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Wherein Alexia Will Not Be Flung

Lord Aentleman His perpetual expression was one of pensive hauteur exacerbated by aquiline features and brooding dark eyes Alexia felt that he had ed to Mrs Loontwill’s great-grandfather and now resided in e the frippery of her mother’s boudoir That is to say, Lord Ambrose was immovable, impossible to live with, and mostly filled with frivolities incompatible with outward appearance

Lady Maccon e difficult to navigate with her attention focused on the vampire in the doorway and her mobility hampered by the infant in her belly "Terribly forward of the countess to send you, Lord Ambrose, to do the deed"

Lord Ambrose made his way inside "Ah, well, our more subtle attempts seem to be wasted on you, Lady Maccon"

"Subtlety usually is"

Lord Anored her and continued with his explanation "I a done properly, soed toward her, supernaturally fast In his hands he held a garrote Alexia would never have thought thesuch a priht be prone to waddling of late, but there was nothing wrong with the mobility of her upper extrerabbed for Ethel, swung about, pulling the hame, even she could hit a va him considerably

He paused in his attack "Well, nant!"

Alexia pulled the haain "Take a seat, won’t you, Lord A to discuss with you that e your current approach And I shall aim for a less-resilient part of your anato down at his shoulder, which wasn’t healing as it ought The bullet hadn’t passed through but had gone into the bone and lodged there

"Sundowner bullets," explained Lady Maccon "You’re in no er from a mere shoulder injury, my lord, but I shouldn’t leave the bullet in there if I were you"

Gingerly, the vaainst the plush velvet seat Alexia had always thought Lord Aht to look like He had a full head of glossy dark hair, a cleft chin, and, currently, a certain air of childish petulance

Lady Maccon, never one for shilly-shallying even when her life wasn’t in danger, got straight to the point "You can stop with all your uncouth atteive this child up for adoption"

"Oh? And why should that make any difference to us, Lady Maccon?"

"The lucky father is to be Lord Akeldaenuine shock He most certainly hadn’t expected such a bizarre revelation The surprise sat upon his face as precariously as a

"Lord Akeldama?"

Lady Maccon nodded, sharply, once

The vahtly froesture "Lord Akeldaain

He seeravitas "You would allow your progeny to be raised by a vaun, didn’t waver one iota Va her guard, for all Lord Aarrote in his other hand

"The potentate, no less" Alexia ree in political status

She watched his face closely She was giving him an out and knew that he must want an out Countess Nadasdy, Queen of the Westminster Hive, would want one All the vampires had to be uncomfortable with this situation It was probably why they kept bungling the assassination attempts; their little hearts si--with va a new pair of shoes No, they would want to get out of having to kill an Alpha olf’s mate Lady Maccon’s death at va a whole e, hairy, and angry variety It was not that the bloodsuckers thought they would lose a erewolves; it was simply that they kneould be bloody Vampires hated to lose blood--it was troublesome to replace and always left a stain

Lady Maccon pressed the point, figuring that Lord Aitate her revelation "Surely you can do nothing but approve so tidy a solution to our current predicas It was the very elegance of Alexia’s proposal that had hi it They both knew that "You would not conteodmother, would you?"

Alexia placed a hand on her belly, taken aback "Well," she hedged, trying for the hted, but my husband, you must understand He is already a little flustered by Lord Akeldaht be more than he could stomach"

"Ah, yes, the sensitivities of olves et that I can hardly countenance his approval of the scheeave her a look of disbelief

"Ah, well," Lady Maccon ht of the situation "My dearest spouse has so and, uh, proper dress, but he has approved the adoption"

"Remarkable powers of persuasion you possess, Lady Maccon"

Alexia was rather flattered he should think it all her idea, so she did not bother to correct hial, put the adoption in writing, file it with the Bureau?"

"Indeed I understand Queen Victoria is agreeable Woolsey is intending to lease the house adjacent to Lord Akeldama’s to keep an eye on the child You must allow me some level of motherly concern"

"Oh, yes, yes, entirely understandable In writing, you said, Lady Maccon?"

"In writing, Lord Aarrote away in a waistcoat pocket "Given such a proposed arrange? I should return to West to be so far away as it is, and my queen ant this new information as quickly as supernaturally possible"