Dearest Bess - The Life and Times of Lady Elizabeth Foster Afterwards Duchess of Devonshire (Stuart Dorothy Margaret)(Paperback)

Elizabeth Foster, 'Bess' is one of the larger than life characters that occasionally flits across the pages of history. Born in 1757 as Elizabeth Christiana Hervey, the daughter of the eccentric Frederick Hervey, Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry, she led a privileged life and married John Thomas Foster in 1777. Following their separation, Foster took her infant sons from her and the distressed Bess led a bitter life, made more tolerable by the kindness and affection shown to her by her best friend, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. The friendship developed into a further intimate friendship with 'Canis' the nickname given to the Duke by Bess and Georgiana. Soon they were living in a menage a trois resulting in two illegitimate children, which Bess bore in exile in France, terrified of discovery and social ostracism. The births were successfully kept secret, and the children themselves grew up without knowing who their true mother was. The children were Caroline St. Jules, and a son, Augustus (later Augustus Clifford, 1st Baronet), who were later raised at Devonshire House with the Duke's legitimate children by Georgiana. Two years after Georgiana's death in 1806, Bess married 'Canis' and the couple lived together in happiness at Devonshire House and at Chatsworth, but the happiness was short-lived, for after only 21 months 'Canis' died. Bess spent much of the remainder of her life in Italy. Fluent in French and Italian, and living abroad for many years, Bess maintained a
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