Great Stuart Street. ^<1>
Friday Dec^r 7^th

My dear Henry –

I wonder whether you have heard from Lady Ilchester ^<2> within the last day or two? – If so, she will have communicated to you the news which reaches me today through Harriot Mundy ^<3> – namely her intended marriage with Lord Hylton, late Sir W^m Joliffe [sic] –^<4> In one way I and the rest of us feel no surprise, as we always said Lady Ilchester would & should re-marry – but we scarcely thought it would be so soon – Harriot wishes she had deferred the announcement until the 2 years of her widowhood had expired – but I doubt whether such delay would have prevented the news from oozing out in some other more objectionable way – I think she was right to acquaint her own relations with the fact, as soon as consent was given. In my opinion Sir W^m Joliffe (or rather Lord Hylton) is too old for her – Her restlessness would be more congenial to a man ten years younger, or even still nearer her own age. Nevertheless I am very glad she is going to have some interest in life, some one to care for besides herself – when at Lacock the other day, we all observed with regret that she was so much taken up with her own ailments, both real and imaginary – We have written so frequently, that I have nothing to add today, except that the weather is rough – the wind rose very high last night and it rained a great deal in squally fashion – Towards sunset the sky cleared & the pavement dried, but the air feels colder –

I enclose a little scrap of information for Wilkins ^<5> about Felt Boots –

Your affectionate
Constance

Is Charles’s ^<6> new lodging 10 or 18 in Sackville St? he wrote it one way & corrected it so that it was not clear which he meant.

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Notes:

1. 13 Great Stuart Street, Edinburgh, frequent home of the Talbots from 1863-1871.

2. Lady Sophia Penelope Jolliffe, née Sheffield (1822-1882); first m. WTHF Strangways, 21 July 1857; second m. 1^st Baron Hylton. Her intended second marriage (19 January 1867) dates this document to 1866.

3. Harriot Georgiana Mundy, née Frampton (1806-1886), WHFT’s cousin & sister-in-law.

4. William George Hylton Jolliffe (1800–1876), 1^st Baron Hylton, Conservative MP.

5. George Wilkins (b. 1814), gardener at Lacock.

6. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.