Lord Rakehell

by Virginia Henley

  Lady Anne was amazed at the young noble’s accomplishments. “You must be very proud of him.” Her eyes shone with the overwhelming admiration she felt for Lord Hamilton. “He was exceptionally kind to me before the wedding, when I was in a state of distress. His words took away my unhappiness and filled me with joy.”

  There was pity in the look that John Claud gave her. “Believe me, Lady Anne, he’s no knight in shining armor. As a matter of fact he is gaining an unsavory reputation—one that is well earned, I warrant.”

  Lady Anne smiled her secret smile. John Claud, I believe you are jealous of James.

  Chapter One

  Dublin Harbor

  June 1861

  “F ree at last! I swear those dreary years at Oxford were worse than being buried alive.”

  The Prince of Wales was joining the Grenadier Guards at the Curragh army camp in Kildare for ten weeks of military training. He stood with his two attendants on the bow of the Connaught. As well as James Hamilton, his other gentleman of the bedchamber, Charles Carrington, had been allowed to accompany him.

  “Last night I had a bloody nightmare that I was at Windsor Castle being married!” He shuddered. “My parents still can’t wait to saddle me with a German princess.”

  “To quote Herrick: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,” James Hamilton advised, as the port of Kingstown, Ireland, came into view. When the steamer rounded the pierhead, a deafening gun salute sounded from the man-of-war Ajax. “You spoke of freedom too soon, Your Highness.” James pointed to the military officials gathered at the pier to welcome the royal prince. “Your escort awaits.”

  “And wait they shall! It’s Saturday, for God’s sake, and I intend to spend the weekend in Dublin enjoying myself before they inter me in Curragh’s garrison. Be firm with them, James, I’m depending on you.”

  “You may safely leave it in my hands, Your Highness.”

  Once the prince and his gentlemen disembarked, the mayor of Kingstown and his welcoming committee greeted them. Lieutenant Colonel Bradshaw along with a dozen Grenadier Guards, who had been dispatched to escort the Prince of Wales to the Kildare army camp, saluted His Royal Highness and informed him that the commander in chief, General George Brown, awaited his arrival.

  The prince shook Colonel Bradshaw’s hand, thanked him, and moved forward to offer a greeting to each of the dozen mounted and uniformed guards and admire their horses.

  James Hamilton introduced himself to the lieutenant colonel. “His Royal Highness has been entrusted to carry a private message from Her Gracious Majesty the Queen to Ireland’s viceroy, George Howard, Earl of Carlisle. The prince plans to proceed to Dublin today and in all likelihood will be ready to journey to Curragh Camp to begin his military training on Tuesday.”

  After a moment’s consternation, Bradshaw acquiesced to the new plan. “I shall dispatch a guard to the commander in chief with the prince’s itinerary, Lord Hamilton. I and my men are at your service to escort you to Dublin.”

  On the short carriage ride from Kingstown to the capital, Prince Teddy thanked his friend profusely. “You are a silver-tongued devil, James. I don’t know how you do it.”

  “It’s second nature. I learned diplomacy at my father’s knee.”

  “I’m amazed that bloody old Major General Bruce wasn’t awaiting me with a muzzle and a noose.” Bruce, the prince’s governor who had kept him on a tight rein in Oxford, had preceded him to the Curragh Camp to inspect his quarters and lay out a course of military exercises he deemed suitable for the royal heir to the throne.

  “At the risk of being presumptuous, Your Highness, I advise you to take a firmer stance with Bruce. You are a royal. You outrank him by miles. Bruce may advise you, but by no means should you allow him to rule you. He is the servant and you are the master. In my experience, if you stand up to a bully, he will invariably back down.”

  “By God, James, you give me hope.” The prince’s mind turned to another problem.

  “What possible excuse can I give to the viceroy for coming to Dublin unannounced?”

  “Let him know you are doing him a great service. Tell him, in strictest confidence of course, that Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Albert may decide to make a short visit to Ireland to observe your military training at Curragh Camp. Carlisle will be forever in your debt that you have tipped him off to such a possibility.”

  Prince Teddy blanched. “Christ Almighty, it’s more than a possibility. Father keeps me on such a tight leash, he could seek proof with his own eyes that I am performing my military duties with Teutonic perfection.”

  “Have no fear. My father will send me word if Prince Albert decides to come.”

  “It must be wonderful to have a warm, close relationship with one’s father.” The prince gave James a wistful glance. “I’ve always been deathly afraid of my father.”

  Charles Carrington nodded in agreement. “He puts the fear of God in me too.”

  “For the next three days at least, you may cast your cares and worries aside. In Dublin there will be no governors, no tutors, and no spies to report your every move,” James pointed out. “Let’s make a pact to drain the cup of life to the dregs.”

  “Hear, hear, James. You are a man after my own heart.”

  • • •

  “Your Royal Highness, you must forgive me. I am totally unprepared for your visit.”

  George Howard, Earl of Carlisle, stood in the elegant reception hall of the viceregal lodge in Phoenix Park, trying to disguise the panic he was feeling.

  Prince Teddy shook his hand heartily and smiled. “My dear fellow, I abhor formality. The last thing I need is another reception of dignitaries.” He handed his hat to a hovering footman and introduced his gentlemen attendants.

  Carlisle summoned his majordomo and gave him orders for the kitchen staff to prepare dinner and the housekeeper to plenish chambers for the prince’s party, as well as his escort of a dozen Grenadier Guards.

  James Hamilton cut in smoothly, “There is no need to throw your household into turmoil, Lord Carlisle. His Highness would much prefer to stay the weekend at Dublin Castle. I shall direct the lieutenant colonel to take his guards there, with your permission. The castle can accommodate soldiers far easier than Phoenix Park.”

  Prince Teddy nodded his agreement. “This is just a short, private visit. We can share a drink and a cigar, then be on our way with none the wiser.”

  The look of relief on Carlisle’s face as he ushered them to the library amused James.

  Poor devil! The look of panic will return the moment Teddy confides that Victoria and Albert may drop in on him sometime this summer.

  • • •

  “This is more like it.” Prince Teddy removed his coat and tossed it onto a gilded chair in the luxuriously appointed state apartment of Dublin Castle.

  “Fit for a prince,” James declared as he threw open the French doors that led out onto the balcony, which provided a delightful view of the River Liffey.

  The castle chamberlain entered and bowed low to the prince. “Your Highness, if you would be good enough to order what you would like for dinner, I shall relay your preferences to the kitchen staff.”

  “My dear fellow, whatever they are serving to the castle garrison will be perfectly fine for us. Would it be too much trouble to bring us some Irish whiskey?”

  “I shall plenish your chambers with the finest wines and whiskey to be found in the castle’s cellars, Your Highness. I’ll dispatch a servant immediately to unpack for you.”

  “No need for that,” James Hamilton declared. “Carrington and I are the prince’s official gentlemen of the bedchamber. Actually, he desires this visit be kept as quiet as possible. While the prince is here, he would prefer that you refer to him as Baron Renfrew. I’m sure we can rely upon your discretion?”

  “Absolutely, Lord Hamilton.” The chamberlain hur
ried out to spread the word that Baron Renfrew and his friends were up to no good, and were in Dublin this weekend strictly for fun and games.

  • • •

  “I believe you enjoyed the garrison’s food more than the stuff they dish out at Buckingham Palace,” James observed as he drained his tankard of ale.

  “I did! My tastes are decidedly unroyal, and the company is far superior to that of my usual dining companion. In fact, Governor Bruce would have an apoplectic fit if he saw me imbibing this whiskey.” Prince Teddy lit a cigar and exhaled a cloud of blue smoke.

  James smiled. “Would you like to visit the Theatre Royal in Smock Alley, or would you prefer to visit a music hall? There’s one handy in Fishamble Street, I believe.”

  “Since I’ve never been to a music hall, ladies singing popular songs is my choice.”

  “I seriously doubt if any of them will be ladies,” James pointed out.

  “All the more reason to attend.” The prince stubbed out his cigar and laughed at his ribald remark. “Do you suppose we could walk? Just the three of us on the streets of Dublin would be a rare occurrence for me.”

  “I’m already a bit unsteady on my feet,” Charles Carrington confessed.

  “Then the fresh air will sober you up,” James decided.

  By the time the trio left the castle, dark had descended and Dublin’s cobbled streets were filled with men and women wending their way to the myriad places that offered an evening’s entertainment. Voices and laughter filled the air, proving that on Saturday night the first order of business for Dubliners was enjoyment.

  When they arrived at the Fishamble Music Hall, James paid for front row seats, and as they stepped inside, the lights went down and the curtains opened. The three well-dressed gentlemen didn’t garner too much attention, as all eyes were focused on the stage.

  The orchestra began to play and a beautiful female with long red hair came soaring across the stage on a swing, which continued to glide out over the front row of the audience. The rush of air caused her skirt to fly up and expose a pair of shapely legs clad in flesh-colored tights. Her voice was full-throated and filled with innuendo as she sang the slightly altered lyrics to the popular song:

  She floats through the air with the greatest of ease,

  The daring young girl on the flying trapeze,

  Her movements are graceful, all the men she does please,

  And my love she has stolen away.

  Oh, the man that I loved he was handsome,

  And I tried everything him to please,

  But I could not please him one half as much,

  As the girl on the flying trapeze. . . .

  Ooooooh, she flies through the air. . . .

  By this time, most of the audience was singing the chorus and swaying from side to side in time with the music and the undulations of the pretty girl on the swing.

  James didn’t need to watch Teddy to know he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The poor devil has been deprived of a normal life, but he’s hell-bent on catching up. He’s nineteen and never had a woman. James smiled knowingly. All that is about to change.

  The curtains closed to reset the stage and James bought them each a bag of hot roasted chestnuts from a female vendor. This time when the curtains swung back, they revealed an Arabian scene with women reclining upon cushions. The girls wore filmy trousers and face veils, and a great cheer went up from the males in the audience. When the ladies arose to dance, the tiny bells on their bracelets and anklets tinkled merrily. The lead singer, who had a cloud of black hair decorated with beads, swayed her hips as she moved to the edge of the stage and pointed her finger at the gentlemen in the front row.

  Come into the harem,

  The old sultan’s harem,

  That’s the only thing I crave.

  The sultan’s too old, for he’s past eighty-two,

  And his thousand wives need a fellow like you!

  You’d never beat us

  With kindness you’d treat us,

  And all that I ask is a trial.

  I know you’d be gallant

  You’re brimful of talent,

  So come into the harem and smile.

  She crooked her finger and beckoned, and men from the audience shouted, I’ll come, darlin’, and I’ve got what you need, love. She raised her arms. “All together now,” and the entire audience sang the lyrics and swayed in time to the music.

  The scenery changed with each song as colorfully painted backdrops were lowered and raised to add to the atmosphere. Amid tombstones, they sang “Goblins in the Churchyard,” and a bawdy tavern setting followed this for “Bella Was a Barmaid.”

  The singers’ costumes became scantier and the lyrics more suggestive with each successive song, until most of the audience were doubled over with laughter. The Irish loved nothing better than to sing and laugh, especially when the humor was irreverent.

  In the finale, all the girls assembled onstage wearing Irish bowler hats and green tights. They sang rude words to the melody of “The Wearing of the Green”:

  The Corporation muck cart

  Was loaded to the brim,

  The driver fell in backwards

  And found he could not swim.

  He sank right to the bottom

  Just like a little stone,

  And as he sank he gurgled

  There’s no place like home.

  When Paddy went awalkin’

  He wore his coat of blue,

  The wind blew up his trouser leg

  And showed his toodle-oo.

  Oh, his toodle-oo was dirty,

  He went to show the Queen,

  The Queen she gave him half-a-crown

  To go and get it clean!

  The girls sang it again and the raucous audience joined in. When the performance was over, they clapped and whistled through three curtain calls. The females formed a chorus line and did high kicks as they departed for the final time.

  James got to his feet, but the prince had enjoyed himself so much, he sat there reluctant to leave. Hamilton smiled at his two companions. “Follow me!”

  He led them backstage, where they wended their way through props, ropes, pulleys, and scenery to the female performers’ dressing room. The door was opened before he had a chance to knock, and the three men stepped into the large room overflowing with costumes and chattering women in various stages of undress.

  Their voices went silent immediately as they gaped at the trio. They were used to male visitors, but seldom did such well-dressed, noble-looking gents come trawling.

  The redhead who had opened the show smiled at James. “Hello, luv! I’m Nellie. Looking for some company tonight, are you?”

  “Indeed we are.” James’s glance traveled about the room, quickly assessing the female pulchritude. His sense of decency made him eliminate the youngest girls, and he smiled at the shapely singers who looked to be in their twenties.

  Charles Carrington greeted a young woman with large breasts and dark golden hair.

  “My name’s Dora—how do ye do, m’lord?”

  “Allow me to introduce Viscount Charles and Baron Renfrew. I’m Lord James.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet ye, Lord James.” The dark-haired beauty gave him a saucy wink. “I’m Kitty. Is this yer first visit to the music hall?”

  Baron Renfrew found his voice. “Our first of many, I sincerely hope.”

  “Nellie, Kitty, Dora, would you ladies care to join us for a late supper?”

  The three ladies preened when they realized they had been chosen from the large selection available. “It would be our great pleasure, gentlemen,” Nellie declared. “Would you kindly wait outside while we change?”

  Prince Teddy bowed and led the way from the dressing room. “Well done, James!”

  In a scant few minu
tes the three women emerged wearing cloaks and fashionable bonnets adorned with brilliant ostrich feathers.

  “How does the Oyster Cellar in John’s Lane sound?” James suggested. “It’s close enough that we can walk.”

  “Sounds bleedin’ good to me,” Dora declared, slipping her arm through Carrington’s.

  “Sounds a real treat,” Nellie said, and Kitty nodded her head in agreement.

  Though it was after eleven at night, the streets were filled with people making their way from Dublin’s many theaters to the various public houses that provided food, drink, laughter, and camaraderie.

  Their party was shown to a table that seated six, and the women waited politely for the men to order. “What would you like, ladies?”

  “What do you suggest, Lord James?” Nellie was being cautious. Though clearly the men were well-heeled, she didn’t want to sound greedy.

  “How about oysters and champagne?”

  Three pairs of manicured eyebrows rose. Most men were willing to spring for ale, or even gin, but never offered champagne. “Are you sure?” Nellie asked.

  Renfrew smiled indulgently. “My dearest ladies, you may have anything you fancy.”

  “In that case, I’ll have cowheels and champagne,” Dora decided.

  The prince had no idea that people actually consumed cows’ heels, but he did not question her. Nellie ordered oysters and Kitty asked for prawns and champagne.

  The men all wanted oysters, but only the prince ordered champagne. The other two preferred ale.

  The Oyster Cellar had a pair of fiddlers and the customers’ voices rang out with song. Since the trio of females from the music hall had already sung for their supper, they were content to eat, drink, and be merry.

  James kept a casual eye on the prince, who he knew was having the time of his life. The prince had long been starved of fun and laughter and was making up for lost time. He ate more oysters, drank more champagne, and laughed longer and harder at the witty repartee than any other patron in the room.

  Finally, when everything had been devoured, they were the only customers left in the cellar. James paid the reckoning and generously tipped their waiter.