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Professor Lyal let his Alpha out of the cel and then spent a fewup theto clothe hi it for what it was: Lyal ’s unspoken sympathy Then he batted his Beta away Lord Maccon hen al was said and done, a wolf of action

"So, what do I have to do to win her back? How do I convince her to coiven your treatment of her, she ive uished

"I do not believe that is quite how forgiveness works,business we once discussed during your initial courtship of the young lady?"

"Not that again"

"Oh, no, not precisely I was thinking, given her flight froossip that has resulted and per is cal ed for under such circumstances"

"What? No, I absolutely refuse"

"Oh, I don’t believe you have a choice,Post would be best, a retraction of sorts In it you should explain that this was al a horribleHail the child as a modern miracle Claim you had the help of so that MacDougal fel ow? He owes us a favor, doesn’t he, from that incident with the auto attention"

"You have given this ht, haven’t you, Randolph?"

"Soht very high up on your list of priorities for the past feeeks"

"Enough I stil outrank you"

Professor Lyal reflected he may have, just possibly, pushed his Alpha a little round

"Nohere is reatcoat? And where is Rumpet?" Lord Maccon threw his head back "Ru up the steps

"Sir?" The butler met him at the top of the staircase "You yel ed?"

"Send a e on the next possible channel crossing It’s probably first thing in theAnd from there a French train to the Italian border" He turned to look at Lyal , who eon "That is where she has gone, isn’t it?"

"Yes, but how did you--?"

"Because that is where I would have gone" He turned back to the butler "Should take me a little over a day to cross France I shal run the border to the consequences Oh, and--"

This time it was Professor Lyal ’s turn to interrupt "Belay that order, Rurowl at his Beta "Nohat? I shal go by the Post on y She is very likely in danger, Randolph, not toaround London"

Professor Lyal took a deep breath He should have known having Lord Maccon in ful possession of his faculties ular papers The va your wife’s character in the popular press, accusing her of al uess, it al has to do with Alexia’s pregnancy The vampires are not happy about it, my lord, not happy at al "

"Nasty little bloodsuckers I shal set thehts Why haven’t Lord Akeldaossip? And why hasn’t Lord Akeldanancy, for that matter? I bet he knows He is quite the little know-it-alMay even be Edict Keeper, unless I uess"

"That is the other proble with al of his drones

Apparently, they are off searching for so to find out what and why and where, but it has been a tad hectic recently Both BUR and the pack keep interfering Not toanything of interest Why, if it weren’t for Mrs Tunstel and the hat shop, I ht not even know the little I do"

"Hat shop? Mrs Tunstel ?" Lord Maccon blinked at this diatribe from his normal y quietly competent Beta "You mean Ivy Hisselpenny? That Mrs Tunstel ? What hat shop?"

But his Beta was on a verbal flyaway and unwil ing to pause "What with you constantly sloshed and Channing gone, I am at my wit’s end I real y am You, my lord, cannot simply dash off to Italy You have responsibilities here "

Lord Maccon frowned "Ah, yes, Channing I forgot about him"

"Oh, yes? I didn’t think that was possible Some people have al the luck"

Lord Maccon caved Truth be told he was rather worried to see his unflappable Randolph so, well , flapped "Oh, very well , I shal give you three nights help sorting out this otten us into, and then I’-suffering but kneas the closest he was likely to get to victory with Lord Maccon and counted his blessings Then he gently but firmly put his Alpha to work

"Rumpet," he addressed the frozen and confused butler, "cal the carriage We are going into the city for the night"

Lord Maccon turned to Professor Lyal as the two reatcoats on the way

"Any other news I should be made aware of, Randolph?"