C/o Captain Callaghan
Keyham,
Leicestershire.
28.7.20
My dear Mother,
Many thanks for the sugar, which arrived this morning. We had enough to begin with, as Ethel got some extra in Leicester. The letter was from the Moberly, very nice and cordial. She is staying in High Savoy.
I don’t think I sent off the money for Parker’s bill. If not, both bill and P.O. are on the mantelpiece. Would you mind sending them off?
This is quite an interesting house. It has endless attics, cellars, and lofts attached. We have already decided that it would make an excellent haunt for Mary Rose1. I hope you got to the latter, by the way.
The weather has been pretty unpleasant. We got a lunch walk on Sunday, but on Monday it poured with rain, so we lighted the kitchen range, and did some cooking, at least the others did, the only thing I cooked was potatoes. Ethel made some lemon cheese and a baked pudding, Phyllis some pastry, buns and cake. Yesterday “Lil” came to see us. We got caught in a slight thunder storm coming home from seeing her off, and spent the evening reading Milne’s2 plays out loud! Today we are waiting for visitors who don’t appear to be coming, on account of the weather. Phyllis is reading out “Mrs Beeton” 3 on social matters. It’s fortunate “Jack’s” library is so large.
Much love to Daddie and Max. I enclose stamps for the latter. Your loving Margot.
(Set out like this for lack of space at the foot of the page.)
1Mary Rose: possibly a reference to J M Barrie’s play which first appeared in 1920.
2Milne is A A Milne, author of the Winnie the Pooh books, who wrote a number of drawing-room comedies.
‘Mrs Beeton’s Cookery and Household Management’.
Now comes the long vacation and the next letter will be posted n 10 October 2017.
Margot at Oxford 