Lady Worsley's Whim: An Eighteenth-Century Tale of Sex Scandal and Divorce

About this book

Their marriage had the makings of a fairy tale but ended as one of the most salacious and highly publicized divorces in history. In February 1782 England opened its newspapers to read the details of Sir Richard Worsley vs. George Maurice Bisset a Criminal Conversation trial in which the aggrieved Sir Richard attempted to sue his wifes lover for an astronomical 20 000 in damages. In the course of the proceedings the Worsleys scandalous sexual arrangements voyeuristic tendencies and bed-hopping antics were laid bare. Lady Worsleys Whim is the story of a marriage between two opposing personalities; a stoic art-collecting empiricist and a passionate romantic. Their tale is driven by the consequences of a terrible error of judgment made at a bath house on a summers afternoon. The aftermath of this whim altered their lives forever. This fascinating story has lain buried in long forgotten newspapers overlooked pamphlets yellowing satires and uncatalogued letters. No other author past or present has ever told it before. From the Hardcover edition.