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"Fiddlesticks," said Lady Maccon to Professor Lyall "A?"

Lyall took that as a hint and turned to go Unless, of course, he was fleeing from the hat His mistress stopped him

"I truly do appreciate your unexpected intervention just now I did not think he would actually attack"

Professor Lyall looked at his Alpha’s uarded look, his face free of its custolassicals, his mild hazel eyes puzzled "Why unexpected? Didn’t you think I was capable of defending you in Conall’s place?"

Lady Maccon shook her head It was true she had never had much confidence in the physical abilities of her husband’s Beta, with his slight frame and professorial ways Lord Maccon was massive and treelike; Professor Lyall was built more on the shrub scale But that wasn’t what she had meant "Oh no, unexpected because I had assuht, if this BUR problem is so very bad"

Professor Lyall nodded

Lady Maccon tried one last tiiiment was due in; he sent me to meet them at the station"

"Oh, he did, did he? And he did not see fit to inforotten his Alpha into some very hot water indeed, dissembled "I believe he was under the impression you knew It was the deho ordered the h the Shadow Council several uely the potentate arguing vociferously with the dewan on this subject at the beginning of her stint as th of Queen Victoria’s regi of her empire was dependent upon her alliance with the packs The va interest in the East India Company and its mercenary troops, of course, but this had been a ulars and so the olves Still, Lady Maccon had not realized the results of that decision would end up enca on her doorstep

"Don’t they have a proper barracks so off to?"

"Yes, but it is tradition for them all to stay here for several weeks while the pack re-forht soldiers head hoh the chaos of e She h she walked with exclaines emitted small puffs of yellow smoke at her as she passed and compressed expansion tent stakes hissed as they were pulled pre taken back down and moved around the side of the house and into Woolsey’s extensive grounds

"Have I mentioned recently how much I dislike tradition?" Alexia said, and then panicked "Are we expected to feed therape bunches bobbed in ti footsteps She did not even pause to investigate the disarray She was clearly in a hurry, which meant Ivy had news of note

"Rumpet knohat to do Don’t concern yourself," advised Professor Lyall

"You really cannot tellon? He was up so very early, and Formerly Merrias definitely involved"

"Who, Ruust

"Lord Maccon did not inform me of the particulars," Professor Lyall admitted

Lady Maccon frowned "And Forets, all-over nervous and floaty"

Ivy attained the steps to the front door

As she neared, Professor Lyall said hastily, "If you will excuseon"

He bowed to Miss Hisselpenny and vanished around the corner of the house after Major Channing

Ivy curtsied to the departing olf, a strawberry on a long silk ste about in front of her left ear She didn’t take offense at Lyall leaving so precipitously Instead, she trotted up to the stoop, blithely ignoring Alexia’s dispatch case and waiting carriage, certain in the knowledge that her neas farher friend to depart forthwith

"Alexia, did you know there is an entire regihed "Really, Ivy, I would never have noticed"

Miss Hisselpenny ignored the sarcaso in for tea?"

"Ivy, I have business in town, and I a that business ith Queen Victoria Ivy knew nothing of her preternatural state, nor her political position, and Alexia thought it best to keep her friend ignorant Ivy was particularly adept at being ignorant but could cause extensive havoc with the smallest scrap of inforrapes vibrated in agitation

"Oh, have the winter shawls from Paris come into the shops?"