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CHAPTER ONE

In Which Lady Alexia Maccon Waddles

Five entle on this little scheme of yours and only now you decide to infor surprised by declarations of intent She glared at the oodly nued to look like shaentlemen, despite identical expressions of sheepishness, were as dissi could possibly be The first was large and slightly unke jacket draped about ree of reluctance, as if it ell aware that it orn under sufferance The other two existed in far h, with the first, dress was a matter of subtlety and, with the second, a forh decla fearsoentleman, fashionable or no Perilously close to her confineht oose with bunions

"We didna want to worry you overly," ventured her husband His voice was gruff in an attempt at calm solicitude The Earl of Woolsey’s tawny eyes were lowered, and his hair ht actually have been dampened

"Oh, and the constant vampire death threats are so very restful for a wo none of it Her voice was shrill enough to disturb Lord Akeldama’s cat, normally a most unflappable creature The chubby calico opened one yellow eye and yawned

"But isn’t it the most perfect solution,the cat back into purring, boneless relaxation The vampire’s discomfiture was the most manufactured of the three There was a twinkle in his beautiful eyes, however downcast It was the twinkle of a et his oay

"What, to lose possession of oodness’ sake, I may be soulless and I am, admittedly, not precisely maternal, but I aree to this? Without consulting me!"

"Wife, did you uard duty for the past five , my dear"

Lady Maccon adored her husband She was particularly fond of the way he strode about shirtless in a fit of pique, but she was finding she didn’t actually like hiry, a terrible bother, as it distracted her from her irritation

"Oh, indeed, and how do you think I feel being on the receiving end of such constant supervision? But, Conall, adoption!" Alexia stood and began to pace about Or, to be more precise, waddle fiercely For once, she was blind to the gilded beauty of Lord Akeldaree to auntoward always occurs in Lord Akeldaood plan" That was Professor Lyall joining the fray His was probably the ret, as he disliked confrontation He was also the one truly responsible for this plot, unless Alexia was very wrong in her estimation of his character

"Bully for the ruddy queen Absolutely not--I refuse"

"Now, Alexia,to wheedle He wasn’t very good at it--wheedling looked odd on a man of his proportions and monthly inclinations

"Reasonable? Go boil your head in reasonable!"

Lord Akeldama tried a new tactic "I have already converted the roo nursery, ranate seed"

Lady Maccon was really quite shocked to hear that She paused in her wrath and her waddling to blink at the vampire in surprise "Not your second closet? Never that"

"Indeed You see how seriously I a for you"

"For my child, you mean" But Alexia was impressed despite herself

She looked to Lyall for assistance and tried desperately to calm herself and behave as practically as possible "And this will stop the attacks?"

Professor Lyall nodded, pushing his spectacles up with one finger They were an affectation--he had no need of the to fiddle with "I believe so I have not, of course, been able to consult with any queens outright The hives refuse to admit to an extermination mandate, and BUR has not yet deterhed gently--"trying to kill your child And by default, you"

Alexia knew that the Bureau of Unnatural Registry was handicapped by a combination of paperwork and proper appearances That is to say, because it was the enforcing body for England’s supernatural and preternatural subjects, it had to see those that guaranteed the packs and the hives soovernance

"Monsieur Trouvé’s hos?"

"Never did trace the varavy boat?"

"No appreciable evidence left behind"

"The flaolian poodle?"

"No connection to any known dealer"

"The poisoned dirigible iven the general foulness of food while floating, that could simply have been a coincidence" Professor Lyall rean to clean the clear lenses with a spotless white handkerchief

"Oh, Professor Lyall, are youa funny? It doesn’t suit you"

The sandy-haired Beta gave Lady Maccon a dour look "I a new personality avenues"

"Well, stop it"