Item 59 - Letter from Elizabeth des Amorie van der Hoeven to R. C. Trevelyan

1 item

10 Prinsegracht, the Hague. - Things are looking 'a little brighter': if Bob is at Grosvenor Crescent he will have heard from his father about her letter to him and his response; asks whether his father or he thinks it was wrong of her to write. Sir George said she ought to tell her uncle at once about his wife's letter; was glad he seemed not to have entirely made up his mind not to come. Has had a long talk with her uncle, which resulted in him writing a draft letter to Bob's father that she thinks 'will entirely clear up the matter'; he was 'very distressed' when he realised the possible consequences. Her uncle writes that if Bob's father writes a few lines saying he would like to see [Sir Henry] Howard and his wife at the wedding, this will serve as an introduction and he will go and call on them; he also writes that in his son Ambro's view, the presence of the Howards means that the wedding should be celebrated in the English church, and Bessie was 'so astounded' she forgot to tell him the Howards are Roman Catholic so she does not think they 'care a hang'; she told him this morning. Her uncle has sent Ambro the draft letter to see what he thinks. She has felt very lonely and distressed, but now everything is all right and she is looking forward very much to Bob's arrival; feels 'incompleteness' without him, as if her '"moitié", as Grandmont always says' had been taken away. Hopes he has had a good time with [Desmond] MacCarthy and [Oswald] Sickert. Thinks the idea of going to stay near Roundhurst for a few days at the beginning of the honeymoon is 'delightful'. He seems to have had nice [wedding] presents; she is keeping a list of them. Mentions again that Alice Jones wanted to give her a book; her aunt at Hilversum has sent an antique silver clothes-brush. Tried on her wedding-dress the other day and felt 'enormously grand with a train'. Is doing her accounts for the year.