money was sent immediately.
Bess, relieved of her financial troubles (she too had been in debt, maybe not as a gambler but because she liked to live beyond her means) was able to live comfortably in Italy and ended up taking a house in Naples, where she was reported to have been entertaining not one but two lovers. Charlotte, the duke’s illegitimate daughter, was still under Bess’s care.
Georgiana wrote a letter to Bess trying to assure her that she didn’t believe a word of what was being said about her. Bess realised that her affairs were not as private as she had thought and had to work hard at making sure her reputation was not tarnished to such an extent that the duke and duchess dismissed her from their acquaintance (and employment). She wrote affectionate letters back to both of them and made sure she kept a lower profile while on the Continent.
In the following year Georgiana’s father died and she was feeling guilty that she had not been with him when he was ill. She poured her heart out, as usual, to Bess. And then when she and her husband went to Bath, again for health reasons, they both wrote to Bess telling her how much they missed her and how different their visit was this time round without her happy company. It was not long before Georgiana was begging her friend to return home.
While she had been in France and Italy, Bess had made several romantic conquests, one of them being Cardinal Bernis and another Count Fersen, a Swedish diplomat who had the honour of being the lover of Marie Antoinette. Bess was obviously enjoying life abroad and although she did not want to sever ties with the Devonshires, she was not ready to return to their stable. Georgiana became quite agitated at Bess’s procrastination in returning as requested, the latter claiming her health was not up to the trip and that Charlotte needed another year in which to become more refined and ladylike. Also, in one letter Bess commented that on her return the tongues would begin to wag again.
Georgiana countered this with a plan in which Bess would return home to them in England but would have her own residence where she would spend a respectable amount of time. She would no longer be Charlotte’s governess and therefore would have the freedom to be a companion to both the Duke and duchess as commanded. Georgiana could not understand her friend’s reluctance to take up such an offer.
Bess did not leave Italy until August 1784 when Georgiana finally pleaded the Duke’s ill health as a reason for her to return to them in England. When Bess arrived back she was extremely thin, to an unhealthy extent. Georgiana’s mother, who had always disliked Bess and distrusted her completely, suggested that she would do better to go abroad again, as obviously the English climate did not suit her.
Bess did become the subject of speculation, though not outright gossip. It was wondered what the nature of her relationship with the duke and duchess really was, but friends and relations of the married couple couldn’t find anything untoward happening. Georgiana did not seem to find the solace in her friend that she thought she would, and her own suspicions about Bess and the duke began to rise again. This time they were not without foundation.
After Bess returned, her thinness began to worry Georgiana and the duke so much that they took her to London to see the eminent physicians of the day. Nothing in particular was diagnosed but the general medical opinion was that Bess needed to live in a warmer climate. She was to go back to France, Paris to be exact. She was to go without Charlotte and she would have all expenses paid and a handsome allowance.
It was while she was in Paris that Bess realised she was expecting the duke’s child. It was not a welcome surprise, nor was the news that Georgiana was also pregnant again. Bess was worried about losing her friend and her reputation, and jealous at having to share the duke’s attentions with Georgiana.
Bess, relieved of her financial troubles (she too had been in debt, maybe not as a gambler but because she liked to live beyond her means) was able to live comfortably in Italy and ended up taking a house in Naples, where she was reported to have been entertaining not one but two lovers. Charlotte, the duke’s illegitimate daughter, was still under Bess’s care.
Georgiana wrote a letter to Bess trying to assure her that she didn’t believe a word of what was being said about her. Bess realised that her affairs were not as private as she had thought and had to work hard at making sure her reputation was not tarnished to such an extent that the duke and duchess dismissed her from their acquaintance (and employment). She wrote affectionate letters back to both of them and made sure she kept a lower profile while on the Continent.
In the following year Georgiana’s father died and she was feeling guilty that she had not been with him when he was ill. She poured her heart out, as usual, to Bess. And then when she and her husband went to Bath, again for health reasons, they both wrote to Bess telling her how much they missed her and how different their visit was this time round without her happy company. It was not long before Georgiana was begging her friend to return home.
While she had been in France and Italy, Bess had made several romantic conquests, one of them being Cardinal Bernis and another Count Fersen, a Swedish diplomat who had the honour of being the lover of Marie Antoinette. Bess was obviously enjoying life abroad and although she did not want to sever ties with the Devonshires, she was not ready to return to their stable. Georgiana became quite agitated at Bess’s procrastination in returning as requested, the latter claiming her health was not up to the trip and that Charlotte needed another year in which to become more refined and ladylike. Also, in one letter Bess commented that on her return the tongues would begin to wag again.
Georgiana countered this with a plan in which Bess would return home to them in England but would have her own residence where she would spend a respectable amount of time. She would no longer be Charlotte’s governess and therefore would have the freedom to be a companion to both the Duke and duchess as commanded. Georgiana could not understand her friend’s reluctance to take up such an offer.
Bess did not leave Italy until August 1784 when Georgiana finally pleaded the Duke’s ill health as a reason for her to return to them in England. When Bess arrived back she was extremely thin, to an unhealthy extent. Georgiana’s mother, who had always disliked Bess and distrusted her completely, suggested that she would do better to go abroad again, as obviously the English climate did not suit her.
Bess did become the subject of speculation, though not outright gossip. It was wondered what the nature of her relationship with the duke and duchess really was, but friends and relations of the married couple couldn’t find anything untoward happening. Georgiana did not seem to find the solace in her friend that she thought she would, and her own suspicions about Bess and the duke began to rise again. This time they were not without foundation.
After Bess returned, her thinness began to worry Georgiana and the duke so much that they took her to London to see the eminent physicians of the day. Nothing in particular was diagnosed but the general medical opinion was that Bess needed to live in a warmer climate. She was to go back to France, Paris to be exact. She was to go without Charlotte and she would have all expenses paid and a handsome allowance.
It was while she was in Paris that Bess realised she was expecting the duke’s child. It was not a welcome surprise, nor was the news that Georgiana was also pregnant again. Bess was worried about losing her friend and her reputation, and jealous at having to share the duke’s attentions with Georgiana.
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