Queen Anne St <1>
Friday –
My dear Henry
I have received your enclosure, duly charged 4d – I have given all your orders to Nicole – <2> I am sorry he has not a lighter day to execute them but it is the very darkest we have yet had & we have been forced to use candles the whole of the day.– Nicole is writing to Reading for the horses as you said to meet us at Twyford. –& we shall leave Queen Anne Street at 20 minutes past 9. & Paddington at 10 –This will bring us home in good time for Ela’s <3> supper. –seven o’clock I imagine will be the latest. – If any kind friend should imagine that I shall be anxious for some dinner on arriving, pray assure them of the contrary – for I am never hungry for anything but tea after a journey. – I have got my saucepan & am delighted with it <missing text> <4>
You did put me r<missing text> in a fright by delaying so long to send the money, but I thought you could not utterly forget it. – Though my letter yesterday would seem to say the contrary. –
Your affte
Constance
H. F. Talbot Esqre
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. 44 Queen Ann Street: London home of the Mundy family and a frequent base for WHFT.
2. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.
3. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.
4. Text torn away under seal.