candal in Lilliland

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

The Baron had been happily engaged to Lady Angela of Alpine Castle for two years and they were almost inseparable. They mutually enjoyed horseback riding along the bridal paths early in the morning and sailing on beautiful Castle Lake. Skiing down the trails of the Alpine Mountains and hiking together were as delightful as could be. The Baron worked hard at his position but he looked forward to the moments with his fiancée, Lady Angela.

Lady Angela lived with a small staff and several relatives in her Alpine Castle just a few miles away from Lilliland Castle. All of Europe knew of the love between the Baron and Lady Angela. It was a royal engagement that was the ideal match.

That is why when a French newspaper printed a picture of Lady Angela with another man at Alpine Castle it caused a big fuss. Lady Angela and the mystery man seemed to be embracing each other, or at least he had his hands on her shoulders and she seemed very relaxed about it. The picture did not identify the mystery man but it was not Baron Von Lodge.

When the Baron saw the newspaper picture he did not know what to think. Was Lady Angela seeing someone else even though she was engaged to the Baron? He pondered the thought. What was going on? The Baron called his chief advisor Professor Hamblin to the castle for a discussion. The Professor encouraged the Baron to do nothing for the time being. The Professor and the Baron would meet with Lady Angela to see if she could clarify the impression the picture must be making to all the readers in Lilliland and elsewhere.

When Lady Angela saw the picture she said that it really was her and that she thought it had been taken about a year ago in the exercise room in Alpine Castle where she worked out and had a Swiss lady masseuse give her a massage after her workout. But the picture was with a man, not a woman. Then Lady Angela remembered a time when her regular masseuse was on vacation and a substitute was sent to the castle. The substitute was a man who recently graduated from the Swiss School of Massage and was highly recommended. He only came three times but one of those times was when the picture must have been taken. There was a disgruntled servant of Lady Angela's who had been discharged and must have taken the picture in the workout room.

Both the Baron and Professor Hamblin believed the results of the investigation and never doubted Lady Angela's word for a minute.