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17 September 1890 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 17th September [1890]. Up at 7. Wrote a few notes before 9 oclock breakfast. At 10.30 Henry & I went to the station to accompany H.M. to the Castle of Valmarino belonging to Ct Annibale Brandolin. H.M. & Ct Seckendorff arrived at 5 minutes before the departure of the train wh left at 10.50 & in which a carriage had been prepared which was shunted at Conegliano & took us on to Vittorio. It was a splendid day tho’ rather hot. We took luncheon with us & eat it in the train & while we were stopping at the Conegliano I warmed up some coffee. We got to Vittorio at 1.30. The sindaco & several officials met H.M.—& there were several ladies from the town amongst them being Css Sormani Moretti. A young lady also presented a banquet. The Brandolins’ little light open carriage was waiting & we got in & drove off as quickly as we could. The clouds had got up & the day cooled so we had a delicious drive & H.M. was most enthusiastic abt the beautiful scenery. Half way there we were met by Ct Brandolin & his daughter Marguerite on horseback & they rode by the side of the carriage till we got to the foot of the hill on wh the castle stands when they went on ahead & were at the door when we arrived. There we found the Countess (Ninina) & her father & Mother etc. & Mme d’Adda, little Carlino the youngest child of 2 & the German governess. We went into the drawing room & had tea & then all except Henry & Mme d’Adda went for a walk & up into the old part of the castle. We went round the hill at the back of the house & picked cyclamen & wild flowers & returned abt 5. I accompanied H.M. to the room prepared for her & helped her to take off her hat & put on her black cap or weeds—wh is a crepe & has 2 long streamers hanging down behind. We dined at 5.30. An excellent dinner & the table covered with flowers & the candles lighted. H.M. sat between the Ct & M. d’Adda next d’Adda I came then Mlle (the gov) then Ninina, Seckendorff opposite H.M., Mme d’Adda, Henry, Marguerite & then her father. We had went down again to the drawing room for coffee & sat a little while talking & at 7 I helped H.M. to put on her hat & we started off again in the Brandolins’ carriage. It was a lovely soft evening not at all cold & we went a good pace as it was all down hill. We met one cart on the road in wh the driver was asleep & our coachman had to shout at him. We found at Vittorio the station illuminated with bengal lights & a small crowd waiting to see H.M. off. The authorities were also there & made appropriate remarks. The train started abt 8.30. I warmed some coffee while we waited at Conegliano. The Venice train was a good bit behind time owing to the inundations in Austria. We reached Venice abt ¼ to 12 instead of 10.50. We were all very sleepy coming back. I accompanied H.M. in her gondola home– Lovely night & quite warm. The Du Cane girls went out in a gunboat with the Princesses under the care of Al & Mme Noce & Mr Moore. In the train H.M. talked about the terrible scandal of Lord Albert Somerset. She said it had been a great shock to the P. of Wales when he was last year at Athens. She noticed he was very depressed & when she asked him to tell her he could not get over his friend’s conduct tho’ he did not tell her what he had done. She said that the P. had asked her to be kind to Lord A. last year at Hamburg & she had often taken him out with her. She asked me abt Lady Brook & said she regretted that the P. should be taken in by her—that she had no doubt all these ladies thro’ themselves at his head & that he was so good natured he never believed them to be designing. | |
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