Part 24 (2/2)
Lord Maccon inhaled a few last bites and then took off after his wife, catching up to her in the hallway.
”That was not a c.o.c.kroach, was it?” she asked.
”Aye. It wasna.”
”Well?”
He shrugged, his big hands spread wide in confusion. ”Strangely colored, all s.h.i.+ny.”
”Oh, thank you for that.”
”Why bother? 'Tis dead now.”
”Point taken, husband. So, what are we planning for today?”
He nibbled a fingertip thoughtfully. ”You know, I thought we might discern exactly why the supernatural isna working properly here.”
”Oh, darling, what a unique and original idea.”
He paused. The subject of Kingair's little affliction of humanity seemed not to actually be foremost in his mind. ”Red jacket and s.h.i.+ny boots, you say?”
Lady Maccon looked at her husband, confused for a moment. Where was he going with this line of reasoning? ”Boots are causing the illness?”
”No,” he grumbled, shamefaced, ”on me.”
”Ah!” She grinned hugely. ”I believe I might have mentioned something to that effect.”
”Anything else?”
The grin widened. ”Actually, I was envisioning boots, jacket, and nothing else at all. Mmm, perhaps just boots.”
He swallowed, nervous.
She turned to him, upping the odds. ”If you were to make this fas.h.i.+on event happen, I might be open to a little negotiating about which of us will be doing the riding.”
Lord Maccon, werewolf of some two hundred years, blushed beet red at that. ”I am eternally grateful you have not taken up gambling, my dear.”
She wormed herself into his arms and raised her lips to be kissed. ”Give me time.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chief Sundowner
That afternoon, Lord and Lady Maccon decided to take a walk. The rain had let up slightly, and it looked to be turning into a pa.s.sable day, if not precisely pleasant. Lady Maccon decided she was in the country and could relax her standards slightly, so did not change into a walking dress, instead simply slipping on practical shoes.
Unfortunately for Lord and Lady Maccon, Miss Loontwill and Miss Hisselpenny decided to join them. This occasioned a wait while both ladies changed, but since Tunstell had made himself scarce, there was less compet.i.tion than there might otherwise have been in this endeavor. Alexia was beginning to think they wouldn't get out of the house before teatime when both girls appeared sporting parasols and bonnets. This reminded Alexia to get her own parasol, causing yet another delay. Really, mobilizing an entire fleet for a great naval battle would probably have been easier.
Finally they set forth, but no sooner had they attained the small copse on the southern end of the grounds than they came across the Kingair Gamma, Lachlan, and Beta, Dubh, having some sort of heated argument in low, angry voices.
”Destroy it all,” the Gamma was saying. ”We canna continue ta live like this.”
”Not until we ken to which and why.”
The two men spotted the approaching party and fell silent.
Politeness dictated they join the larger group, and, with Felicity and Ivy's a.s.sistance, Alexia actually managed to get some semblance of polite conversation going. Both men were reluctant to say much at the best of times, and, clearly, the pack was under a gag order. However, such orders did not take into account the success with which sharp determination and frivolity could loosen the tongue.
”I know you gentlemen were on the front lines in India. How brave you must be, to fight primitives like that.” Miss Hisselpenny widened her eyes and looked at the two men, hoping for tales of heroic bravery.
”Not much fighting left to do out there anymore. Simply some minor pacification of the locals,” objected Lord Maccon.
Dubh gave him a dirty look. ”And how would you know?”
”Oh, but what's it really like?” asked Ivy. ”We get the stories in the papers now and again, but no real feel for the place.”
”Hotter than h.e.l.l's-”
Miss Hisselpenny gasped in antic.i.p.ation of lewd talk.
Dubh civilized himself. ”Well, hot.”
”And the food doesna taste verra good,” added Lachlan.
”Really?” That interested Alexia. Food always interested Alexia. ”How perfectly ghastly.”
”Even Egypt was better.”
”Oh.” Miss Hisselpenny's eyes went wide. ”You were in Egypt too?”
”Of course they were in Egypt,” Felicity said snidely. ”Everyone knows it is one of the main ports for the empire these days. I have a pa.s.sionate interest in the military, you know? I heard that most regiments have to stop over there.”
”Oh, do they?” Ivy blinked, trying to comprehend the geographic reason behind this.
”And how did you find Egypt?” asked Alexia politely.
”Also hot,” snapped Dubh.
”Seems to me most places would be, compared to Scotland,” Lady Maccon snapped back.
”You chose to visit chose to visit us us,” he reminded her.
”And you chose to go to Egypt.” Alexia was not one to back down from a verbal battle.
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