Page 16 (2/2)

"Those little OBO bottles of mysterious liquid"

"Ah, yes, fantastic! Will you please arrange for Floote and I to have the carriage after supper? I must visit Woolsey’s library as soon as possible"

The Beta nodded "I have a feeling it will already be commissioned We’ll have to take Biffy to the countryside for his confinement His most recent inabilities have resulted in some rather disastrous redecoration of your back parlor"

"Oh, no, really? And after the drones did such a lovely job with it"

"We had to lock him somewhere, and that room has no s"

"I understand But claw marks are murder on wallpaper"

"Too true, Lady Maccon"

Professor Lyall drifted away and, because he was Professor Lyall, ed to corral one of Lord Akeldama’s drones, just awakened, to help Lady Maccon dress

Boots stuck his head in before catching sight of Lady Maccon still abed The head instantly retreated and a back was presented in the doorway

"Oh, dear me, most sorry, Lady M Can’t be o rustle up someone a little more suitable to assist you Shall I? Be back in a jiff"

Mystified, Alexia began the laborious process of squires out of bed She was just standing when Lord Akelda to you, old! My lovelorn little Boots said you could use a bit of twisting up, and I thought since I ake I ht avail myself of your delicious company and provide much-needed assistance simultaneously"

Lord Akelda His affected e on his alabaster cheeks and the ridiculous spats about his ankles Nevertheless, even in his least formal attire, Lord Akeldama excelled

"But,royal blue breeches of watered silk, a da jacket ornas His trousers were of such very fine quality, Alexia was quite aghast that the vaht have to kneel--on the floor!

"Oh, phooey, you know rave; la toilette"

Lord Akeldama was a man who Lady Maccon very --ladies on a regular basis, yet he seenancy, Alexiaher corset and selecting a carriage dress or soown that fastened up the front However, at this point, she couldn’t even see her own feet, let alone touch thee new form of servant

"I suppose it was courteous of Professor Lyall to think to send soentleman who is not my husband is to see me bare, why not hi up her underthings along the way He tittered at the very idea "Oh, ht enjoy it a little too entle with ties and buttons

"What could you possibly be i, my lord?" Lady Maccon asked this from within a chemise partly stuck over her head

The vampire pulled the fine muslin down and smoothed it out over her belly with a little pat His other hand was on her naked arm, and the contact turned his vanished, his pale white skin flushed slightly peach, and his lustrous blond hair lost a rinned at her, his face more effeminate than ethereal "La, honeysuckle, you are well aware that we here are all, in our own special way, deviants in our penchants"

Lady Maccon thought about Lord Akelda this was not the vampire’s point of reference, she nodded "Oh, yes, I noticed"

Lord Akeldaed, for this upset the fall of his jacket, but he looked as though he would have at this juncture Instead, he flounced over to the side of the rooan perusing various gowns, eyeing each with a discerning eye

"Not that one," said Alexia when he paused overlong, considering a green and gold stripe

"No?"

"The décolletage is too low"

"My dearest girl, this is a good design point, not a bad one You should accentuate your best features"

"No, honestly, my lord, these days I--how to put this?--overflow It’s terribly incoesture with both hands at her bosoion had expanded to near scenic proportions over the last few hted Lady Maccon found it ridiculous As if I weren’t well enough endowed to start with!

"Ah, yes I do see your point, periwinkle" He , about Professor Lyall?"

"What I mean to articulate, honey bee, is that there are levels of deviation Some of us are, shall we say, more experimental than others in our tastes In some, I believe it is a matter of boredom, in others it is nature, and for still others it is indifference" The vampire’s tone of voice was filled with the usual airy flippancy, but Alexia had a feeling this was so he had studied much over the centuries Also, Lord Akeldaood reason

The vah her wardrobe without looking up at her, as though he were having a conversation with the dresses "So few are lucky enough to love where they will Or unlucky, I suppose" Finally, he selected a walking outfit comprised of a ruffled purple skirt, cream blouse, and square cropped Spanish jacket in mauve Despite the fact that there was very little tri about it clearly appealed to hihted with this choice, as the outfit coordinated with one of her favorite hats, a little mauve boith a purple ostrich feather