TALBOT4851

Lacock Abbey
Thursday July 27^th

My dear Henry

Thank you for both your letters. – I was glad to find from your first that Nichole ¹ was come back & that you had begun to teach M^r Fellowes ² – Of course this will keep you in Town some time – & prevent your wanting me at present (I mean next week) to set off house hunting with you – Could you not allow me to go with the children ³ for a few days to Marle Hill ⁴ – & have the great pleasure of meeting my dear Marian ⁵ whom I have not seen for the last eight months? On Thursday the 3^d my Uncle & Aunt ⁶ could receive me – Marian goes the day before or that day. I dare say Miss King could remain at Bowood ⁷ till after my return, or if not convenient to Lady Lansdowne, ⁸ she can come here all the same on the 1^st of August as I (which is the day I propose to fix with her) & pass a few days in solitude – no misfortune I should consider, at this time of the year, with plenty of books to divert her – I did go to Bowood last Tuesday & by invitation joined their dinner at 3 o’clock – Lady Kerry ⁹ was there & Mary ¹⁰ to meet her cousins – They were exceedingly happy running about with her for about two hours – attended by Mary’s Bonne – Ela found the inconvenience of not being able to speak french [sic] when Mademoiselle addressed her – Afterwards they drank tea – & when the gold fish had been duly admired, we drove home again – The weather was beautiful – fine but not oppressively warm. – I think the children are well pleased with the thoughts of a governess – though not over anxious for her arrival – I don’t think they are quite so eager for novelties as they used to be – which I am glad to see. – They were a good deal surprised to find that they had seen Miss King at Bowood & that she had not been pointed out to them as being their future governess – I also saw her & settled everything according to Lady Lansdowne’s advice – I have also laid my plans at home satisfactorily – & have fixed upon the Tower room as their school-room at first – But everything must be changed bye & bye to suit the general convenience – & that of Horatia ^<11> in particular who would not like her room to be traversed twenty times a day by the tenants of the said school room –

I shall hope for your answer (about my going to Cheltenham), on Saturday that I may write to my Aunt by that day’s post –

Your affectionate
Constance. –

H. F. Talbot Esq^re
31 Sackville Street
London