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The tomen moved out of Miss Hisselpenny’s earshot over to a secluded corner of the relaxation deck, out of the ever-present aether breezes To Alexia, these felt faintly tingly, alined the aether gasses as a cloud of fireflies swarible rode one strong current and passed through others It was not unpleasant but could be distracting

"I understand you got into an arguht, after our little escapade" Lady Maccon did not sugarcoat her words

Madaht have yelled at the steward for his negligence He did take an inexcusably long tiument was in French"

Madame Lefoux made no response to that

Lady Maccon switched tactics "Why are you following me to Scotland?"

"Are you convinced it is you, ?"

"I hardly think you have also developed a sudden passion for my husband’s valet"

"No, you would be correct in that"

"So?"

"So, I aer to you or yours, Lady Maccon I wish you could believe that But I cannot tell youhed "You soulless are so very logical and practical, it can beYou have met a preternatural before, I take it?" If she could not convince the inventor to explain her presence, perhaps she could learntio I suppose I could tell you about it"

"Well?"

"I ht years old He was a friend of iven to believe Forhost of my father’s sister My father hiitiave me to Aunt Beatrice and died shortly thereafter I re to see him after that, only to find that I was all that was left The ave me a present of honey candy and was sad to learn of my father’s death"

"He was the preternatural?" Despite herself, Lady Maccon was intrigued

"Yes, and I believe they were once very close"

"And?"

"You understand : very close?"

Lady Maccon nodded "I fully comprehend I am, after all, a friend of Lord Akeldama’s"

Madame Lefoux nodded "The man who visited was your father"

Alexia’s ht into her father’s preferences She knew his taste to run to both the exotic and the eclectic Frouessed him to be, at best, an opportunist in asped because it was such an odd coincidence, to find out that this woman, not so much older than herself, had once met her father Had knohat he was like--alive

"I never knew him He left before I was born," Lady Maccon said before she could stop herself

"He was handso that all Italian , of course, but he iven to understand by others Thank you for telling me"

Madame Lefoux switched topics abruptly "We should continue to keep the full details of the incident last night a secret fro the others, but I shall have to tell my husband after we land"

"Of course"

The to She knehy she wanted to keep the scuffle a secret, but why did Madaair

They landed just before sunset on a patch of green near the Glasgow train station The dirigible ca, if the butterfly were to stu to take on the peculiar characteristics of Scotland in winter: ray than one would think possible

Alexia disembarked with pomp and circumstance similar to her e ladies, like so many fabric snails, onto firm (well, truthfully, rather squishy) land The bustles were particularly prevalent due to the general relief at being able to wear a proper one onceskirts away The snails were followed by Tunstell, laden with a quantity of hatboxes and other package; four stewards with various trunks; and Lady Maccon’s French ly, could accuse her of traveling without the dignity due to the Earl of Woolsey’s wife She ad about town alone or in the care of only one unwed young lady, but clearly she traveled in company Unfortunately, the effect of her arrival was under about under her, causing Lady Maccon to tilt to one side and take an abrupt seat atop one of her trunks

She dis him away to hire an appropriate conveyance to take thereen to stretch her legs and look for wildflowers Felicity caan immediately to carry on about the horrible weather

"Why oes so badly with the complexion And it is so awful to travel by coach anywhere in such weather Must we go by coach?"

"Well," said Lady Maccon, driven to annoyance, "this is the north Do stop being silly about it"

Her sister continued to complain, and Alexia watched out of the corner of her eye as Tunstell veered near to Ivy on his way across the landing green and hissed so back, an excess of e the sharp htened and he turned away to walk on

Ivy cahtly

"I do not knohat I ever saw in that ht

"Oh dear, has so come between the lovebirds? Is there trouble afoot?" said Felicity

When no one answered her, she trotted after the rapidly departing claviger "Oh, Mr Tunstell? Would you like some company?"

Lady Maccon looked to Ivy "Am I to understand that Tunstell did not take your rejection well?" she inquired, trying not to sound as weak as she felt She was still dizzy, and the ground see about like a nervous squid

"Well, no, not as such When I…" Ivy started and then broke off, her attention diverted by an exceedingly large dog charging in their direction "Mercy , in actuality, a very large wolf, with a wad of fabric wrapped about its neck Its fur was a dark brown color brindled gold and crea theave Miss Hisselpenny a polite little nod and then put its head in Lady Maccon’s lap

"Ah, husband," said Alexia, scratching hiured you would find me, but not so quickly as this"

The Earl of Woolsey lolled his long pink tongue at his wife good-naturedly and tilted his head in Miss Hisselpenny’s direction

"Yes, of course," replied Alexia to the unspoken suggestion She turned to her friend "Ivy, est you look away at this juncture"

"Why?" wondered Miss Hisselpenny

"Many find a olf’s shape change rather unsettling and--"