Letters and Amazons: chapter three
Again, not all the letters and not all of every letter. Mostly Ransome's characters, with a slight touch of Sayers. Reading Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers would explain the Dean's slight concern.
27th February 1939: Helen Blackett to Molly Blackett
Yes, that's fine. I'll come and meet you at Euston 3.45pm on a week on Tuesday 7th. It's a great pity Peggy won't be coming with you.
I have to admit to being impressed by your future son-in-law when I met him.
1st March: Peggy Blackett to John Walker
Thank you very much indeed for the shoulder bag. It really is a useful size.
1st March: Peggy Blackett to Susan Walker
I do like the material. It's lovely. Thank you very much. It's a really thoughtful present. Whether there is or isn't a war, I'll enjoy making an outfit out of it as well as wearing it.
1st March: Peggy Blackett to Nancy Blackett
Thank you (again) for the alarm clock, which got used properly for the first time today. Thank you very much for the roads maps too. They were genuinely a surprise – and a useful one.
1st March: Peggy Blackett to Titty and Bridget Walker
Thank you very much for the photograph album –it's a really thoughtful present.
1st March: Peggy Blackett to her Great Aunt
Thank you very much for the lovely brooch. It's very kind of you.
1st March: Peggy Blackett to Roger Walker
Thank –you so much for the wrinkle-cream. I'm sure it will come in useful for something.
1st March: Molly Blackett's not quite a diary
Dear Bob,
Both our girls are grown up. I'm so thankful they've turned out the way they have. It isn't at all reasonable to feel like crying. I'm NOT unhappy. Not when I think about home and family stuff. I'm very lucky. I wish you could see them. I wish they could have known you properly, and not just as small children could. Peggy says she's not really sure now what she does remember, or if she's just remembering things Nancy told her.
4th March: Peggy Blackett to Titty Walker
No need to apologise – he wouldn't be Roger if he didn't do something like that.
9th March: Peggy Blackett to her Mother
Please just buy an outfit and come back as quickly as you can. The GA is arriving this afternoon, to chaperone me in your absence! Cook is mortally offended that she is not considered a chaperone enough! I'm at work all day, so Cook will be left to the GAs mercy or lack of it. She's (the GA that is) learnt from last time and sent a letter, so that she was already on her way here by the time I received the letter. No chance of stopping her.
It seems someone has told her about Timothy teaching me to ride a motorcycle – her letter is full of comments about far from respectable young men and unladylike behaviour.
9th March: Peggy Blackett to Nancy Blackett
I know she was looking forward to seeing Aunt Helen and I'm sure the change will do her good in a general way, but not if she comes back to find Cook has given notice! Just shove her on the first train as soon as she's bought what she needs to!
Providing Timothy doesn't run into the GA by accident, (He'll certainly shear off if he sees her coming) it's the effect on Cook I'm most concerned about. Uncle Jim isn't around when wanted of course. I haven't seen Timothy (or unfortunately had a chance to practise on the motorcycle) for weeks now, and did promise Mother I wouldn't ride it while she was away.
She does describe John as "a young man with a respectable profession." Do you think she's worked out that he's the same person as the "boy who was such a bad influence"? I was never quite sure why she blamed John more than the rest of the Swallows.
People keep asking me what you think is going to happen in Czecho-Slovakia. You're sure to know of course, being in "that London".
12th March : Nancy to Peggy
Poor Peggy!
That's all very well but Mother does have a mind of her own! She's going back tomorrow (13th). If the GA hasn't worked it out, I don't see any need to tell her. Luckily everyone is too scared to talk to her more than they have to.
13th March: Peggy to Nancy: Telegram
Uncle back Let Mother enjoy London Peggy
13th March: Helen Blackett to Peggy Blackett: Telegram
Mother already on train please meet at 6 Helen
13th March: Nancy to Peggy (letter)
She only missed two days. You did your best. It would have been fine if they hadn't gone shopping (again) on the way to the station!
15th March: Nancy to John
It seems my little sister has grown up with a bit of bang. Apparently, the GA was having a go at Mother and Peggy turned round and told her that she hadn't been invited and Mother would run her own house in her own way and offered to drive the GA to the station there and then if she didn't like it. Uncle Jim writes that the GA shut up and stalked out of the room. They heard a bit of banging of drawers and things from the spare room and Cook began to get her hopes up. (She wrote to me too!) The GA appeared at supper just as if nothing had happened. Mother admits it cheered her up immensely (I had a letter from her of course.) and is now feeling guilty because it did. The GA supposedly gave up an engagement with someone terribly eligible to look after Mother and Uncle Jim. The GAs got her faults but lying isn't one of them, so I suppose it must be true. It seems completely improbable!
I wouldn't give you up for a hundred nieces and nephews. Why couldn't the GA have married this chap and looked after them anyway? It's not as if she'd actually have to look after them herself, they had nurse – and anyway they weren't babies by then.
15th March: Nancy to Peggy (postcard)
Well done, Peggy! Love Nancy
17th March: Peggy to Nancy
Oh you tame galoot! Your postcard nearly started it all off again. You know how she snoops about on the hall table or anywhere else for that matter. Anyway, she is going tomorrow.
Timothy called the day before yesterday just as Mother and Uncle Jim were being Told What The Garden Should Be Like. I expect he wanted to see Uncle Jim but rang slap bang into all three of them coming round the corner of the house so Mother invited him to drawing-room tea. They were still at it when I got back from work – second pot of tea stone cold (worse luck). I expect the GA was waiting for Timothy to go and he was holding on waiting for a chance to speak to Uncle Jim without the GA passing comment on everything. Luckily, he had been wearing what I suppose must be his best suit. The GA kept making a point of "my elder niece's fiancé and his respectable profession." Timothy knows exactly what she used to say about the Walkers of course and eventually succumbed to an unfortunate coughing fit and had to go home!
17th March: Nancy to John
It's all looking very grim. Please, love, if we are going to war over Czecho-Slovakia, let's just get married as soon as we can manage to be in the same place at the same time. I was half joking about that before. I'm not now.
19th March: Peggy to Titty
We can cut out and fit yours when you come up at Easter. Susan's too if she can come. Maybe if would be better if your mother could get someone in Portsmouth to do Bridget's dress a bit nearer the time. I am getting a bit tired so sailing by myself to tell you the truth and I'd much rather be sailing than dress making.
John to Nancy
Yes, of course, darling. Of course I'm still in the Mediterranean and you're still in London AND SOME IDIOT PUT THEM MUCH TOO FAR APART.
I miss you.
John to Nancy
For some reason your letter of the 15th arrived two days after the one of the 17th. Jolly good for Peggy!
I don't think I could give you up for anyone or anything. Certainly half a dozen nieces and nephews would be no obstacle. If he'd really loved her, surely this chap of the GAs wouldn't let her make them both miserable in some mistaken noble sacrifice?
1st April: Nancy to John
A strange day to announce the end of a civil war. I wonder what effect it will have. I know what effect I hope it will have!
Bismarck and now Tirpitz! Well it's obvious what they think is going to happen.
I miss you a lot too.
7th April: Roger Walker to Dick Callum
Actually Peggy rides that motorcycle pretty well. I'm not telling her that of course or she'll put on no end of side. Squashy (no, I haven't called him that to his face – yet anyway.) says he won't let anyone else ride it. I haven't given up yet though. It looks far too much fun to do that!
Give my best wishes to Dot, won't you? – and the Death and Glories of course.
20th April: Molly Blackett to Nancy
Well, the launch is sold, no thanks to you, you wicked child! Do you remember that poor gentleman you launched an ice-cream at, years ago at the games? He bought it. Luckily your uncle recognised him and sent Peggy to hide out of sight until he's been and gone. He might not have recognised her as herself, but you look a lot too alike to be sure he wouldn't spot the resemblance.
Well he did buy it – paid the asking price rather to my surprise. After we'd done the deal, he was busy telling me that of course there wouldn't be a war and that he knew people in the know etc. I do hope he's right.
Now why did you attack him with the ice-cream? Looking all wide-eyed and innocent and saying "it slipped off the cone" didn't convince me then, young lady, and it doesn't now!
25th April: Nancy Blackett to Molly Blackett
Dear Mother,
Well you know what they say about a fool and his money! Gosh, aren't I beginning to sound like nurse. I'm glad he parted with it in your direction.
To answer your question – it did slip. I went to quite a lot of trouble to ensure that it would! It would have been simpler to have just chucked it, but John and Titty were there and I knew I'd have to seem apologetic. Luckily he was so ungentlemanly in his language that no-one noticed that my "apologies" didn't include actually saying I was sorry it had happened. Perhaps Uncle Jim did, but he didn't give me away. Mr Not-really-a gentleman was beastly unjust to John in the snide sort of way that people never can fight back against and upset Titty quite a lot.
Best pocket money ever spent!
30th April: Susan Walker to Peggy Blackett
They moved him year ahead when he changed schools. I think the theory was that the effort to keep up would keep him out of mischief! By the time Roger is old enough to be affected by conscription, I'm afraid we will already be at war. It seems likely at the rate Germany (and Italy for that matter) are going.
9th May : Dorothea Callum to Nancy Blackett
Thank you so much for asking me to do a reading. I'll feel honoured to do it.
27th May: The Dean of Shrewsbury College to Lady Peter Wimsey
… such puzzles as we have were all quite mercifully un-mysterious and easily solved. One of the first years is attempting to keep a cat illicitly, which accounts for the noise and Miss Callum in the second year is practising a reading for a friend's wedding rather than seeking spiritual succour for an examination-induced malady of the mind or soul. Miss Edwards was the detective who discovered the cat. I adopted the simple expedient of asking the second year what she was doing in the chapel.
6th June: Nancy to John
So that's all the invitations posted. Peggy has decided that she's joining the WRNS too if there is war. I'm not so sure they'll let her leave the post-office when the war starts - I imagine it will be regarded as an essential service.
15th June: Susan to Peggy
I'm not so sure Nancy's right. Yes, it is essential, but there will be plenty of women who don't work at the moment who might want to avoid being having to work in a munitions factory or something like that. I expect you could wriggle out of it easily enough if it came to it – but not quite at once.
27th June: Titty Walker to Nancy Blackett
She might not recognise John, but she did come round and visit Mother, the summer we camped in Swallowdale, so I'm afraid your great aunt will probably work it out. I've got an interview for a job. One of my teachers (Art School, not High School) recommended me for it.
5th July: John to Nancy
I think Roger has pretty much decided to join the RAF. Only being Roger, he'll keep everyone guessing until the last minute.
10th July: Nancy to John
Now Peggy has decided that since there is to be a Women's Auxiliary Air Force she might like to join that – if-and-when. No "if" about it I think.
15th July: John to Nancy
So Titty has the job. I involved doing scenery and making props and things for a film studio. Mother is rushing around trying to sort out digs for within cycling distance. (There's no telling what will happen with public transport and petrol.)
11th August: Nancy to Peggy
So there was a practice blackout. Not very black, I thought. I heard enough complaints though! I expect I'll be home before I have time to write again – except just to say when I'm arriving.
25th August:
Molly Blackett's not quite a diary.
Dear Bob,
If anyone else knew I was still writing this to you – or as if to you- after nineteen years!
The girls would worry terribly, so would Jim. Maybe Nancy is not so far off understanding, although understanding won't make her worry less – I hope she never does- not really. Not at any rate until she is a very old lady.
So our bigger little girl gets married tomorrow, knowing that in a few weeks, months if we're lucky she'll be waving her husband off to fight a war. She'll be going off herself, in that case, to do heavens-knows what.
And she's so cheerful and confident and happy, (as happy as she's ever been I think) that I'm really not as worried myself as I should be.