AN: With many thanks to Fergus Mason for proof reading and for explaining how the armed forces dealt with letters.

Titty Callum to Dorothea "McGinty"

Thursday 22nd March

...I was expecting to find everything half finished, but Nancy seems to have terrified the builder and plumber into finishing the bathroom on time. The septic tank was already sorted out when I came up at the end of February. So we are spending our holiday properly in our own cottage, and you and
Ian must come as soon as possible to see it. (Although if you can't for a while, I quite understand.) Peggy is staying at Beckfoot for the week, although Jim can only have the Easter weekend up here. She saw Susan last weekend and said they all seemed very well. ….

Susan Dudgeon to Peggy Brading.

Thursday 22nd March 1951

Dear Peggy,

It was lovely to see you last weekend, but I'm sorry to say that Bill has started with chickenpox. Harry seems fine at the moment. I suspect they've picked it up from "victims", but they were pretty much bound to catch it eventually, and I suppose it's just as well now rather than later. Tom says the incubation time is about 2 weeks, but it could be 1 to 3 really. I've had it, which is just as well, because I gather it's worse in adults – I do remember John saying that Nancy was much iller than Julia and Jane when they had it in Malta.

I do hope you haven't caught it, nor Susie and Jamie, of course, but I'm actually more worried about you. At least Nancy and her kids can't get it again, even if this letter doesn't get to you before you go to Beckfoot. And it won't if I don't post it now.

With love and apologies,

Susan

Peggy Brading to Susan Dudgeon

Sunday 1st April 1951

Dear Susan,

Most unusually, your letter seems to have been delayed by a day, and was waiting for us when we got back from Beckfoot. Your letters to Nancy and Titty got here on the Easter Saturday. We decided that since the children had breathed on each other thoroughly by that time and none of them were showing symptoms that they may just as well catch it from each other and have done. No need to worry about me -I've had chickenpox – all my dorm did at one point, but we were all duly isolated from the rest of the school, and I suppose that's how Nancy ended up not getting it then. Mother thinks she's had it and Titty has no idea whether she has or not. I don't suppose you would know?

Of course, maybe Susie and Jamie didn't catch it from Bill, or maybe they aren't infectious until they get the spots. I think we've probably escaped it.

Anyway, they've had a lovely time even though we quite definitely and cruelly forbade camping – our definition of "not until you're older" not quite matching Jane and Susie's. Only Jane actually made it to the top of Kanchenjunga - not all by herself, but with Nancy and Dick. I wondered at one point if sheer pride might have kept Susie going, but it didn't, quite. Jane has only asked Dick twenty times if he's quite sure he'll remember to "send the photo to Daddy". It's quite funny watching Nancy trying not to put on side about it too.

So the only difference chickenpox has made to us so far is that we had invited the Dixon's new farmhand/ assistant farm manager or whatever you want to call her to Beckfoot for part of the day on Easter Sunday. Nancy took her out for the day in Amazon instead, picnic on Wild Cat etc. Cook reckoned Rowan would like anything that involved being off her feet for the day – or the amount of the day that was left between morning and evening milking.

Nancy liked her, but didn't say much about her other than that she is one of the older ones of a big family – so perhaps all our hordes of offspring wouldn't be much entertainment for her -and that Mrs Dixon was right and she did need cheering up.

Mr Dixon's leg is progressing nicely according to the doctor, Mrs Dixon says (Mother met her in Rio last week.) and this Rowan has had such a lot to do with forms and whatnot in her last place that she's a dab hand sorting out the ones when it's not clear what the Ministry of Ag are on about – and of course Mr D has plenty of time to deal with the other ones now that he's home from the cottage hospital. Cook says she doesn't think they would have let him home so soon, except for Mrs D having been a nurse in the first war. Anyway, the Dixons think they've struck lucky with Rowan, mother says, only Mrs Dixon is worried because she is so quiet.

I hope Bill isn't too uncomfortable with his spots, poor kid.

Much love to all,

Peggy

"Could it be that the poor girl doesn't get a word in edgeways with Mrs Dixon?" Tom had asked when Susan read him the letter

She's not that bad." Susan had replied. "It's just that Mr Dixon seldom says much at all."

"They'll be infectious enough just before the spots come out." Tom said. "Oh well, too late now. And Peggy's got a point about getting it over with."

Peggy Brading to Susan Dudgeon

Monday 2nd April

Dear Susan,

I spoke, or wrote, too soon. Susie was very bad tempered this morning and the first spot appeared at lunchtime. At least I knew what I was looking out for. Jamie seems OK, but quieter than usual, although that's odd since he spent more time with your Bill.

Ringing round trying to get someone to take Guides for me tomorrow night. Even if Jim would be back in time to look after the children, I suppose I hadn't better take the risk of handing chickenpox round the entire company, although the doctor said it shouldn't be a problem if I didn't hug my two while wearing my uniform.

Glad to hear Bill is doing OK and Harry seems to have escaped.

Love, P.

Nancy Walker to John Walker

26th March

….so here is the photograph on the summit, and the picture from Julia of the brown thing that looks like a deformed giraffe is a rabbit. Julia is still asking for a pet rabbit daily. I didn't mention the tin under the cairn at all – having previously discussed it with Titty. We both think that's something that should wait until they go up there by themselves.

I don't know whether Susan wrote to you, but her Bill has chickenpox. We rather suspect that Susie and Jamie will have picked it up.

So it ended up with me taking the Dixon's new farmhand sailing by myself on Easter Sunday instead of her coming for the day, as Mother had first suggested. Mrs Dixon and Mother seem to have put their heads together and decided that she "needed someone nearer her own age to talk to." I suspect Titty was the real first choice for the job, but no one seems to know whether Titty has had chicken pox and is therefore immune to it or not so she could pass it on, I suppose. Anyway, I failed dismally at getting the kid to tell me what's bothering her. She carefully "Mrs Walker"ed me to keep me at arm's length and she's a bright enough lass that she realised perfectly well that I knew why she was doing it. (When it became absolutely impossible to carry on because I asked her outright to call me Nancy she changed to "skipper" and "aye, aye ma'am".) Titty might have managed to win her confidence – I certainly didn't. At least not her confidences. She was happy enough to spend the afternoon in Amazon and to explore Wild Cat Island. (No sign of our prickly friend being about yet, but it might be a bit early.)….

John Walker to Nancy Walker

3rd April

…I've written to Jane and Julia separately of course, and both giraffe/ rabbit and photograph are currently pinned up in pride of place. Well, if this lass won't confide, she won't confide. You've given her a chance – and suppose Mrs Dixon is wrong and there is nothing to tell? Or perhaps we're simply too old to understand now…I've got one lieutenant who has very much not got his mind on things at the moment, and he's not saying anything either – except that it's a family matter ….

"It was quite different when I had mumps." Nancy Walker told her hopeful daughters. "We all went to boarding school for one thing, and chickenpox is not such a bad disease – you aren't so ill with it. And anyway, you've had it, so you can't catch it again, or take it to school with you. So you go back at the beginning of term, even if Edward and Rosie are still here."

"But you were quite ill with it, Mummy, suppose you catch it again."

"I can't get it like that twice, any more than you can. And I wouldn't be so ill with it anyway."

4th April, Roger Walker to Susan Dudgeon.

….so if things go according to plan, I should be home in 3 weeks or so with a fair bit of leave owing to me. There's someone I want to see first, but then I'll come to Horning for a week or so, if you'll put up with me…

Susan Walker to Roger Walker

14th April- Horning

…Of course, we'd be delighted to see you, but Harry has started chickenpox on the very last day of the quarantine for it. Bill of course is back to his usual self now of course. Titty wrote to Mother when we realised that Susie and Jamie might pass it onto Ed and Rosie, and Mother is fairly sure that Titty has had chickenpox when John and I did, and you and Bridget have not, not even being born then. Tom says it's no joke in an adult and that you'd better go to Titty and Dick first – assuming their quarantine for it is up by the time you're back - or to the Lake first, and then come and see us as soon as Harry stops being infectious. (It depends on the spots drying up just when that is)…

"No young lady. Those don't look in the least like chickenpox spots to me."

"They itch, Mummy." Julia said hopefully.

"Well if Auntie Titty's watercolours make you itch, it serves you right for using them without asking. Go and wash the paint off now. You can apologise to her tomorrow when she comes to take you to school in Swallow."

"Auntie Titty's taking us to school?" "Brilliant!"

"And, if the weather is fine, we'll sail somewhere for a picnic tea after school tomorrow. Granny will look after Rosie and Robert for the afternoon, so it will just be Edward and you two."

Titty Callum to Nancy Walker

20th April - Leeds

Dear Nancy,

Edward and Rosie both have chickenpox. I did think we'd got away with it, although Susan said she thought the day before the spots was probably nearly as infectious as when they actually came out. I'm OK for the time being at least. If I'd known we were going to have chickenpox and have to stay cooped up in the flat, being no help to Dick whatsoever, I would have stayed by the Lake now the cottage is so brilliantly sorted out. (Thank you once again for all that chivvying). I do hope Robert hasn't caught it from Edward and Rosie, just when it looked as if he was going to get away with it.

With love from us all,

Titty

Titty Callum to Roger Walker

20th April. Leeds

Dear Roger,

Of course we'd love to see you, but Edward and Rosie have just started chickenpox today. I've asked our doctor about it. And he says the children will probably stop being infectious in about a week or so – it depends on when the spots scab over. So the sensible thing would be for you to go to the Lake first, and spend a few days with them and then come here before going to Susan's. Or go to Susan first, and then to us, but that would be more travelling..

Molly Blackett to Roger Walker. 21st april

…so since you can't go to Horning or Leeds, you'd be very welcome to come here first. We were hoping to see you during your leave anyway, and we've all, apart from little Robert, had it, so you've less risk of catching it here than anywhere and we'd all love to see you….

There was no letter from Rowan, although Roger scrabbled through the thick pile three times before he would admit to himself it wasn't there.

Finally, Roger turned his attention to the letters that were there. Unusually there was one from Mrs Blackett. He opened that first. It seemed there was nothing to worry about with the small Walkers and Nancy, and he was welcome to go to Beckfoot. But why couldn't he go to Leeds or Horning? And what might he not catch? He opened the most recent one from Titty. Chickenpox. Well that explained it. Why not Horning? He opened Susan's most recent letter. Well if Susan and Tom thought he'd better avoid them for the time being – neither of themwere likely to overstate that sort of thing. Good for Mrs Blackett. He'd read the letters properly now. He started with the ones from Mother. It was just as well all his correspondents always dated their letters properly, because a quarter of the postmarks were smudged. Well, nearly all. Roger smiled as he unfolded a picture of a boat floating above a lake carefully entitled Swalllow. Julia had carefully written Thusday in the corner, in letters larger and more wobbly than her sister's.