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Lady Maccon did not rise to the bait "It would be better if the luncheons were not so consistently subpar" All food on board the dirigible appeared to favor the bland and steah tea had been disappointing

Felicity carefully knocked her gloves off the little table next to the deck chair in which she lounged

"Oh, how careless of er stepped forward and bent to retrieve theled herself in such a way that Tunstell was now bending over her legs, practically facedown in the skirts of her green dress It was a rather inti around the corner of the deck right at that very moment

"Oh!" said Ivy, sohtened, handing Felicity her gloves Felicity took theers to trail over his hand

Ivy’s countenance looked remarkably similar to that of a bilious poodle

Lady Maccon wondered that her sister had not gotten herself into trouble before noith such behavior When had Felicity turned into such a hardened little flirt?

Tunstell bowed to Ivy "Miss Hisselpenny How do you do?"

"Mr Tunstell, please do not let my presence disturb you"

Lady Maccon stood up, ostentatiously fixing the ear flaps of her flying hat Really, it was too vexing: Felicity overly bold, Ivy engaged to another, and poor Tunstell stuckpuppy eyes at the both of them in his confusion

Tunstell went to bow over Miss Hisselpenny’s hand The dirigible encountered turbulence in the aether and lurched, causing Ivy and Tunstell to blunder into one another Tunstell caught at her arht while Ivy blushed like an overripe strawberry, her eyes downcast

Alexia decided she needed a brisk walk on the forward deck

Usually uninhabited, the forward deck was the windiest the dirigible had to offer Both ladies and gentle dreadful, but Alexia had no such qual froelique upon her return She turned the rabbed her parasol, and sallied forth

The forward deck was, however, already occupied

Madame Lefoux, dressed as impeccably and as inappropriately as always, stood next to that very sa down over the patchwork of the British landscape spread below thened and asy to each other heatedly

Lady Maccon cursed the wind of air travel, for it carried their words away before reaching her, and she would have dearly loved to knoas being said She thought of her dispatch case Had Floote packed any listeningelse for it but a direct frontal attack, Alexiato catch some part of the conversation before they noticed her presence She was in luck

"… assu in French

"Cannot happen, not yet" Angeliquehands on the inventor’s arm "Please do not ask it of me"

"Better happen soon or I’ll tell You knoill" Madaerously but staying in place, as it was tied on for travel She shrugged off the blond woainst the inventor’s side and nested her head on the other woed her off "Ga up a lady’s hair That is all you have now, isn’t it?"

"It is better than selling hats"

Mada the wo another "Did she really kick you out?" Her tone was both vicious and disbelieving

Lady Maccon was close enough by then to les when the girl looked away Angelique started at the appearance of her mistress, and her eyes filled with tears With a little sob, she cast herself at Lady Maccon so that Alexia had no choice but to catch her

Alexia was disturbed Even though she was French, Angelique was rarely given to displays of eelique composed herself, hurriedly withdrew from her mistress’s arms, bobbed a curtsy, and rushed away

Alexia had liked Mada the domestic staff "The vampires rejected her, you know It is a sensitive subject She does not like to talk about the hive giving her up to er she doesn’t"

Lady Maccon bristled "Any more than you would tell ible" The Frenchwoht only be pack by proxy, but Angelique was still in its service

Green eyes les were no impediment, but Lady Maccon could not interpret that expression Then the inventor reached up and stroked the back of her hand down the side of Alexia’s face Alexia wondered why the French were so lish

"Did you and my maid have some kind of association in the past, Madah it made her face feel hot even in the cold aether wind

The inventor dimpled "We did once, but I assure you I a purposefully obtuse? She moved closer

Alexia, always blunt, cocked her head to one side and asked, "Who are you working for, Madaovernhtly, strangely upset by the question "You misconstrue my presence here, Lady Maccon I assure you, I work only for myself"

"I would not trust her if I were you,Alexia’s hair before supper that evening The ht with a specially provided steaht and loose was Ivy’s idea Miss Hisselpenny had insisted Alexia be the one to try the fancy iron invention out, because Alexia was married and could suffer the burden of risky hair

"Is there soently The maid so rarely offered up an opinion that was not fashion related

Angelique paused in hera moment about her face as only the French could flutter "Only zat I knew her before I became drone, in Paris"

"And?"