Dearest Annabella,

I am afraid you would hardly be able to make out the Letter I wrote Yesterday – for I had been House hunting all ye Morg & could only just get home in time to send ye post, & a Mob having assembled upon the Parade, to rescue a Man who had been taken up by the constables, it was necessary to have ye assistance of the Military & about a dozen of the Horse Guards, galloped at the people & dispersed them two Men were rode over but not hurt

& this passing close to my Windows made it impossible not to leave off writing & it was with great difficulty I could finish my Letter, in which there may have been several blunders for I could not read over…

I enclose you a very rough Sketch of the rooms on ye ground floor in ye House merely to shew you how ye rooms are disposed, as you may then consider in what way it will be most convenient for you to live in them – I have mark’d them as they are at present, & there is a very good Bed in No .3 & also in No. 4 – & you see they all communicate upon the Stair case – if you can understand the marks I have made for the doors…

The rooms Up stairs are the same with the exception of a little variation in ye Size – as I think 2 & 3 are a little larger & the others rather less…

But the stairs up to them altho good are many in Number therefore you may perhaps decide to have ye Bedroom & dressing rooms there – both the large rooms have Bookcases in them; which are empty except one in which there are Some Folios…

The Duchess’s Sitting room is furnish’d with low Bookcases Tables Couches & Great Chairs – in profusion but certainly the Rooms up stairs, have only common useful furniture in them.

The offices excepting the Kitchen are small – but will do very well & are very comfortable – for all ye Servants belonging to Devonshire House are used to taking care of themselves.

I suppose you or Ld B employ some Upholsterer & in that case – he had better look over the things left in ye House & see they are all there according to yr Inventory which the Auctioneer will give him & if you will either give me his direction or send him to me, I will give him directions about it – If you know of no particular person I will employ ours so let me know-

I am very glad to hear yt My Brother and Lady Milbanke are coming to London – pray make my love to them & to Ld B

Aunt Melbourne

12th March 1815

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Dramatis Personae:

‘Annabella’ Anne Isabella Lady Noel Byron (1792-1860)

‘Dss of Devonshire’ Elizabeth Cavendish Duchess of Devonshire (1759-1824)

‘Ld B’ George Gordon Lord Noel Byron (1788-1824)

‘Lady Milbanke’ Judith Noel Milbanke (1751-1822) Mother to Lady Byron

‘Aunt Melbourne’ Elizabeth Lamb Viscountess Melbourne (1751-1818) Aunt to Lady Byron and Confidant of Lord Byron

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