Not at dinner; but later, a knock at his door.

Dear Sir Williard,

I now believe more than ever that Miss Peach regrets her experience with me as much as I. I wish she would let me reassure her that I endeavor to never allow this immoral behavior to reoccur, but I have not been able to find a way to speak privately. I spent the evening trying to catch Miss Peach's eye but she either willfully or by accident seemed to never meet my gaze. I had hoped to sit next to her at the table or at least be able to escort her into the parlor after dinner but she was paired with a gentleman from an adjacent holding, a bachelor almost forty years her senior who was delighted to have her undivided attention. Sitting across the table from the couple I could not help but notice the gentleman gaze with hunger at the cleavage of her bosom, and several times he touched Miss Peach on the exposed pale skin of her arm in a manner that I found most inappropriate.

I sat in the seat of honor at Lady Peach's right with Miss Peach's younger sister on my other side, Miss Amber tonight was dressed in a dinner gown of brown silk heavily embroidered with gold thread. Lady Peach was content to let her lovely blonde daughter deal with the older gentleman's advances, while she made it her mission to entertain me. Not that I found this attention onerous although it was at times a little embarrassing. Lady Peach was as charming and forward as her other male guest, touching my arm several times with her bare hand twice and once even resting her palm against my chest as she complimented me on my jacket. Had I been ten or twenty years older and she unattached I would surely have suspected that she was flirting with me! Miss Amber on the other hand was very much like the demure young Earth women my mother would regularly invite to our house for me to meet. The shy young woman was of course cut of far finer cloth than the daughters of the families that my mother knew socially, but she behaved with the refreshing modest nature that you and I would expect from the finest upbringing of our Empire.

Miss Amber spoke softly, much less frequently than her mother, following the social norms when she did; she commented about the food, the weather and asked how I was finding my experiences on Rajah-4. I was equally polite Sir Williard, careful not to even mention my first encounter with Miss Peach in the gardens for fear of broaching a most difficult discussion, instead I attempted to turn the conversation back to her interests, inquiring if she was excited about the upcoming summer. The quiet girl told me that she had celebrated her 18th birthday party just after the Christmas season last year and was busy preparing for her coming out season this summer. Sensing that she had little enthusiasm for what most young ladies her age looked forward to, I did not the press the subject and we spent much of the diner in silence. Only once, when she asked me what life on Earth was like, did I get the impression she cared much for what I had to say, but before we could continue that particular conversation Lady Peach claimed my attention from the other side. Overall, I got the distinct impression that Miss Peach's sister found my presence to be an amusing distraction but not one with much import.

If Miss Peach's companion had hoped to enjoy the lovely blonde's company well into the night, he was as disappointed as I for she excused herself at the earliest possible moment from the parlor where we were enjoying our after-diner drinks, pleading exhaustion from the excitement of her visit to New Thames. Hunter too excused himself soon after explaining that he wished to meet up with friends and fewer than five minutes after he left we heard the distinctive whine of a gyrocopter leaving the grounds. As we were now a foursome it was determined that we should play whist, a game which I must confess I am only somewhat skilled. We played two rubbers, Miss Amber and myself paired against Lady Peach and the gentleman neighbor and had we been playing for actual money I would have lost what little funds I had left. As it was, it seems Miss Amber (because of her tender age) and myself (as an Earther) were excused the traditional loser's forfeit, although I think I only partially followed the jocular comments shared by my hostess and her partner about what this forfeit might entail. Other than losing badly at cards the evening was pleasant enough and after one last nightcap of a fine Earth sherry we all left for our bed chambers in good spirits.

And so Sir Williard, I am retiring tonight slightly **** and still with no chance to speak to Miss Peach about my determination not to repeat our earlier indiscretion. This is a matter of some concern because after some careful reflection, I believe I can repair the physical damage I did to Miss Peach's hymen as soon as my micro-suture arrives from Kanda with with the rest of my equipment. Of course, such a procedure would be hugely embarrassing for the patient as it would involve me having to work between her thighs, with the delicate apparatus and fingers venturing into her private folds to place the sutures, but I could once again restore that flimsy stretch of skin that I tore from her so improperly. My excitement about this possibility has only added to my desire to speak as soon as possible to Miss Peach; for the procedure to work, it must be done soon while the remnants of her torn hymen are still viable.

I wonder, Sir Williard, if there is a possible future on Rajah-4 for a discrete surgeon who could, for a small fee, erase the evidence of momentary indiscretions and give these young ladies a second chance to enter into marriage with unblemished honour -