Beatrice Goes to Brighton (9 page)

‘It is nothing, nothing at all.’ He caught her wrist and held it. They stared at each other in a dawning awareness.

‘I am sorry I fell asleep.’ Hannah’s voice made them both start. Hannah saw the tableau, Lady Beatrice bending over Lord Alistair and he holding her wrist, and wished she had not pretended to wake so soon.

Lord Alistair released Lady Beatrice and she straightened up. ‘I am just leaving.’ Lord Alistair got
to his feet. ‘I will have a word with Benjamin on the road out.’

‘Why?’ asked Hannah, as she was not supposed to have heard their conversation.

‘We feel it would be a good idea if your footman kept a close watch on Sir Geoffrey in case … in case he plans to make a public scene or something,’ said Lady Beatrice hurriedly.

‘That is something I feel sure Benjamin would enjoy,’ said Hannah drily. ‘He is not very domesticated.’

When Lord Alistair had left, Hannah looked at Lady Beatrice curiously. She longed to ask about that kiss. Instead she said, ‘A fine gentleman, Lord Alistair. How amazing he has not been snatched up.’

‘I would say he is enormously unsnatchable.’ Lady Beatrice yawned. ‘I must to bed. I have no doubt you will want to swim in the morning at some unearthly hour.’

‘Ten o’clock will do,’ said Hannah.

‘That’s what I meant,’ said Lady Beatrice and went off to bed.

Hannah walked about the room snuffing the candles. She heard someone enter and turned around. Benjamin stood there. ‘Was you wanting anything else, modom?’

‘No, Benjamin, that will be all. But stay. How did you come by that splendid livery, not to mention the feathers?’

Benjamin grinned and rattled the dice in his pocket.

‘Benjamin, Benjamin,’ said Hannah severely. ‘One of these days you will go too far and your luck will run
out. I fear you will ruin us both, for it is I who will have to bail you out.’

‘Won’t happen,’ said Benjamin confidently. ‘The trick to gambling is to know when to stop. Anyways, I’ll be too busy watching Sir Geoffrey to gamble.’

‘Yes, Lord Alistair told me he wanted him closely watched.’ Hannah picked up one remaining candle in its stick to light her way to bed. ‘Be careful, Benjamin. He may seem a figure of fun, a blustering noisy idiot, but I fear he is also evil and dangerous.’

‘Pooh!’ said Benjamin, and ignoring his mistress’s severe remark that good footmen did not pooh, he left the drawing-room and ran lightly down the stairs.

6

Lady Beatrice’s lady’s maid left the very next day. The servants had been told to find new posts as soon as possible, but Lady Beatrice had not expected them to be so quick off the mark. But she quickly consoled herself with the thought that she would soon have to live without a retinue of servants.

The news of her rapidly dwindling staff reached the interested ears of Sir Geoffrey Handford and his mother. Although Mrs Hanford had done much to caution her son against abducting Lady Beatrice and forcing her to marry him, her only reason was that Miss Pym might call on the Prince of Wales to
intercede. She had, however, urged her son to bribe one of the housemaids in Lady Beatrice’s
establishment
to report on her comings and goings. While she was discussing the matter with Sir Geoffrey, a footman entered to tell them both the interesting news that the Prince of Wales had left Brighton that very day for London and most of society was following him to the metropolis.

‘Now we have a different scene,’ said Sir Geoffrey, rubbing his hands.

‘But you still must be careful,’ warned his mother. ‘You can hardly drag her out of her house or accost her in the street without occasioning a scandal.’

‘Let’s have that housemaid – what’s her name – over here to report,’ said Sir Geoffrey. ‘I’ll send someone to fetch her.’

Benjamin, leaning against the railings outside Lady Beatrice’s mansion and picking his teeth, saw a footman in Sir Geoffrey’s livery scuttling down the area steps. He waited, interested. After ten minutes the footman emerged followed by Josephine, one of the housemaids, and they made their way off together along the street. Benjamin followed them at a discreet distance.

He noticed that Josephine was not taken to the servants’ entrance but shown in at the front door.

He decided to wait.

‘Well?’ demanded Sir Geoffrey when Josephine was ushered in.

Josephine bobbed a curtsy. ‘Her ladyship has been taking walks with that Miss Pym and she bathes in the sea most mornings.’

‘Lord Alistair Munro appeared to be paying her particular attention at the ball,’ said Mrs Handford. ‘Has he been calling?’

‘Not since the ball, madame,’ said Josephine. ‘No gentleman callers, and no ladies neither. Day after the ball, a lot of people called then, but were told that neither Miss Pym nor my lady were receiving company, and so they were both left quiet.’

Sir Geoffrey surveyed the housemaid for a long moment. ‘When they go bathing, do they take a servant with them?’

‘Just that footman o’ Miss Pym’s.’

‘Can he swim?’

‘No, sir. He says that folks who go in the sea must be mad. He’s forever trying to stop his mistress from going in, but she will have none o’ it.’

‘Very well, Josephine. You are a good girl.’ He took out several coins and passed them over.

Josephine emerged alone from the house and Benjamin let her go a little way and then caught up with her and fell into step beside her. ‘What are you following me for?’ demanded Josephine.

‘I’m not following you, you silly wench,’ said Benjamin. ‘Where were you anyways?’

‘Out looking for a new post, if you must know,’ said Josephine pertly. ‘Mistress says as how we could take time off to find new places.’

Benjamin regarded her thoughtfully. She was a
buxom girl with a turned-up nose and a wide mouth and a quantity of copper curls under a jaunty cap. ‘You could say as how you was going to see a new employer and take a walk with me,’ said Benjamin.

‘Oh, go on.’

‘You’re a pretty lass and it seems a shame you should spend all your time dusting and cleaning.’ Josephine threw him a flirtatious look. ‘What had you in mind?’

‘We could take a walk along the shore, see the nobs.’

‘Won’t that mistress o’ yourn be in the sea as usual?’

‘She don’t really need me,’ said Benjamin, conscious that his instructions were to take as much free time as he wanted so long as he kept an eye on Sir Geoffrey.

‘I’ll go,’ said Josephine. ‘But only for a little, mind.’ Benjamin squeezed her around the waist and she shrieked with laughter and pushed him away in mock horror.

Hannah was therefore told by her footman that the maid Josephine had called at Sir Geoffrey’s and was no doubt being paid to keep an eye on them.

‘I’ll turn the hussy off now,’ said Lady Beatrice, who had been listening.

‘No, don’t do that,’ said Benjamin. ‘I have
persuaded
her to go out walking with me tomorrow morning. If we challenge her with it now, she will only say as how she was looking for new employ and Sir Geoffrey would no doubt say so as well. As to the rest
of the day, ladies, if I’m to follow Sir Geoffrey, I must ha’ some sort o’ disguise.’

‘I have a trunk of my late husband’s clothes which were brought down to Brighton by mistake,’ said Lady Beatrice. ‘In fact, I thought I had given away all his stuff. Tell the butler to show you where it is, and take what you need, Benjamin. Dressed finely as a gentleman and with your hair unpowdered would be a better disguise that creeping about Brighton under a set of false whiskers.’

The peacock that was Benjamin was delighted. He appeared before them later attired in a blue swallowtail coat, striped waistcoat, canary-yellow pantaloons, and Hessian boots. The coat was padded on the shoulders and chest. Lady Beatrice shuddered. ‘I had forgot how awful my husband’s taste was,’ she said.

But Benjamin, highly pleased with himself, went off to hunt down Sir Geoffrey. That gentleman emerged late in the afternoon with his mother. They made various calls. In the evening, Sir Geoffrey went out alone. Benjamin followed him to a tavern where Sir Geoffrey sat and drank and bragged with a group of noisy acquaintances, but although Benjamin listened as hard as he could, not once did he hear Lady Beatrice’s name mentioned, or see Sir Geoffrey seek out anyone who might do her harm.

Lady Beatrice and Hannah walked out for their usual morning’s swim the next day, a footman behind them carrying their bathing dresses and towels. He was
instructed to leave them on the beach and return in a half-hour to collect their wet things.

The weather was blustery but not too cold. They were the only ladies on the beach. The other members of their sex did not venture into the water unless the day was sunny and the sea calm.

Benjamin, with Josephine on his arm, came strolling towards the beach where he could keep an eye on Hannah. ‘Where was you earlier?’ demanded Benjamin. ‘I thought you wasn’t coming.’

‘Looking for that job,’ said Josephine with a toss of her curls.

‘With Sir Geoffrey Handford?’

Josephine pulled her arm away. ‘And what if I was?’

‘Nothing against it,’ said Benjamin with a grin. ‘But don’t it seem odd, you trying to get into a household where the master plans to harm Lady Beatrice?’

Josephine gave a superior titter. ‘That’s what you think. He’s mad about her.’

Benjamin put an arm about the maid’s shoulders. ‘Come on, now,’ he said with an indulgent laugh. ‘You don’t know nothing.’

‘Suit yourself!’ said Josephine, looking sulky.

Benjamin drew a guinea from his pocket and held it up so that the gold winked in the pale sunlight. ‘Tell you what,’ he said, ‘you can have this to buy silk ribbons if you tell me what’s afoot.’

Josephine’s eyes gleamed. She reached for the gold but he laughed and held it high above his head. ‘Come on, now, pretty. Out with it.’

‘Oh, all right,’ said Josephine. ‘But you mustn’t tell anyone.’

Benjamin solemnly crossed his heart.

‘I went there this morning,’ said Josephine, ‘for he wanted to know the exact time she was going in the sea. I told him, but I listened at the door when he thought I’d left. He was speaking to that valet of his … Jackson. Seems Jackson’s hired some men to pluck her out of the sea, put her in a boat, and take her to where Sir Geoffrey can talk to her and tell her how much he loves her. If we stand here, we can watch.’

Benjamin’s mind raced. He was not even aware of Josephine snatching the gold coin from him. He did not believe Sir Geoffrey wanted a romantic meeting. He wanted to abduct Lady Beatrice again, and this time constrain her by force to marry him. And what of Miss Pym? He would want her out of the way.

Benjamin sprinted down to the water’s edge and began to run up and down like a barking terrier, calling to Hannah. But the wind whipped his words away.

He looked this way and that for help. And then he saw, far along the beach, Lord Alistair Munro with his valet, preparing for
his
morning swim.

Hannah Pym was in seventh heaven. She had discovered that if she paddled her arms energetically enough and took her feet off the bottom and thrashed them about, she could keep afloat for a few minutes. When she rested for a moment, she saw with surprise
that a rowing-boat with three men in it was lying a little way out, the men resting on the oars.

She frowned and began to make her way towards Lady Beatrice. They had better go in so as to avoid the vulgar gaze of these men, who obviously did not know the etiquette of bathing in Brighton, which was that no man should be seen near the ladies’ bathing machines. She then saw to her amazement that her own bathing machine had retreated back up the beach, horse and all. Lady Beatrice’s bathing machine was still there, but of her bathing attendant there was no sign.

‘Beatrice!’ shouted Hannah in sudden terror.

And then someone or something grabbed at her ankles and she felt herself being pulled down under the water.

Benjamin, back on the shore after having alerted Lord Alistair, saw her disappear. All his terror of the ocean fled. Fully clothed, he waded into the sea. A man had surfaced and had caught Lady Beatrice and was swimming out towards the boat with her, but Benjamin’s fears were all for his mistress. He ploughed doggedly on until the waves were slapping his face. Hannah suddenly surfaced in front of him and he seized her. She was gasping and spluttering, but very much alive. She clung desperately to Benjamin crying, ‘Someone tried to drown me. Lady Beatrice …’

Benjamin pulled her towards the shore and with a strong arm around her waist dragged her to the safety of the beach, where he laid her down on the shingle. Hannah turned on her side and was desperately sick.

Lord Alistair was swimming as hard as he could towards Lady Beatrice and her abductor. He knew he had to get to them before they reached the boat. One final powerful stroke brought him up to them. The man let Lady Beatrice go and Lord Alistair raised his fist and struck the man a powerful savage blow on the head, then he dived and caught Lady Beatrice and dragged her to the surface. She began to struggle weakly but she was exhausted, having struggled so long with her captor. ‘It is I, Munro,’ he shouted. ‘Put your arms around my neck and hold tightly and I will get you in.’

With a feeling of sheer gladness, Hannah saw Lord Alistair swimming strongly for the shore with Lady Beatrice. The man who had tried to abduct her was being pulled aboard the boat by the other men and then they rowed swiftly away.

Lord Alistair had meant to hand Lady Beatrice into the care of the bathing attendant, but when he reached the machine, there was no one there. He pushed Lady Beatrice forward and up the steps and then followed her up. In the salty darkness of the bathing machine, he picked up a large fleecy towel and wrapped it around her. ‘You had better get dried as quickly as possible,’ he said.

Lady Beatrice sat down suddenly on the bench at the back of the box. Her teeth were chattering and her face was white. Stark naked, Lord Alistair stood over her and looked down at her with concern. ‘Where is your maid?’ he demanded.

‘Left me,’ said Lady Beatrice. ‘Miss Pym? Where is Miss Pym?’

‘I shall find out for you.’

She held out her hand and said simply, ‘Thank you, my lord.’

He bowed from the waist and courteously kissed her hand.

Lady Beatrice began to laugh weakly. ‘My lord, you are as naked as the day you were born.’ She stood up. ‘Leave me and I will dry and change.’

He half turned away from her. Her gown was plastered to her body and her hair was like seaweed and her face was as white as milk and yet he suddenly thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in the whole of his life. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her salty, quivering lips, holding her tightly against his naked body. Then, with a stifled
exclamation
, he released her, wrenched open the door of the bathing machine, and unhitched the reins of the horse, which were looped over a hook at the side of the door. ‘Walk forward,’ he cried.

The obedient horse began to turn in the sea and placidly make its way to its station on the beach. He was relieved to see Hannah standing there, supported by Benjamin. It was only when Hannah blushed and turned her head away that he realized what a spectacle he was making of himself, driving a lady’s bathing machine without a stitch on.