being rather spoiled All this excitement caused Prudence to come over tetchy for the duration of the ride to Waterloo Station Alexia had only just gotten her settled when they were su troupe

Of course, Prudence was beaht at all the drahter in this and clapped her chubby little hands when Mrs Tunstell ordered the porter to fit all her hatboxes inside the train car at once and the pooreverywhere

"Stay!" Mrs Tunstell ordered her hats

"Oh, really, Ivy Let the porter handle things TheGet your party settled" Alexia was as annoyed as her daughter was delighted

"But, Alexia, my hats, they simply can’t be left to just anyone It’s the collection of a lifetime"

Lady Maccon told a calculated fib in order to expedite matters "Oh, but, Ivy, I do believe I see the nurse to attract your attention from within Perhaps the twins--"

Mrs Tunstell iot all about her precious hats and cliels were indeed suffering any possible distress

Unlike Prudence, the Tunstell tere apparently bored by the prospect of foreign travel Perhaps their ennui was brought on by near constant exposure to the theatrical lifestyle Primrose was quietly entranced by all the trihter Periodically tiny ar for a feather or a particularly gaudy bow Percy, on the other hand, had spit up obligingly all over the lead villain’s velvet cape and then gone to sleep

"Alexia, Lord Maccon Goodfrom behind theood time, I see"

"As if I would miss this for the world, Lady Maccon"

"As you can see, it is quite the kerfuffle," Alexia said They watched as the last of Ivy’s entourage e behind on the platform

"Conall, tip the porters well, would you, please?" Lady Maccon prodded her husband into coping with the mountain

"Of course, istics

Alexia shifted Prudence to her other hip "Prudence, this is Madame Lefoux I don’t believe you have met since your arrival into this world Madame Lefoux, may I introduce Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama?"

"Dama?" queried Prudence at that

"No, dear, Lefoux Can you say Lefoux?"

"Foo!" pronounced Prudence with great acuy little hand sole ravitas Then, after giving the lady dressed as a gentle look, she added, "Btttpttbtpt"

The inventor brought along only a small portmanteau for the journey and a hatbox Alexia re a hatbox only on the surface Underneath it was a cleverly devised toolkit

"Expecting trouble, are you, Genevieve?" Alexia forgot to be for all too quickly into the faether across Europe--a time when she and the inventor had been friends rather than cautious acquaintances

"Of course Aren’t you? No parasol, I see Or not a real one"

Alexia narrowed her eyes "No Mine happened to get destroyed when a certain person brought a certain hive house down around everyone’s ears"