Part 3: Billy goes a'courting - Mary still on the scene

Sunday 1st November 1896 (The job at Hampton Court has come to an end and, unable to find any work in London, Billy has returned to Horsham)

Evening service at Chapel. After had a walk with Mrs I (Mary), Frank and Annie. Am not sure that I am doing a wise thing. The former seems very partial to me again. Think I must endeavour to steer clear, at least till I learn anything from Stud House[1].
 
Thursday 3rd December 1896
Letter from Mary after all this time. I find she is perfectly willing to reopen a little affair abandoned last April. I am not.
 
Sunday 6th December 1896
Chapel this morning, at home in the afternoon and chapel again for evening service and practice. Having to finish the horses after, didn’t spend the remainder of the evening with Bern as usual but Mary I was good (?) enough to walk round to the stables with me and very much wanted me to call at London Road after I had finished. She would not take any answer but a promise to come which I reluctantly gave but did not fulfil. With all due respect to Mrs I, she is almost a nuisance to me. More fruit of past indiscretion on my part I suppose!
 
Tuesday 15th December 1896
Another epistle from Mary I. Who very much wants me to call on her one evening this week having a lot to talk to me about, hopes to see me soon and remains “Dear Billy Yours very affectionately Mary”. Her affection is very embarrassing but suppose I must go.
 
Sunday 20th December 1896
Spent in a very peculiar way for me. Was at the stable till nearly dinnertime so didn’t get to chapel. [Spent the] afternoon in the front room, then, owing to late tea, and having the horses to do, missed chapel again. Bern came up after the service to see where I had got to. Had a walk back with him to the Mill. He having a message for me from Mrs I to the effect that she wanted to see me.
 
Tuesday 29th December 1896
Met Mary I on Tuesday evening and was obliged to take her for a little walk. Made an appointment to see her on Wednesday evening but didn’t fulfil it, but they (Frank, Nan and her) hunted me up on New Year’s Eve so we had another “little walk” – “damn nuisance” I call it.

• [1] Over the previous summer Billy had developed a relationship with Catherine Griffiths, a young servant working at Stud House, Hampton Court Park – see the account of this courtship.
  
  
  
• Part 4 - Billy goes a'courting - Little Taffy
  
  

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