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First, however, it appeared that they would have to get past a drafty, miserably old-fashioned creature on the outside
"Ah," said Lord Maccon upon seeing the reception co, arates "Gird your loins,froe htly manner
Miss Hisselpenny, Felicity, and Mada in the rain, while Tunstell and Angelique began organizing the baggage
"Who is that?" Ivy wanted to know
The personage stood shrouded in a long, shapeless plaid cloak, face shadowed under a beaten coachman’s hat of oiled leather that had seen better days and barely survived theht well ask instead, what is that?" corrected Felicity, her nose wrinkled in disgust, her parasol raised ineffectually against the deluge
The woe did appear to be, to soree, of the fereet thelared And her glaring was most definitely centered on Lord Maccon
They approached cautiously
"You’re nae welco before they ithin any reasonable conversational distance "Hie yourself back away now afore you be fighting all what’s left of this here pack"
Under the shade of the hat, she appeared to be offeatures and coarse thick hair, tending toward gray She boasted the general battle-ax deoverness This was the kind of woht, played a s
Alexia liked her immediately
The woman shouldered a rifle with consummate skill and pointed it at Lord Maccon
Alexia liked her less
"And dinna be thinking you can change on me Pack’s been free of yon olf’s curse for months, since we started out across the sea"
"Which would be why I’ood liar, her husband, thought Lady Maccon proudly
"You be doubting these bullets be silver?"
"What matters that, if I’m as mortal as you?"
"Och, you alere a sharp one with the tongue"
"We have co we need help? You’re na wanted here Hie yourself off Kingair territory, the lot of ye"
Lord Maccon sighed heavily "This is BUR business, and your pack’s behavior has calledor nae I’m not here as Woolsey Alpha I aap I am here as sundowner What did you expect?"
The woun "Aye I see it now to rights ’Tis na that you care what happens to the pack--your old pack You’re si queen’s will Turn-tail coward, that’s what you are, Conall Maccon, and naught more"
Lord Maccon had almost reached her by now Only Lady Maccon still trailed behind hiun Alexia glanced back over her shoulder to see Ivy and Felicity huddled near Tunstell, who had a small pistol pointed steadily at the woman Madame Lefoux stood next to hiest some more exotic form of firearreatcoat
Lady Maccon, parasol at the ready, e wo in a low voice so that the party behind theet up to overseas, Sidheag? What et into over there after Niall died?"
"What do you care? You up and abandoned us"
"I had no choice" Conall’s voice eary with reuments
"Bollix to that, Conall Maccon ’Tis a cop-out, well and truly, and we both be knowing it You fixing the one, now that you’re back?"
Alexia looked at her husband, curious Perhaps she would get the answer to so she’d alondered about Why would an Alpha abdicate one pack, only to seek out and fight to rule another?
The earl remained silent
The woman pushed the worn old hat back off her head to look up at Lord Maccon She was tall, almost as tall as he, so she did not have to look up far She was no slight thing either There wasabout noticeably under that massive cloak Alexia was suitably impressed
The woman’s eyes were a terribly familiar tawny brown color
Lord Maccon said, "Let us inside out of this muck and I will think about it"
"Pah!" spat the woman Then she marched up the beaten stone path toward the keep
Lady Maccon looked to her husband "Interesting lady"
"Dinna you start," he growled at her He turned back to the rest of their party "That is about as much of an invitation as we’re likely to receive around these parts Co will send a et it"
"And you are convinced she will not simply toss it all into the lake, Lord Maccon?" wondered Felicity, clutching her reticule protectively
Lord Maccon snorted "No guarantees"
Lady Maccon immediately left his side and retrieved her dispatch case fro work as an u the parasol
The inventor looked sheepish "I forgot that part"