The next morning

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 she was alone in the morning room. I felt it my duty to address the wrong that occurred in my chambers the previous night, but had others been in the room with us I would not have had to broach this unpleasantness.

"Ah, there you are, Dr. Baxter." Lady Peach greeted me before I had a chance to speak, she 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 I expect she'll be down soon enough now that you are here." My Lord, Lady Peach showed no shame at all in our egregious breach of her matrimonial vows. "I hope for your sake that my lovely daughter did not disturb your sleep further after I left you last night."

Lady Peach's bland reference once again to my despoiling of her daughter made the matter unavoidable. I could not bare to stay any longer in this house. In hindsight my Lord, I should have accepted Dr. Miller's offer even with all the troubling implications that the position entailed, anything would be better than abusing the hospitality of the Peach estate first with their lovely daughter and last night with my hostess herself. Should word of his cuckolding, ever reach Lord Peach or news that I deflowered Peach, the chances of me ever finding a position on Rajah-4 in any position other than in the soma mines would drop to nil.

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. Did I not tell you last night that I knew immediately that my daughter finally fell to the Blush?" Her gloved hand rested on my arm stopping me from backing away. "Can you blame me for my curiosity about the gentleman who finally shattered her reserve?" 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."