TALBOT2535

Hatfield House ¹
December 26^th 1832

My dear Henry

I long to hear from you, but I suppose I must take patience in a bowl, till it pleases you to write to me – I imagine you have heard from Mamma ² that after a great deal of deliberation & sundry changes backwards & forwards, it was settled we should leave the Baby ³ with Mamma, to be taken to Laycock till we go there – he had not been well for several days & we had a great deal of trouble to find him another nurse, as the Dorsetshire woman, to my great sorrow, did not agree with him – However we at last found a little Irishwoman who I hope will suit, & poor dear Mamma has had a great deal of anxiety & trouble about him, & staid several days longer in London till all this was settled – We came here on Monday, & if I did not hear from her today it was to be a sign she had left London –

We found here L^d & Lady Verulam ⁴ & a whole tribe of Grimstones of every age, bedecked with sky blue favours in honour of L^d Grimstone’s [sic] election ⁵ – She enquired very particularly after Kit ⁶ – Lady Cowley & her daughter ⁷ are also here, M^r Drummond ⁸ & M^r Sebright – they are to have tableaux next month, & pressed us very much to stay for them – they wanted L^d V. ⁹ to represent the Earl of Leicester, & me Flora M^cIvor, ¹⁰ but I do not think either would suit particularly well – they are all to be selected from Walter Scott’s ¹¹ novels. Lady Lilford could not receive us on our way, so we shall go strait to Belton on Friday – pray write to me there – give my love to Constance ¹² & believe me y^r very aff^te

Sister Caroline

Lady Katherine Grimstone is a very nice person, agreable sings & draws very well, & I should think far preferable to Lady Georgina Russell –

Addio caro ¹³