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Fol owing Alexia ca utilized so the heavy bronze accessory about like a club, bludgeoning al who got in his way Alexia could understand his approach; it was her preferred iti hipipe blunderbuss in one hand, cravat pin in the other, slashing and bashing away nified elegance, using the dispatch case as a kind of shield and poking at people with Madame Lefoux’s other cravat pin, borrowed for the occasion

Thus, undercover of an uncommon amount of pandeal ant rescuers h the battle and out the other side Then there was nothing for it but to run, bruised and bloody as they were Channing led the modern tunnel that housed, if the steel tracks were any indication, a rail trol ey of so up da out onto the wide soft bank of the Arno The town obviously observed a supernatural curfew after nightfal , for there was absolutely no one to witness their panting exit

They clih the city Alexia developed a stitch in her side and a feeling that, should her future permit it, she would spend the rest of her days relaxed in an arhly overrated

Having reached one of the bridges over the Arno, she cal ed a stop halfway across It was a good defensible position; they could afford a short rest "Are they fol owing us?"

Channing raised his y head

"I cannot believe we escaped so easily" Alexia looked about at her co had sustained only a few additional injuries, but al were healing even as she watched Of the others, Madaash on one wrist, which Floote was bandaging with a handkerchief, and Monsieur Trouvé was rubbing at a lump on his forehead She herself ached terribly in one shoulder but would rather not look just yet Otherwise, they al were in sufficient for appeared to have reached the saan that strange, unco, and the sound of flesh and bone re-for itself rent the air for a few ave a squeak and turned her back hurriedly on his endowments, which were ample and well proportioned

Monsieur Trouvé took off his frock coat It was far too wide for the olf, but he handed it over forput it on It covered the necessaries, but was far too short and, coupled with his long, loose hair, irl

Alexia was perfectly well aware of what she was required to do at this juncture

Courtesy deratitude, but she could wish it was so of the Chesterfield Channings as to receive it "Wel , Major Channing, I suppose I must thank you for the timely intervention I a things?"

"My lady, I rather thought that hat I just did"

"I i"

"Ah, no, deployment was delayed after you left Technical difficulties"

"Oh?"

"Yes, it was technical y difficult to leave a heartbroken Alpha And it is a good thing for you I wasn’t overseas Sonored the rest of Alexia’s rescue party

"I should have ed perfectly well on my own But thank you, anyway You are always terribly impressed with yourself, aren’t you?"

He leered "Aren’t you?"

"So why have you been tracking me this entire tireat nu ured it had to be you after the vae incident So, ere you?"

A new voice, deep and gravel y, came from behind the to Madame Lefoux and whirled to face this new threat, the Frenchwo once more for her trusty cravat pins, and Monsieur Trouvé raised the bagpipe blunderbuss, which he’d been exa remained unperturbed

Lord Conal Maccon, Earl of Woolsey, stepped out of the shadows of the bridge tower

"You! You are late, " pointed out his errant ith every sign of extree over the Arno and Other Roe over the Arno and Other Romantic Misnomers

Late! Of course I’ al over Italy for you? You havna been exactly easy to find"

"Wel , of course you wouldn’t find me if you took that tactic I haven’t been al over Italy I have been stuck in Florence the entire time I was even trapped in some horrible Roman catacombs, thanks to you"

"Thanks to me? How could that possibly have been my fault, woman?" Lord Maccon ca entirely forgotten about their companions, who formed a semicircle of rapt interest about theh the vacant streets of Florence--no doubt providing entertainment for many

"You rejected lorious sense of profound relief Although this time, thankful y, it was not coupled with the need to break down and cry Conal had come after her! Of course, she was stil mad at him

Floote bravely interjected at this juncture "Please, er"

"You sent me away!" Alexia hissed, low and fierce

"No, I didna--that is, not real y I didna intend it that way You should have known I didna mean it You should have realized I needed ti an idiot"

"Oh, real y? Hoas I to know idiocy was only a temporary condition, especial y in your case? It never has been before! Besides which, va to kil me"

"And they didna try to kil you here as well as back hoh sobriety left to send Channing after you"

"Oh, I like that… Wait, what did you say? Sobriety? Youladybugs, flying in ornithopters, landing incoffee, you have been inebriated?"

"I was depressed"

"You were depressed? You!" Alexia actual y started to sputter, she was so angry She looked up at her husband, which was always a strange experience, for she was a tal wo down on people Lord Maccon could loom al he liked; so far as she was concerned, she was not impressed

She poked hiers to punctuate her words

"You are an unfeeling"--poke--"traitorous"--poke--""--poke--"rude" --poke--"booby!" Every poke turned him mortal, but Lord Maccon didn’t seerabbed the hand that poked hiht it to his lips "You put it very well , et smarmy with me, husband I a hiely, probably, Alexia realized, because she had slipped up and cal ed him "husband"