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"What bee has gotten into your britches?" Miss Tarabotti asked without any atte Formality asted on Lord Maccon She took up position, ar before hiruff "And where have you been all day?"

Miss Tarabotti was disposed to be elusive "Out"

he earl would have none of it "Out hom?"

Alexia raised both eyebrows He would find out from Professor Lyall eventually, so she said archly, "A nice young scientist"

"Not that butterball chap you were nattering aith at dinner last night?" Lord Maccon looked at her in horror

Miss Tarabotti glared viciously down her nose at hihted He had noticed! "It just so happens that Mr MacDougall has soe of topics, and he is interested in entlemen of my acquaintance It was a beautiful day and a lovely drive, and he makes for quite an enjoyable conversation partner A position, I am certain, you are entirely unfamiliar with"

Lord Maccon looked suddenly very suspicious His eyes narrowed, and their color lightened to the sa hi in his BUR tone of voice

Miss Tarabotti looked around, expecting at any e with a notepad or a nation Clearly, the earl had come to visit her only in his official capacity Foolish of her to hope, she chided herselffor An apology? From Lord Maccon! Ha She sat down on a small wicker chair to one side of the sofa, careful to keep a proper distance between thesupernatural is some kind of disease"

Lord Maccon, as a olf and "cursed," had heard that description before He crossed his aroodness’ sake," tsked Miss Tarabotti, "do sit down"

Lord Maccon sat

Miss Tarabotti continued "Mr MacDougall that is his naall believes that the supernatural state is brought about by a blood-borne pathogen that affects some humans but not others, because some possess a certain physical trait and others do not Presumably under this theory, men are more likely to possess said trait, and that is why they survive metamorphoses more frequently than wo under his weight He snorted his contempt of the idea

"There is, of course, one chief proble the snort

"You"

"Mall’s theory for those who had no soul at all and canceled out those who had too all make of a preternatural? Assume she was a kind of proximity antidote to the supernatural disease? "Still it is an elegant theory hat little knowledge he has to go on" She did not have to say that she respected the young ht of it Lord Maccon could see that in her face

"So wish hiri to show, and the color of his eyes had gone further toward the yellow end of brown

Miss Tarabotti shrugged "He shows interest He is smart He is wealthy and well connected, or so I understand" He thinks I am lovely She did not say that out loud "Who ae theret the words he had uttered to Professor Lyall the night Alexia killed the va married And she see half Italian "He will take you back to America, and you a preternatural If he is as sure that little fact out eventually"

Miss Tarabotti laughed "Oh, I a so rash But I enjoy his company; it relieves the monotony of the day, and it keeps the family off the offensive"

Lord Maccon felt a rush of palpable relief at this blithe assurance and was annoyed with himself for it Why should he care so htly Then he realized she had specified marry and that in his experience, she was rather modern in her sensibilities for a spinster "You are considering soe with hirowl

"Oh, for pity’s sake Would it bother you if I were?"

Lord Maccon actually sputtered slightly at that

Alexia suddenly realized what she was doing She was sitting, having a polite conversation with Lord Conall Maccon, Earl of Woolsey--whom she did not like and hom she was supposed to be extremely annoyed--about her romantic involvement (or lack thereof) It was just that his presence caused her to become overall addlepated

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath "Wait awith you at all? My lord, your behavior last night!" She stood and began to swish about the cluttered little rooer at him "You are not simply a olf; you, e the other night, Lord Maccon Admit it! I have no idea why you felt it necessary to do"--she paused, e of ht better of it Why, if you were not interested into find the right terht at least have just told ht afterward" She crossed her arms and sneered at hih to take it without causing a scene? I assure you, no one is better used to rejection than I, my lord I think it very churlish of you not to inform me to my face that your breach in manners was an unfortunate impulse of theenough for that at the very least" At that, her steaan to run out, and she felt a heat behind her eyes she refused to believe ry but for different reasons "So you’ve figured it all out, have you? And why, pray tell, would I suddenly be thinking better of my what did you call it? Unfortunate impulse of the moment?" He sounded particularly Scottish Alexia would have been aot, the ry to notice All tears had retracted at that

She stopped pacing and cast her hands heavenward "I have no earthly idea You started it You ended it You treated me like a distant and not-very-well-liked acquaintance all last evening Then you turn up inyesterday at dinner As sure as I a here, I have no clue as to what you are about, Lord Maccon That is the honest truth of it"

The earl opened his ain Truth be told, he did not knohat he was doing there either, so he could not very well explain Grovel, Lyall had said He had no idea how to do such a thing Alphas siance was part of the job description Lord Maccon ht only recently have won leadership of the Woolsey Castle pack, but he had always been an Alpha

Miss Tarabotti could not help herself It was rare that anyone left the Earl of Woolsey at a loss for words She felt both triuht over his disdainful treatht to call on Ivy to ask her opinion of his conduct Ivy of all people! She must be desperate Yet here before her sat the object of her perturbation, apparently at her verbal ht to the heart of the , because, brave as she was, she could not quite face his yellow eyes "I a of the scandalous pictures in her father’s books--"experienced If I did soled a hand in the air, even et it over with--"with the kissing, you norance I"