19 July 1875, Monday
Dearest Mother,
I hope this letter finds you and the rest of the family in good
health. Sir Cosmo and Lady Cowperthwaite have, at long last,
completed their business in the South China Sea and we sail for home on
today's tide. It is possible this letter will reach you before we
arrive home.
Octavia has held up well under the rigours of travel. If the
weather is with us, we may be home in time for her third
birthday. She and the other children were quite a handful during
our adven
travels, so I have taken the step of hiring a nursemaid for her.
It was past time I stopped relying on my friend's nursemaids.
Four very active children need more than just the two nursemaids we had
up until now.
The girl I employed was recommended to me by Tattvik's mother.
She comes from a good family in Mhow but her parents died several years
ago and she was taken in by an Uncle and raised by him. Her name
is Chi and, so far, she has been more than able to keep up with our
pack of young ones. She takes her duties very seriously and is
working very hard on learning English, to better be able to make her
way in her new home.
Mr Salmalin seems to have enjoyed visiting the land of his ancestors
but is as ready to return home as the rest of us. There will be
much at home to do upon our return. I dread to think of the state
of milady's correspondence. Sir Cosmo's secretary was to look
after it in our absence but he is not always astute in his assessment
of how best to handle a Lady's correspondence. However, I
have some time before I need worry about that particular state of
affairs.
I have saved the best news for last! We had both a wedding a
whilst in Mhow. Sir Cosmo's footman, David asked Tattvik's father
for her hand and his suit, after much close examination by Tattvik's
mother, was accepted. We are very excited for them.
I'm afraid that is all the news for now-- I must post this before we
sail. I hope to see you in person soon, at which time I can give
you more details of our adventures.
Give my love to the Family. I hope Betty is settling into married
life!
Your loving, far-travelling daughter,
Victoria
3 August 1875
Major Powell
Military Attaché to the British Resident
Perak
Dear Major Powell,
We have just returned from India today and so I heard the news of your
appointment-- I hope it is more congenial than the last. At the
time we left India there was still no news of Sir Philip-- he is still
presumed lost at sea.
After you left our company, our party travelled to the interior to sort
out some family issues. I don't know if you would remember them,
but Tattvik and David Greenborough were married whilst we were in
Mhow.
It was very strange to return to the town I spent so many years in
after so much has changed in my life. There has been no sign of
Captain Forrester and he, like Sir Philip is still considered missing
presumed lost.
So many people, both allies and enemies were lost in that final battle
in the bay...
Regardless, I did not write to you with the intention of cataloguing
our losses. While we were in India, I made the acquaintance of a
Dr Langtry and I must say that meeting him, gave me a whole new
appreciation for you and your methods.
Our travel to the interior was as eventful as such journeys usually are
for our party. We learned more about snakes than we ever cared to
on our way to Balagat. The trip was worth the trouble as we were
introduced to Miss Langtry and her Aunt (a formidable woman) and were
able to spend time in the company Lord Vaughan. For all that he
had a
rather unsavoury reputation, Lord Vaughan was quite helpful in both
helping us with our Snake problem and in giving Miss Langtry a
much-needed assist in her matrimonial plans-- say what you will but a
reputation such as his does have its uses.
Upon our return to Bombay, the first banns were read for Miss Langtry
and Professor Peacock-- by now they should be safely married.
I do hope this letter finds you in good health.
Sincerely,
Mrs Salmalin
9 August 1875
Mr John Whitnell
Whitnell House
Cheshire
Dear John,
I know I told Mother that I would like to visit upon our return from
India-- unfortunately said visit will have to be postponed. Sir
Cosmo and Lady Cowperthwaite have been invited to a wedding in the
country of Carpania and it is something of a command
performance. The entire entourage is making the journey, so
I must uproot myself once more to travel the world.
Normally I would find this delightful, however five months of
near-constant travel have taken their toll. All I want to do now
is find a quiet place to put my feet up and take a nice long nap.
Fortunately, the girl I engaged as a nursemaid for Octavia is working
out very well and my chances of having an uninterrupted nap have
greatly increased as a result.
We are scheduled to leave on or about 4 September and the wedding
itself will take place in late September, so it will likely be early
October before we return home.
I did hear from James upon my return home-- he wrote back in June to
say that he would be travelling with a Professor of his to Romania and
hoped to be home early in the fall to have time to stop in and see
Mother before the next Term begins in Glasgow. I have written him
a letter in return but it seems that I will be leaving town about the
time he was hoping to return. If you see him before I do, give
him my best wishes and tell him to answer his mail!
I must return to work-- there is a veritable mountain of correspondence
to answer before we leave again and several appointments with various
dressmakers must be made if we are to put our best foot forward at the
wedding.
Give my love to Betty and her Major as well as the rest of the Family.
Your loving, every travelling, sister,
Victoria
Proceed to The pain
they inflict
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