The Tattler - April 1802 It wouldn't surprise you, gentle
readers, to learn that Dermott Ramsay, the earl of
Bathurst and favorite of all ladies, married or otherwise,
has a new paramour. What may surprise you is her name. For
she is none other than Isabella Leslie! The same beauty of
the sizable inheritance who prefers not the ton but books,
maps, and the family shipping business. You may wonder how
a picture of innocence ended up in the arms of a
libertine. Truth to tell, Isabella had to flee from her
scheming relatives in the rain-soaked night and seek
refuge in London's most infamous brothel. There, with the
help of the madam, she devised an unorthodox plan to
escape a dreaded marriage bed. She would simply have to
become unmarriageable—even if it meant public ruin. And
who better to utterly ruin her in a mere week than a
handsome rake famous for seductive skills? But gossip has
it that Dermott may be developing a tendre for his
temporary mistress. It makes for the most delicious
speculation, does it not? For if it indeed is the case,
what will happen when their week of pleasure is over? We
urge you, dear readers, to do as we do—follow the affair
closely, and with every hope that it will turn into this
Season's most delicious scandal.