Lord Rakehell (32 page)

“I tend to agree with Father about Sandringham.” Emily's face was set in lines of disapproval. “Anne will be exposed to the licentious behavior of the prince's close friends, such as James Hamilton.”

You envious bitch!
“If I remember correctly, Emily, you panted after James Hamilton shamelessly when you were a debutante.”

Emily's cheeks flamed. “He tried to take advantage of my innocence.”

Her stepmother smiled. “How fortunate you were able to fight off his advances.”

It was two hours before the earl's daughters said their good-byes and departed. Lady Howe sat in her dressing room and reread Anne's letter. The last sentence tugged at her heart:
I likely won't see you until the end of September, but hope and pray that by that time you'll have been able to work your magic and persuade Father to change his mind.

She looked into her mirror and spoke to her reflection. “I was going to try to work my magic tonight, but there's little chance of my persuading him to change his mind now that Emily has planted her poisonous seeds.”

Anne and James are alone at Sandringham. Knowing the frailty of human nature as I do, I'm not naive enough to believe they won't become lovers.

Lady Howe desperately wanted her daughter's happiness. Anne and James Hamilton had fallen in love, and the only person that prevented them from marrying was Richard Curzon-Howe, the same hypocritical swine who had deprived her of a happy marriage.

What if I told James the scandalous secrets of my marriage? If he confronted my husband and threatened to divulge what he knew, I'm sure Richard would capitulate.

•   •   •

Sandringham, Norfolk

 

“James, this is the end of our idyll. They'll be arriving tomorrow and we'll no longer have Sandringham to ourselves.” Anne lay in his arms, her lips bee-stung from the kisses they'd shared, her body replete from his passionate lovemaking.

“It's not the end, sweetheart.” He brushed his lips across her brow. “Our love is without end.”

She pressed her cheek against his heart. “How can I bear to share you with others?”

“We will endure the days because of the promise of our nights. I will count the hours until we can withdraw behind closed doors and lock out the world each night.”

Anne made a determined effort to push away any bad thoughts. “I'm just being fanciful. Our time together has been precious. I've never been happier. I refuse to let selfish thoughts steal my joy. When I wrote to Mother, I asked her to work her magic and persuade Father to change his mind.”

His arms tightened. “When we return to London, I'll ask him again. I'll never take no for an answer.”

Anne was on the verge of telling James about her parents' marriage.
If I give him ammunition against my father, I know he won't hesitate to use it.

“James—”

“Yes, love?”

A picture of her mother came to her full-blown, and Anne knew she loved her too much to betray her. “Good night.” She kissed his heart. “Dream about me.”

“I always do, my beauty.”

“I
'm so glad we came by train. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery. We passed wheat fields ablaze with poppies, dozens of medieval churches, and rolling green hills dotted with sheep.” Princess Alexandra smiled happily at Anne, as the carriage made its way from the railway station. “I can't wait to see Sandringham.”

“All is in readiness for you,” Anne informed her. “The chef from Marlborough House arrived yesterday with a mountain of pots and pans, and already the aroma
s coming from the kitchen are mouthwatering—a marked improvement from when I first arrived.”

“My nausea has disappeared, so I'll be able to eat again.”

“You look wonderful. You appear to be blooming with happiness.”

Alix laughed and patted her belly. “I'm brimful of baby.”

The carriage rolled through the gates, and the princess eagerly watched for her first glimpse of the country mansion. When the enormous redbrick and stone house came into view with its towers and gables, the princess exclaimed, “Oh, it's absolutely perfect! I know I'm going to be happy here.”

“Did Frances come with you?”

“Yes. She insisted on waiting for all the baggage to be unloaded from the train. She was determined that my husband's luggage would not take precedence over mine in spite of the fact that Edward's valets think they rule the world.”

“We'll get you settled and everything unpacked before the weekend, when your guests start to arrive.”

“They're Edward's guests, not mine. He's the one who'll have to entertain them. Do you suppose we could serve dinner at seven rather than eight? I get sleepy very early these days.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea. I'll get James to suggest it to His Highness.”

Anne helped Alexandra from the carriage, eager to see the Princess of Wales's reaction when she entered the great hall.

The entire staff, wearing their new uniforms, was waiting in the entrance hall to welcome Princess Alexandra when she stepped through the front door of Sandringham.

“This is Mrs. Roydon, the head housekeeper.” Anne brought her forward.

“Your Royal Highness.” Mrs. Roydon curtsied, and the entire staff followed suit.

“I thank you all. I would like our country home to be a comfortable, relaxing place. I insist we dispense with the formality of curtsying and bowing.”

The servants moved aside and Alix got her first glimpse of the great main hall.

“Oh, Anne! It's absolutely perfect. It's so spacious and inviting.” She walked into the room and stopped. “Is that a piano?”

“I knew you'd like it.”

“It pleases me beyond belief. I can see how much work you've done.”

“It was a labor of love. Lord Hamilton of course deserves most of the credit.”

Alix whooped with laughter. “Lord Hamilton, is it? And I suppose he addresses you as Lady Anne!”

“Come, let me show you the master suite. It has two bedchambers separated by a sitting room. It also has two dressing rooms and a lovely bathing room.”

Alix leaned toward Anne to speak confidentially. “Sounds delightful. There is no longer any need for Edward and I to sleep together.” Her eyes sparkled. “That makes us both happy.”

•   •   •

From the moment the Prince of Wales arrived, he monopolized James. “The first item on the agenda is the horses Sykes sent. Let's take a look at them. I've invited Christopher to join us, so if he's palmed off any nags, he can damn well take them back to Doncaster.”

James was confident that Teddy would be pleased, and waited patiently for him to decide on a mount for himself. The prince examined every animal, even had the grooms saddle a few so he could try them out, but in the end he chose a big bay gelding similar to the one James had bought him in Newmarket.

Next, Teddy inspected the pack of eighteen hunting hounds James had acquired, and declared them an excellent choice. “I want to get all the guns unpacked. I've invited Aylesford, Mordaunt, and Manchester, all avid hunters. Wait until they see Sandringham's gun rooms—they'll be pea green with envy.”

James knew Manchester had not been invited for his hunting skills. He had been invited because his beautiful duchess was the mistress of Lord Hartington, Teddy's bosom pal who attended the races with him.

“Who else will be coming?”

“Well, Hartington of course, and Blandford Churchill. I forget who else. Oh yes, Charles Beresford, who was at Cowes. Henry Chaplin's coming, so I didn't include Hastings, his great rival.”

“What about Carrington?”

“Charles accompanied me. I left him at the train station to make sure the guns were unloaded. He invited his latest lady friend—daughter of Baron Suffield, I believe.”

“I'd better make sure everyone's name is posted on their bedchamber door, so there are no embarrassing mix-ups after dark,” James remarked cynically.

Teddy winked. “Damn good idea, James. What would I do without you?”

•   •   •

Anne and James awoke each morning before dawn. It was the only time they had to talk privately before the demands of the day took every waking moment.

“The princess has truly fallen in love with Sandringham, both inside and out. She enjoys the freedom of riding every day, she walks the pair of spaniels that Lady Cholmondeley brought her as a welcoming gift, and she takes delight in filling the rooms with flowers and plants.”

“Sweetheart, most of the credit goes to you for making it feel like a home, not just a house. It's a miracle to me how you trained the servants in such a short time.”

“The young Norfolk women are so eager to learn, and they consider it an honor to be serving the Princess of Wales. I'm relieved that the prince took your advice and brought the chef from Marlborough House. The servants are in awe at the number of courses served at dinner every night. They secretly believe it the height of extravagance to serve oysters, two soups, whole salmon and turbots, sirloin of beef, saddle of mutton, along with turkeys and woodcock, and I agree with them.”

“Teddy eats and drinks so much, he's getting rather portly.”
His appetites are becoming rapacious for sex as well as food.

“All the guests drink too much. It's fortunate that Alexandra's bedchamber isn't over the great hall. The racket they make at their nightly parties is scandalous, and sometimes they last until dawn.”

“I'm glad that you and my sister retire with the princess shortly after dinner.”

“Alix needs rest, and she has absolutely nothing in common with Teddy's friends. Lady Sarah Mordaunt is particularly vulgar and silly after a couple of glasses of champagne.”

“She's young,” James excused, “and Sir Charles likely doesn't give her the attention she craves.”

“Doesn't he sit in the Commons with you?”

“Yes, but I can't like the man. He's been particularly ruthless with his Warwickshire tenants. He put them out of their cottages for joining the Labourers' Union.”

“Why on earth does the prince like him?”

“Mordaunt is mad about hunting and shooting.”
And Teddy is mad about Sarah.
James threaded his fingers through Anne's disheveled curls and lifted her face for a last kiss. “It's past time for me to seek my own chamber, sweetheart. I can hear the servants up and about.”

•   •   •

One night during the last week of August, Anne lay in bed unable to sleep. The hour at which James was retiring had gotten later and later as the month progressed. The prince and his friends spent their evening hours bowling in the skittles alley, followed by endless games of billiards, and finally gambled for high stakes at faro or baccarat.

I'm so thankful that Alexandra is oblivious about how her husband and his friends entertain themselves after dinner every night. Her serene demeanor never changes. She is unfailingly polite to everyone, yet distant. Her health is blooming, she's thrilled about the upcoming birth of her child, she loves her animals and Sandringham, and that is all she seems to need to make her happy.

Anne's thoughts strayed to the female guests.
Cecelia Suffield is well-endowed; I suppose that's one of the reasons Charles Carrington is attracted to her. I can hardly believe that her family approves of her visiting Sandringham when she is unmarried.

Anne turned over in bed and thumped her pillow.
I am being a hypocrite. My family wouldn't approve of my being at Sandringham if they knew what was going on between me and James.

She pictured Edith Aylesford and Sarah Mordaunt.
Neither of them can keep their hands off any man who comes near them, especially James. At least the Duchess of Manchester seems to be faithful to the Marquis of Hartington,
Anne thought cynically. She pictured Mina Gardner, who was engaged to Lord Charles Beresford.
She's so childish, constantly playing practical jokes on everyone, and her laughter borders on hysterical.
Sir Christopher Sykes had brought a lady called Liz Edgerton, whom he had introduced as his cousin.
Kissing cousin, if you ask me!

Anne's thoughts moved to Henry Chaplin.
The viscount is oblivious when the females try to flirt with him. I suppose his heart still belongs to Florence Paget. He seems like such a decent young man, apart from his obsession with racehorses.
Anne yawned, and began to drift into sleep.
I wish Florence had married him instead of Hastings.

•   •   •

James undressed slowly and lay down on his bed, deep in thought. Try as he might, he could not condone the profligate morals of the Prince of Wales. Teddy was having sex with at least two of the married women whose husbands he'd invited to Sandringham, and James suspected that one of them, Edith Aylesford, was also servicing the wealthy young Marquis of Blandford.

James knew that Louise, Duchess of Manchester, was putting horns on her acquiescent duke every night with Lord Hartington. Behind their backs they were referred to as the Duke and Doxie.
The adultery going on at Sandringham sickens me.

James Hamilton's own behavior was pricking his conscience unmercifully. If he was being honest with himself, he realized that he left his own bed the moment his chamber door was closed. He knew it was time he faced the facts and acknowledged that he was compromising Anne's reputation. Just because it was a secret liaison did not make it right, and he could not bear the thought that he was placing her in the same league as the loose females who were enjoying the hospitality at Sandringham.

•   •   •

Anne was awakened by a noise she thought must have come from the adjoining bedchamber. She turned up the lamp and waited for James. When he did not come, she got out of bed, walked across the room, and opened the door.

James saw her silhouette framed in the doorway. “Anne, come and sit down, I have something to tell you.”

She walked slowly to the bed and sat down beside him. “Whatever time is it?”

He took her hand. “It is time that I stopped compromising you, sweetheart. I'm coming to despise myself for doing so. You deserve so much better of me than playing musical beds. Parliament opens in a couple of days, so I've decided to return to London.”

“You're leaving early?” she whispered.

“If I stay at Sandringham, the temptation will be too great for me to resist. Prince Teddy, surrounded by his friends, certainly doesn't need me.” He touched his lips to her brow. “Our situation is intolerable and cannot go on. When I get back to London, I will press your father to change his mind.”

“We'll be separated for a month. How will I endure it?”

“September will be over before you know it. In the meantime, I will do my best to resolve our difficulties.” His fingers brushed away her tears. “Don't be sad, my darling. It breaks my heart.” He lifted the covers. “Come into bed and let me hold you.”

•   •   •

London

From the moment Parliament opened, James's uncle Lord John Russell, the foreign secretary, had to deal with the American Civil War. The Confederate army had ordered built two ironclad rams in Liverpool, and they were now ready to be delivered.

It took the foreign secretary a full week to persuade Parliament to detain the ironclads. Then it took another week for the British forces to stop the shipment of the two ironclad vessels from Liverpool. This effectively dashed the Confederates' hope for support from Britain.

It was the middle of September before James was free to attend to his personal affairs, and he penned a letter to Earl Howe, asking for an appointment. Another week went by, and when he had received no reply, James called at Grosvenor Square.

He presented his calling card to Jenkins, and was surprised to be shown into the drawing room, where he was greeted by Anne's mother.

“Lord Hamilton, how lovely to see you. I thought you were at Sandringham.”

“I returned for the opening of Parliament. I wrote to Lord Howe and asked if he would see me. When I received no reply, I decided to pay a call on him.”

“My husband is not at home at the moment. Lord Hamilton—James, please have a seat. Perhaps it's best that Richard is not here. A confrontation would gain you nothing.”

“Lady Howe, my situation is intolerable. I am determined to do everything in my power to convince Anne's father to change his mind and agree to our marriage.”

The countess gave James a look of speculation. “What you need is leverage. Has Anne never confided the story of how I was used as a pawn and forced into a loveless marriage?”

His brows drew together in a deep frown. “I assure you that Anne has never divulged anything of a personal nature about your marriage, Lady Howe.”

“I'm surprised. If you knew the details, perhaps you could use them as leverage to persuade Richard to give his consent.”