Lady Peach knows every detail

Dear Sir Williard,

The Peach family break their fast in a morning-room notable for the set of six floor-to-ceiling windows on the East wall that lets the warm morning sunlight into the hall. The room was set up with a series of small wooden tables and comfortable padded chairs much better suited to informal dining than the great hall where we ate last evening. At this late hour of the morning the room was nearly unoccupied; Lady Peach stood by a silver tea-service with a caddy of a variety of fine teas, and smiled warmly in response to my polite bow. Other than a raven haired Hindi maid who stood silently by a collection of chaffing dishes, the lovely matron was the only person in the room, I do not know even now my Lord, if I was relieved or disappointed that Miss Peach was not waiting for me at one of the small tables.

"Ah, there you are, Dr. Baxter." Lady Peach moved smoothly around the table and took my hands in hers giving them a firm squeeze. "Hunter and Amber have already eaten and they are out and about somewhere, my darling Peach is still cloistered in her suite, but after the ride you gave her last night I am not much surprised she is resting in." You can well imagine my dismay to hear that Lady Peach had somehow discovered this egregious breach of trust in her hospitality. In spite of the shock of the discovery, I believe that I maintained enough composure not to fully disgrace myself. Let me assure you your Grace, that I neither attempted to shift the blame onto any other than myself nor prevaricated in any other manner.

"Lord Peach and I care deeply for our children, Dr. Baxter." Lady Peach explained as she poured a cup of tea and pressed it into my shaking hands. "One of the things we did was place several secret windows from which we could discretely observe the behavior of our various governesses over the years as they instructed Hunter, Peach and little Amber." She smiled to herself as she sipped her tea before continuing. "My husband, Dr. Baxter, was very selective in his choice of these governesses; rather than rely on the local talent available, he paid top money to arrange for a series of lovely college coeds to immigrate to New India from England. These young women were some the finest educators Earth's colleges could produce, each of them was intelligent, well educated and with moral character that was beyond question. Most importantly to my lusty husband, each was strikingly beautiful and not one of them was over the age of twenty-one." If she was angry with the philandering of her spouse my Lord, I could find no indication of it, "I assure you Dr. Baxter, that the peep-holes looking into those rooms provide nearly perfect views of everything that transpires in that suite."

I knew Sir Williard, that I was guilty of a most damning lapse in judgement, if my hostess had observed even part of happened in those rooms last night, there was nothing that I could say to explain or justify my behavior. Instead, I apologized for the dishonour I had brought to her house and informed her that I would leave immediately. It occurred to me that I should leave some means for the gentlemen of the house to reach me to settle the matter to their satisfaction; the last thing that I wanted was for either Lord Peach or his son to feel that I had fled out of cowardice, but at the time I had absolutely no idea where I was going or even how I was going to get there. Before I could resolve this dilemma, I was interrupted by the startlingly clear laughter of Lady Peach.

"No, no, Doctor, you mustn't leave!" She laughed "I knew exactly what I was doing when I invited you to join us here. Could you have believed that a mother would not notice when her daughter finally fell to the Blush?" Her gloved hand rested on my arm stopping me from backing away. "My husband might still want to arrange for a more public exhibit of Peach's new status, but I for one am glad that she found a man who treated her so well." Even as I write this note Sir Williard I find it hard to believe that the matron of a family so well known and respected within the East Orion Trading company could be so sanguine about a penniless doctor seducing the skirts off of her lovely but innocent daughter. Naively I supposed that Lady Peach insisted upon my remaining because she was expecting me to to make an honest woman out of her daughter.

"I would of course, if you wish, be more than willing to marry -" I was interrupted before I could even finish the thought.

"Oh heavens, No!" Exclaimed Lady Peach in a startled gasp before covering her lips with her hand. "I mean no offense Dr. Baxter, but you are hardly in a position to marry anyone at the moment, and I doubt very much that no matter how spectacularly well your plans go here on Rajah that you could ever aspire to joining this family through matrimony."

"I'm somewhat confused Lady Peach." I confessed my ignorance to my hostess Sir Williard, "You do not want me to rectify my transgression through marriage to your daughter, but neither am I to leave. I have already been proven to be an untrustworthy guest, what could you possibly gain by keeping me here in this lovely estate."