No sooner had Sir Patrick Home left Scotland than his estates were
forfeited and given to Lord Seaforth, and although Lady Home went by sea
to London, and there for a long time did all possible to obtain from
Government an adequate allowance for the support of her family of ten,
L150 a year was all that she was able to secure. Of course Grisell was
her companion there, and her companion also when she sailed to Holland
to join Sir Patrick. Of the ten, a little girl, Julian by name, had to
be left behind with friends as she was too ill to travel, and when
Grisell had safely handed over her mother and brothers and sisters to
her father's care, she returned to Scotland alone, to act as escort to
the little sister, "to negotiate business, and to try if she could pick
up any money of some that was owing to her father." The brave and
capable little woman of business, having managed affairs to her
satisfaction, secured, for the passage, a nurse for the sister, who was
still a weakly invalid. Moreover, the voyage to Holland, being in those
days more than just the affair of a night, a cabin-bed--the only one in
the ship, apparently--was engaged for Julian, and a good store of
provisions laid in. But when the ship had sailed, Grisell found that the
cabin-bed had been separately engaged and paid for by four other ladies,
and at once these four began a violent dispute as to which should have
it.
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