The proposal 1899
Wynne stayed in India until April, during which time Herbert Jackson was added to a voluminous list of correspondents while she occupied herself with the amusements that were common: riding or hunting in the morning, tennis until tea, a stroll before dinner and then "from 9.30 till 12.00 we hopped about like mad things amusing ourselves with baby games."
On April 14, 1899, as they were preparing to depart, she received a letter from Herbert to say that he would meet them in Bombay - "dear old thing, how awfully nice it will be to see him again."
April 21st
When we got to Bombay station at 6.15pm we found Colonel
Sewell and Major Jackson awaiting us, we bundled out all the luggage and
drove away to Watson's Annexe where the Major had got rooms for us. As
our train was so late we had to dress for dinner directly...and had a
very cheery little meal and afterwards all went and sat outside on the
verandah.
We had not been there many minutes when Mother and Col. S took their departure to the other end and left us alone - it was then that Herbert Jackson asked me to marry him, and I consented. He is 20 years older than I, and if he were 100 it wouldn't make the slightest difference to me. I am not going to say any more about it except that I can't believe in my good fortune, and only hope I'm good enough for him. It is not to be given out until next autumn when he hopes to come home and get an English station.
I know that I have done the right thing this time, and I hope Mother will see it in this light too. Contrary to my expectations (knowing how perverse she is in these matters) she has taken a great fancy to H which makes everything very much easier.
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This last comment may have been somewhat naive - the formidable Blanche, Wynne's mother, had clearly been at work and knew what was coming. As planned, once agreed on the engagement, the parties separated, and everything proceeded on its very leisurely course - a course made even slower by the outbreak of war in South Africa. Herbert, now her "Dearest", returned from India in November 1899 and was sent immediately to Aldershot -
"the place is quite deserted in consequence of this war and naturally in an awful muddle. As yet, he has not been able to get leave but his present plans are to come here on Wednesday and stay a week and then I am to go back with him to see his family - it will be a most fearful ordeal and I am terrified!"
Meanwhile the engagement was announced - "I have had so many letters and it is such a business answering them all. We hope to marry sometime either in April or June. How I long for Wednesday, I do so want to see him very much."
That was in 1899, and Wynne did marry in June, but she had to wait until 1901 to do so. After Herbert had returned from the war in South Africa.