Chapter 4

Part 2: Meeting

Less than a week after arriving in Britain, Amelia finally meets with her intended.

The Connaught Hotel
Belgrave Square
London W1
19/4/02

Dearest Mama,

Well, I have taken the plunge.

Yesterday as you had arranged, an appointment was made for me to meet the Honourable James Julian (he takes his middle name from his mother, Julia) Jefferson. It was an encounter that I faced with some nervousness, in equal parts intriguing and disturbing. But I trusted in your judgement and, you will be pleased to know, the event passed off successfully, I believe, both from the perspective of your intentions and my own aspirations.

James is a charming man, in every way polite and well mannered and seems as though he will be an agreeable companion. (He is also quite handsome – I know that such things are considered trivial but nevertheless, I cannot help but be encouraged by that.) He also seems not to be completely cowed in the presence of a woman. I had worried that he might be. I am not sure that I could cope with a partner as subservient as so many men seem to be here. We got on well though. I am sure that things will progress as you hoped.

I hope that you will hear from his mother that she felt me an acceptable match for their son. I suspect they both thought me a little “exotic” with my Dutch accented English – although they were nothing but polite in their manner.

I believe that I got on well with James’ mother, Lady Jefferson, Baroness Brinswark. Certainly she is being most accommodating in helping James and I to pursue what passes for courtship in this country. In spite of my earlier worries I am becoming convinced that I can make a go of things here. Lady Jefferson has even kindly provided the services of one of her own house maids – a girl called Beckworth - to help me and also to ensure that James is managed as appropriate. It will be quite a change for me to be living in a world where women manage men rather than vice versa. I did not get a chance to talk with James’s father – Howard was it you said? The Baroness neglected to introduce us – but from what I know of England so far her opinion is the only one that matters.

The news here is all about Queen Victoria’s jubilee celebrations. I had not realised that she had required her husband to change his name to Albert on their marriage. Apparently it is a tradition in the house of Saxe-Coburg Gotha and stretches back to the very first Queen Victoria. Whatever the reason, Albert is a solid, sensible name (rather like James in that respect) and I am sure that the populace would accept no other for their ruler’s consort. He is a rather unimpressive looking fellow but is widely respected for fulsomely promoting the values of simple obedience and respect by men for women. Well, if he can take on the social norms of his adopted country, I am sure that I can do likewise.

Your affectionate daughter.

Amelia

PS -I hope you received my telegraph message. It was the first time I have ever used such a thing! The hotel was most helpful in advising me of how to use the service. If it works as they said, I believe that it will be most convenient for urgent messages. It is very costly though, so I cannot see it ever replacing the sending of letters.

The Connaught Hotel
Belgrave Square
London W1

20/4/1902

Dear Lady Jefferson,

How pleasant it was to meet with you earlier today and to finally make the acquaintance of your son. Thank you for your helpful advice and thank you also for arranging for Beckworth to assist. She will, I am sure, be an invaluable asset in helping James and I to prepare for the future.

I do hope we can meet again soon.

Yours sincerely,

Amelia de Kooning

The Connaught Hotel
Belgrave Square
London W1

20/4/02

Lucy!

Great excitement! This morning I met with James Julian Jefferson, my proposed husband. He was brought to the hotel by his mother (his father following along in his wife’s wake). He came into the hotel lobby, led on a leash from a collar around his neck by one of Lady Jefferson’s house maids which looked most odd to me but is not at all unusual here.

I must say that I do find him attractive. He is a slim young man with short mousey hair and a rather spaniel-like expression. My first impression of his manners was quite favourable. To my relief, he seems to possess none of the arrogant self-assurance that we have both found so annoying in the male sex, but perhaps that is not surprising given how men are treated and expected to behave here.

I had taken Miss Mifton’s advice on the outfit that I should wear for this encounter. It was a tightly fitting floor length, sleeveless, leather dress with a low cut neckline, and waist-cinched bodice. Long gloves of the finest kid leather and my height-enhancing heeled shoes added to the impression of a determined woman (what ever the reality inside!). James appears to be is somewhat shorter than I am even without Miss Mifton’s heels and the look that he gave as he saw me standing over him was sufficient for me to feel that the effects of the outfit had been just as Miss Mifton intended. Lady Jefferson seemed to approve. And indeed, the smirking response of Lady Jefferson’s maid further convinced me that I had struck the right note.

I have yet to exchange words with James as he was wearing some sort of mouth covering that prevented him from speaking. This is a normal thing apparently but it did mean that I could have a long and uninterrupted conversation with Lady Jefferson, who was as intrigued to learn of life in Brabant as I was to hear of James and his upbringing and of society in England. I shall write more of some of the eccentricities of life here, soon. Throughout our conversation James sat listening attentively. He does not seem cowed by his treatment; rather he seems to accept it with good grace.