Edward Horner, whose sister married the Prime Minister's son, was a close friend of Duff Cooper, who recorded in his diary for Nov. 23rd 1917, how he was playing bridge when his sister came in and said: "Edward has been killed and Diana is waiting for you outside". 'I went down and found Diana standing by the area railings crying. We got into a taxi and drove away. I haven't cried so much since John was killed nor have I felt anything so deeply. After we had driven for some time we went back to her room in Arlington Street where we sat by the firelight talking a little and crying a lot. Edward meant so much in our lives. I loved no man better. His high courage and fine independence had so splendidly resisted the effects of the war that already he had begun to seem a glorious relic of the glorious past. By his death our little society loses one of the last assets that gave it distinction. And I think we have paid more than our share. To look back on our Venice party now, only four years ago is to recall only the dead. The original four who motored out there together were Denny, Billy, George and Edward of whom not one remains ...We can make no new friends worthy of the old ones .
..I had looked forward to years of happiness with Edward. He was the only companion with whom I was perfectly happy and whom I could always amuse. I begin to feel that the dance is already over and that it is time to go. 'I dined alone at the Junior Carlton. I drank the best champagne - Pommery 1906 - because I felt that Edward would have wished it and would have done so had I been killed the first. After dinner I wrote to Lady Horner and Katharine as well as I could ...I thought it wrong to be gay that night ...I was afraid that I might cry in the middle of dinner.' Drawing on letters, diaries and family papers Leonie Frieda tells his life and how it ended tragically in the trenches in France.
- ISBN10 0297852078
- ISBN13 9780297852070
- Publish Date 10 June 2010
- Publish Status Cancelled
- Out of Print 15 December 2009
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Orion Publishing Co
- Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 400
- Language English