11 Moray Place
April 29^th

My dear Henry

I am very sorry to find (by a passage in your letter to Ela) that you have again put off your journey to Edinburgh – I am afraid therefore that I must now trouble you with several matters of business that would have been much better understood had we talked them over together – but the time is getting so very short. – We shall of course want our Carriage & horses as soon as we remove to Millburn Tower^<1> – but our old carriage is not fit for use in its present state, and I am aware that you do not consider it desirable to expend on it the sum which would be required for efficient repairs – consequently we must either buy or job a new one – The latter alternative would perhaps meet all present difficulty – and doubtless such a carriage could be hired either at Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Stirling. – Then about the Coachman – Pullen has distinctly refused to separate from his Wife, & attend on us at any place where we may require his services, unless Lucy were allowed to accompany him in the capacity of our Housemaid. – But this arrangement is impossible, situated as we are – Lucy is required to remain in charge of the Abbey: – and I confess I am a little anxious to know that this situation suits her, and that we may depend on her keeping to it, as long as we may have occasion for her services. – I suppose therefore we shall have to engage another coachman, and offer require Pullen to give his spare time to Wilkins in the garden – I do not anticipate that he can make any objection to this change, as it will be the natural consequence of his declining to leave home with the Horses – which is the thing we should have wished him to do. – Of course it will be his duty to bring the Horses to Edinburgh at any moment that we give the order, & remain with them a few weeks or so till we are suited with another man. – We have missed a good chance of engaging a very respectable married man, highly recommended by M^r Grieve. He is stable servant to M^r Borthwick, and was left in charge of Millburn Tower with his Wife – I saw them both & liked their manner & appearance. – This man had wished to leave M^r Borthwick at the Whitsun term, but has just renewed his engagement till November. – He & his family had occupied the coachman’s cottage & had all their furniture & things there still when I saw the premises –

I entreat you to come to us at once and settle all these matters – your grate will be correctly set by Banks whenever it chooses to make its appearance – Banks is experienced in such matters & can be perfectly trusted to do the work, as he has often done similar jobs in our absence. –

I wish to know on what day how soon the Cambridge vacation begins – and on what day you expect Charles to join you previous to the foreign tour – I am quite in the dark as to these various dates. – when you write to say what day I may expect you here, it will be best to mention (if you can) by what train you mean to arrive – I may then take measures for the hampers of plants which you bring, to be forwarded on to Millburn Tower without delay. –

I think you said you did receive M^lle A’s letter some time since – but was the answer lost in the fire? –

I am glad you had some rain at Lacock – I believe it is much wanted everywhere –

Your affectionate
Constance.

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Notes:

1. Millburn Tower, Gogar, just west of Edinburgh; the Talbot family made it their northern home from June 1861 to November 1863. It is particularly important because WHFT conducted many of his photoglyphic engraving experiments there. The house had a rich history. Built for Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836), an 1805 design by Benjamin Latrobe for a round building was contemplated but in 1806 a small house was built to the design of William Atkinson (1773-1839), best known for Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford. The distinctive Gothic exterior was raised in 1815 and an additional extension built in 1821. Liston had been ambassador to the United States and maintained a warm Anglo-American relationship in the years 1796-1800. His wife, the botanist Henrietta Liston, née Marchant (1751-1828) designed a lavish American garden, sadly largely gone by the time the Talbots rented the house .