The Parasol Protectorate Boxed Set Read Online Free PDF

hurriedly backed away from the conversation. “Of course not, my pearl, only Boodles. You know I prefer my own club
to those of the supernatural set.”
    â€œSpeaking of gentlemen’s clubs,” interrupted Felicity, still immersed in the paper, “a new one opened last week in Mayfair.
It caters to intellectuals, philosophers, scientists, and their ilk—of all things. It calls itself the Hypocras Club. How
absurd. Why would such a class of individual need a club? Isn’t that what they have public museums for?” She frowned over
the address. “Terribly fashionable location, though.” She showed the printed page to her mother. “Isn’t that next door to
the Duke of Snodgrove’s town house?”
    Mrs. Loontwill nodded. “Quite right, my dear. Well, a parcel of scientists coming and going at all hours of the day and night
will certainly lower the tenor of
that
neighborhood. I should think the duchess would be in a veritable fit over this occurrence. I had intended to send round a
thank-you card for last night’s festivities. Now I think I might pay her a call in person this afternoon. As a concerned friend,
I really ought to check on her emotional state.”
    â€œHow ghastly for her,” said Alexia, driven beyond endurance into comment. “People actually thinking, with their brains, and
right next door. Oh, the travesty of it all.”
    Evylin said, “I will come with you, Mama.”
    Mrs. Loontwill smiled at her youngest daughter and completely ignored her eldest.
    Felicity read on. “The latest spring styles from Paris call for wide belts in contrasting colors. How regrettable. Of course,
they will look lovely on you, Evylin, but on my figure…”
    Unfortunately, despite invading scientists, the opportunity to gloat over a friend’s misfortune, and imminent belts, Alexia’s
mama was still thinking about the dead man at the Snodgroves’ ball. “You disappeared for quite a while at one point last night,
Alexia. You would not be keeping anything important from us, would you, my dear?”
    Alexia gave her a carefully bland look. “I did have a bit of a run-in with Lord Maccon.”
Always throw them off the scent,
she thought.
    That captured everyone’s attention, even her step-father’s. Squire Loontwill rarely troubled himself to speak at length. With
the Loontwill ladies, there was not much of a chance to get a word in, so he tended to let the breakfast conversation flow
over him like water over tea leaves, paying only half a mind to the proceedings. But he was a man of reasonable sense and
propriety, and Alexia’s statement caused him to become suddenly alert. The Earl of Woolsey might be a werewolf, but he was
in possession of considerable wealth and influence.
    Mrs. Loontwill paled and noticeably mollified her tone. “You did not say anything disrespectful to the earl, now, did you,
my dear?”
    Alexia thought back over her encounter. “Not as such.”
    Mrs. Loontwill pushed away her glass of barley water and shakily poured herself a cup of tea. “Oh dear,” she said softly.
    Mrs. Loontwill had never quite managed to figure out her eldest daughter. She had thought that putting Alexia on the shelf
would keep the exasperating girl out of trouble. Instead, she had inadvertently managed to give Alexia an ever-increasing
degree of freedom. Thinking back on it, she really ought to have married Alexia off instead. Now they were all stuck with
her outrageous behavior, which seemed to be progressively worsening as she got older.
    Alexia added peevishly, “I did wake up this morning thinking of all the rude things I
could
have said but did not. I call that most aggravating.”
    Squire Loontwill emitted a long drawn-out sigh.
    Alexia firmly put her hand on the table. “In fact, I think I shall go for a walk in the park this morning. My nerves are not
quite what they should be after the