Book 11: "The Courtesan's Revenge" by Frances Wilson

[kittiwake]

As a famous courtesan in Regency England, Harriete Wilson had liaisons with just about everyone who was anyone. She was born Harriette Dubouchet and it isn’t known why she changed her name to Wilson, as she isn’t known to have had a 'protector' of that name, and it seems unlikely that she did so to avoid bringing shame on the family name, since several of her sisters were also courtesans and were known by the family surname. When she was past her prime, she asked some of her former lovers to provide her with annuities to live on, and when they refused she got her revenge by writing her memoirs. Once she had finished them, she and her publisher started a blackmail campaign, writing to all the men she had been intimate with and offering to leave them out of the book for a price. The memoirs were published as a part work, with the back cover of each part listing the people she intended to feature in future parts, giving them time to negotiate themselves out if they so wished. This caused even more public fervour as they were eager to see who didn't appear as well as read about those who did. Even King George IV was implicated and he was distraught about a potential scandal about his mistress, since unfortunately Harriett had been given some of Lady Conyngham's letters to a previous lover.

A very interesting book. It sounds as if courtesan was the best career choice for a girl like Harriette, whose parents both had upper class connections but ran a stocking cleaning business, with the other choices being teaching or marriage. It's just a pity that she was so bad at managing money and didn’t have enough for a secure and comfortable life once she retired.