Timeless Read Online Free Page B

her mother and her sister out into the night with nary a backward glance.
    Biffy and Madame Lefoux exchanged looks.
    “What was
that
about?” wondered the inventor.
    “A warning of some kind.”
    “Or an offer? I think I should return to Woolsey.”
    “You are turning into a very good drone, aren’t you, Madame Lefoux?”
    As she made her way out, the Frenchwoman gave him a look that suggested she preferred it if everyone thought that. Biffy hoarded away that bit of information. He had much to tell Lady Maccon when he saw her next.
    Alexia and Conall arrived home from the theater prepared to go out immediately to call on the Woolsey Hive. One did not ignore an invitation from Countess Nadasdy, even if one was a peer of the realm. Alexia alighted from her gilded carriage in a flutter of taffeta and intrigue, marching into her town residence with strides of suchvigor as to make the bustle of her dress sway alarmingly back and forth. Lord Maccon eyed this appreciatively. The tuck-in at his wife’s waist was particularly appealing, emphasizing an area ideally suited to a man’s hand, particularly if one had hands as large as his. Alexia turned in the doorway and gave him a look.
    “Oh, do hurry.” They were still making a show of living in their own house and so had to move swiftly up the stairs and across the secret gangplank into Lord Akeldama’s residence in order to effect a change of attire.
    Floote’s dapper head emerged from the back parlor as they did so. “Madam?”
    “Not stopping, Floote. We have been
summoned
.”
    “Queen Victoria?”
    “No, worse—a queen.”
    “Will you go by rail or shall I have the groom switch to fresh horses?”
    Alexia paused halfway up the grand staircase.
    “Train, I think, please.”
    “At once, madam.”
    Prudence, much to everyone’s delight, was down for her nap, nested with her head atop Lord Akeldama’s cat and her feet tucked under the Viscount Trizdale’s lemon-satin-covered leg. The viscount was looking strained, obviously under orders not to move for fear of waking the child. Prudence was wearing an excessively frilly dress of cream and lavender plaid. Lord Akeldama had changed into an outfit of royal purple and champagne to complement it and was sitting nearby, a fond eye to his drone and adopted daughter. He appeared to be reading a suspiciously embossed novel, but Alexia could not quite countenance such an activity in Lord Akeldama. To her certainknowledge, he never read anything, except perhaps the society gossip columns. She was unsurprised when, upon catching sight of them lurking in the hallway, the vampire put his book down with alacrity and sprang to meet them.
    Together they looked at the lemony drone, calico feline, and plaid pile of infant.
    “Isn’t that just a
picture
?” Lord Akeldama was adrift on a sea of candy-colored domestic bliss.
    “All is well?” Alexia spoke in hushed tones.
    The vampire tucked a lock of silvery blond hair behind his ear in an oddly soft gesture. “
Excessively
. The puggle behaved herself after you departed, and as you can see, we had no further incidents of note.”
    “I do hope she grows out of this dislike for soap suds.”
    Lord Akeldama gave Lord Maccon a significant sort of once-over where he lurked behind his wife in the hallway. “My
darling
chamomile bud, we can but hope.”
    Lord Maccon took mild offense and sniffed at himself subtly.
    “Conall and I have been summoned to visit Woolsey. You will manage without us for the remainder of the night?”
    “I believe we may,
just possibly
, survive, my little periwinkle.”
    Lady Maccon smiled and was about to head upstairs to change her gown when someone pulled the bell rope. Being already in the hallway and hoping to keep Prudence from waking, Lord Maccon dashed to answer the door despite the fact that this was most unbecoming for a werewolf of his station, and it was someone else’s house.
    “Oh, really, Conall. Do try
not
to behave like a footman,”