Brighton Rumours | 25/5/77- Xmas 1677

[Defiance]

(Thought this went up already!)

 

• Lady Neuville wore a kilt, scandalously showing her calves and ankles. Her husband was seen exploring the red stockings of another though. Was this why she was seen swimming in the sea with another lady, rumoured to be a former mistress of the duke of York?
  
• Lady Hawker was not seen for most of the sea side trip, forgetting her charge of Lady Sophia who seemed to have an unwise flirtation and attachment to a certain Life Guard.
  
• Speaking of skinny dipping, the royals were not averse to it either. York is said to have blocked part of the beach for his private entertainment with his mistress, while the King did the same at the last night in Brighton with Lady Alyth, showing that debauchery is still alive and well at court. The Queen and her sister in law are said to be incensed at the public nature of such indiscretions.
  
• Lord Chichester has not been seen since leaving Brighton. There are whispers that he has been sent from court or to the Tower. It was known that there were Life Guards at his house in Brighton.
  
• FitzJames was seen kissing Countess O'Roarke and embracing his sister heartily, but left with her grace the Duchess of Monmouth. Sir Francis left with the Duchess of Richmond, and she was seen leaving Buckingham's early in the morning. Perhaps she visited with her aunt, or perhaps she truly enjoyed the young baronet. All were moving up in the world.
  
• The King did it again. With a great flair for show he declared marriages for Lady Diana Howard with John Butler, the Earl of Gowran.
  
• The Countess of O'Roarke and the Earl of Middlesex were involved in a poetic contest of some sort. Spoken only in whispers is the tale that the Earl of Middlesex was secretly married to his nemesis, the mistress of the Duke of York, late after the drunken revels on the beach. Many parties are going to great lengths to deny it, but royal sources suggest otherwise. Is this what killed the Earl of Dorset? Were the urgent letters sent to Canterbury only about the passing of Dorset?
  
• Two young lords, Lord Osborne and Lord Beverley, were brawling over Lady Davina Wellsley. After knocking down Lord Osborne in a fisticuff, Lord Beverley left the party with Mrs Hughes, the common-law wife of his master, while Baintree challenged Osborne on account of having dishonorable intentions towards his sister.
  
• Don Juan of Spain was poisoned, and barely lived. Who of his enemies attempted this assassination at the King's court?
  
• Lady Isabelle was seen leaving the King's house early in the morning. Was she with the ladies of the Queen or was there something more?
  
• The Earl of Basildon has grown into somewhat of a sedate creature. He was seen in the hot baths late at night, shocking his libertine friends by loving his wife, despite the wide selection of court beauties in attendance. In certain circles a little comedic reenactment of their joining illustrated that at least one libertine had been privy to it.
  
• Master Lucas Cole is most crass and ill-behaved when drunk, speaking some obscenities to Master Murray, who surely has very poor taste in gentlemanly friends.
  
• Lord Dunrara was seen walking back into town in the morning. There was a certain suggestion that he had enjoyed some drinking with another gentleman.