Page 55 of Diana Adores the Puzzled Duke

Chapter 14

“Is that mildew, Stanson?”Robert asked, pointing to a white substance on the root system of a large cymbidium orchid sitting at the back of thebench.

“It is a fungus, Milord, and must be eliminated. Very perceptive of you to find that. My eyes are not what they were and I missed it entirely. Sosorry.”

“And it can be treatedsuccessfully?”

“Yes. I shall take the plant out, treat it, and replace it in a clean pot. It should befine.”

Robert walked along the orchid bench and pointed to another quite beautiful dendrobium. “That is quite lovely. I should like to propagate thatone.”

“Very well, I shall put it aside. Do you see any others youlike?”

Robert continued to study theorchids.

“Robert,” his sister’s voice rang out from across the conservatory. “Are you outhere?”

“Over here,” Robert calledback.

Amelia came toward him, fanning herself with herhand.

“How can you stand to be out here? It is so hot and humid. I should faint quite away within five minutes,” shecomplained.

“Then do notstay.”

“But there are some gentlemen to seeyou.”

Robert looked up. “Gentlemen? What kind of gentlemen?” he askedsuspiciously.

“They say they are a delegation come to see you about some civicmatter.”

Robert was instantly suspicious of Amelia’s vagueanswer.

“And would the Viscount of Berwick be a part of the delegation, by anychance?”

Amelia appeared to be completely innocent as she said, “Why no, not atall.”

Robert did not want to leave his orchids. And he was dressed in work clothes not suitable for meeting a delegation, but he said, “Very well, tell them I shall meet with them shortly. I must change out of these clothesfirst.”

Amelia smiled her phony sweet smile that Robert recognized all toowell.

“Thank you, my dear. I shall inform them and offer refreshments in the tapestry room in themeantime.”

Robert followed Amelia out of the conservatory but went to his rooms to change. He was not pleased with this unexpected and unplanned visit, but he had duties to the community that meant he must listen to what they had tosay.

“Good morning, gentlemen,” Robert greeted as he entered the sitting-room and saw a cluster of seven men—one of which, he could tell by the clothing, was an Anglicanbishop.

The men turned toward him and one man steppedforward.

“Good morning, My Lord. I am Ernest Cluett, Mayor of Cambridge, and this is my colleague, His Honor, Sherborne Banfield, the Mayor ofPeterborough.

Then the bishop stepped forward. “The Right Reverend Erasmus Honeyfield,” he said, bowingslightly.

The rest of the gentlemen then introduced themselves as various business men of thecounty.

Robert wanted to be polite, but asked curtly, “And what might I do for you gentlemen thismorning?”

The two mayors appeared to be the spokesmen for the group and Mayor Cluett said, “We have come to discuss a matter of great importance to our county and for which we need yourhelp.”