Benedict Juliard is the youngest of Francis's heroes. When the book opens, he is just 17 years old. He turns 18 shortly thereafter, and much of the book takes place in the ensuing months.
At the start of the book, Benedict was suddenly dismissed from the stables where he worked and taken to join his father who was campaigning for a seat in parliament.
Benedict's mother had died in childbirth. His father wanted to appear as a family man, so his son became his chauffeur and bodyguard — bodyguard because an attempt was made on his father's life that night.