ROSEMARY COTTAGE

JUNE 1st. 1939

My Dear,
Thankyou for your nice newsy letter and for the pound, which nearly discharges the obligation as the enclosed bill will show you.  Scarfe and tie arrived this rnorning and very handsome they are.  Now shall I be doggy.  If it is nice weather at O and we want to, we may spend Sunday in a punt on the river, in which case I shall wear white flannels and blazer.  The M will give us a picnic basket for lunch and we must buy half a dozen detective or other 6d. books to have with us. A nice day of rest will do us good after the tension of Saturday.

So for the present, dear bride, a lot of thanks.

Mrs. Dyer ? Dyer ?  Frank Dyer’s wife ? Flossie’s sister-in-law ?  Or some other dyer ? I can think of no other.  But we have got a crashing (I HOPE not) present from the Harrisons, an exquisite early morning tea service for two on a tray.  Its infinitely gloatable, terrific.  I have packed it up and shall bring it tomorrow, Friday for the gloat room. I enclose the card.  Dear people.  She went all the way to Birmingham to buy it at Barrows yesterday, and blushed and looked so nice. I undid it there and exclaimed as piece after pieces came out of the straw.  I’ll bring it tenderly to you.  Don’t we collect things !

 Is it safe to let people loose among out booty without us being there to watch them ?  Shall we put up a sign “NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED” and put Arthur behind a little till ? WHAT are you going to do with it all.

Its terribly hard to concentrate these days,     I’m getting too disturbed and thrilled, I keep meandering in mind. But I’m setting the teeth and finishing Charles today I did a few pages and sent off the Peasants.

Yes, wait to see your own vet tomorrow.  But do go, full day though it is.  Slip out quietly and see him.  Telephone him in the morning and make an appointment for the afternoon. Oh, could someone, Ame, or Arthur or someone, go to Becketts of Moseley (just over the crossroads after the traffic lights on the l.a. route, and get my clothes some time between 5 and 7 on Friday ? I may be after that and in that case they would be shut.  If they aren’t there, raise heaven and earth. I enclose the receipt which do not please lose.

Mrs, Harrison is taking Juliet for us, loves the idea and the goldfish.  Juliet will lead her usual life, sleep here and have their house and garden to rove in. They will feed her carefully and, in the end, I suppose, win her love. But then we shall win it back.  A duel over the love of the catlet Juliet.

Dyer, dyer ? Flossies Dyer ?

Bill comes tonight at seven for supper, and Bobby and Kay tomorrow for tea. So.

And Arthur’s a Royal Engineer, Good. That is just the sort of thing to make Hitler throw a fit, I mean, its hopeless for him now.  John flitting overhead and Arthur burrowing underneath, and me in the middle.

I’ll go and see Hutch, bless him. He can do wonders with my hair if he can ! Hope we don’t meet in the hairopodist’s, Odd situation. How will you get up ? Would you like Kenneth attached to you for the morning, Daimler and all ?

                     No more, but my love. And see you soon.

                               yo ho.

Go and see the vet and get it over.

Ever your. . .

P.S. An opening gambit you could use would be . . . .”Oh, hullo, I’m getting married tomorrow and they tell me that one should see one’s doctor first, so here I am.  Rather embarrassing and all that, but we don’t actually want too many offspring at first. So . . . so what ?”  It will make it easier for both of you if you add that he needn’t start right at page 1.