Item 187 - Letter from Donald Tovey to Elizabeth Trevelyan

1 item

University of Edinburgh headed notepaper. - Thanks Bessie for the letter. Is very glad his wife has friends among his friends, but warns her that Grettie 'will tell each person just what that person will... believe'; her guesses are shrewd, as when she guessed Bessie would think Tovey wants Haydn Brown 'to change her feelings'. A 'doctor doesn't take instructions like a solicitor', but Tovey's would have been for Brown to make Grettie well and 'establish her sanity'; he would then accept her decision; if Brown cannot, Tovey must have it established that he himself 'can do no more'. Believes that stage has been reached, and his responsibility ceases. His wife has been telling different stories to different people: Tovey asks if she told Bessie, as she did Mrs Sklovsky [Lucy Romain], that Dr Haig Ferguson had signed a statement saying the operation he carried out 'was necessitated by injuries originally inflicted by [Tovey]'. Dr Haig Ferguson of course 'flatly denies it'. Grettie also wrote to E. S. P. Haynes, whom she consulted not knowing he was a Balliol friend of Tovey's. Insists that he is not blaming Grettie, but pointing out 'her lack of moral responsibility, & the extreme danger of being misled by her'. Cannot say what he intends to do until he has seen his lawyer, Guthrie, and Bessie will be in a better position towards Grettie if she does not know what he plans. The action taken by Grettie through Messrs Freke Palmer, 'rather a Horatio Bottomley sort of firm', if not defended or if won by her, would leave Tovey 'on record as incapable of marriage', which he denies. Whatever he does will be 'in camera', but he must protect himself against the 'dangerous state of affairs' if he let 'things slide'; has already shown he will consider Grettie's interests.

Pencil annotation giving precise date.