Alderley Park, Chelford, Cheshire.—Praises Violet’s courage on Archie Gordon’s last day. Violet has now gone to Scotland, and Venetia will join her there shortly.
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Transcript
Alderley Park, Chelford, Cheshire.
Dec 23rd 1909
My dear Mr Montagu
I am… read more
Alderley Park, Chelford, Cheshire.—Praises Violet’s courage on Archie Gordon’s last day. Violet has now gone to Scotland, and Venetia will join her there shortly.
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Transcript
Alderley Park, Chelford, Cheshire.
Dec 23rd 1909
My dear Mr Montagu
I am glad you thought of writing to me {1}. I need not tell you, as you will know already how wonderful Violets courage was on that last day {2}, and how she was able through it to give him the most gloriously happy last day. The strain was tremendous, even the mere physical one alone was very great, and she felt the reaction cruelly and for the first two days after his death lived in a daze.
I think tho’ that on the whole she has been very well, but of course all the time she has had a great deal to do and things that she had to make an effort for, what it will be like when she returns to Archerfield and her usual life begins, and she feels that everything is indeed over, I dont know.
I saw her off to Scotland on Tuesday {3}, and I have heard from Bongie that the journey went quite well, I am going up there on Tuesday to be with her for a little and if you like I will write you a line from there.
Yrs
Venetia Stanley
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Black-edged paper.
{1} This is a reply to MONT II B1/1.
{2} The reference is to the death of Archie Gordon, younger son of the Earl of Aberdeen, who was fatally injured in a motor accident on 28 November and died in the County Hospital at Winchester on 16 December. Violet Asquith became engaged to him at his bedside the day before he died. See Lantern Slides, pp. 190–5.
{3} 21 December. Violet had gone to the Aberdeens’ home, Haddo House in Aberdeenshire, where the funeral took place on the 23rd. Venetia set off to join her a week later.
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