Mr. Badger and the Difficult Duchess Read Free

someone!’ said Lady Celia, breaking a shocked silence.
    â€˜Remarkable,’ mumbled Sir Cecil, scratching his head.
    For, lying on the floor at their feet, surrounded by stamps, was their darling little granddaughter, Sylvia Smothers-Carruthers.

    Mr Badger, sensing that the reputation of the Boubles Grand Hotel was at stake, stepped forward and applauded enthusiastically. ‘BRAVO!’ he cried.

    Following Mr Badger’s lead, the whole Philatelic Society joined in with thunderous applause, believing that this performance had all been part of the evening’s entertainment, compliments of Sir Cecil and Lady Celia – sort of a spectacular stamp mix-and-match.

Lady Celia was not amused.
    Mr Badger’s quick thinking had saved little Sylvia – in fact the whole Smothers-Carruthers family – from a dreadful embarrassment.
    â€˜She’s training to be in a circus,’ said Lady Celia with a tense smile to some very important stamp-collectors at the next table. ‘Isn’t she talented?’

CHAPTER 9
    A Stamp of
Approval
    â€˜Y ou have quite a bit of explaining to do, young lady,’ said Lady Celia to a surly Sylvia. ‘How did you get your hands on my fur? Not to mention my shoes and my glasses!’

    Lady Celia was painfully aware of Sylvia’s constant attention-seeking, and it was true that Sylvia desired to be a circus acrobat. ‘A clown is more like it,’ Lady Celia would hurrumph. ‘There’ll be no acrobats in this family.’
    Mr Badger felt it best not to say anything about Sylvia’s occupation of the Royal Suite, not even the three television sets, the food, the drinks or the pizzas, and especially not the cake flown down from Edinburgh.

    Someone was a naughty girl.
    Sylvia was in enough trouble as it was, and he did not wish to cause Sir Cecil or Lady Celia any more anxiety.
    â€˜Come and sit!’ demanded Lady Celia, one hand pointing at the empty seat next to her and the other at her very grumpy granddaughter. ‘And take off those earrings.’

    While Mr Badger quietly directed staff to gather up Sylvia’s stilts, retrieve her big wig from the chandelier and collect her extra-long frock extension from the floor, Sylvia made herself comfortable and looked over the Philatelic Society’s special menu, as if nothing out of the ordinary had taken place.

    Sylvia joined Lady Celia for dessert.
    â€˜You’ve missed the main course, but you may order dessert,’ Lady Celia snapped. ‘I’m sure the kitchen would be more than happy to prepare something very special for you.’
    Down below, deep in the Boubles Grand Hotel kitchen, the red-alert light flashed on once again.
    Meanwhile, the stamp-collectors were in a state of extreme excitement. Never before had a stamp-swapping evening been as thrilling, resulting in so many unexpected discoveries.

    An extreme excitement of stamp-collectors.

    â€˜Well done, Mr Badger,’ whispered a grateful Sir Cecil with a wink.
    â€˜Happy to be of service, sir.’
    Mr Badger took the evening’s events in his stride. After all, he was the Boubles Grand Hotel’s Special Events Manager – and this had certainly been a special event. In fact, the whole day had been special. Mr Badger had a feeling that the kitchen staff would agree.

CHAPTER 10
    A Cup of Cocoa
and a Chat
    M uch later, after Sylvia Smothers-Carruthers had been safely deposited home and tucked into her very own bed, and the Royal Suite had been cleared of pizza boxes, comic books and the three televisions, Mr Badger went home; his work, for today at least, was done.
    The Boubles Grand Hotel Royal Suite was ready once more for a royal visitor – hopefully a real one next time.

    By the time Mr Badger arrived home, baby Badger and darling daughter Berenice were fast asleep. But not so Mrs Badger.
    She was waiting up with hot cocoa and sandwiches to share with her husband.

    Mrs Badger