Margaret Gainsborough

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gainsborough

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Somerset,_3rd_Duke_of_Beaufort

Mrs. Gainsborough, an extremely sweet-tempered woman, survived her husband ten years. There is a pretty anecdote that Gainsborough, if he ever had a tiff with her, would write a pacifying note, confiding it to his dog Fox, who delivered it to the lady's pet spaniel Tristram. The note was worded as in the person of Fox to Tristram, and Mrs. Gainsborough replied in the best of humors, as from Tristram to Fox.

http://www.nndb.com/people/607/000030517/

Margaret Burr Gainsborough was the illegitimate and only child of the third Duke of Beaufort. Her mother, also known as Margaret Burr, was a member of the Aikman family who were involved in the art world in Scotland as both artists, and packers and shippers of art. The firm had arranged despatch home of art works purchased by the Duke on his Grand Tour of Europe from 1725 to 1727 when he left Italy to return to his estate, Badminton near Bath. The Duke and the attractive girl presumably met and had an affair about this time as their daughter was born the following year. Margaret Burr senior appears to have died before the child turned sixteen 6. when the Duke settled on his daughter the handsome sum of £200 a year which was paid to her until her death.