Lord Rakehell (4 page)

“I'll be gone almost three months. Will you be all right?”

“You arrogant son of a bitch, James. I don't need the all-powerful Lord Bloody Hamilton to hold my hand. Have you any idea what it's like to be constantly compared with the gifted, accomplished heir, and come up wanting every time?”

James listened in stunned disbelief at his brother's animosity.

“Just because I had a couple of fits when I was a boy doesn't give you the right to act as my keeper for the rest of my life. I grew out of the bloody things by the time I was ten. I no longer need you to run interference for me!”

James held up his hand and said quietly, “I wasn't referring to fits. I wondered if you'd be all right for money.”

“Oh.” John Claud laughed, his anger melting away like snow in summer. “I'm sorry, James. It's not easy having an older brother who excels at riding, shooting, fighting, and fucking.”

James smiled into the darkness.
Once I remove myself from Hampden House, John Claud will come into his own.

•   •   •

When James arrived in London, he leased a Georgian town house on the corner of White Horse Street that was close to the palace and Green Park. Then he went to Hampden House to inform his parents and to pack his clothes and belongings.

At dinner, his parents congratulated him on his wise decision. When his siblings could not hide their envy, he assured his brothers that their turn would come.

“Even before you went to Ireland, you spent more time at the palace than you did at home,” his sister Frances remarked, “so we shall see no less of you than we always have.”

“We shall see
more
of him,” his mother declared. “James, darling, you have a standing invitation for dinner every Friday, or whatever night suits you.”

“I accept your generous invitation, Mother. Now if you'll excuse me, the hour grows late and I must go up. I have a good deal of packing to do.”

•   •   •

James Hamilton's dark brows drew together as he heard the scratching on his bedchamber door. The hour was close to midnight and he had assumed everyone, including the servants, had retired. He opened the door quietly and was surprised to see the young maid with an armful of shirts. “Jenny, you shouldn't still be working.”

She slipped into the room. “I starched these just the way you like them, my lord.”

“Thank you kindly.” He took the shirts and set them on his dresser. “You should be abed.”

“I . . . I just wanted to say good-bye. You bein' away in Ireland with the prince for three months and now that you have your own house, I may not see . . .” Her voice trailed off.

“Is something wrong, Jenny?”

“No . . . no . . . everything is perfect.” Contradicting her words, her eyes flooded with tears.

James took her hands and led her to a chair. “Tell me,” he urged.

“Everything is perfectly
awful
,” she whispered miserably. “I . . . I'm in trouble.”

James grasped the situation immediately. “Are you sure, Jenny?”

She nodded emphatically. “Very sure, my lord.” She sought his eyes. “I can't stay here, it would cause a terrible scandal, but I have nowhere else to go.”

“Have you told anyone?”

She pressed her lips together. “I thought about confiding in your mother. Lady Lu can be very understanding, but your father would go mad that one of his sons . . .”

James handed her his handkerchief, and Jenny blew her nose. “So I thought it best to wait until you got home, my lord.”

“Yes, you did right, Jenny.” He paced to the window, then paced back again. “It will be all right, my dear. I'll arrange a place for you at one of my married sisters'. They all have lots of babies and won't mind one more.”

Jenny's eyes lit with hope. “Are you sure, my lord? I don't want to get you into trouble.”

“Absolutely sure. Though I think it wisest to keep the details between ourselves. Now, which sister? You have two choices. Jane is Countess of Dalkeith with that great mansion in Whitehall, or there's Harry, Countess of Lichfield, who resides in St. James's Square. Jane is young and sweet-tempered, but Harry will do anything for me.”

“I think . . . I think Lady Harriet would be more understanding, perhaps.”

“And forgiving. Good choice . . . Harry it is. Go and pack a small bag and I'll take you round there tonight. Your other stuff can be forwarded later.”

“Oh, Lord James, I thank you ever so much.”

“No thanks, Jenny. Under the circumstances, it's the least I can do.”

Buckingham Palace

September 1, 1861

“D
amn and blast it all! The bloody powers that be, namely, my mother the queen and my father the royal consort, have refused to let me join the Grenadier Guards.”

James Hamilton already knew the outcome of the prince's audience with his parents. Though James's father, the Duke of Abercorn, had recommended the royal heir have a year or so of military service after his training in Ireland, Prince Albert decided it would afford his son too much freedom, when clearly discipline was what he needed.

“'Tis a great pity they deem the army unfitting for a royal prince of the realm. You have my sympathy, Teddy.”

“To add insult to injury I'm being sent to study in Cambridge under the governorship of bloody Major General Bruce!” He kicked a footstool across the room and it hit the wall with a loud crash.

A moment later, a low knock came on the door, and the
prince's sister Vicky, who was visiting from Germany, entered the room. “Someone's in a temper.” She sent James a flirtatious smile.

He reciprocated immediately by taking her hand and bowing over it. Though the twenty-year-old Princess Royal had been married for three years, James knew she was still enamored of him.

Her brother snorted. “I'm in a temper because I'm being forced to attend Cambridge to further my studies, when what I want is a military career!”

“Since Father has been the chancellor of Cambridge University for over a dozen years, it is only natural he would like you to study there. However, I believe you can postpone Cambridge for a month by returning to Germany with me. I shall persuade Father to let you come to Strelitz to observe the military maneuvers.”

Teddy's scowl was replaced with a look of calculation. “I am well aware that Father can refuse you nothing, but if I come, you must promise not to introduce me to any German princesses.”

“No Germans. I swear on my honor.”

“You have something up your sleeve,” her brother said with suspicion.

“I'm trying my best to rid Father and Mother of their obsession that your future bride be German. There are other princesses in Europe, believe it or not.”

“I'm nineteen. I don't wish to marry. The last thing I want is a fat, foreign bride.”

“I'm not setting a trap for you, Teddy. Which will it be, Cambridge or Strelitz?”

“I'd love to come for the military maneuvers, Vicky, but only if you swear there will be no
matrimonial
maneuvers.”

She smiled, walked to the door, and beckoned James. “Promise you'll accompany my brother?” she murmured.

“I must take my seat in Parliament this week,” James evaded.

“Teddy is eager for the maneuvers. It would be a shame to disappoint him.”

James smiled and acceded, knowing Vicky had her own maneuvers in mind.

•   •   •

On Friday evening, when James had dinner with his family, he greeted his mother with an affectionate kiss.

Lady Lu stroked his cheek. “It's lovely to see you, James. I missed you this summer. I'm glad you're back in England.”

“Not for long.” He waited until his sisters were seated, then sat down between his father and his brother John Claud. “I'm off to Germany with the Prince of Wales. His sister has invited him to Strelitz to observe military maneuvers.”

“But Parliament opens tomorrow,” John Claud pointed out.

Their mother laughed. “According to my brother Lord John, nothing much happens after summer recess. The members sniff each other like a pack of curs wondering who will be top dog, and which members will drink themselves to death before the year is up.”

“I'm sorry that Prince Albert and the queen couldn't be persuaded to let Teddy join the military. I deem it a suitable occupation for the heir to the throne,” Abercorn declared.

“He loathes the idea of returning to university under the governorship of Major General Bruce, so he jumped at Vicky's invitation to visit Strelitz, providing he doesn't have to meet any German princesses,” James added with a grin.

His sister Frances, who had been listening avidly, cut in, “I heard some gossip from my friend Anne. Her sister Emily, lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, said she heard that Princess Vicky suggested that a princess from the Danish royal family would be a good match for the Prince of Wales, and she was eager to arrange a meeting between them.”

“Well, I'll be damned. No wonder the queen gave permission for Teddy to go to Germany. The Princess Royal swore she had no ulterior motive.”

Abercorn winked at James. “You should be on to Vicky's wicked ways by now.”

John Claud laughed. He and James shared many secrets, and he knew all about his brother's indecent encounter with the sexually precocious princess. “Let's hope
she
is on to
James's
wicked ways.”

“Oh, I'm sure she is,” Lady Lu purred. “Now that she is safely married, she is allowed her peccadilloes.”

After dinner, James joined his father and brother in the library to share a brandy and apprise them of the prince's training with the Grenadier Guards at Curragh Camp. “He did splendidly. He fit right in because he is open, kindhearted, and loves to laugh.”

Abercorn nodded. “His father was so incensed when he got Bruce's report about his son consorting with the opposite sex that he rushed to Ireland.”

“I took care of the matter. I believe I gave Prince Albert a satisfactory explanation.”

John Claud was well aware of his brother's propensity for covering up indiscretions. “What really happened?”

“I took Teddy to the music hall and auditioned a bevy of songbirds to choose who would rid him of his virginity.”

Abercorn's eyes crinkled with appreciation and John Claud choked on his brandy.

•   •   •

“Have you any idea how long I've anticipated this rendezvous?” Princess Vicky's possessive fingers toyed with the black curls on James's chest, and her tongue shot out to lick over a flat, copper nipple.

I have an inkling.
James smiled lazily, demonstrating that he was in no hurry, though she was in a fever of need. His hand cupped her full breast; his thumb stroked the crest that had turned hard and erectile the moment he'd touched her. When he made no attempt to kiss her, she rubbed her mons against his hard thigh, and licked her lips in anticipation.

He bent his head, and when his mouth was just inches from hers, he murmured, “Tell me about the bride you have chosen for Teddy.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” She was panting, making her heavy breasts rise and fall.

“I think you do, my sweet.”

Her fingers closed around his rampant cock. “I'll tell you . . . after,” she gasped.

“Before.”

She moaned softly, realizing he would not give her what she craved until he got what he wanted. “Frederick and I have become acquainted with the royal family of Denmark. I have made friends with one of their daughters, Princess Alexandra.”

“A fat, foreign princess is anathema to your brother.”

“Alix is slim as a reed. She is lovely, with a profusion of golden brown hair. She would be perfect for him in every way.”

“And?” James prompted, reaching between her legs and slipping a finger into her hot, wet sheath.

She arched against him. All she could think of was having his magnificent cock inside her. “And what? Fuck me!”

“And you have arranged for Princess Alexandra to be in Strelitz for your own maneuvers.”

“How did you guess?” she panted.

“You are as easy to read as a book,” he teased.

She licked her lips. “The
Kama Sutra
?”

His cock stirred. “Is that what you've learned in Germany?”

“Oh, James, I just want Teddy to meet her. She's only sixteen, so there's no rush for her to marry. I'm just thinking of the future.”

He grinned. “In that case, have at me.” He lay back, and was most gratified that the voluptuous Crown Princess of Prussia did not hesitate. She lifted herself on him and plunged down with a cry that demonstrated her avid sensuality.

•   •   •

Buckingham Palace

 

Lady Anne Curzon-Howe's eyes sparkled with pleasure as she curtsied low before Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria.

The queen's gaze traveled from the delicate gauze roses adorning the classic white gown, to the fashionable white ostrich feathers adorning the red-gold tresses of the debutante before her. “Welcome to our court, Lady Anne. I had no idea Lady Emily had such a lovely sister. Your gown is most elegant.”

Hours of practice with the three-foot train had turned Anne's performance into perfection. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I designed it myself.”

The queen looked impressed. “We could use a young lady with such talent at our court.”

Anne bit her lip.
Curse my tongue. The last thing I want is to be one of your ladies-in-waiting.
A rush of relief swept over her as the queen nodded her dismissal, and she joined her friend Lady Frances Hamilton, who had been presented before her.

“I can't wait for your ball tomorrow night, since our mothers have invited exactly the same bachelors. I hope your brother Montagu asks me for a dance.”

“If he doesn't, you must ask him,” Anne advised.

“You are so unconventional. Would
you
dare do such a thing?”

“Just watch me. Next week at your ball I have decided to march up to your brother James and ask him to partner me.”

“James won't be there. He's gone to Germany with the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal.”

Anne's face showed her dismay. “Oh damn, blast, and set fire to everything! I was so looking forward to seeing him again. Why did the prince have to go to Germany?”

“Supposedly to watch military maneuvers, but didn't your sister Emily mention a plan to introduce him to Princess Alexandra of Denmark?”

“So she did. I shall try to quiz Emily about it tomorrow night.”

“She's coming, then?”

“Ha, she'll be there with bells on ready to criticize my mother's social skills. My other half sisters will be there too, looking down their long, condescending noses.”

“Isn't Georgiana the Duchess of Beaufort?”

“Yes, the duke is such a dry stick! But my other brother-in-law the Earl of Westmorland is a different kettle of fish. Henry Fane owns racehorses and belongs to the Jockey Club. He's a good sport who isn't averse to placing a bet for me.”

Frances's eyes widened. “You're allowed to gamble?”

“Of course I'm not allowed. It's all on the QT.”

The Duchess of Abercorn stood conversing with Lady Curzon-Howe. “Being presented at court used to be such a prestigious social event. It was a gala evening at the palace, with everyone in formal attire, and the supper rooms offering endless buffets of desserts and imported wines.” She glanced at the glass of punch she held and shuddered delicately. “These drawing rooms are abysmal. I feel rather sorry for today's debutantes. Fun and frivolity have fallen victim to Queen Victoria's one and only social rule: NO SCANDAL!”

The girls joined their mothers and overheard the last part of the conversation. Anne's eyes sparkled. “I adore your mother. She says the most outrageous things. I have decided to take her as my role model.”

•   •   •

At her debut ball in the Grosvenor Square mansion, Lady Anne stood in the receiving line with her parents. Their majordomo, Jenkins, announced the names of their guests as they stepped into the ballroom. Anne wore her presentation gown, but she had embroidered brilliant green dragonflies to flit among the white roses. Emily was outraged that Anne wasn't in pristine white, and had voiced her feelings about the matter in no uncertain terms. She had arrived an hour before the ball was to begin, and had almost brought her younger sister to tears.

“You are never allowing your daughter to wear such an inappropriate gown to her debut ball?” Emily gave her stepmother a venomous look that showed exactly how much she disliked her father's young wife.

“I think Anne's gown is lovely.”

“And
green
of all colors. It's as if you are advertising to all of London that she is Irish! As if the blatant color of her hair doesn't already shout it to the world.”

“Her Majesty the Queen complimented her gown,” Lady Howe said serenely.

“And that's another thing! She pushed herself forward and announced to the queen that she designed it herself . . . no doubt in the hope that she would be invited to become a royal lady-in-waiting. Let me assure you, there is little chance of that.”

Anne closed her eyes and said a prayer of thanks.

At that moment, Earl Howe arrived on the scene. He kissed his wife and turned to Emily. “Isn't Anne the prettiest debutante you've ever seen?”

When Emily turned on her heel and left the room, the lump in Anne's throat miraculously dissolved. She went on tiptoe and kissed his brow. “Thank you, Father.”

As the guests were announced, Anne received so many admiring glances that her anxiety was replaced by happiness, and she assured herself that Emily was envious.

When Lady Florence Paget and her parents arrived, Anne was able to see for herself how much older the Earl of Uxbridge looked than his new countess.

As custom demanded, Earl Howe partnered his daughter in her first dance, but in deference to his sixty-eight years, the musicians had been instructed to make it short. Then the young bachelors swarmed about Anne and filled up her dance card. Since she and Frances had spent an entire afternoon studying the list of eligible nobles, she had no trouble identifying George Churchill, Marquis of Blandford; Henry Fitzmaurice, the young Earl of Kerry; and Edward Turnour, Earl of Winterton.