The Decadent Duke by Virginia Henley
“John, you are the Duke of Bedford. On top of that, you have a dark, dangerous look about you that is rather intimidating. Because of the head steward, the men mistrust authority and the women fear it.”
He stalked from the house and returned with the understewards for a meeting in the library. Then they all left, and John didn’t come back until almost midnight. Georgina had already gone to bed, and when John joined her, he took her hand and apologized. “Some bloody wedding trip. I’m sorry, Georgy.”
“You made me the Duchess of Bedford. The welfare of our people is a shared responsibility. Please don’t think you have to shelter me from any unpleasant or sordid things that happen. My position gives me many rich rewards; it is only fair I share some of your burdens.”
The next day, one of the women told her what had happened.
“His Grace of Bedford dismissed the evil swine on the spot, m’lady, but not before he thrashed him within an inch of his miserable life.”
As Georgina digested the information, she realized she was not surprised. She’d always sensed that John was capable of violence if the circumstances warranted it.
The Duke and Duchess of Bedford were back at Woburn for only one day before young John started his summer holiday from school. Because Johnny was exceptionally clever, his teachers decided he need not write exams and gave him a passing grade in all subjects.
“I’ll have Johnny all to myself for a week before Francis and William are finished school,” Georgina said on the drive to London. “I’ll need the carriage to go shopping.”
John’s dark brows drew together. “I hope you mean shopping for yourself. I would prefer it if you didn’t spoil the boys.”
“Rubbish! I fully intend to spoil them.”
“You delight in flouting my authority. I know you are a saucy baggage, Georgy, but I won’t allow you to ride roughshod over me,” he warned.
She looked contrite. “I promise to listen carefully to all your orders and commands, Your Grace.” Unable to resist a challenge, her lips curved. “Then I shall do exactly as I please!”
“Incorrigible wench,” he muttered.
When they arrived at the house in Russell Square, John got out of the carriage. “I’ll have a footman accompany you to carry your purchases.”
She raised her chin and said pertly, “I’m not sure one footman will suffice. I have a great deal of shopping to do.”
In a few minutes the footman arrived. A maid, who curtsied and said her name was Annie, accompanied him. When the pair took their place in the carriage, Georgina smiled graciously. But inside she was seething. If he thinks I’ll tolerate a chaperone, he is deluding himself. When I return, I will speak my mind!
Georgina spent the next four hours buying books, maps, art supplies, games, and puzzles. She stopped at a confectioner’s and bought boxes of marzipan in the shapes of fruits and animals. Then she went to an emporium and bought waterproof slickers and half a dozen pairs of rubber boots in various sizes.
When she returned to Russell Square, John checked his timepiece and frowned. “You’re late.”
“How can I possibly be late when my time is my own?” she challenged. “And while we’re at it, I haven’t the faintest idea why you sent Annie along, unless it was to spy on me.”
“Georgina, it is customary for a lady to have a maid accompany her when she ventures onto the streets of London.”
“I intend to dispense with that custom immediately. I’m not a child; I’m a married woman. I don’t need a chaperone. Surely marriage has its privileges, or what’s the bloody point of my becoming your wife?” She turned on her heel to walk away.
John grabbed her by the seat of her skirt and stopped her in her tracks. “Marriage doesn’t give you the privilege of being insolent to your husband. If you’re not a child, stop acting like one,” he admonished. “Speaking of children, it’s time to pick up Johnny from Westminster. Are you coming with me?”
Georgina immediately forgot their quarrel and was overcome with uncertainty. “Oh dear, are you sure Johnny won’t absolutely hate having a stepmother?”
“Are you brave enough to find out?”
She swallowed her anxiety and turned on the charm. “With you beside me, I am courageous enough for anything.”
Georgina sat in the carriage and waited while John went inside Westminster school to get his son. When the pair emerged, their driver helped the duke load Johnny’s trunks, and then they climbed inside. Johnny looked from one to the other. “Are you really married?”
In the fading afternoon light, Georgina saw the glint in John’s eye. “For better or for worse.”
Georgina took Johnny’s hand. “Yes, we’re really married.”
“I’m so glad, but I don’t know what I should call you.”
“Lady Georgina would be best,” John said.
“Best when your father’s around.” She squeezed Johnny’s hand. “When we’re alone you can call me Georgy.”
John hid a smile. She really is incorrigible.
Back at Russell Square the three of them ate dinner together, and it was obvious that Johnny was relieved that his school term was over and excited that he would be spending the summer at his new home of Woburn.
Georgina listened raptly as he catalogued all the things he wanted to accomplish on his holidays. He was also thrilled that he would celebrate his tenth birthday in August.
“When can we go home?” he asked eagerly.
Georgina looked at John. “I vote we go tonight.”
“Me too!” Johnny agreed. “May we, Father?” John threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Since I’m outnumbered, what choice do I have?”
“Hooray! Hooray!”
Georgina gifted her husband with a radiant smile. “Thank you.”
It was late when they arrived at Woburn, and Johnny was sound asleep on the seat of the carriage. John carried his son up to bed, and Georgina helped to tuck him in.
“I’m going to bed too. Tomorrow will be a busy day . . . I can’t wait for the fun to start!”
John picked her up and carried her to their bedchamber. “You don’t have to wait until tomorrow for the fun to start. I’ve never slept with a stepmother before. A guinea says it will be a rewarding experience.”
“Bedford, you are becoming addicted to gambling!”
Chapter 29
“Are these really mine?” Johnny asked with disbelief, as he sat up in bed and gazed at the pile of books.
“Look inside.” Georgina had smuggled in the complete works of Shakespeare before he had awakened.
He opened the cover on King Henry the Fourth. “It says: To Lord John from Lady Georgina. Who is Lord John?”
“You are Lord John ... Lord John Russell. Didn’t you know?”
“I never thought about it, but since Father is a duke, we get courtesy titles. I can’t wait to tell Francis and William.”
Georgina smiled at his innocence. “Believe me, those two young devils will have been insisting on their titles with all their friends since your father became the Duke of Bedford.”
“Thank you so much for the books, Georgy. You couldn’t have given me a better birthday present.”
“They aren’t a birthday present . . . they are one of your coming home presents. Hurry and get dressed. When you’ve had breakfast, we’ll go and pick out a pet for you.”
His eyes filled with excitement. “May I choose my own?”
“Within reason. I don’t suppose your father would approve of a nanny goat running loose in the hallowed halls of Woburn, but you certainly have permission to choose any dog you fancy.”
“How about a cat? I made friends with the stable tabby cat last time I was here. She’s a lovely old girl.”
“Excellent choice. What about a name for your feline?” “Mmm, since Woburn used to be an abbey, and cats like to rule the roost, I think I shall call her the Abbess.”
Georgina laughed with delight. “You take after your father, Johnny . . . You
“During the week Johnny has been here, the two of you have become inseparable.” John lifted his wife from the saddle after she and his son had spent the afternoon riding.
“Isn’t it wonderful? I absolutely adore him.”
“The feeling is mutual. Last night when I tucked him in, he asked me if he could call you Mother.”
Aghast, Georgina’s hand flew to her throat. “I’m so sorry, John. Elizabeth will always be your sons’ mother and your beloved first wife. I would never presume to take her place.”
John’s face turned hard. “We won’t speak of her.”
Georgina hid the hurt she felt and quickly changed the subject. “Francis and William will be finished their exams tomorrow. Why don’t you go to London to get them, and I’ll wait here? It will give the three of you some private time together.”
“Thank you . . . that’s most thoughtful, Georgy.”
The next day, Georgina and Johnny were enjoying lunch in a small, private chamber adjacent to the large formal dining room. All at once the door opened and closed by itself. A minute later, a door on the opposite wall opened and closed. A look of fear came into Johnny’s eyes, and he dropped his soup spoon with a clatter. “I’ve seen doors open before . . . Woburn is haunted!”
Georgina wanted to dispel his fear immediately. “Yes, I believe we do have a ghost,” she said matter-of-factly. “But he’s quite invisible and totally harmless. When I was growing up in Scotland, we had a ghost at Gordon Castle.”
“Weren’t you afraid, Georgy?” “Not after we gave him a name. It took away his power to alarm. Why don’t you think of a name for our ghost?”
Johnny picked up his spoon and thought about it for a minute or two. “Oh, I know. Shakespeare has a wild exotic character ruled by magic and emotion. Let’s call him Glendower!”
“That’s a fabulous name, and it has a lovely Scottish ring to it. When your brothers are frightened witless, you can simply shrug and say, Oh, that’s Glendower . . . nothing to be alarmed about. He’s quite harmless.”
Johnny almost choked with laughter. “I shall enjoy having one up on Lord Francis and Lord William!”
The first few days at home, John’s two elder sons held themselves aloof from Georgina, but after she encouraged them to choose pets and allowed their pair of greyhounds to chase after them through the mansion, they began to let down their barriers.
She joined her husband and his sons when they went trout fishing in the river that ran through their Woburn land and challenged them to swimming races across the lake. She encouraged them to learn how to row a boat, construct and fly kites, and she gave them lessons in drawing and painting. By making wagers with them, they all put on rubber boots and learned how to plant and grow their own separate gardens and how to tend sheep and goats.
“At our farm in Kinrara, I was always the goat girl,” Georgina informed them. “You need eyes in your arse, because the playful little buggers love to come up behind and butt you.”
John watched in amazement as his quiet, reserved sons turned into raucous, mischievous devils who had fun from dawn till dusk. Boisterous laughter and dog barks rang through the hallowed halls of Woburn, egged on by their precocious, young stepmother. John applauded the change in his sons. It was obvious that they were more outgoing and healthier, but most important, they were happy.
Late at night, after Georgina had fallen asleep beside him, John often gazed down at her in wonder. Thank God I found her. How drab and gray our lives would be without her.
“Don’t rush off with the young devils, there’s something I want to discuss.”
Georgina sat back down at the breakfast table and fed the Abbess a morsel of kipper.
“Your birthday is July eighteenth, and I think we should celebrate the event in grand style. I believe it is high time we put our mourning for Francis aside and began entertaining at Woburn.”
Georgina was at a loss for words. Though she knew John mourned his brother, she did not, and it covered her with guilt that she had perpetuated the myth that she loved Francis. She was living a lie, and it troubled her constantly, but how could she tell her husband that she hated his brother without deeply wounding him? “It’s very generous of you to want to celebrate my birthday, John. Are you sure it’s not too soon to start entertaining?”
“Absolutely sure. From now on we will hold Francis in our hearts, rather than mourning him publicly. Make a list of those you would like at your party, and get one of the secretaries to help you with the invitations.”
“Why don’t we have two parties? One in the afternoon for all the children, and one in the evening for the adults?”
John’s lips curved with amusement. “And which party will you attend, little girl?”
“Both, of course!” She jumped up and kissed him. “The dancing will last until dawn. Are you sure you’re up to it, old man?”
On Georgina’s birthday, the carriages began to arrive shortly after breakfast. The first guests to arrive were Susan and William from nearby Kimbolton. The Duke and Duchess of Manchester brought all their children, who were soon running wild with the Russell boys. Next to arrive was Jane, Duchess of Gordon. Georgina threw her arms about her mother. “You are up early!”
“No! I’m up late . . . I haven’t been to bed yet.”
“Frightened of missing something, I warrant,” Georgy teased. “I shall turn you over to Mr. Burke, who has plenished a special chamber for you, overlooking the lake.”
“I am delighted that you are throwing a party. I hope this is only the first of many lavish entertainments hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Bedford at your magnificent Abbey of Woburn. I brought you a case of Scotch whiskey . . . Think of it as a birthday present from your father.”
“I’d rather have him, but I won’t say no to the whiskey.”
Charlotte and Charles arrived with young Charlie and Mary. A second carriage held their younger children and their nursemaids. “You have more guts than brains to invite my entire brood.”
“The more the merrier, Charlotte. Wait until I have my own.”
Mary looked aghast. “You’re not having a baby, Georgy?”
“Not that I know of. But my own children won’t stop me from loving you, darling,” Georgina assured her favorite niece.
Charlotte rolled her eyes at her daughter. “Brace yourself, Mistress Inquisitive. A baby is inevitable.”
“I fervently hope so,” Georgy murmured wistfully.
In the afternoon, Dorothy and Harriet Cavendish arrived and brought their brother Will, Lord Hartington. He was fourteen, the same age as young Francis Russell. Since both boys would be attending Cambridge in September, they had become fast friends.
VThank you for inviting us, Georgy. I’ve always wanted to visit Woburn,” Dorothy declared. “Caro sends her regrets.”
Harriet winked at Georgina. “She came down with an acute case of duchessitis. Poor child turned quite green.”
“Goose-shit green, I sincerely hope,” Georgina jested.
When her brother, George, arrived, he picked her up, swung her around, and wished her happy birthday. “Marriage seems to agree with you, or is being a duchess what makes you sparkle?”
“Marriage does agree with me—I highly recommend it. The Duchess of Devonshire’s daughters are here, if you are looking for a wife,” she teased.
“Alas, my heart is reserved for another.”
“Who is she? I promise not to breathe a word to Mother.”
“Her name is Elizabeth Brodie. She is very shy.”
“I never heard of the family.”
“Her father isn’t titled. He’s an India merchant.”
“You are most welcome to bring her to Woburn, George. John and I will keep your secret,” she promised.
Georgina turned and found her mother at her elbow. “Is there something you would like?”
“Yes, I’m off to Kinrara in a couple of days, while it is still summer. I’d like t
“Helen will love a trip to Scotland. I envy you both.”
The afternoon party was a roaring success, with the Russell boys acting as hosts. They dined outside, with tables laden with food and desserts that would appeal to young appetites. Because Georgina knew that children loved to dress up, she provided the boys with shields and wooden swords and the girls with fairy wings and magic wands. They played musical chairs on the lawn, followed by blind man’s buff and pin the fiery tail on the dragon. They had sack races and three-legged races, where Georgina tied her leg to Mary’s. They fell down no less than six times, and laughed so much, they managed to come in dead last. Then Georgina’s brother, George, led the older children on a treasure hunt.
“I didn’t realize that having uncles and cousins could be such fun,” Johnny told his father at the end of the party.
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Perhaps we can do it again on your birthday next month.” It warms my heart to see Johnny so happy. He’s been overly shy and quiet for too many years.
In the early evening the musicians arrived. While they were setting up their instruments in Woburn’s gilded ballroom, Georgina went upstairs to dress. She was sitting at the dressing table in her own bedchamber having her hair dressed by one of her new maids when John came in from the master bedchamber and dismissed her attendant. Their eyes met in the mirror.
John set three large velvet boxes before her on the dressing table. “Happy birthday, Georgy.”
Her eyes widened as she realized he was giving her the famed Russell family jewels. As she opened the boxes, the sight of the brilliant diamonds against the black velvet took her breath away. There were necklaces, earrings, broaches, bracelets, and rings. “No one has worn these in three decades, and I warrant no one as beautiful as you in a century.”