I'm just a plain old batman gone civvy."

 

He then asked me where it was I was employed, and when I told him he leant his

head to one side with a quizzical look.

 

"Darlington Hall," he said to himself. "Darlington Hall. Must be a really posh

place, it rings a bell even to an idiot like yours truly. Darlington Hall. Hang

on, you don't mean Darlington Hall, Lord Darlington's place?"

 

"It was Lord Darlington's residence until his death three years ago," I informed

him. "The house is now the residence of Mr John Farraday, an American

gentleman."

 

"You really must be top-notch working in a place like that. Can't be many like

you left, eh?" Then his voice changed noticeably as he inquired: "You mean you

actually used to work for that Lord Darlington?"

 

He was eyeing me carefully again. I said:

 

"Oh no, I am employed by Mr John Farraday, the American gentleman who bought the

house from the Darlington family."

 

"Oh, so you wouldn't have known that Lord Darlington. Just that I wondered what

he was like. What sort of bloke he was."