Much love, NR
Darling Honks
Your blissful Blor and Pig life arrived safely yesterday, it is utter bliss having them you can’t imagine how wonderful all the Blors are together, they talk about rations and girls and the weather and they are too wonderful about ‘helping’ as we’ve only got one servant in this vast house so it’s altogether glorious but if only you were here it would just be more glorious.
Max and Alexander are so terribly funny. The first thing they said was, ‘What is your neem?’ which was a wonderful start. They both told me not to talk at table. Max is in a permanent furious rage.
We eat all our meals in the kitchen, it’s so much easier and the food is hot, I hope they don’t mind. Max keeps saying, ‘This is a very odd nursery’, which of course it is.
Much love and to Sir O, Debo
Darling Honks
Thank you so much for your letter. I am so adoring the children, they are a roaring success wherever they go and no wonder. I hope they aren’t finding it too dull though.
Billy1 has been on leave and came down to entertain them. They asked him to draw things for them like lions running which he found very difficult. They both drew very complicated systems of pipes with a so-called tap at the end. They are obviously going to be sanitary engineers. They went to tea at Churchdale yesterday and Max told the duke not to smoke at table. I wasn’t there as Andrew and I went to Belvoir for the weekend. I think they enjoyed it, my duch adored them and they didn’t get back till ¼ past 7. We went for a picnic to Chatsworth2 in the pony cart which was great fun. We went into the strong room to see the gold plate but the children were only interested in the bars across the window.
All the nannies are so wonderful together and help each other to tea like mad. It’s so good for Em,3 my nanny says, to have other children, can you imagine at her age!! They are awfully good and it really is utter heaven having them, I shall never have more glorious guests.
If only you were here it would be perfect.
Best love to Sir O.
All love, Debo
Lady Redesdale’s permit to visit Diana in Holloway.
Dearest Hen
It is so wonderful about you getting married, do write and tell if Mr Treuhaft1 is a Hon, I’m sure he must be a tremendous one, I do die to see him or even a photograph, do try & send something, we all so die to see. Have you fully instructed him about Honnish embraces, Andrew has become quite good and will show everyone all the time.
Oh dear I do long to see you measuring trees, do write & tell. And as for investigating I wish you’d come and investigate about the huge rent here.2
We’ve moved in here for the war, at least I say we but it’s me & Em really as Andrew hasn’t been able to get away to see it although we’ve been in for 4 weeks. I hope he’ll get a short weekend soon but they work so hard I doubt even that. He is on the Yorkshire moors now, bitter cold poor soul. Otherwise everything goes on as usual, London is rather drear though, no one much there and everything v. expensive. We have tremendous pony cart life here as there is no petrol.
Kick Kennedy is in London, it is lovely to have her back, did you like her, I do awfully.
I long to see Constancia, she must be so fascinating, that photograph of you & her was heaven. Do send some more. The difficulty here is one can’t get films, perhaps it’s difficult with you too?
Well dear if anything of note or interest occurs I’ll write again. Be an old Hen & write to yr Hen.
Will you stay in San Francisco now or will you go lumbering off to Seattle? Do you remember how poor Bird always longed to go there.
Farve’s operation was a miracle almost, it was too dreadful to see him quite blind.
Well dear cheery cheer, Henderson
Darling Nancy
Many happy returns darling. The present was mingy beyond belief, I rather wish it had got lost in the post.
Woman is being simply too killing, we are besieged by hordes of pressmen & photographers1 & every now and then she rushes out and says, ‘I dislike you intensely’ or when photo-ed, ‘You foul man’. She doesn’t in the least realize what a wonder-working woman she is being. We ourselves just stay in the house with the curtains drawn and I would rather be us than them because it is the most frightful weather. I hope you all go to the demonstration in Trafalgar Sq this afternoon, I wish I could go.
It is such paradise just not to be in gaol that it is indescribable. Did you see Bernard Shaw in D. Express.2
Could you keep the Wieland3 just till I know where we are going or is it a great trial to you – being so many vols I rather dread it in our luggage.
Desmond tells me that one master at Summer Fields says I ought to be shot. ‘Yes’ said Jonathan, ‘he is an old menace’.
I do LONG for a chat with you but of course I shall never be able to come to London.
Best love, D
Darling,
A girl I know was in Trafalgar Sq that day trying to get to the tube. In order to do so she was obliged to join a queue & shout in unison ‘Put Him Back’. If you didn’t shout you were flung out of the queue & no chance of getting to the Underground! Then she had to stop twice & sign things – also in order to keep her place. After which she was very late for tea. You must say.
Just had a wonderful weekend at Faringdon. I hear Gerald [Berners] is going to stay with you.
Best love, NR
Darling Honks
I do think it’s so wonderful about Nicky getting the MC,1 Sir O must be nearly dying of excitement.
I do disgusting work now, do feel sorry for me. It’s in the YMCA canteen and it’s v. embarrassing because they all copy my voice.
No more news of Andrew – I do hope he comes soon.
All love & millions of congratulations on Nicky’s wonderfulness. Debo