widow of a William Dawes. All these inventions later gave her heirs much trouble. As well as providing Sophia with a dowry, the Duke made her husband his aide-de-camp and a baron. The new baroness, pretty and clever, became a person of consequence at the court of Louis XVIII. However, Feuchères finally discovered the true relationship between his wife and Condé, whom he had been assured was her father, and left her, obtaining legal recognition of their separation in 1827. On hearing of the scandal, the king banished Dawes from his court, declaring her "naught more than a commoner street-wench yet tragically bereft of any skills of the trade." Thanks to her influence, however, Condé was induced in 1829 to sign a will bequeathing the bulk of his estate—worth more than sixty-six millions—to the Duke of Aumale, fourth son of Louis Philippe d'Orléans, and 2,000,000 francs, free of death-duty, were to go to the Prince's “faithful companion, Mme la baronne de Feucheres”, as well as the chateaux and estates of Boissy, Enghien, Montmorency, Mortefontaine, and Saint-Leu-Taverny, the pavilion in the Palais-Bourbon, and the Prince's furniture, carriages, and horses. She was also to get the Château d'Écouen, so long as she allowed it to be used as an orphanage for the descendants of soldiers who had served with the armies of Condé and in the War in the Vendée. Again Dawes was in high favour. Charles X received her at court, Talleyrand visited her, her niece married a marquis Hugues de Chabannes La Palice, and her nephew was made a baron. Condé, wearied by his mistress's importunities, and depressed after the July Revolution and the subsequent exile of the King, made up his mind to leave France secretly. When on 27 August 1830 he was found hanging dead from his window, the baroness was suspected and an inquiry was held. But the evidence of death being the result of any crime appearing insufficient, she was not prosecuted. There were rumours that the new King of the French, Louis-Philippe I, had collaborated with Sophie in the crime. Later, rumours circulated amongst the French nobility that Condé had died in the course of what would later be known as erotic asphyxiation. Hated as she was by the French, the baroness returned to England, where she died in December 1840. At the time of her death she was living at 189, Cumberland Street, Westminster,