Markeaton <1>
Friday Sepr 16 –
I suppose dear Henry you will be expecting to hear from me again, though I have writ to you since I heard from you. – This morning’s post brought me a letter from dear good Horatia <2> – & I thought she would write to me after her arrival at Leamington. – Uncommunicative as all your family are, you are not quite so bad as even Horatia herself supposes – for she actually imagines me to be in ignorance of her intended trip to Leamington & anticipates my surprise on beholding the date of her letter! She gives a tolerable account of Caroline <3> under her present circumstances – she seems to be recovering her strength as well as can be expected – but he Horatia says, what I feared must inevitably be the case, that the disappointment of her hopes has is a source of great grief to Caroline & the event itself <4> is the more disheartening from the impossibility of assigning discovering its cause. I suppose you will soon be turning your thoughts if not your steps in the direction of Markeaton, but I hope you will not hurry on my account, as I am afraid you will not like to stay long when you do come, & I am sure I am a comfort to my Sisters. <5> – But don’t fancy I mean to be unreasonable, or wish to stay longer than you quite like to spare me – only I find the minutes & hours slip away so dreadfully fast, that I fear the month will be gone, before I am half ready to follow it. – Ela <6> too is looking so well, & grown so rosy since she came that I am sure the air agrees with her & I am anxious she should have as much of it as possible. – You will be quite delighted to see her so much improved. – No more teeth have yet shewn themselves & no more words have escaped her lips, unless by mere accident. – Her little cousin <7> comes today to remain here, & I have some hopes that he may encourage Ela to speak – for I have already discovered that she is anxious to do everything which he does – I went to see the W. Mundys <8> at their own abode on Monday & remained all night, at their earnest entreaty. – Very much I enjoyed my little visit & should have been tempted to stay another day had I not been previously engaged to dine with my Uncle & Aunt Newton <9> on that very Tuesday. – So you see that I am excessively gay. – Yesterday morning we spent in shopping at Derby – & today I am going with one of my Sisters to return the visits of one or two old friends who live at the entrance of the Town – Several neighbours have called upon me – it is a civility which I ought to have expected, but it is rather troublesome, as it demands a suitable return. – Wednesday being my Brother’s birthday we celebrated it by inviting to tea the old housekeeper (Mrs Edgar) & Miss Snow a lady who once filled the office of governess to my Sisters in their most juvenile days – This lady has just been teaching some new & fascinating work to Marian & myself. Marian has lately become possessed of a little garden-carriage which I think I told you was expected. She finds it very easy & comfortable – it is drawn by a little Donkey & carries her to any part of the garden or grounds which she chuses to visit. – She is infinitely warmer moving about or even sitting still in the Said carriage, than she used to be when reposing in the open air in her Cowes chair – We read aloud & work & walk & occupy ourselves most indefatigably – & yet I am not rarely more tired than I used to be when at home, doing nothing at all particular. – Tomorrow morning I have an appointment in the Village at eight o’clock to see the assist at the manufacture of some curds – All the people of the village & environs are so delighted to see me among them again that I ought to become suffused with blushes –
I think it is right just to inform you that my Sisters & I propose changing our mourning <10> on Sunday next – to<11> lay aside our crape, & ch exchange our black gloves for grey [illegible deletion] ones – You will perhaps like to do the same, but if more convenient to wait till you join us here, you will have no difficulty in procuring grey gloves at Derby – Ela will wear colours, as her cousin is going to do so – My Sisters send their love –
Ever dear Henry your affectionate
Constance
Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Markeaton Hall, Derbyshire, NW of Derby: home of the Mundy family.
2. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
4. A miscarriage.
5. Laura Mundy (1805– 1 September 1842); Emily Mundy (1807– 5 November 1839); Marian Gilder, née Mundy (1806 – 14 October 1860); m. 6 August 1844 William Troward Gilder (d. 1871), Army Surgeon (ret).; WHFT’s sisters-in-law.
6. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.
7. Francis Noel Mundy (1833–1903), WHFT’s nephew.
8. Harriot Georgiana Mundy, née Frampton (1806-1886), WHFT’s cousin & sister-in-law; and her husband, and William Mundy (1801-1877), politician, WHFT’s brother-in-law.
9. Eleanor Newton, née Stephenson (1788-1880), wife of Sarah Leaper Newton's brother, Robert Newton Leaper-Newton (1775-1846); she continued to live at Marle-Hill House, Cheltenham.
10. Sarah Leaper Mundy, née Newton (d. 1836), WHFT’s mother in law had died in March.
11. Text torn away under seal.