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I had never thought I would be interested in the aristocracy surrounding the Prince of Wales during the Regency Period in England because they appear to be so shallow and superficial. But Beau Brummell, at least as portrayed by Rosemary Stevens, is anything but shallow. He is, it is true, concerned with fashion and proud to be the arbiter of fashion for the aristocracy. But he is also, partly because he is not an aristocrat, a bit of an outsider, an observer, a man who sees through the superficialities. He may be in love with two women and, we know, he has a secret, for he disappears from time to time and not even Robinson, his loyal valet, knows where he goes. He is a man of depth. Beau worships at the alter of Fredericka, Duchess of York, whose husband, brother to the Prince of Wales, flaunts his mistresses and ignores his wife. At the outset of this story, Freddie, as Beau calls her, is hosting a celebration for her birthday at her palace of Oatlands. There are several colorful guests whom Brummell meets quite early on. Roger Cranworth is with his sister Cecily. He insists that Cecily must marry a wealthy man and he especially has his eye on the Marquess of Kendrick, a childhood friend. Kendrick is present with his cousin, Ariana, who is a kleptomaniac among other things. And who can forget Chakkri, the Siamese cat who is the apple of Beauís eye in spite of the hair he sheds. On his journey down Robinson is waylaid by a highwayman and along with the clothing he was bringing, a scrapbook of Beauís was stolen. This scrapbook contained an unfortunate letter Freddie had written to Beau which could be read to infer a much closer relationship between the two than actually existed. Beau, of course, should have destroyed the letter. Now in the wrong hands it could be an ideal tool for blackmail. Beau risks his friendship with Freddie as well as his closeness to the Prince of Wales if he does not retrieve the letter. An especially grisly murder complicates the plot. The characters are entertaining and colorful although, unlike Beau, few of them seem to have much depth to them. They people a world of tinsel and shimmer and the reader can behold what Regency society was and participate in the festivities of the rich and famous for a brief moment. To remind us that everyone was not part of that world we have the Bow Street detective, Mr. Lavender, and his lovely and strong- minded daughter Miss Lavender who runs a safe home for battered women. She holds a strange attraction for Beau Brummell. The setting is sparkling, the company is witty, the history is excellent, and the story is most intriguing. Spending time in the company of Beau Brummell is a most delightful experience.
Reviewed by Sally A. Fellows, April 2002
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