“I would say the lady at that table to your left, Lydia, must be a duchess at the very least, judging by her dress, her manner, and her voice, which by all accounts is the loudest I ever heard!”
Lydia was sure she had assumed correctly. “She is certainly proud enough; it is clear, from what I have heard, that she is acquainted with at least a dozen lords and ladies. And she has a very aristocratic nose, which is vital for looking down at her neighbours,” she laughed.
As the dishes were being cleared and they were partaking of some excellent tea, who should they spy, swaggering along, looking into every carriage that contained a lady, but their old favourites: Wickham, Denny, Pratt, and Chamberlayne. The men were in high spirits, following the gaze of every maid who looked their way. They bowed, nodded, and clicked their heels at a dozen or more before the dinner party saw them cross the road to enter the inn. All was as Lydia had hoped it would be; she inspired such attention, everyone fighting to accompany her on the walk, that she soon settled on them taking turns.
“Please allow me to offer my arm first, Miss Bennet,” proclaimed Mr Denny as he stepped alongside. “Did you have a good journey?”
“Oh, yes. It was so exciting to see so many places,” said Lydia, “but you poor officers, your travels cannot have been agreeable. And are your quarters comfortable? I long to hear about the camp.”
“The camp is quite excellent, everything splendidly fitted up, and I think we shall be very happy. Though to tell the truth, we are not so sure about the company we shall have to keep. We ran into some of the Prince’s own regiment this afternoon,” he explained.
“I confess I am surprised,” cried Lydia. “The fellows we saw on the road seemed affable enough.”
“I assure you, Miss Bennet, they are not in the least sociable or pleasant but think themselves far above their company,” complained Mr Denny. “You’ve never witnessed such swaggering in your life, and though I hate to shock you, every one of them has a mistress encamped up there too. Miss Bennet, they are not the gentlemen one would presume.”
These revelations did not seem to have disturbed the high spirits of her favourite beaux too much, and with the exception of the Colonel and Mr Wickham, who talked of Ramsgate, it was everyone’s first visit to the coast, and Lydia owned there could be no match anywhere for fashion and gaiety like that seen walking on the Steyne in Brighton!
5
Lydia and Harriet were dressed and downstairs by seven o’clock next morning to go bathing. They left the Colonel snoring away, as he was not due to inspect his troops till one o’clock, and hastened down to the beach to be dipped by Martha Gunn and her ladies. The girls decided to share a bathing machine for changing, but as there was hardly any room to manoeuvre, they kept falling over, partly because of the necessity of standing on one leg to undress and partly because they were laughing so much. Once they had on their flannel gowns and caps, it was time to face Martha Gunn, chief dipper and a woman not to be opposed. She stood in the water whilst her servant and helper led them hand in hand down the steps, but as soon as they hesitated with a first toe in the freezing water, she stepped up and very firmly took charge. She was a strong woman, and before they realised what was happening, they were submerged. Lydia would never forget that first occasion. She declared the horror of it would stay with her forever. Such was her surprise at being forcibly plunged into the icy brine, she forgot to hold her nose as instructed and as she emerged, coughing, feeling half drowned, she was convinced she had drunk several day’s dosage of the recommended amount.
“I cannot imagine any circumstance where I would be induced to try this heinous activity again, unless I was desirous of drowning myself and anxious to have done with my life,” she spluttered.
“I