Friday 16 July, 1870
The household is so quiet, tonight. Particularly after days of frenetic preparation for the engagement party followed by one night of frantic packing. The master's1 engagement to Miss Chigwidgeon is official. I received brief reports from Salmalin and George last night. Today my brother, Arthur, stopped by and gave me a more detailed account. The stated excuse for his visit was to find out if I had managed to locate the name of Mr. O'Flaherty's tailor, as Lord Greyminster and Miss Pinker asked me, and to thank me for the loan of the extra footman for the party. We had a pleasant visit.
Tongues may very well continue to wag in some parlours and drawing rooms, but if they do so within earshot of Duchess Balmoral or Countess Shaftesbury, they shall certainly receive a withering glare. Arthur also shared with me the terribly gratifying news that the Duke has decided to sell the townhouse his second son, Lord Robert, has been living in. Lord Robert's allowance has also, it seems, been reduced. This forces the young man to either move back into his father's home, or find himself a suitable means of employment to support himself.
Arthur tells me that most gossips seem to be believing the rumour that this is because Lord Robert attempted to settle a gambling debt by providing confidential information to a competitor regarding one of the master's business interests. He also tells me that an additional rumour has started on its own, that perhaps Earl Colchester3, the eldest son of the Duke and Duchess Balmoral, confined to bed with chronic illness these 16 years, has shown an improvement in health. Certainly if the elder son were to become a reasonable matrimonial prospect once more, then Lord Robert's current position as an presumptive heir would be in serious jeopardy.
It is an interesting alternative explanation. We will have to discuss this at the next meeting of the Junior Ganymede Protocol Committee4 to see if it might be useful to encourage this rumour.
Miss Chigwidgeon was very pleased with the present from her husband to be. I saw her pause to admire it several times during the packing and loading last night and this morning. She was also quite taken with wonderful travelling jewelry box presented to her by Miss Pinker. I saw her demonstating the secret compartment to Miss Wilhelmina.
The household was safely seen to the train to dover this morning. David, Stuart, Salmalin, George, and Tattvik are accompanying them in this holiday, which the public believes was suggested by Lord Greyminster, but is actually a mission for Sir Anthony's office. I had to borrow coachmen from Lord Greyminster, Mr. Cuthbert, and the Brandons, in order to have enough drivers to get all the vehicles back after taking the household to the train station.
The household's absence will give us a good chance to do a proper of the entire house. And perhaps Mr. Chadwick's nerves will settle down without all the ladies coming and going. He was quite industrious in the lab, today.
Mr. Graham attempted to strike up a bit of conversation with him during luncheon. They both spend much of their day reading their respective employers' mail and answering it, I suppose he thought they would have much in common. I daresay Graham finds newts and salamanders considerably less interesting when Chadwick explains them to him. Fortunately Mr. Balderstoke was in attendance at supper and was able to keep conversation moving along.
We had a strange visitor in the afternoon. An impertinent young woman who insisted upon speaking to Dr. Wilson. She would not believe me when I said that Dr. Wilson has left the city, that I couldn't say where he had gone, or how long he would be gone. She created such a fuss I feared I would have to send for the police to extricate her.
Mr. Graham was eventually able to convince her that Dr. Wilson really was away. She finally left, though she vowed to return if she learned we were hiding him from her. Less than two hours later the young woman returned to inform us she had "seen through our deception" and had learned that the household has gone to Belgium. When I tried to politely end the conversation she felt compelled to launch into a veritable sermon about why I should throw off the chains of servitude. She went on at length about the evils of monarchism and classism and how I should not feel compelled to lie just to protect my employer's sensibilities.
I decided not to explain to her that withholding private information is not the same thing as lying, not when the person making the impertinent inquiry has no reasonable stake in the information. It was clear that she is operating under delusions of such magnitude that mere logic could never overcome them. As Mrs. Murphy commented once we had ejected the woman a second time, "Oh, yes, equality is all well and good, so long as you have a father who can pay for finishing school and a lady's maid to do that hair -- because a working woman doesn't have time to dress and look like that!"
Mr. Graham composed a letter warning Dr. Wilson about this woman who seemed intent on ferretting him out on the Continent.
Saturday, 17 July, 1870
I saw in the morning papers that Prince Leopold has declined the throne of Spain. We can but hope that this means war between France and Prussia has been averted. The papers certainly seem to think so. I hope this means the household can conclude their business in Belgium quickly and without too much trouble.
I also noticed in the paper that the business venture Mr. Balderstoke and the master have been discussing has come together. The B.C. & R. Powered Boat Company has hung out it's shingle, as they say. The sale of the boatyard must be finalized.
Mr. Balderstoke stayed in most of the day, assisting Mr. Chadwick with some of the business mail. He also assisted in the lab. He had supper at his club, where I understand he met with Mr. Reed concerning the new business venture.
When he returned, Mr. Balderstoke handed me a copy of an Extra Edition of the Evening Standard. Lord Greyminster and Lord Shaftsbury have the half of the front page. It seems that their committee inquiries have uncovered a horror story worthy of the most lurid of Miss Chigwidgeon's periodicals. It chills one's blood to realize there are people who could do such things to innocent children. The other half was taken up with a story which includes a telegram published by the Prussian embassy. The telegram was a message from King Wilhelm, vacationing at Ems, to his First Minister, Count Bismarck. The telegraph indicates that the king has severed diplomatic relations with France. The fact that, in the same telegram, the king instructed his minister to publish this fact makes it even less likely that war can be avoided.
It seems that the French ambassador demanded a promise from the king that no member of his family would ever, at any future date, accept the Spanish Throne. Certainly that seems an unreasonable demand to make on any leader. However, one would wish the king would think of a less provocative way to say 'no.' I shall have difficulty sleeping, for fear that war will break out around the household at any moment.
I have given most of the staff the evening off, and urged them to spend Sunday with their families, if they are able, though Mrs. Murphy and I will be here to look after things. Mr. Chadwick will be attending church with his family, and having dinner with them after. Mr. Graham told me, when he left for the evening, that he did not intend to return until quite late. I made certain that he had his key and remembered and wished him a good evening. Mr. Balderstoke says he must attend dinner at his elder brother's house. He said it with a tone of voice not dissimilar to Lt. Wooster's descriptions of social engagements with his sister. I hope that all is well between the Balderstokes.
Sunday, 18 July, 1870
All of the papers are filled with the news of the Brixton Horrors. Unwed women, in desparate straits, forced to pay others to take care of their children while they find what work they can, only to see the children grow mysteriously sick and die. If the papers are to be believed these children have been most cruelly murdered in the most cold and calculated way--their illnesses induced by slow poisoning and starvation, thus maximizing the profit to the so-called 'baby farmers.' This Sergeant Relf, who is quoted in all the papers, has been investigating a disturbing number of dead children, and until Lord Shaftsbury and Lord Greyminster got a parliamentary committee looking into the matter has had difficulty obtaining the resources needed to look into the matter properly.
Mr. Balderstoke breakfasted late, but still alone, as Mr. Graham had not yet risen (though he had arrived home safe, sober, and in good spirits in the wee hours of the morning). Mr. Balderstoke had left for his brother's home before Mr. Graham rose. He apologized profusely to Mrs. Murphy and myself for sleeping in so late, and had barely a bite to eat before he, likewise, made haste to join his family for Sunday dinner.
I had a rather relaxing afternoon. The most strenuous thing I had to do was feed the salamanders.
Mr. Balderstoke arrived back at the house in the late afternoon, in something of an agitation. He confided in me that his brother and brother-in-law are less than pleased with the forming of the new partnership between Mr. Balderstoke, Mr. Reed, and the master. It seems that while they have been desirous of the B & C Great Locomotive Company divesting itself of the south London shipyard for some time, when they approved a motion to sell it for not less than a certain sum, and tasked the master with doing so, they did not expect the master and Mr. Balderstoke to buy it themselves, and bring in the former Admiralty chief architect as a partner.
"We paid them a full five pounds over the price they asked!" Mr. Balderstoke told me. "Now they're all upset. I asked them if they would feel better if we threw in another hundred pounds on the deal, and that did not go over well at all, let me tell you!"
He made the humorous assertion that the master had arranged this foreign emergency solely to give him an excuse to leave town before their partners in the railroad learned about the new partnership. Of course, the elder Mr. Balderstoke and Mr. Athelwaite can't state their real objection. They are fully aware that it is the inventions of the younger Mr. Balderstoke and the master that will sustain the companies into the future, whereas they have no talent in that direction at all. They have long felt that the efforts spent developing engines for naval ships was a distraction from the main business of the company, and thought that getting rid of the shipyard would keep the two geniuses of the partnership focused on that business, alone.
Now, of course, they have a separate company through which to pursue some of their ideas. Mr. Balderstoke alluded to this while explaining the argument to me. He decided not to tell them that many of the new partnership's projects will be outgrowths of Edward's researches.
Mr. Balderstoke retreated to the drafting table in the lab, where he distracted himself with some designing.
Mr. Graham arrived back at the house after supper, but before Mr. Balderstoke had retired. He was in considerably better spirits than Mr. Balderstoke had been upon taking leave from his family.
Monday, 19 July, 1870
I have received the first wire from the Master -- sent not long after their arrival in Brussels a few days hence. The messenger tells me that the cross-channel telegraph cables have been kept humming as messages and inquiries pass back and forth because of the impending war.
The front pages of the morning papers are still dominated by the Brixton Horror, though there seems little new information. Further inside the <u>Times</u> I found a story by Mr. Laurence Oliphant which describes what can only be a frightening battle between the League and, what Oliphant identifies as Anarchists. Whether they be anarchists of agents of one of the Great Powers, I cannot infer. It sounds like a frightful experience was had by all. One of the ladies seems to have been particularly injured. I can but pray for their safe return.
After breakfast Mr. Balderstoke went out, intending to call on Lady Ottoline's school. Before he left, he gave me some letters to post. I couldn't help but notice that one was addressed to Lord Greyminster.
Mr. Chadwick and Mr. Graham went about their duties as usual.
My decision to give the staff Saturday off paid a surprising bonus. Helen took the opportunity to cover for a sick cousin who is in the staff of Lord Sackbutt, who was hosting a party Saturday evening. She was in position to overhear an interesting conversation between Lady Ffolkes and her mother, the dowager Lady Blakeny. It appears that Sir Anthony and his brother-in-law, Sir Sebastian, have encouraged certain unflattering rumours about the Marquis du Dragulan and Mr. Ramsay: specifically, that they are competing for Miss Whitnell's attentions. This rumour had begun on it's own, apparently, because both gentlemen have been seen in Miss Whitnell's company, and most recently, the Marquis is known to have purchased an expensive fencing sabre for Miss Whitnell.
Sir Anthony and Sir Sebastian concluded that this rumour should be encouraged, as it would readily explain why the Marquis and Mr. Ramsay had both accompanied the household on the trip to Belgium. It apparently didn't occur to either gentlemen that such a rumour implied that Miss Whitnell was encouraging their attentions, which would be completely inappropriate while she is mourning the death of her father.
Lady Ffolkes enlisted her mother, who is mother and mother-in-law to both gentlemen, to assist her in dispelling the rumour. Lady Ffolkes can be quite ruthless. I almost feel sorry for the two gentlemen. I shudder to think what sort of chastissement they will receive from Lady Blakeny.
Mid-afternoon a note arrived from Mr. Balderstoke, advising me he would not be returning for tea, and would likely being taking supper in the City.
At tea time Lord Greyminster stopped for a brief visit, on his way to evening session of Parliament. He informed me that Sir Anthony's office has had communications from the household since the events in the paper, and that everyone seems to be alive. The reports are, necessarily, brief. It appears they are making progress at the task they've been set. Beyond that the Earl could tell me nothing. It is a great relief to have some news, however scant.
Mr. Balderstoke returned later in the evening after supper at his club. He handed me another Extra Edition. It seems France has declared war on Prussia.
I hope the master and the others is able to remain within Belgium's borders, out of the line of fire.
Tuesday, 20 July, 1870
The morning papers were filled with news of the impending war. The vote in the Chamber of Deputies was unanimous. Emporer Napoleon III appealed to the chamber to reconsider, feeling a diplomatic solution would be satisfactory. It seems the French people, or at least their representatives, thirst for Prussian blood. The morning papers thought it a forgone conclusion that Prussia would answer the declaration. The only matter that seemed open for debate was whether the Austrian Empire and the Kingdoms of Bavaria and Wurtemburg, along with the other lesser southern german states, would join in the war or remain neutral.
Mr. Balderstoke left the house early, once more, apparently with a very full slate of appointments. He apologized as he left, not certain whether he would return for tea or supper.
Mr. Graham was very concerned about the newspaper stories. He eventually was able to arouse some interest from Mr. Chadwick about it. Mr. Chadwick eventually confessed a lack of understanding for the motives to lead men to violence. "Newts are so much easier to understand, you see," he explained. "They do not have byzantine motivations."
I tried to distract Mr. Graham from worrying about the war by reminded him to go to a newsstand to retrieve copies of the Weekly Companion. Not even the eleventh chapter of the Kid Rocket adventure could keep his attention for long.
In the late afternoon my brother stopped by, briefly, while out on business for the Earl's household. He needed to tell me of an emergency meeting of the Protocol Committee. He also shared an amusing story about poor Lord Granville. Apparently his lordship, only recently named Foreign Secretary, had departed the Foreign Office early yesterday afternoon upon receiving word that the Emporer meant to veto the declaration of war. He was utterly convinced that his predictions that Napoleon III would never let the situation deteriorate to war had been proven true. He met friends for drinks and a dinner party. And failed to leave word of his location with the Foreign Office. So he completely missed the news that the French Chamber had overridden the veto and was insisting on war, and didn't learn the news until he read the morning papers.
He rushed to the Foreign Office to take charge and was quite upset to learn that Sir Anthony was not at the Office. Tuesday mornings, it seems, is his regular meeting with Her Majesty in his capacity as Lord Guardian of the Sword of State. In other words, while Granville was still trying to figure out what was happening, the Under Secretary who was most informed on the matter, was already at Windsor Castle briefing the Queen on the situation.Granville stormed through the offices for a time, insisting he should be the one to inform the Queen, and expressing his determination to take a carriage out to Windsor as soon as he had the facts in hand. Eventually Sir Philip assigned someone to brief him in during the carriage ride and sent him away. When Sir Anthony returned, he said that Granville had not arrived before he had taken his leave of Her Majesty, and he had no idea where Granville was.
Granville returned to Whitehall only to find Sir Anthony in conference with Prime Minister Gladstone, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and several other cabinet members. He had very nearly missed that meeting as well.
I do hope that Granville grows into this job quickly. This hardly seems a productive way to perform his duties.
Shortly after Arthur departed, I received another note from Mr. Balderstoke, warning me we would have several guests for supper tomorrow night. The note included a guest list, with the caveat that more might be invited before his endeavors were finished. The guest list is quite intriguing: Lord Greyminster, Miss Pinker, Lady Ottoline Cornwall, Miss Higgins, Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, and Young Mr. Cratchet.
I have discussed the proposed menu with Mrs. Murphy. As soon as Mr. Balderstoke returns I will see if it meets with his approval.
1 Note from the curator: Throughout his diaries and papers Mr. Graves has referred to Sir Cosmo Cowperthaite, his employer, as simply 'the master' after the summer of 1854. It appears that during that time period Sir Cosmo asked Mr. Graves not to refer to him by his title. Contemporary accounts2 claim he asked Mr. Graves to drop all "feudal pretense and balderdash--you're a better man than me by half, and it isn't right to pretend the roles are reversed." Eventually Mr. Graves worked out a compromise with his employer whereby the specific title would not be referred to in conversation except where absolutely necessary, and the phrase "master of the house" could be substituted when speaking to third parties. The habit in the diary was apparently an exercise to reinforce the behaviour.
2 See "The Liberating Lady: the Life and Times of Lady Ottoline Cornwall, Reformer" by Miss Victoria Higgins, pub. 1911, Lanfield & Cummings Publications, Lmtd. Also see "Call Me Otto: the Autobiography of a Woman Who Sought Change," by Lady Ottoline Cornwall, pub. 1901, Dorset Brothers Press.
3 This is a courtesy title for Lord Charles Albert Lennox St. Simon, the eldest son of the Duke of Balmoral. Traditionally, the eldest son is addressed as if he possessed the highest-ranking of his father's inferior titles. Younger sons are addressed simply as "Lord [first name]" so long as the eldest brother lives. Except in extremely rare cases, such as an eldest son being convicted of treason or something equally grave, the eldest son cannot be disinherited from a title, and even in those cases it requires the approval of the sovereign and parliament. The precise nature of Lord Charles' chronic, debilitating illness is not known, other than it was considered impossible that he could sire an heir; this, plus the pains the family took to keep the nature of the illness obscure seems to indicate a severe venereal disease, though other possibilities cannot be ruled out. It is a matter of historical record that Lord Charles St. Simon's lingering decline continued for many decades after this date.
4 A great deal of the work of the Secret Intelligence Service during the 19th Century was carried out by select valets, butlers, and other gentleman's gentleman recruited through the Junior Ganymede Club. At various times this group operating through committees with innocuous, and intentionally boring, names.
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