Page 32 (2/2)
"Antiquities," added Felicity, proud of herself for knowing the word
In a desperate atte one another, Lachlan said, "We picked up quite a collection while ere there"
Dubh growled at his pack al?" Lord Maccon wondered softly in his BUR voice No one paid him any attention, except for his wife, who pinched him
She said, "Oh, really? What kind of artifacts?"
"A few bits of jewelry and some statuary to add to the pack vault and, of course, a couple of asped "Real live mummies?"
Felicity snorted "I should hope they are not alive" But even she seemed excited by the idea of mummies in residence Alexia supposed that, in her sister’s world, such things were considered glae, "We should have a e in London"
"Well, we shouldna want to be thought backward," said Lady Kingair’s abrasive voice She had coray and severe Lord Maccon, Lachlan, and Dubh all started upon hearing her speak They were accusto their supernatural sense of smell tell the turned to the Gae it"
"Are you certain, my lady?" he questioned
"We could do with a bit of fun We wouldna want to disappoint the visiting ladies, noould we? We are in possession of the ht as well unwrap the," said Miss Hisselpenny, practically bouncing in her excitement
"Which mummy, my lady?" asked Lachlan
"The ss"
"As you say" The Gae for the event
"Oh, I shall find this so very diverting," crowed Felicity "You know Elsie Flinders-Pooke was lording it over ine what she will say when I tell her I experienced one in a haunted castle in the Scottish Highlands"
"How do you know Kingair is haunted?"
"I know because, obviously, it must be haunted You could not possibly convince hosts have appeared since we arrived, but that is no proof to the contrary," Felicity defended her future tall tale
"Delighted we could provide you with soair
"Your pleasure, I’m sure," replied Felicity
"My sister is a woetically
"And what are you?" asked Sidheag
"Oh, I a you were the sister with the understanding"
"Not just yet Give me time"
They turned around and headed back toward the castle Lord Maccon htly so they could converse privately
"You believe one of the artifacts to be a humanization weapon?"
She nodded
"But hoould we knohich one?"
"You air Pack and sial imports"
"And then what? See them all incinerated?"
Lady Maccon frowned She fancied herself a bit of a scholar and was not generally in favor of wanton destruction "I had not thought to take things quite so far"
"It would be a terrible destruction, and I should be opposed, save that we canna siine if they fell into the wrong hands?"
"Such as the Hypocras Club?" Lady Maccon shuddered to even think it
"Or the varated the two became into civilized society, olves and vampires would never really trust one another
Lady Maccon stopped suddenly Her husband got four long strides ahead before he realized she had paused She was staring thoughtfully up into the aether, twirling the deadly parasol about her head
"I have just re," Alexia said when he returned to her side
"Oh, that explains everything How foolish of me to think you could walk and reue out at hi toward the house once , the one that scared me at breakfast It was not a cockroach at all It was a scarab beetle Fro to do with the artifacts they brought back"
Lord Maccon’s lip curled "Yuck"
They had fallen some distance behind the rest of the party The others were busy entering the castle just as soed There was a pause while they all politely greeted one another, and then the new figure headed purposefully in the direction of Lord and Lady Maccon
The figure rapidly resolved itself into the personage of Madame Lefoux
Alexia waved a "how do you do" at the Frenchworay, striped trousers, a black satin waistcoat, and a royal-blue cravat It air castle--round--and the attractive wo toward theh for the else: a concerned expression
"I a She sounded al, Lady Maccon I waz looking for you just now to let you knoent to check on the aethographor; then I saw--"
The h the Scottish air Alexia felt certain she could see thefrom worry to surprise, stopped midsentence and midstep and tumbled forward, as limp as overcooked pasta A blooray lapel
Lord Maccon caught the inventor before she could fall coround and carefully lowered her there instead He held his hand briefly before her"She is still alive" Alexia quickly pulled her shawl froe No sense in his spoiling the last of his good cravats
Alexia looked up at the castle, scoping the battlelint of sun on a rifle barrel, but there were too many battlements and there was too little sun The sharpshooter, whoever he ht be, was not visible
"Get down this instant, wo her by one skirt ruffle and yanking her down next to the fallen Frenchwoman The ruffle ripped "We dinna know if the shooter was airowled
"Where’s your precious pack? Shouldn’t they be hightailing it to our rescue?"
"How do you ken it isna the?" her husband wondered