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26 July 1905 — Peterborough Minster Precincts, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire | |
Wednesday. 26th [July 1905]. Sat at home & wrote many letters in the morning. After lunch Kate & I drove to Chesterton in a fly Cecil byked over. The girls & Ralph had gone over in the morng to play in a lawn tennis tournament. We found Monty A. entertaining a large party & 2 sets of tennis being played. Mrs G. Fitzwilliams was introduced to me—a pretty & amiable young woman—who had been a ballet dancer– She had very good manners. She has lived down the opposition of the world & her husband’s family & her conduct since her marriage has been irreproachable. She had a son of abt 17 with her—& talked much of her baby of 2 year’s old who seems a great pet & a joy to them. There was also a Mrs Mills there—handsome & nice. We left Chesteron about 6 & drove to Orton to call on Lord & Lady Huntly & they were at home. She came waddling down the stairs to receive us—very kindly—& looking queer. She is hugely stout & her figure is like a huge feather bed with a string tied round the middle of it– She was chiefly occupied with 2 pugs & a retriever & kept going to put them out in the garden. The drawing room was very bare of pictures & furniture—my aunts lovely things having been gradually sold for bad debts & little now remains. Huntly had just arrived from London where he said he had been to see about a lawsuit against his nephew. He is always involved in lawsuits wh he never wins & thus sends good money after bad. Paul Huntly was charming in manner as usual. He invited us to go round the garden & delighted in showing me the oaks which were grown from acorns brought by my Henry from Mesopotamia & are unique in England. He has some very fine Wellingtonias, his father having been the first person to plant them in England when first they were introduced the garden & trees are all that now remains of value at Orton which had been the pride & joy of Huntly’s parents. We drove home in time for dinner. | |
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