TALBOT9105

21 Chesham Place
Friday July 6^th 1866

My dear Henry

You must have been dreadfully shocked at seeing in the Times the death of poor Shelbourne [sic]¹ – for you could not have heard of his sudden illness. It is dreadfully sad! He had not been in good health for some time, & they had just settled to spend the winter at Cannes – We went to Windsor on Wednesday, & slept at the Hotel, in order to be in readiness for the next day’s ceremony – so I knew nothing till I reached the reception room, when L^y Dunmore ² told me he had a stroke of paralysis on Wednesday evening, while playing at cards at White’s with M^r H. Baring. ³ He was taken home, & was then quite conscious.

The first thing we heard on our return yesterday was that he died at ½ p.12 yesterday morn^g (Mid-day I mean).

Poor Ly. L. ⁴ was at a ball chaperoning Winifrede Howard ⁵ – When she reached home he was still conscious, & remained so till 4 a. m. I wrote to Winifrede late in the day – She said her Aunt was fearfully composed – Georgina de Flahault ⁶ was coming this morning – & Louisa & M^r H. ⁷ last night. The Boys were already arrived. I shall go & enquire again7bye & bye.

Y^r aff^te
Caroline