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The Alpha shrugged it on and then glared at the still-s drone "I smell like parboiled seaweed"

"Navy’s in town"

"So, what do you know of this ht be a pink, and his vampire master even more so, but Lord Akelda of ioverniments came into port yesterday: the Black Scotts, Northumberland, the Coldsteam Guards--"Biffy was pointedly obtuse

Lord Maccon interrupted him "Not that--thefor you"

"Of course you were," sighed Lord Maccon

Biffy stopped s "Shall alk, my lord?" He took up position next to the olf, as no olf at all anyether toward Fleet Street The earl’s bare feet made no noise on the cobbles

"What!" The amazed exclamation emanated frootten Tunstell The claviger had sat down behind the corner of the stoop to nurse the results of Major Channing’s discipline

Upon hearing Miss Hisselpenny’s news, however, the gangly actor reappeared He was sporting a large red ht eye, which was destined to darken in ahis nose to stanch the flow of blood Both Alexia’s handkerchief and his own cravat appeared ed, Miss Hisselpenny?" In addition to his disheveled aspect, Tunstell was looking quite tragic, in a Shakespearean comedy kind of way From behind the handkerchief, his eyes ide in distress Tunstell had been ether at Lord and Lady Maccon’s wedding, but they had not been allowed to le socially since Miss Hisselpenny was a lady of consequence, and Tunstell was but a lowly claviger and an actor to boot Alexia had not comprehended the extent of his attachment Or perhaps the attacher possible

"To whonored her and dashed to Tunstell’s side

"You are injured!" she gasped, bunches of grapes and silk strawberries bobbing about She pulled out her own minuscule handkerchief, embroidered with small clusters of cherries, and dabbed at his face unhelpfully

"A mere scratch, Miss Hisselpenny, I assure you," said Tunstell, looking pleased by her ministrations, as ineffectual as they outs of it," insisted Ivy

"Not to worry, not to worry, the business end of a fist will do that to a person, you know"

Ivy gasped "Fisticuffs! Oh, how perfectly horrid! Poor Mr Tunstell" Ivy petted an unbloodied corner of the loved hand

Poor Mr Tunstell did not seem to mind, if this was the result "Oh, please, do not trouble yourself so," he said, leaning into her caress "My, what an enchanting hat, Miss Hisselpenny, so"--he hesitated, searching for the right word--"fruity"

Ivy blushed beet red at that "Oh, do you like it? I bought it specially"

That did it "Ivy," said Alexia sharply, bringing her friend back around to the iotten yourself engaged, exactly?"

Miss Hisselpenny snapped back to the present, drifting away fro Mr Tunstell "His nah, and he has just returned with the Northu Fusilli, all the way from Inja"

"You mean the Northumberland Fusiliers"

"Is that not what I just said?" Ivy was all big-eyed innocence and excite clearly involved far ht She would have to find out what the queen and her co

Theshe was now inexcusably late for

Miss Hisselpenny continued "It is not a bad h Mama would have preferred a major at the very least But you know"--she lowered her voice to almost a whisper--"I haven’t really the luxury of choice atthat He thought Miss Hisselpenny a grand catch, older than he to be sure, but i to settle on a mere captain He opened his mouth to say so but showed unexpected restraint upon receipt of a high-stakes glare froo away and be useful Ivy, felicitations on your i nuptials, but I really , for which I a back "Of course, Captain Featherstonehaugh was not exactly what I had hoped for He is quite thewould seem to suit you, Alexia, but I had hoped for a man with the soul of a bard"

Alexia threw her hands up into the air "He is a claviger You knohat that means? Someday, relatively soon, he will petition for metamorphosis and then probably die in the atteh intact, he would then be a olf You don’t even like olves"

Ivy gave her an even-wider-eyed look as if butter wouldn’t rapes bobbed "He could always leave before that"