Beatrice Goes to Brighton Read Free Page B

waiter and was not feeling charitable. ‘Fancy not knowing her own footman can speak. That is, if he is a footman.’
    ‘Stow it, you ’orrid old crow,’ said Benjamin suddenly. ‘I’m a proper footman, I am, not that Iexpects a piece of kennel garbage like yerself to recognize one, not even if you met one in yer soup!’
    This was said with such blistering venom that not only Mrs Hick but the whole stage-coach party fell into a deep silence, each one frightened to catch Benjamin’s angry eye.
    No, thought Hannah, Benjamin had never been a footman before that episode where he had worked for Lady Carsey in Esher, Lady Carsey who had tried to get him hanged for a theft he had not committed, Lady Carsey who liked freaks and wanted Benjamin in her bed. Footmen were indolent creatures and vain. Most would have enjoyed their mistress’s discomfiture .
    A new waiter bent over Hannah and whispered, ‘The gentleman over there, Lord Alistair Munro, wishes the honour of entertaining you.’
    Although she was still bewildered and upset by Benjamin, Hannah was glad to escape from the stage-coach passengers.
    She rose and went over to Lord Alistair’s table. He got up as she approached and drew out a seat for her. Benjamin, with a last threatening look at the cowed passengers, went to stand behind her chair.
    ‘I hope what I have to say will not offend you,’ said Lord Alistair. ‘I have taken a great liking to your footman. I am sorely tempted to steal him away from you.’
    ‘Wouldn’t go,’ snapped Benjamin from behind Hannah. ‘Not foralla tea ’n China. No.’
    ‘Benjamin,’ said Hannah impatiently, ‘I amtouched by your loyalty, but you must not address Lord Alistair in such a manner.’
    ‘That’s all right,’ said Lord Alistair amiably. ‘You were very surprised when he spoke.’
    Hannah told him the tale of Benjamin’s adventures and that led to tales of her other adventures. Lord Alistair appeared fascinated.
    ‘You are a lucky man,’ he said to Benjamin at last. ‘Many employers would be furious to find that they had been writing reams of instructions to you when all the time you understood every word.’
    Benjamin gave a little cough. ‘The passengers have left, modom.’
    ‘I did not even notice,’ said Hannah, starting up. ‘Run and tell them I am just coming.’
    Lord Alistair held out his card. ‘I am bound for Brighton as well. If I can be of service to you, Mrs …?’
    ‘Pym. Miss Pym.’
    ‘Miss Pym. Do not hesitate to call on me.’
    Hannah took his card and then hurried out, remembering only when she reached the inn door that she was now the proud possessor of cards of her own, and did not even know yet how Benjamin had come by them.
    Benjamin came striding towards her, his face dark with anger. ‘The bastards ’as gone,’ he shouted.
    ‘I beg your pardon,’ said Hannah frostily.
    ‘Sorry, modom, but them passengers must ’ave … have … told the coachman you was on board and off they’ve gone, baggage and all.’
    Lord Alistair emerged from the inn in time to hear this.
    ‘Well, you are fortunate, Miss Pym,’ he said. ‘I am just leaving myself and I can take you up. In fact, I can take you all the way to Brighton.’
    ‘Please, my lord,’ said Hannah, ‘if you could just catch up with the coach so that I may tell them all what I think of them.’
    ‘Gladly.’
    Benjamin’s eyes lit up as an ostler led a smart curricle up to the front of the inn. The curricle had only recently become fashionable. It was a two-wheeled carriage with a hood and the only two-wheeled carriage which used two horses abreast. It had been damned as ungraceful; the hinder curve of the sword case had been called positively ugly and the crooked front line and the dashing iron in the worst possible taste. But it was the fastest vehicle on the road, being the lightest.
    Lord Alistair’s was drawn by two matched bays. He helped Hannah in and then climbed in on the other side and took the reins