The Decadent Duke (21 page)

“Apart from the Marchioness of Bath, think of your brother, the Duke of Bedford. You would not wish any scandal to touch him.”

“My brother was aware of Elizabeth's addiction.”

“Then I beg you to think of your sons, my lord. For their sake, surely you would not wish any stigma attached to their dear mother? It will be extremely difficult for them, and I am sure you will want to do all in your power to save them pain.”

John's eyes were bleak. He was awash with guilt.
For the boys' sake, I will do what I have to do.
He folded the death certificate and put it in his pocket. “If you will excuse me, doctor, I have arrangements to make.”

 
“The news was such a shock. I came as soon as I could.” Francis Russell embraced his brother. He had not arrived back at Woburn until after the funeral.

“I didn't see the necessity of holding back the burial, Francis. Her sisters wanted her interred as soon as possible and were anxious to return home. My relations with them are strained to the breaking point. If it were not for abhorrence at the taint of scandal, I believe they would have accused me of having a hand in my wife's death. I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Burke. He helped me make the arrangements at the church, and accommodated Elizabeth's family with superb efficiency.”

“He's always like that. Woburn is run like a well-oiled machine. Was Elizabeth's death a suicide, John?” he asked bluntly.

“She died from an overdose. I have no proof that it was deliberate, though sadly, I suspect that it was.”

“For God's sake, John, don't flagellate yourself over this.” Francis changed the subject. “Are the boys here?”

“Yes, I decided they must attend their mother's funeral to say good-bye. I determined a few days out of school wouldn't hurt, and I wanted to spend some time with them. I'll take them back to Westminster soon. I want their lives to be as normal as possible, under the circumstances.”

“And you too should resume your normal routine as soon as possible. It's the best way to cope with bereavement.”

John nodded. “It's the only way.”
My sons are bereft, but what do I feel?
He examined his emotions.
If I am brutally honest, anger and guilt far outweigh my sorrow.

 
“I should like to propose a toast.” The Duchess of Gordon lifted her champagne glass and the dinner guests followed suit. “Congratulations to our worthy Prime Minister Pitt on getting the Act of Union passed into law last week.”

“Hear! Hear!” chorused the Tory members of parliament Jane had invited to a celebratory dinner party.

Georgina, seated between Pitt and Lord Apsley, turned to the prime minister. “How many seats will the Irish members have?”

“One hundred seats in the House of Commons and thirty-two seats in the Lords. And, as I promised if the act passed, I have now proposed that we allow Catholics.V

“That will be an admiral achievement.” Georgina had a strong sense of justice and always supported the underdog.
Mr. Pitt is as proud as a dog with two tails tonight. And John Russell will be a happy man. Though it's not Irish independence, I wager he is adamant about Catholic emancipation.
She smiled, remembering their conversation.
When I warned him independence would be an uphill battle, he declared he had the temperament for it. He has a strong will. I admire that about him.

Lord Apsley cleared his throat to gain her attention, and Georgina suddenly remembered that her mother had seated him beside her because he was heir to the Earldom of Bathurst and a fifteen-thousand-acre estate in Cirencester. She favored him with a smile.
He's rather pleasant looking, if you like fair skin, pale brows, and blue eyes. Personally, I prefer dark, dangerous-looking men.

George Canning turned to William Wilberforce. “I'm surprised that Henry Addington isn't here tonight.”

Jane Gordon overheard. “Henry sent me a note that he would be late. He was called to the palace to tend the king tonight.V Henry Addington, as well as being speaker of the House, was one of King George's physicians. “His Royal Highness has not been himself of late. I'm sure we are all anxious to hear how the king is faring. I pray for a swift recovery.”

Henry Dundas patted her hand. “Amen to that, my dear.”

When the dessert was served, Georgina had to mask her amusement. Lord Apsley's adoring gaze watched every mouthful she took so, wickedly, she kept licking her lips to taunt the poor devil. When she was finished, she murmured, “Dare I have another?” She saw an eager look kindle in his eye. “No, I mustn't be greedy.V When she saw his disappointment, she felt contrite and vowed to stop teasing him.

The company was about to take their drinks into the drawing room when Addington arrived.

“Henry, you've missed dinner. Do sit down and I shall order you a plate,V Jane invited, “and you can tell us about the king.”

Henry Addington looked agitated. “My dear duchess, I couldn't eat a thing. Actually, I would like a word in private with the prime minister, if I may?”

“We are all friends here, Henry, and loyal Tories. There is no need for secrecy. We all understand that the king suffers bouts of distress where he is not quite lucid,” Pitt declared.

“Actually, tonight His Royal Highness was most lucid and suffering from a bout of anger.” Addington hesitated; he should not discuss his patient's condition, but the king was not ill. He was furious. Henry felt he had no choice but to inform William Pitt what the king had ordered.

“What has angered him?” Pitt prompted.

“The Act of Union. Well, not the act per se, but your promise to emancipate the Catholics. The king insists you should not have proceeded without consulting him, and he intends to block it.V Henry took a deep breath and blurted, “His Royal Highness has ordered
me
to become his prime minister.”

Everyone in the room sat stunned.

Georgina glanced at her mother, thinking that they should excuse themselves so the Tories could discuss the matter privately, but the duchess shook her head and put her finger to her lips. The ladies sat quietly and listened.

The members all spoke at once, voicing their outrage and disapproval. Then George Canning made a suggestion to William Pitt. “For the time being you must drop the proposal for Catholic emancipation.”

“I made a solemn promise, in good faith, that if I got enough votes to pass the Act of Union, I would guarantee that Catholics could become members of parliament. My word is my bond; my political reputation would be in ruins.V

“All will know it is the king who blocks it and not you.”

Pitt got to his feet and proudly raised his head. “The mistake was mine, gentlemen. I was so confident of my influence, I failed to consult with the king. Since I cannot fulfill my promise, I have no choice but to resign my office.V

Georgina suspected that it was William Pitt's over-abundance of pride that prompted him to make such a dramatic decision. The king's insult, asking Addington to become his prime minister, could not be borne.

The members argued against such a drastic step, while Addington stood wringing his hands.

Pitt cut through the arguments to the heart of the matter. “I will resign, and the speaker of the House will become prime minister, as His Royal Highness wishes. To do otherwise would bring down the Tory party and put the Whigs in power. If we do not want Prince George and Charles Fox as our masters, we must do the king's bidding.”

The Duchess of Gordon left the room and came back with a cask of Scotch whiskey. She poured a dram for every member, knowing they were in need of fortification. After they drained their glasses, the party broke up and everyone departed.

“Such dreadful news is beyond bearing. The Gordons have always been staunch supporters of King George. We have given him our love and our devotion, but I fear our monarch is mentally deranged. Your father told me as much on the night you were presented to Queen Charlotte.”

“The situation is so sad. I feel sorry for the queen.”

“The situation is appalling. William Pitt is the finest prime minister this country ever had. His skills surpass those of his father by a mile. Addington will never fill his shoes.”

Georgina's brother came into the drawing room. “It has only just struck midnight. Did your dinner party break up?”

“I have dreadful news that is beyond bearing.”

“Hello, George. You're home early,” his sister declared.

“I have news, too. I ran into Lord Holland at Brooks's. Henry told me that John Russell buried his wife a few days ago.”

“Oh no.” Georgina's face went pale.

“Great heavens! It never rains but what it pours!” Jane refilled her glass with whiskey as her mind grappled with the inconvenient news. “Elizabeth isn't a blood relative of the Duke of Bedford, so he likely won't go into official mourning. There is no reason why he should curtail his social calendar. I shall write to Charlotte and Susan immediately and have them postpone their balls until next month.”

Georgina was deep in her own thoughts and did not hear one word her mother said.
John Russell will be devastated. It must be a terrible shock to lose a wife at such an early age.
She immediately thought of his three sons.
How on earth will the man cope?
A picture of young Johnny came into her mind.
He's so sweet and so shy
. Her heart went out to him, and a lump came into her throat that made it difficult to swallow.

“I wonder if the duke's visit to Derbyshire was curtailed? The moment he got the news, I'm sure he would return to Woburn.”

“Holland said he got the news directly from Francis Russell, so he must be back in London,” George said.

“I wonder if anything developed between the duke and the Devonshires' daughter during his visit? I'm sure the duchess would press him to make a commitment. That was the whole idea of the invitation to Chatsworth. I shall be on tenterhooks waiting for an announcement. With a death in the family, a declaration might be postponed. Oh dear, was anything ever so vexing?”

“I'm sure you'll find a way to ferret it out, Mother,” George said. “What is the other news that has upset you?”

“Oh, yes, upsetting news indeed. Mr. Pitt has been forced to resign as prime minister.”

Georgina withdrew quietly as her mother went into detail about the political upheaval.

After she undressed, she went and stood before the sketch she had made of her father. “There really is a resemblance to John Russell. I wonder if I was thinking about him when I drew the picture.”
The man does jump into my thoughts at odd moments.

Now that tragedy had touched Russell and his sons, she felt wretched about the rude things she'd said to him. It had been an amusing game really, to utter cutting, cruel remarks. One he had seemed to relish. Now she regretted being deliberately unkind. She had the impulse to write him a letter of condolence and glanced at her writing desk.
No, it would be better if it came from the family, not just from me.

“It's been a long day.” In Russell Street, John joined his brother in the library and set a bundle of letters of condolence on the desk unopened. He poured himself a drink. “I took the boys back to school. I had a word with each of their teachers, who assured me they would report anything amiss. I had a meeting with the headmaster, then stayed at Westminster to have dinner with Johnny. It was a wrench leaving him—I hope he'll be all right.”

“Of course he will—boys are resilient,” Francis assured him. “Did you hear the news?”

“About what?VJohn drained his glass.

“William Pitt resigned today!V

The weary look on John's face was replaced by one of surprise.

“The king is blocking Irish Catholics from becoming members of parliament, so Pitt stepped aside in favor of Speaker Addington.”

“Damnation! I should have known Catholic emancipation was too much to hope for.”

“Why on earth would he resign his prime ministership?”

“On principle, of course. It was also a very shrewd move. If he opposed the king, it could bring down the government and put us Whigs in power. Pitt made the sacrifice for the Tory party.”

“Sacrifice is a concept that is beyond me,” Francis said dryly. “I am on my way to Carlton House. Prinny will be prostrate that the government didn't fall. He will need me to bolster him against the cruel winds of fortune.”

After Francis left, John contemplated what the House would be like under Henry Addington. He surmised that things wouldn't go smoothly. Though he was deeply regretful that the Irish problems were no closer to being resolved, he clearly saw that the political mess would divert him from dwelling on his own turmoil. John poured himself another drink, hoping it would induce sleep, and went upstairs to bed.

Just before dawn, his recurring dream began.