from the memoirs; father dies & William becomes the Duke

"When my father died I was four and a half years old. I have a few charming recollections of him hidden away in the storehouse of my memory.  In that private cinema of the past he appears as a tall large man, extremely handsome with a short, greyish beard and blue-grey eyes, which had a peculiarly enchanting expression, radiating kindness and good temper, and a loud by melodious voice. He was called, I have been told, Big Ben on account of it."




ottoline's father was gone, it was 1877, he would never be the Duke of Portland, rather his eldest,  Ottoline's half brother- William would be.


"Two years later when the old Duke died, we all went to London to Claridge's Hotel. Grapes and peaches came from Welbeck, Charlie and I were taken to Cremer's toyshop in Regent Street, our comparative poverty this seemed like Fairyland, and I chose a doll dressed in spangled blue satin fixed on a handle that played music as you whirled it around.  But none of these luxuries gave us much pleasure. They were all overcast by a sense of dullness and depression, which must have come, I suppose, from my  mother's sadness at the absence of my father."

1 comment:

  1. Very touching story!
    Will need more time to go through your blog, love it!
    karin

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