The Duchess of Drury Lane

by Freda Lightfoot

  I felt humiliated, violated, not only by the audience influenced by the lampoons and scandalmongers, but by Richard Ford, the man in whom I had placed my trust.

  Hester once said that I was far too affectionate and trusting for my own good, and she was right.

  The next day, aware of my distress, Kemble came to see me. ‘I’m sorry you’ve suffered this fracas, Dora. The reason I was in York was that I was on my way to Newcastle. I suggest that you go in my stead with my brother Stephen, and I will take your place in York. I’m staying with the Mayor here, as he is a friend of mine. I could easily do Othello. I’ve already suggested this to Wilkinson, and he has agreed.’

  ‘That is most generous of you.’ I was touched, as there still remained some of the old rivalry between myself and his sister.

  ‘Wilkinson, however, is less so. Money is tight, so he demands the payment of an indemnity of thirty pounds since you walked out of the theatre before the conclusion of your agreement.’

  Taking a breath, I nodded. ‘I accept your offer with gratitude, and will gladly pay the sum he asks. Anything rather than perform in that miserable theatre ever again.’

  I at once wrote to Wilkinson.

  Sir,

  I agree with pleasure to your proposal of giving you thirty pounds rather than ever perform in York again. I shall return tomorrow and settle the balance of the account.

  I am, dear sir,

  Your obliged, humble servant,

  D Ford

  Even writing that name which I had once used so proudly, made me feel sick to my stomach.

  Kemble agreed to deliver the note and I returned to York on the Monday to pay Wilkinson the money he requested. ‘I would risk being ruined as an actress were I to play to such a milk-and-water audience,’ I told him.

  ‘You are the lucky child of fortune, caressed and nursed in the lap of Mother Nature, the reigning Thalia of our age. To your comic talent, archness, whim and fancy, I submissively bow. And I trust that you and I will remain friends, Dora?’

  I softened and gave him an affectionate hug. ‘For ever. Did you not save my family from starvation, and me from Daly by introducing me to Cornelius Swan who paid off all my debts and penalties? I have done well, thanks to his, and your, tuition and guidance. Unfortunately, my life is in turmoil at present.’

  ‘You were ever a good daughter, but Grace would be most distressed to see you in danger of losing all decency.’

  ‘I know, and it is a situation only I can resolve.’

  As we again dined with him that evening, John Kemble suddenly changed his mind. He decided that the agreed thirty guineas he’d asked for to play Othello was insufficient and demanded a share of the profits, something he knew I often received.

  ‘Stab me if I’ll not agree to such blackmail,’ Wilkinson cried, although I heard later that when the evening in question arrived, he backed down at the last moment rather than risk a riot in disappointing his audience. Kemble came out of the deal with a pocketful of cash.

  Richard and I went on to Newcastle, barely speaking, but that engagement too fell through as Kemble had failed to inform his brother of the change in plan. I might have sued Kemble myself, but was wearied by it all, and only too thankful to return home. I had far more important matters on my mind.

  By the time we arrived back in London I was convinced that Richard never would marry me, so I asked him outright. ‘I have fought you long and hard over this matter for my children’s sake, and for the security of their future. But you have made it perfectly clear these last weeks that any hope of marriage between us is virtually nil. Am I correct in this surmise?’

  He gave one of his exasperated sighs. ‘Dora, I will not tolerate constantly going over this old ground.’

  ‘Thank you, that tells me all I need to know.’

  ‘That you should have so little faith in me is despicable.’

  ‘What faith can I have after you have treated me so reprehensibly?’

  ‘I refuse to be bound at your say so. And it is equally iniquitous that you should consider yourself free to leave if I do not fall in with your demands.’

  ‘I have no wish to leave. If you could think me worthy of being your wife, no temptation would be strong enough to detach me from you and my duties. But if I am doomed to be a gentleman’s mistress and never a wife, let it be with one who treats me more fairly.’

  On the twenty-second of September I opened the new season at the Haymarket, and the very next evening the Duke and the Prince of Wales came to see me. As William was not alone he did not come backstage, merely sent a note with flowers, and yet another request to take me out to supper the next evening. This time I meant to accept, for my decision was made. I would become the Prince’s mistress.

  Three weeks later, on the thirteenth of October, the Duke drove me in his yellow carriage to Petersham Lodge in Richmond, now renamed as Clarence House. My new life had begun.

  Seventeen

  ‘. . . the best feather you have in your cap’

  ‘The question of a settlement still needs to be resolved,’ the Duke announced one day, quite taking me by surprise. ‘I may not be able to offer to make you my wife, but I am anxious to protect you in every other way.’

  ‘I am no Mrs Robinson, or Mrs Crouch, who would give her favours casually and then argue over the spoils,’ I tartly responded.

  ‘I do not suggest otherwise, but I mean our relationship to be a lifetime commitment. Therefore you deserve the very best consideration and to be properly provided for. I have told my brother all about you in this letter. Here, I will read to you what I said:

  You may safely congratulate me on my success: everything is arranged. They never were married. I have all the proofs requisite and even legal ones . . . On your way to Windsor come here Sunday . . . I am sure I am too well acquainted with your friendship to doubt for a moment you will, my dear brother, behave kindly to a woman who possesses so deservedly my heart and confidence . . . Mrs Jordan through a course of eleven months endless difficulty, has behaved like an angel.

  It was more than I had hoped for, although I was aware that the Duke’s involvement with his elder brothers was a costly exercise, as they were both seriously profligate. Yet how could he resist their charms when he so enjoyed their company, even if it did lead him into sharing their bad habits? ‘Can you afford to do so?’ I tentatively enquired, and his smile was reassuring.

  ‘My brother is the one with debts, not me. George believes that princes should not concern themselves with money.’

  ‘An interesting philosophy,’ I wryly remarked.

  ‘For my part, I do not entirely disagree as we are surely entitled to a little pleasure as well as public duty. And we have fine houses to maintain, are required to dress in the height of fashion, so is it not proper for us to have expensive, sophisticated tastes? But I could not begin to compete with the Prince of Wales in his spendthrift ways. I find costs and expenses do tend to rise at an alarming rate, but whenever I express concern over George’s gambling, or the size of his liquor bill, he simply laughs.’

  I frowned. Hating debts as I did I could only hope it was not a trait that William would follow. ‘Does the Prince make no attempt to resolve the problem?’

  ‘Shortly after we left the navy, I agreed to join my two brothers in the Antwerp loan, which was meant to provide us with 3,600,000 guilders on the security of George’s Duchy of Cornwall and Frederick’s Bishopric of Osnaburg. The King got wind of this extraordinary, and I admit possibly scandalous, transaction and put a stop to it. The result was a loss to those bondholders who had already paid, a most disappointing outcome for all concerned. The King soundly scolded us, in particular me, since I didn’t even have the excuse of huge debts, as did the other two.’

  ‘And now the King has granted you an income of your own.’

  ‘Indeed he has, and I sincerely believe that I can live within it. I am certainly determined to do the right thing by you, Dora. You shall have an allowance of o
ne thousand pounds a year.’

  I was stunned by this generosity. ‘Goodness, that is far too much. I do not need such a sum, not if I’m earning money from my career. You have no objection to my continuing with that, have you? Sheridan has already urged me to do so, otherwise people would soon forget all about me, and it would be lost.’

  ‘No objections at all. I should think you would be as lost without the theatre, as the theatre would be without you, dearest Dora. And I shall be there with you to share the fun. But if you do not need all the allowance for your own use, then secure a portion of it on your children. You cannot depend upon Ford to maintain them. I have already discovered that the fellow thinks only of himself, and his career in the law.’

  It crossed my mind that Richard might have written to the Duke demanding recompense for having been deprived of his domestic bliss. Had I been traded like horse flesh? I wondered. Would Ford suddenly rise in his chosen profession? I thought it best not to ask, and instead merely thanked the Duke for his thoughtfulness.

  ‘How kind you are to me, William, that is exactly what I shall do. The children shall have five hundred and fifty pounds a year, and I shall also set up a trust fund in their names, giving them all of my savings. More than anything I want my daughters to have substantial dowries to offset the disadvantages of their birth.’

  William beamed. ‘Splendid! Although with their beauty, and you for a mother, I doubt they will be greatly hindered by that.’

  Leaning close, I kissed him on each cheek. ‘You are the sweetest man. I shall make certain that the children are properly provided for. In addition I intend to assign Hester a small personal allowance of fifty pounds. We thought it best that they live with her, and for the present they will remain at Somerset Street. But I intend to find them a more convenient house, with fewer memories. Richard seems to have no wish for the responsibility, and Fanny isn’t even his.’

  The Duke had, of course, by now learned the full story of how Daly treated me, and had been appalled by it. He fully understood that Ford, being the selfish man he was, would not give Fanny the care she deserved. This concern showed in his face.

  ‘Are you sure that is what you want, dearest? They can come here, if you wish. I love children and would not oppose such a plan.’

  ‘Hester has made the offer, and, forgive me, William, but I think it more fitting for them to stay with her. You are a prince of the realm, and I hope we will have children of our own one day. I would not dream of asking you to take on the responsibility for my other children as well.’

  ‘Whatever you say, Dora dear. As their mother it is for you to decide. I am content to go along with whatever you wish.’

  I could only smile at his generosity. ‘Besides, in view of the long hours I spend in the theatre my sister has been their main carer since they were born, so they love her dearly. You would not object to my spending time with them, would you, William?’

  ‘Indeed not, my dear, I shall come with you. We will have a great fun together.’

  ‘Look at him, sailing boats in the bath as if he were a boy still,’ I laughed. ‘But then he had such a stark childhood himself he fully intends to provide all the love and happiness to his own children that he never received.’

  ‘He is clearly a good man, Doll, to be showing such kindness and consideration to these children who are not his own. I too promise to care for them as you would yourself.’

  Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought of how many times in the past I had sacrificed spending time with my darling children simply in order to earn a living for us all. A part of me longed to devote myself to motherhood, and yet I dare not relinquish my independence in order to do so. Everything might be fine right now, but who knew what lay ahead on the stony path of life? I shook away any sense of regret and thanked God for a loving, generous-hearted sister. Despite her failings, her criticisms and petty jealousies and sharp tongue, Hester was always on my side. ‘Dodee and Lucy are too young to notice the change in their lives, but how has Fanny taken to the idea?’

  Hester pulled a wry face. ‘You know little Fan, she ever has an opinion on everything, and feels deeply affronted to be left out of what she deems to be an exciting change in your life.’

  My heart sank. Had Richard Ford kept his word, my girls would not now be in this delicate situation. Hearing her name mentioned, Fanny left the game of soldiers which was now engaging them, and came to lean against me, putting on her most wheedling tone.

  ‘Mama, may I come and live with you and the Duke at Clarence House? You told me that Richard Ford was not my real papa, that he is far away across the sea, so can I have the Duke, instead? I like him, he’s funny and kind.’

  ‘Now that you are a big girl, are you too big for a cuddle?’ I asked, and with a little smile she shook her head. I lifted her on to my lap and gave her a hug, as my own mother would do with me whenever I was upset. ‘I was hoping that you would help Aunt Hester to look after the two little ones here. You can understand what a great responsibility that is for her, and they will need a big sister to look up to and show them how things should be done.’

  Fanny thought about this quite seriously for a moment. ‘Lucy can be very difficult when she is hungry and cross. And Dodee had a shocking tantrum the other day, but I was able to calm her with a kiss.’

  ‘Well, there you are then, you are needed here, to help Hester. And I shall call in every day, of course, to see you all, and play with you.’

  ‘Every single day?’

  ‘Every single day.’

  ‘And you’ll read us a story or sing us a song before you go to the theatre?’

  ‘I will, sweetheart. And you can come and stay at Clarence House sometimes, for little holidays. How would that be?’

  ‘Ooh, that would be lovely.’ Satisfied, she wrapped her arms about my neck and kissed me, then ran back to the game. I turned to Hester with a small sigh of relief. ‘She will be fine now. Has Richard asked to have the children, or visited perhaps?’

  ‘He came to see Dodee and Lucy, but refused to see Fanny, which again upset her.’

  ‘Does that man have no heart?’

  ‘I should say not. He is too relieved to be free of the expense of raising them, more than ready to leave it all to you and the Duke.’

  ‘We will change their names back to Jordan, I think. I certainly have no wish for them to bear Ford’s any longer. So long as we keep further scandalous comments out of the press, all will be well.’

  ‘Too late, The Times had great fun at the end of October. Listen, I kept it for you.’ She pulled a cutting from her sewing bag and began to read. “A certain Duke held a private party, and the names of the guests were Priscilla Tomboy, Miss Prue, Master Pickle, Miss Viola, Signora Hypolita, a country girl, a Virgin unmasked and Miss Hoyden. Although the porter swears he only admitted one lady!” What think you of that?’

  She giggled, and even I, the subject of this pillory, could not resist a smile at the wit. ‘They have at least advertised all my best roles.’

  ‘They did miss out Harry Wildaire in The Constant Couple. Not as good as Farquhar’s other plays, The Recruiting Officer or Beaux’ Stratagem admittedly, but you always play that part well, I think. I particularly enjoy your expression of complete shock and embarrassment when you discover that Angelica is not the prostitute you were led to believe.’

  I shared her laughter, my own bubbling up as it so often did on stage. ‘The Duke enjoys seeing me in all my cross-dressing roles.’

  She was suddenly serious. ‘What of the King, what does he think of all this?’

  ‘Apparently, His Majesty is entirely sympathetic. He appreciates that as the Duke is unlikely to reach the throne, and yet cannot choose a wife freely because of the Royal Marriages Act, he deserves a comfortable domestic life. He wishes us both well and many years of happiness.’ I clutched her arm as I tried to restrain a fresh onslaught of giggles. ‘When William wrote to tell me this, he said that the King’s response went something
like this . . .’ and I perfectly mimicked the King’s tone of voice, or how I imagined it would sound. ‘. . . You keep an actress, keep an actress, they say.

  ‘“Yes, Sire,”’ William replied.

  ‘“Ah, how much do you give her, eh?”

  ‘“A thousand a year, Sire.”

  ‘“A thousand? A thousand? Too much, too much! Five hundred quite enough, quite enough!”’

  Hester was bent double with laughter by this time, but then sobered quickly. ‘We really shouldn’t mock the King. And what did you say?’

  ‘I tore a strip from the bottom of a playbill where it says: “No money returned after the rising of the curtain”, and sent it back to William. He says he laughed till he cried.’

  Hester hugged me close. ‘Oh, Doll, you seem so much happier, so relaxed.’

  I felt as if I were glowing with happiness as I looked again at where the Duke was now crawling about the drawing room on his hands and knees, firing miniature brass cannons at my little daughters, who, in fits of giggles and excitement, were happily firing back. It was a magical, family scene, and I loved him for it.

  ‘I am the happiest woman in the world. It took me no more than a matter of days for the affection I felt for him to turn to love. He is the dearest man.’

  ‘Let us hope this time you are lucky, and it lasts.’

  ‘Amen to that, sister dear.’

  There were still arrangements to be made, as William and I had had little time thus far even to discuss the fine details of our coming life together. ‘I fear that I find myself in need of a carriage,’ I was obliged to say to him one day, hating to be put in a position that I had to ask anything more of him. ‘Since the one I shared with Mr Ford I have left to his use entirely.’

  ‘Whatever possessed you to be so generous with the cad?’