Charles Whitehurst

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Short Stats

Charles Whitehurst, Viscount Langdon, Major of the Life Guard's 2nd troop

• Character Name: Charles Clarence Whitehurst
• Title: Viscount of Langdon
• Estate Name: Broadhurst
• Nationality: English
• Age: 20 (b.1655)
• Gender: Male
• Eye Colour: Dark Brown
• Hair Colour: Brown

Physical Attributes

Tall and dark, Charles is a good looking lad with an innocent air about him.

Initial Impression of Personality

One sees a good looking lad with a youthful face, though trying hard to appear older and more mature than he is. As such, he can often be overserious around those he is seeking to impress. His clothing is not particularly fashionable and he prefers to wear military uniforms to showy clothing.

Reputation

Major Charles Whitehurst of the Lifeguards, also known as the Viscount Langdon, is someone who nearly always invites an opinion due to his visibility at court. He is considered an honourable gentle lord, who as a famous horse racer has attracted the attention of the ladies.

Background

Son of a famed huntsman and King's Life Guard Officer, a man with royal connections.

Recess 1

As June 1675 appeared, Charles, like the rest of Court moved to Newmarket for the races. He followed the Duke and Duchess of Monmouth to the races, keeping company with the Duchess (Anne Scott) while the Duke fed his poor spirits with continual drunkenness and chasing every skirt available or not.

When not on duty, he practiced racing and spent more time with the Earl of Granville (who followed the King everywhere). Colonel Trentmont and a company of Life Guard also accompanied the King. Charles played cards with Trentmont, Granville, and even occasionally Monmouth and the King. Charles, not being very good at poker, promptly lost 100 pounds. As Noni had come to Newmarket to watch the races, Charles took her out for frequent walks and courted her innocently.

To the good, Charles won second place at the race, and won a purse of 100 pounds, which he used to settle his debts. Still, Charles basked in the notoriety of being a champion racer. That headiness dissipated when the Duke of Monmouth, deflowering the daughter of a local Baron, was caught, by his wife. They had separate rooms at the inn, but she had walked in to find a lost article. This set off a row that sent her packing back to London. Charles, being too sympathetic to his wife, was ordered to escort her back to London. The Duke did not wish her to turn around and come back to vex him more.

As July arrived, Noni received word that her uncle had died and she was to return to Savoy at once. Charles offered to escort her, even though traveling with an unmarried lady was unseemly, Charles knew that his potential wife was not well-suited for complicated travel arrangements and was so naïve (even more than he) that she might be cheated. So, they purchased passage on a frigate bound for Tangiers and Genoa. From there, it was overland to Turin. Along the way, Noni taught Charles French and he taught her better English.

Arriving too late for the funeral, Charles left Noni to spend time with her family. He was happy for all the introductions she made, but Charles noticed that his rank and position was impressing no one. He took this as a bad sign. Charles finally obtained a private audience with the Duchess, who grilled him about his background. She also chided him for traveling with Noni, though he assured her that he had been the perfect gentleman.

At length, the Duchess told Charles that he would have to convert to Roman Catholicism if he wanted to marry her niece. Charles explained that he could not, in good conscience, do that. He also explained that to be a Catholic lord in England meant that he could hold no offices in government and would be shunned in Lords. Recognizing that this could hurt his status (which was already lower than acceptable to her), she declared that Noni must be free to remain a Catholic, and must not convert to Anglicanism. Charles agreed to this. The Duchess went on to explain that Noni would receive a comfortable yet not overly excessive dowry. Charles knew this to mean that they were offering a smaller dowry to him. He was disappointed, but not surprised. The Duchess also professed a dislike for the Genoese. Genoa and Savoy had recently fought a war. The English were too friendly with Genoa and she indicated that if Charles could convince Parliament to impose trade sanctions or tariffs on Genoese goods, that Charles would prove himself worthy of her niece. It was clear that a condition had been placed on him, and Charles was saddened, for he knew that legislation took months and years to accomplish. That seemed too long to wait, but he agreed to try.

Charles traveled back at once to London alone. Noni was instructed to wait.

Arriving in Langdon in mid-August, Charles spent a week with his brothers. Heather also came for a visit at the same time, with her stepmother.

Arriving back in London towards the end of August, Charles reported for duty with the Duke of Monmouth. His papers had gone through and he was no longer in the Royal Dragoons, but was an Adjutant to General Monmouth. He received a correspondence from Sabrina regarding a new title that might be owing her family and he replied that he would help her.

Speaking of Silas Moorehead, the man had gone on vacation for the latter half of August. Charles was able to ingratiate himself with Moorehead’s clerk. This gained him access to Moorehead’s secret ledger. Charles found entries that proved that thousands of pounds had been looted from his own estate and others. He showed the book to Monmouth, who was uninterested. He showed the book to the Earl of Granville, who was quite interested but suggested that Charles forget about it, as the King did not like his appointees to be scandalized. Charles refused to give up, feeling that this was wrong (how he cheated each ward). Granville advised that the King would take care of things privately.

During this intervening time, Charles used the credit Moorehead had given him (for his share of Evelyn Granville’s payment) to purchase new clothing. He was certain the man would cancel those credit slips when he returned.

When Moorehead returned from vacation, he found his ledger missing and learned that Charles had it. A few nights later, Charles’ room was broken into while he was out. The ledger was taken, as well as all Charles’ money he kept in there. This left Charles virtually penniless, as well as very upset. Moorehead dismissed his clerk, who was forced to flee, but he sent a note to Charles stating that Moorehead learned that Charles had his ledger and had hired a burglar named Percy “the Monkey” to break into Charles’ room. He had used the man in the past. Percy was arrested shortly later breaking into an office in the palace and was being held in a prison cell at Whitehall by the Life Guard. This was lucky because Charles knew that when Trentmont returned with the King, he would be able to question the man.

Moorehead requested a private meeting with Charles. At the meeting, Moorehead told Charles that he held all of the cards but respected Charles’ ambition for trying to blackmail him. He offered Charles back the inheritance he stole from his father’s estate (a sum over 1000 pounds), and Heaven’s Bolt (the famous race horse) if he would sign and seal a letter stating that Moorehead was innocent of any wrongdoing (including his actions with the Hathertons and others). When Charles asked what would happen if he refused, Moorehead told him that he had been shielding Charles from the vengence of the Boyles and would do so no longer ( a threat to be sure). He also revealed that unless Charles signed the letter, he would marry Sabrina to a drunken old merchant who wanted a young wife to take care of him.

So, Charles is left with a dilemma about whether to sign the letter or not. He also needs to introduce legislation against Genoa to win Noni’s hand.

Season 2

Aide to Monmouth

It was an exciting season for Charles, full of adventure, discovery and politics. Arriving at the house of his Commander, the Duke of Monmouth, the new aide was ready for new assignments and opportunities. Instead, he found that the Duke had nothing in mind other than his personal escort of his wife, Anne Scott.

It was an awkward relationship at first. There was one night after the races at Newmarket that the couple had shared more than drinks. Charles remembered none of it, for he had fallen prey to liquor, but had awakened in her bed in a state of undress. She had been lonely as her husband ignored her in favor of his other conquests. Charles escorted her to the Charity Auction, where he saw Margery explode at the Earl of Trefor. He likewise escorted her to the Scavenger Hunt, where she gave him a bottle to destroy -- which he did dutifully. Finally, he escorted her on a Sunday picnic towards the end of the season, during which she really enjoyed herself for the first time, until Charles was almost killed by a rampaging bull. When he gained a promotion at the end of the season, and informed her of the end of his escort duties with her, she became upset.

The Courtship of Mignonette

The summer before had been spent in pursuit of the hand of Mignonette. Her aunt had laid strident conditions on his candidacy and Charles hoped to gain the support of the King in his bid. Unfortunately for Charles, a new suitor appeared on the scene, in the form of the King's bastard son, Charles Fitzcharles, also known as Don Carlos. The man proved a smooth talker and the two became rivals quickly. Don Carlos was able to spend more time with Noni, given her proximity to the Queen and the royal family.

Noni had come to leave a letter for Charles, presumably to say goodbye, when Charles asked if he could escort her back to the palace. Along the way, she confessed that she was being wooed by Don Carlos and that she liked him. Charles asked Noni if she still wished to marry him, or not. Noni replied that she was not sure. In this moment, Charles knew that he was defeated in his bid for her hand. He had not the connections of the King's son and would lose the King's support thereby.

During their walk, the couple were shadowed by an unsavory person. Charles dashed after the man, given Noni's story that she had almost been abducted by kidnappers. With luck, Charles captured the man and turned him over to the Life Guard.

Don Carlos invited Charles to clean his muddy clothing in his own suite at the palace just before the King arrived to determine the safety of Noni. The King congratulated Charles and assigned him to investigate and capture Noni's assailants.

Charles bluffed torture of the prisoner to loosen his lips. He found that the ringleader was known as Captain Payne, a gentleman highwayman staying at an inn in Chelsea. Working undercover with men of the Life Guard, Charles went to the inn and confronted the brigand. With soldiers surrounding the establishment, Captain Payne mad a daring dash through the window of the tavern, but did not elude the pursuit of Charles. Handing the man over to Trentmont, Charles was told to meet with the King.

The King congratulated Charles and told him of his promotion to Major. The news was tempered by what Charles had been expecting all along. The King told him that Noni was of his blood and could only be married for political reasons. Charles understood what the King meant. His support would go to his son, and not Charles. He told Charles to give up the suit and focus on his other duties. Being the loyal soldier, Charles agreed. The King was pleased and gave Charles a townhouse in Piccadilly Street for his loyal service.

When he went to tell Noni the news, she was upset and fled the room crying. Charles was surprised that she was surprised, leaving her in peace. They encountered each other once more in the garden, but were not alone. It was not a good encounter and Charles determined to avoid Noni in the future. It was better that way.

A Confrontation with Moorehead

Having received useful information about Steward Moorehead's embezzlement, Charles threatened to reveal all if the man would not restore monies to him stolen by the Court of Wards. After hiring his own lawyer and confronting the man one Saturday morning, Charles was able to secure more money than he could have hoped, the return of the racehorse Heaven's Bolt, and he acquired the guardianship of Sabrina Rowle. He had done this to save her from the tyranny of Moorehead's administration.

Upon receipt of the wardship, he was given her dowry of 2000 pounds and her estate's income. Having a ward unrelated by blood and near his age presented something of a challenge. In an effort to save money, he moved her into his townhouse, where he could better keep an eye on her.

Women

Apart from the awkwardness of the Duchess Monmouth and Noni, Charles had proven himself to be a ladies man, in his own way. He maintained contact with the ever moody Evelyn Granville and the dreamy Maureen Lloyd, as well as their new friend, Meg, who was the cousin of Margery. Meg proved flirtatious, which caused the Duchess to become jealous.

Under the pretense of helping her move trunks, Charles paid a visit to Sabrina Richmond, who thought to bind Charles to her purposes by seducing him. Instead, it merely scared him and sent him all but running.

After a night of cards at the home of the Earl of Chesterford, Charles found himself compelled to accompany the Duke of Ablemarle and the Earl of Trefor on their visit to a high class bordello. There he met two courtesans who took him under their wings (and between their legs) to teach him much of what a man needed to know about the female anatomy.

During the Regatta, and later at home, Charles found himself confronted by a scantily-clad Sabrina Rowle. It tested all of his self-control, for she was a beauty and would have weakened the self-control of the most pious of men. In fact, her drenched nakedness at the Regatta attracted the interest of the Duke of Monmouth.

Other women were to pass through his day to day life at court. He made a pleasant acquaintance with Frances Liddell and a less pleasant acquaintance with Julia FitzRichard and Isabeau de Vere.

Other Adventures

Charles assisted Thomas in his bid to capture Darlene's abductor by questioning the burglar known as "the Monkey." He learned the name of the French kidnapper and passed it along to Thomas.

Convincing the Duke of Monmouth to let him join his crew for the Regatta, Charles shared in the celebration of helping win the race.

In the House of Lords, Charles spoke up at last, making a plea to support the Navy Bill and to punish the French for murdering Edmund Rowe, Earl of Brigg. This won him support of the Whigs, but the critical eye of the French party at court.

Charles, near the end of the season, visited the Chancellor of England to see about the authenticity of a letter sent by King Charles I to Sabrina Rowle's grandfather, promising him an elevation in title. The results are expected to be learned next season.

Recess 2

Charles spent the majority of October following the King to Newcastle and commanding the bodyguard. Unable to resist racing, Charles entered and found himself finishing tied for third. While that would normally be great cause for celebration, given the talented competition, it demonstrated to Charles that he had grown lax in his racing skill. Perhaps the trevails of court politics and soldiering was taking a toll on his racing ability. His horse, Heaven's Bolt, was the finest horse there, in his opinion, so it reflected poorly on him. Still, he showed good sportsmanship and congratulated all the other riders, and the other winners. There would be other races to win.

Last recess, he had gambled away his purse. This season, he avoided gambling, as he avoided strong drink. He was now responsible for the King's life, and that of the royal family. As such, he needed to remain sober and dutiful. Making sure that the guards were likewise sober and alert with their charges, Charles shadowed the King whenever he was permitted. He would stand far enough away to allow the King to have private conversations, but near enough to render aid. He always kept two of his best veterans near him as well.

The opportunity to spend so much time with the King was a joyous opportunity for the young man. He was able to discern quickly who were the intimates of the King. He noted how Hortense had captured the royal eye, and could recite (if required) which nights the King spent with whom. He needed to know the habits of the King and every other member of the royal family. Likewise, his scrutiny was upon every stranger that might try and get close to his monarch.

He could not be with the King at all times, so this duty was shared with Captain Stanton and one or more Lieutenants. It became clear in time that Captain Stanton was upset that he had not been selected for promotion. Charles caught wind of things that the Captain was doing to undermine him with the men, behind his back.

Upon return to London, Charles confronted the Captain and told him that he would be dismissed if he continued to be destructive. The Captain insulted him and the two began fist-fighting until Colonel Trentmont arrived to break up the fight. The Captain was reprimanded and Charles was criticized for not showing more restraint. Things did not get much better afterward as the Colonel kept Stanton mostly with him so that Charles and Stanton would interact less.

During November, the Colonel took over primary responsibility with the King, so this allowed Charles to spend more time with practicing weapons, learning the secrets of the palace and spending time with friends. He finished furnishing the townhouse and spent some time with his ward.

In late December, Colonel Trentmont caught a serious illness and Charles was instructed to accompany the King to Windsor, with two companies of the Life Guard. Unfortunately, Captain Stanton was sent as well, promising Trentmont that he would behave.

Once at Windsor, Charles familiarized himself with the defenses and corridors of the castle. He saw to it personally to note the placement of each soldier in the palace, with a double detail on the royal quarters and a regular patrol of the most private corridors. Not only was security enhanced by placement of soldiers, but Charles expected every soldier to collect intelligence on every palace servant and guest, so that suspicious persons could be identified. People often forgot that guards were always watching and listening to things occurring around them. It was Charles' plan to use this intelligence to better protect the castle and its occupants. Everyone admitted to the castle needed to be checked thoroughly for weapons. Lords were allowed their weapons, and ladies passed unmolested.

Residence

When in London, Charles resides in Piccadilly Street.