Chapter 10

4th August

Nicola Marlow to Giles Marlow

…. so Roger did come and help with the harvest one day and worked pretty hard. Mostly stooking. Rowan's got Mr Brown and the thresher booked for Thursday of next week and says she's certain to be ready by then…..

6th August

Susan Dudgeon to Peggy Blackett

… and we saw Mother off from Southampton. Young Bill was wildly excited at seeing the sea, but Harry cried, I'm afraid. I wonder whether they will remember her when she comes back. Edward and Rosie are growing at a great pace – you will really see a difference in them – or rather you will have seen it by now…

10th August

Nancy Walker to John Walker

….So Dick and Titty are back from seeing your Mother off. Jane and Julia are still very indignant that I would let them go with Titty, but I felt Titty would have enough to cope with her own two, especially if one or both of them were going to be ill too. (And a stomach upset is the last thing Mary needs at the moment.) Robert is fine now which, Julia asserts three times an hour, means that we SHOULD HAVE GONE. Dick and the builder are busily drawing plans….

15th August

Rowan Marlow to Captain Geoffrey Marlow

… The self-binder still functions perfectly adequately, and I certainly wouldn't suggest changing it earlier than we have to, or just because others are, but it is entirely possible that at some point Mr Brown will decide to retire, and if enough neighbours switch over to combines – which I am quite sure they will – then we will have to do something about threshing, winnowing etc, and a combine harvester seem the best way to go at that point. I suspect we've got a year or two yet, but Mr Brown is 63. (I know because Fob asked him; luckily he's not the sort to take offence.) He could be drawing his old age pension in two years' time. A combine would be a sizable investment, of course, which is why I thought I'd better let you know about it as soon as possible. ….

20th August

Roger Walker to Rowan Marlow

…..I quite understand about the not being able to get away just now. I'll ride down on Saturday afternoon if that's alright with you.

With lots of love, Roger

22nd August

Rowan Marlow to Roger Walker

…..Mum says would you have to get back on Saturday as well, or would you like to stay until Sunday? Ginty has gone to stay in Keswick with Monica for a week, so you could have her room or Ann's. I'd love it if you could stay. (No one will try to make you come to church, in case that worries you. Mum likes us to go sometimes in case of hurting the vicar's feelings, but only Ann is really keen. I suspect that's the cause of her rather irritating tendency to want to confess everything! I'm not too sure one way or the other, to be honest. I mean about the whole faith thing. Ann's confessional tendencies are all too obvious.) And if you can stay both days, should you mind coming to the gymkhana to watch Prisca and me making fools of ourselves in the open jumping? We needn't stay for the whole thing if you don't want. There are always sausage rolls, and they are particularly good, if that's any inducement.

Anyway, yes, please do come at the weekend whether it's one day or (I hope) two.

With love, Rowan

31stth August

Julia Walker to John Walker

Dear Dady I ma a biggirl and Giong to scool love form JuLia

1st September

Titty Callum to Dorothea "McGinty"

…So Edward is quite convinced it is NOT FAIR that he can't start school yet. Dick explained that if he did start school it would have to be in Leeds not Rio with Jane and Julia, which made Ed pause for a bit. I'm quite sure we haven't heard the last of it. We'd love you both to come and see the cottage before Dick has to go back to Leeds.

5th September

Dorothea to Titty Callum

..yes please, we would love to come and visit. The civil war book is coming out on the 15th, so there will be a party for smiling at reviewers – not just for my book, of course, but my publisher has 3 of us all the same position and genre. If we visited for a couple of days on the way to up London, would that be OK? (Ian says it should definitely be down to London.) We were going to visit Oxford on the way back. I'd like to show Shrewsbury to Ian– I know it's not a mediaeval gem of college architecture or anything, but I liked it. We've arranged to meet Roger for a meal – at least I think it's arranged. He seemed rather vague about it.

15th September

Nancy Walker to Peggy Blackett

…stayed for three days. Dorothea was looking well, but huge considering how long it is until the baby is due. She's got beyond the throwing up stage – not that she ever had it that badly, she says. It didn't stop Cook from making tons of extra ginger cake with extra ginger, only a quarter of which got eaten during the visit. The children are completely overwhelmed by the sheer gingery-ness of it. Jane bailed out after a mouthful and Julia took one look at Jane's face and wouldn't even try it. Dorothea is tactfulness personified, of course, but I'm sure that at least one of the two cakes Cook gave her to take away will end up as Roger's. He won't let a little thing like too much ginger stop him from enjoying them either. Ian and Dorothea took Scarab across to see the Dixons. Dot said Mr Dixon was quite happy to have Ian pick his brains about sheep farming, and she hasn't seen him talk so much to anyone except Dick.

20th September

Nicola Marlow to Rowan Marlow

…actually Monica seems to be making quite a decent fist of head-girling so far, and Ginty doesn't seem to mind too much about not being a prefect. Not that anyone could expect that to happen all things considered…

20th September

Nicola Marlow to Patrick Merrick

…quite a long letter from Ann to all three of us. She seems to be really in her element in nursing. ….