Letter Three
02/12/22 15:40
My dearest Bunty,
I hardly pause to catch my breath at this time of year as it seems to be party, party, party and at our age, dear, the dance slippers are worn out far too soon of an evening. Naturally I am still able to have my dance card marked by many a dashing young man but the 'Strip The Willow' is beyond me these days. How I grudge the passage of time! It seems like only yesterday that Sir Hector and I were taking our first stumbling steps in marriage and performing the duties of the local laird on the Estate. A lot of water has passed under both our bridges, yours in particular seem never to have had much traffic on it which has often made me sad to think that you may eek out your dotage in some Retired Gentlewoman Home on a meagre pension. Such a pity that some of those demanding old dears you have worked for over the years have not seen it in their
Charity to leave you a little something to tide you over in the Twilight Years. I thank my lucky stars that Sir H is still in fine fettle and keeps me up to standards.
Cook has been getting things ready for our St Andrew's Ball. It is our turn to host this year, what with the bankrupting of the neighbouring estate. I shall not dwell on that dear as it came as such a shock to us to find out that Col. Barker had a mistress down in Perth and she was demanding. I leave it to you to imaging what she was demanding. I am only glad that Col and Mrs Barker had no young children as divorce and selling up is such a strain on the young. I am so glad that Sir H and I have never really had a cross word, never mind spoken only through the legal profession. That reminds me, there are a couple of Sheriffs coming up from the Lowlands to join us this year for New Year. I do hope the conversation avoids legal issues as they can be so dull and New Year is a time for review and looking forward I always believe and the legals can be overly pessimistic - except when it comes to charging fees! I shall ensure that Catriona the Estate Manger does not undercharge them, as it is only fair that us Little People get our own back on them for a change.
Anyway we have booked some local musicians, young people with some fiddles, drums and accordion to play us through the night at the Ball and I am sure being of musical persuasion they will be better behaved than the McCall Midnight Ceilidh Band that the McKenzies booked at the last minute last year. They were far too loud and brash and fast - even I was taken aback. Not only that, but some of the tunes were most inappropriate where the heirs to Ben Vrackie Estate are in the room... How dear deceased Sutherland would have hated hearing THAT tune, you know the one I mean and I will not demean this lovely notepaper by writing it down. The clearances are long in the past and people should move on - the population is now just about right here in Banff as I often heard Grandfather talking about having to hand out food to those Unfortunates on the Parish over 100 years ago...
Back to happier things, I have a strange feeling that things are going well for Alexander on his world tour. I am so proud of my youngest travelling to Australia for a year before coming home to learn the workings of the Estate. He has met a lovely girl from Geelong, which I often mistake as 'Giddy-up'. He has not confirmed it as such in his weekly telephone call but I think she could be 'the one'. I am so excited and have to stop myself dreaming of an Estate Wedding sometime soon. It would be lovely in the Spring I tell myself.
I caught a glimpse of our Dear Queen opening the new session of Parliament the other day. She is looking wonderful - I wonder what she uses? I cannot imagine her having to consider what winter creams to use as these days we hardly ever see her on a horse. She never seems to be intending to let go, does she?
Your ever friend, Flora
This story first appeared on www.panetwork.co.uk in 2004
I hardly pause to catch my breath at this time of year as it seems to be party, party, party and at our age, dear, the dance slippers are worn out far too soon of an evening. Naturally I am still able to have my dance card marked by many a dashing young man but the 'Strip The Willow' is beyond me these days. How I grudge the passage of time! It seems like only yesterday that Sir Hector and I were taking our first stumbling steps in marriage and performing the duties of the local laird on the Estate. A lot of water has passed under both our bridges, yours in particular seem never to have had much traffic on it which has often made me sad to think that you may eek out your dotage in some Retired Gentlewoman Home on a meagre pension. Such a pity that some of those demanding old dears you have worked for over the years have not seen it in their
Charity to leave you a little something to tide you over in the Twilight Years. I thank my lucky stars that Sir H is still in fine fettle and keeps me up to standards.
Cook has been getting things ready for our St Andrew's Ball. It is our turn to host this year, what with the bankrupting of the neighbouring estate. I shall not dwell on that dear as it came as such a shock to us to find out that Col. Barker had a mistress down in Perth and she was demanding. I leave it to you to imaging what she was demanding. I am only glad that Col and Mrs Barker had no young children as divorce and selling up is such a strain on the young. I am so glad that Sir H and I have never really had a cross word, never mind spoken only through the legal profession. That reminds me, there are a couple of Sheriffs coming up from the Lowlands to join us this year for New Year. I do hope the conversation avoids legal issues as they can be so dull and New Year is a time for review and looking forward I always believe and the legals can be overly pessimistic - except when it comes to charging fees! I shall ensure that Catriona the Estate Manger does not undercharge them, as it is only fair that us Little People get our own back on them for a change.
Anyway we have booked some local musicians, young people with some fiddles, drums and accordion to play us through the night at the Ball and I am sure being of musical persuasion they will be better behaved than the McCall Midnight Ceilidh Band that the McKenzies booked at the last minute last year. They were far too loud and brash and fast - even I was taken aback. Not only that, but some of the tunes were most inappropriate where the heirs to Ben Vrackie Estate are in the room... How dear deceased Sutherland would have hated hearing THAT tune, you know the one I mean and I will not demean this lovely notepaper by writing it down. The clearances are long in the past and people should move on - the population is now just about right here in Banff as I often heard Grandfather talking about having to hand out food to those Unfortunates on the Parish over 100 years ago...
Back to happier things, I have a strange feeling that things are going well for Alexander on his world tour. I am so proud of my youngest travelling to Australia for a year before coming home to learn the workings of the Estate. He has met a lovely girl from Geelong, which I often mistake as 'Giddy-up'. He has not confirmed it as such in his weekly telephone call but I think she could be 'the one'. I am so excited and have to stop myself dreaming of an Estate Wedding sometime soon. It would be lovely in the Spring I tell myself.
I caught a glimpse of our Dear Queen opening the new session of Parliament the other day. She is looking wonderful - I wonder what she uses? I cannot imagine her having to consider what winter creams to use as these days we hardly ever see her on a horse. She never seems to be intending to let go, does she?
Your ever friend, Flora
This story first appeared on www.panetwork.co.uk in 2004