ASHLYN MACNAMARA TAKES US TO WHITE'S BETTING CLUB

One standard haunt of the Regency hero is his club. He often dines there. He definitely drinks and hangs out with his cronies there. He may even get into an altercation with the villain at one of these establishments. During the Regency period, a great number of gentleman's clubs existed, from the Sublime Society of Beefsteaks to better known establishments such as Boodle's or Brooks's.

The best known of all was White's. Founded in the late 1600s, it was originally established as a hot chocolate emporium. By the 18th century it had turned into a gambling house. One of its famous features is its bow window, where only the most exclusive members might claim a table.

White's - Regency Men's Club
Bow window for privileged at center 

The other famous feature of this club was its betting book. On its pages, members would wager on anything they could dream up. This might include which members of the aristocracy were most likely to marry, the outcome on the ongoing war with Napoleon, or sports. Here is a sampling:


Mr. Greville bets Lord Clanwilliam ten guineas, that Lord Stewart will be married to Lady F. Vane in six months.—June 18, 1818 [Clanwilliam paid].


Mr. Mills bets Lieutenant General Mackenzie a pony, that Lord Stewart goes to Vienna before he marries Lady Frances Vane. [Mills paid].


Lientenant-General Mackenzie bets Lord Yarmouth sixty guineas to fifty, that the Duke of Cambridge has a child before the Duke of Clarence.


Lord Sefton bets Sir Joseph Copley fifty guineas, that Lisbon and Cadiz will be in Buonaparte’s possession on or before the first of April next.—Jan. 17, 1809 [Copley paid.]


Some of the wagers were ridiculous. Lord Alvanley, of the privileged inner circle who was admitted to the bow window, is said to have once bet a friend £3,000 on a raindrop.

I took inspiration from this frivolous bet in the opening chapter of my Regency A TALE OF TWO SISTERS. My novel opens with the hero about to wager against his best friend on something ridiculous when he learns, through the reading of the betting book, that something even more serious might be about to occur. Here's an excerpt:

William Battencliffe wagers five thousand pounds that Miss Julia St. Claire will become the next Countess of Clivesden.


Benedict Revelstoke reread the lines in White's infamous betting book. What the devil? His fingers constricted about the quill, just shy of crushing it. Right. He'd been about to lay a wager. Some idiocy, no doubt—hardly worth the bother now.


The book's most recent inscription, scrawled in such a casual hand for all the world to see, had quite driven the notion from his mind. In gold ink, no less. How fitting. Gold ink for Battencliffe, the ton's golden boy.


Upperton, his oldest friend, nudged him. "What's the matter? Your feet coming over icy all the sudden?"


Lead blocks would be more accurate, but Benedict was not about to admit to that. He laid the quill aside and jabbed a finger at the heavy vellum page. "Have you seen this?"


The page darkened as Upperton peered over his shoulder. "Clivesden? Thought he was married. And what's Miss Julia got to do with any of this?"


"I've no idea, but I intend to find out." He released a breath between clenched teeth. "Appalling how so-called gentlemen will lay bets on young ladies of good reputation."


Ignoring the jibe, Benedict turned on his heel and strode down the steps to the pavement. A glance at his pocket watch told him it was ten minutes past eleven, still early by the ton's standards. That was something. At least he knew where he'd find Julia at such an hour.


He sighed at the prospect of dodging a passel of marriage-minded misses. He'd be damned before he let some idiot besmirch her reputation.




Ashlyn Macnamara



Ashlyn Macnamara's Regency romance, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, a retelling of Sense and Sensibility—only with more love scenes, was a finalist in the 2011 Golden Heart® contest for unpublished manuscripts. It has since sold to Ballantine-Bantam-Dell and will hit bookshelves in early 2013.

 

Congratulations on your sale and release date, Ashlyn. Perhaps you'll come back nearer the publication's release for another look at A TALE OF TWO SISTERS.