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"Lady Maccon! How unexpected"

"So everyone keeps pointing out" Alexia tried to barge past hioodness’ sake, I mean her no harlances occurred between Lord Ambrose and the duke

"She is part of this new order I think we ht!" Lord Ambrose accused his compatriot

"I still do But in character, she is no hter than Lord Maccon is Lord Woolsey’s successor or Lord Akeldalared "If you mean that I think for myself and make my own choices, then you are spot-on Now, I must see the countess ie "I must take possession of your parasol"

"Absolutely not We may need it shortly, especially if you don’t let me in I tell you I have--"

"I must insist"

"Let her in, Ambrose dear" Countess Nadasdy had a voice as warreasy She could fry people with that voice, if she wanted to

Immediately, Lord A the interior of the chamber It was a very-well-appointed boudoir, complete with not only aarea and other highly desirable accoutreuination war blood withattached Both the pot and the tubes wore knitted tea cozies, and there was a warh the tubes

The countess was indeed at tea Her version being a lavish affair, complete with lace-covered tea trolley set out with teacups and matched teapot of fine china painted with little pink roses and edged in silver There were pink and white petits fours that no one was eating and cups of tea that no one was drinking A three-tiered serving dish of silver held a teared rose petals, and there was even a small platter of????could it be? Treacle tart!

Lady Maccon was excessively fond of treacle tart

The asseuests were all dressed in shades of white, pale green, and pink to accessorize the decor Elegant Greek urns held e leaf ferns It was all very well coordinated, perhaps too well, as a scientific etching of an ani

A second tea trolley was also prominently displayed, similarly draped in a fine lace cloth It was one of the lower styleshours Upon it lay the supine for lady, dressed to oith pink flowers Her throat was bare and exposed, and her fine blond hair was piled high and off of her neck

The countess, it would appear, had a very particular definition of high tea

"Oh, dear I do hate to interrupt you at etically "But I have the most important information to impart"

She waddled forward, only to have her way blocked yet again by Lord Ambrose "My Queen, I must protest, a soulless in your inner sanctum While you are at table!"

Countess Nadasdy looked up froirl’s fine white neck "Aht the Westminster queen entirely suited the role of vampire Not that Lady Maccon’s opinion mattered much If the ru the role for over a thousand years Possibly two But, unlike Lord Ambrose, she simply didn’t look the part She was a cozy little woman--short and on the plu eyes sparked True, the blush was mercuric and the eyes sparkled with belladonna and calculation, not humor, but it was hard to feel threatened by a wo incarnation of one of Lord Akeldas

"She is a hunter," protested Lord Ambrose

"She is a lady Aren’t you, Lady Maccon?"

Alexia looked down at her protruding belly "So the evidence would seeh to punctuate the statement Yes, said Alexia to it internally, I don’t like Lord Ambrose either But now is not the time for histrionics

"Ah, yes, felicitations on the imminent event"

"Let us hope not all that iies, venerable ones Until recently, you see"

"Exactly, My Queen, we cannot have that--"

Lady Maccon interrupted Lord A his ribs with her parasol She aie that the ticklish find ot ticklish, so far as Alexia are, but it was the principle of the thing "Yes, yes, I know you still would prefer it if I were dead, Lord Ambrose, but never et away"

Lord Ambrose moved and Lady Maccon proceeded toward the hive queen

The countess dabbed at a bit of blood on the side of her ht a hint of fang before they were tucked away behind perfect cupid’s bow–shaped lips The countess never showed fang unless she ? Is that a visiting gown?"

"What? Oh, yes, sorry I hadn’t intended to co, or I would be more appropriately dressed But, please listen, you must leave now!"

"Leave this room? Whatever for? It is one of my particular favorites"

"No, no, leave the house"

"Abandon my hive? Never! Don’t be foolish, child"

"But, Countess, there is an octo in this direction It wants to kill you and it knows the location"

"Preposterous There hasn’t been an octoe And hoould it knohere to find me?"

"Ah, yes, well, as to that There was this break-in, you see--"