Chapter 6 Letters

Dorothea acknowledged herself spoilt. If she hadn't already wandered into the kitchen by eleven o'clock, unable to concentrate on her work and looking for a few minutes distraction, Jeanie would bring her a cup of tea on a tray, with her post tucked tidily under the edge of the saucer. Today however, it was Ian who pushed open the door with the tray in his hands, eager himself for a break for the Ministry of Agriculture forms, and they had squeezed another half cup each from the pot before Dorothea even thought of opening her letters.

Roger seldom wrote, so she opened his letter first.

"Oh," she said, showing Ian the letter. It was addressed to them both. "Roger's not coming to visit during this leave after all."

"He thinks he was over-optimist thinking he could fit everything in this leave." Ian remarked after glance though the first paragraph. "I should say has a point. It is not such a short journey, even from your friends by the Lake. If he is stationed in Oxfordshire though, there will be other occasions. When your civil war book is published, we could stop of for a few days in Oxford, if you like, on our way back from London. It won't be so easy to do something like that in a year's time."

They smiled at each other.

"Yes," said Dorothea, "I'd like that."

"Not "not coming at all"." Titty explained to her husband over breakfast on the second day the cottage next to the Lake was their own.

Little Edward listened anxiously to his parents. Rosie had abandoned the use of her pusher and spoon, but was still determinedly feeding herself scrambled eggs with both hands, having resisted all attempts to help her.

"Just not coming for as long. Up by train one day, staying a day and back to the South the day after that. Look, Edward, Uncle Roger has sent a postcard with a picture of a castle. "

Ginty Marlow to Monica Eliot

I think you must be right about being asked for more dances if you've been asked already. Luckily, I got asked for very nearly the first, by and old friend of my cousin's – although I should think he'd be quite a bit younger than Jon - and didn't sit out once after that. And before you read anything into that, he had 2 dances with me, 2 with Ann and danced pretty much the rest of the night with Rowan. Even mother, who loves dancing, was ready to go ages before she managed to catch Rowan's eye…..

Nancy Walker to John Walker

….. he came on the Tuesday and went back on the Thursday – much to the girls' indignation. I'm quite sure there's nothing the matter with your parents. (Quite the opposite, but Titty pointed out to me rather firmly that that's their news to tell – although Roger told us. Anyway, I'm sure you will have heard from them by the time this letter reaches you.)

Titty and I both suspect that the reason Roger is so keen to get back to the South has a name – but we don't know what her name is. Anyway, good luck to them – and I hope she knows what she's letting herself in for.

Julia is already very excited about starting school. Robert is still just pulling himself up, wobbling, tries to take a step and falls over, but he does it much more often. Seeing Rosie toddling has probably helped. He seems quite determined to walk as well as Rosie.

Dick and Titty's cottage has loads of stuff that needs doing – a proper bathroom and somewhere to at least moor Scarab, most importantly. There were quite a few empty old tea-chests left there, to the delight of the children who are busy building a castle in the garden.