He was not without wit; he wielded some influence; but the nobility were inclined to despise him. It was for this reason that Anne Vane selected him to take the place with the Prince which had been Lord Hervey’s, for he was just the man Hervey would despise most, and to be replaced by him would be an additional insult.
Frederick liked George Bubb Dodington as soon as he met him in Anne’s apartments. He called him affectionately Bubb and proceeded to win money from him. Bubb seemed to be delighted to lose to the Prince; money spent in this way seemed a good investment; and as the Prince was always short of it this seemed a basis on which to build the friendship between them.
Frederick was entertained at the Hammersmith villa and was deeply impressed by the magnificence of it. Bubb, large, fleshy, vulgar, not without wit, and humble to his Prince, was the right antidote to languid Hervey.
On his first visit to La Trappe, Bubb made sure that the occasion should be impressive. He himself greeted the Prince and led him up the marble staircase to the marble and lapis lazuli gallery, and presented to His Royal Highness Mrs Behan his mistress who was as sumptuously gowned in rich brocade and jewels as the Queen might have been for a state occasion and even the Prince was dazzled.
Anything that could have been crowded into the mansion had been brought there, except good taste. All Bubb wanted to say to the world was: See how rich I am. Anything I want I can buy.
With Mrs Behan twittering her delight and the sweat gleaming on Bubb’s fleshy face, Frederick was delighted to give such pleasure.
How different from Hervey who always pretended that he were bestowing a favour.
The banquet was served on gold plate with Bubb and Mrs Behan insisting on waiting on the Prince themselves, for, as Bubb said, if it were possible to pay someone enough to do this honour he would willingly, but he reckoned that only the host and hostess should wait on the Prince of Wales.
With Anne beside him Frederick enjoyed the banquet and all the sycophantish laughter every time he made a joke.
It was a most successful evening and when he won several hundred pounds from his host at cards, it grew even more so.
‘I hope,’ declared Bubb when he escorted the Prince through the lapis lazuli and semi-precious stone studded gallery to his carriage, ‘that Your Highness will continue to honour La Trappe.’
‘You may ask me again,’ Frederick told him. ‘I shall be happy to come.’
And he and Anne, embracing in the carriage which took them back to St James’s, agreed that it had been a delightful evening.
‘I think Bubb is a much more pleasant friend than Lord Fanny,’ whispered Anne.
And they laughed together at the antics of Lord Fanny; and Frederick said that he would spend his winnings in buying a piece of jewellery for his dearest Anne.
At La Trappe, Bubb was sprawling in a chair almost bursting out of his brocade jacket.
‘All went well,’ he said.
‘It couldn’t have been better,’ agreed Mrs Behan, perching on his knee.
It’s only the beginning.’
‘Don’t lose too much to him at cards.’
‘It’ll be worth every penny I lose. When did you know me not to get value for money?’
‘The best of us can be caught.’
She was very specially privileged and very determined to see that he was not robbed. In fact she was really his wife although the world thought she was his mistress. That was a necessary subterfuge because he had once become deeply involved with a woman named Strawbridge to whom he had promised marriage. He had been foolish enough to give her a bond for ten thousand pounds which she could turn into cash if he ever betrayed her by marrying another woman.
Mrs Behan was a sensible woman. She didn’t consider the standing of wife to be worth ten thousand pounds, particularly when she had attained that position in fact.
So she was known as his mistress and would be until Mrs Strawbridge no longer existed to plague them.
Therefore to her Bubb could discuss his future plans with the utmost freedom.
When Hervey came back to London and called on the Prince of Wales it was a great shock to be met with the statement that the Prince was unable to see him. And the shock grew greater when he was informed that if he cared to wait in the anteroom with others who wished an audience it might be that his Royal Highness would favour him.
Hervey went white with rage.
‘Does His Highness know that it is Lord Hervey who waits on him?’
His Royal Highness did know, but it made no difference.
He saw the Prince come out of his apartment in the company of Miss Vane and a vulgar person of immense bulk, dressed—or rather overdressed—in brocade and embroidery, with jewels, someone whose name he did not know and, except for the fact that he was in the company of the Prince of Wales, would not have wished to know.
‘Who is the tradesman with the Prince?’ he asked. ‘A merchant in rich materials obviously.’
‘No, my lord,’ was the answer. ‘It is the Prince’s friend, Mr George Bubb Dodington.’
‘Bubb Dodington!’ cried Hervey, looking as though he were going to faint. ‘I never heard of the creature.’
Then he walked soberly away. What had happened during his absence? He knew that he had been a fool to stay away so long.
The situation became clearer to him every day. He was no more than an acquaintance to the Prince, who greeted him civilly when they met but showed no desire to be alone with him.
It was intolerable. That he, the elegant wit, could be replaced by that ... buffoon! It was unendurable. He knew who was behind this. He had seen the malice in her eyes. She had arranged this out of pique. Because he had ceased to become her lover, because he had shown no resentment that Frederick was, she had sought to take her petty revenge.
Well, she should see what happened to those who dared behave so to Lord Hervey.
The Prince’s Mistress
IN the Queen’s apartment the company were playing quadrille. Caroline had no wish to join. She was a little tired, though determined that none should guess it. Mrs Clayton was hovering, but the Queen could not bring herself to look at her attendant—and friend.
The relationship between them had changed subtly since Charlotte Clayton’s discovery of what ailed the Queen. Charlotte never referred to this as she knew well that it was the Queen’s wish that she should not; but it was there between them. Charlotte had a great many humble relatives and it was one of her hobbies to find places for them.
The Queen sighed. It seemed that since the discovery Charlotte had brought forward a greater number of indigent relatives. ‘Your Majesty, my niece ... my nephew ... my cousin ... would like this or that....’
There was no threat. How could there have been? How could Charlotte blackmail the Queen? Besides, there was great devotion between them. But Caroline always saw that Charlotte’s wishes were gratified; and Charlotte enjoyed playing the benefactress in her impecunious family, for that must have been very pleasant to a woman who craved for power. Craved for power? Did she? As any would. She was regarded, through her place at Court, as the head of her family; and clearly she enjoyed it.
And in her heart Caroline knew that what Charlotte asked—in reason—would be hers because of the secret they shared.
Henrietta Howard was restive. She was always restive nowadays. She had no longer any desire to stay at Court. It was true her position was growing more and more humiliating. The King still called at her apartments precisely at the hour he always had. But he spent the time in abusing her, telling her of his dissatisfaction with her. Poor Henrietta! She was longing to escape. Where to? That scoundrel of a husband of hers who was being paid by the King to allow his wife to stay in the Queen’s employ? A very uneasy position for everyone. And the King was casting covetous eyes on silly little Lady Deloraine who was governess to Mary and Louisa. She was an extremely pretty woman and had a connection with royalty because her husband’s father had been Charles II’s illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. A sad position for Henrietta, who was no longer even the King’s mistress; and who should have left Court long ago and would have done so if the King had been helped to break a habit of years standing.