Mr. Badger and the Difficult Duchess (3 page)
âThat will be all, my good man,' said the Duchess. Then she reached down and, with a
tap
,
tap
,
tap
, she patted Mr Badger on the head.
M
r Badger was a little concerned. âWhere will the Queen sleep if she drops in one evening and wants to stay overnight?' he said to Miss Pims on the way back to their office, his furry brow furrowing.
But for now Mr Badger put all thoughts of the Duchess aside as he started on his list of things to do. First he had to order the flowers for that evening's extra-special event.
Just then the telephone rang. Once again, it was Robert from reception.
âI'm terribly sorry, sir, but her grace is in trouble.'
âOh dear, we are on our way,' said Mr Badger. âI'm afraid our morning tasks will have to wait, Miss Pims.'
On nearing reception, Mr Badger and Miss Pims were presented with a most peculiar sight. For there in the lift on the left were a pair of legs and a body that extended up, then disappeared out of sight. Worryingly, on the other side of the lift, looking out from the top, was an upside-down head.
It was her grace, the Duchess de la Dodo. She was stuck firmly in the lift.
âGood heavens,' said Miss Pims, stifling a gasp.
Others may have panicked, but not Mr Badger. Her grace, the Duchess de la Dodo, was a guest in distress, and this was a situation that demanded a cool head. Mr Badger summoned the fire brigade, who arrived minus bells and sirens. Then he instructed the Boubles Grand Hotel Orchestra to strike up some jolly music during morning tea so as to divert attention away from reception.
âIs this the fire brigade?'
While the other guests were happily distracted, dancing in the dining room, the Duchess was carefully unfolded by the fire fighters and removed from the lift.
Then she was carted upstairs in a large sedan chair that Sir Cecil had found abandoned in France and Mr Badger kept at the ready for emergencies.
N
o sooner had her grace been safely delivered to the Royal Suite than Mr Badger, deep in discussion with the florist, was notified that there was another call from reception.
âHer grace has complained that the bed is too short,' said Robert.
Mr Badger, never one to get flustered, made his way up, up, up to the top floor and tapped on the door.
â
Entrez
,' said a frosty voice. Fortunately Mr Badger knew a little French, and so he entered the room.
The Duchess was resting, her extralong legs hanging over and off the end of the bed.
âWell, your grace, this just won't do,' said Mr Badger with considerable aplomb.
âMy thoughts exactly,' responded the long figure grumpily, as she slurped on a milkshake.
Mr Badger picked up the telephone and made a quick call.
Within minutes, a cluster of Boubles Grand Hotel handymen were at the door of the Royal Suite, carrying a bed.
Once inside â and only then with the Duchess's permission, of course â they lifted her amazingly straight legs and (under Mr Badger's supervision) slid the extra bed in beneath her dainty feet.
