4 July 1941

My Dear Matthew,

She certainly seems like a character so far, that's for sure. As luck would have it, I actually had a kitten for awhile growing up, so I have a little advice (though I don't really know how to train a kitten for the battlefield, you're on your own with that). Keep her occupied, plenty of water (running water if you can do that, she might be picky about stagnant water), food for a kitten might be in short supply out there, so I'm not sure how to help you with that. Cats (and kittens) are smarter than you think, so I don't foresee a lot of trouble with the little miss once she learns your expectations (are you even allowed to keep her?)

Matthew, you are a dear friend, and an unexpected one for me, but I cannot allow you to even think of buying me a camera. I'll save up on my own, promise me that I will not suddenly get a package in the mail from you. Promise me, you silly man.

And you don't want to sample my cooking, it's not very good. Cleaning, I like because I have to be clean in all my practical medical classes; it's almost meditative, and it makes me confident in the knowledge that the tools I use are actually clean and sterile. Mrs. Collins is teaching me mending - which I do admit is very useful for whenever I move out, but I'm just… I don't know, it doesn't come easy to me and leaves me frustrated about it.

As for working on the car, that is oddly satisfying. Miss Fisher's butler, Mr. Butler (his actual name, I promise) and her cabbies (Mr. Bert and Mr. Cec, though they don't like the "Mister" in front of their names) have been teaching all three of us how to do maintenance and fix problems as they arise. It's almost like a messier version of an autopsy in a way, and while Clara takes after Mrs. Collins in mending, and Edith is shadowing Mr. Butler in the kitchen, I enjoy my time with the "rabble rousers" as Miss Fisher's aunt calls them. They're… wonderfully mundane after long days around my classmates (who can be pretentious, particularly the ones aiming to be surgeons), and I'm finding that I like fixing machinery as much as I like studying to be a pathologist.

Think that I could be a mechanic if medical school doesn't work out?

I'm glad you're as safe as you can be, and you're in my thoughts constantly.

Your Friend,

Alice