From Emma Darwin to H. E. Darwin [5 June 1866]

My dearest body

This will be short as I am up to the eyes preparing Lizzy for her start tomorrow. She went & tore her Alpaca about 1/2 a y^d & Anne is lengthening her muslin & making a new body & so has no time. Her tousseau will be very complete, but I expect she will have the quietest of visits. Anne goes with her to Barl as lady's carriages are not to be had. I almost expect to hear that W^m is gone for you which will be very pleasant. Papa means to pay for his journey but demurs about the stay at Paris. Papa has been almost provokingly well after our return. He took his ride in the sand walk yesterday as he has to get off to rest his legs occasionally. The pony is most quiet & did not get the least impatient with going up & down. At Car. looks ill & aged since I saw her but was cheerful whenever she was not talking of Susan, whose state is so painful & suffering one can only hope it may not last long. She is going to see her soon. Mary wrote a private letter to her to say that she thought Susan's state very precarious & weaker every day, D^r Bird on the other hand says she is not materially worse.

The friendship with the Rowland W^ms is very great with Margaret. They & Arthur having been staying at L. H. P. lately. Cambridge Place is sold & Edmund is very sorry evidently. It was a foolish thing to do in such a hurry—

Good bye my dearest | E. D.

Marg^t is to visit the R. W^ms in London. I look upon it as a certainty that something is in the wind—