BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [14 DEC. 1917]
BRACERS 19258. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<London>
Friday1^, 2^, 3

My Beloved Angel

Your deara little letter4 came this morning — I am so happy, my sweetest Dear — All the blackness is gone and there is joy and delight again —

Tomorrow: Shall I call for you at 7 or 6.45? Or would you rather meet at Isola Bella?5  If so, when?

I got out of telling Mrs E6 more than that there was furniture available — I found I would have died sooner than take her to the Studio7 — I can’t think how I fancied I could do such a thing. I promised to see to getting it sent.

Dear one, I long now to be with you altogether — We must settle how — Studio or otherwise — as you choose. But I shall be perfectly happy whatever we do or don’t do, so long as the future you suggested remains possible —

Last night I got £144 from America for my book8 — So we needn’t worry about money — I didn’t expect anything like so much —

Goodbye till tomorrow, my Love, my Darling, my beautiful one.

B.b

• 1

  [document] Document 200246.

• 2

  [envelope] The Lady Constance Malleson | 6 Mecklenburgh Square | W.C.1. Written in pencil on the verso of the unstamped envelope in BR’s hand: “I am going to 10 Mecklenburgh Sq. to tea tomorrow. Might I come on to you from there?” Colette also lived in the Square, at no. 6. BR cancelled this tea invitation in order to see Clifford Allen. The occupant of no. 10 has not been identified.

• 3

  [date] Colette wrote “14 Dec 1917” on the envelope.

• 4

  little letter She wrote two letters on 13 December (BRACERS 113102 and 113103; the latter is shorter).

• 5

  Isola Bella Possibly the Italian restaurant of that name at 15 Frith Street in Soho. It was open in 1939 owned by Pierino Micotti.

• 6

  Mrs E Vivienne Eliot (1888–1947), the wife of poet T.S. Eliot. For information on her, see BRACERS 19062, n.5. There was a possibility of furniture for Marlow.

• 7

  the Studio The name given to the place that they had rented on the ground floor at 5 Fitzroy Street, Soho. For information on it, see BRACERS 19240, n.9.

• 8

  for my bookPolitical Ideals (B&R A27), published in September 1917. BR recorded a payment of that amount from the Century Co. of New York in his pocket diary.

Textual Notes

• a

  dear  Underlined three times in a continuous stroke.

• b

  B. Below is a series of ten plus signs.