BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [3 FEB. 1918]
BRACERS 19286. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<London>
Sunday night.1^, 2

My Darling Love

I wonder if you are back from the cottage3 by now — I have such a happy memory of Friday evening — the time at the Studio4 was lovely — It is a much better plan meeting in the Studio than trying to be content with the Attic5 and the streets and restaurants — I am free tomorrow night and Tuesday night and Wed. all day and night — so we shall be able to fit in with your work somehow — I do long for a day in the country with you — Today I went with Littlewood6 to Leith Hill — it was heavenly — the smell of the pines and the sound of the wind in them were intoxicating — and the hazel catkins are out — and birds are singing — and lovely gleams of pale sunshine came from time to time. We must go there.a It is much more delightful than any place we ever go to, except perhaps Merrow Down.7 I longed for you today —

Goodnight sweet love — I wish I were with you and could kiss your dear eyes and stroke your hair and make you feel warm and happy —

B.

Monday morning Thanks for your dear letter.8 I am very sorry you have a headache. Yes, let’s come back to the Attic after dinner tonight and I’ll tuck you up in bed — I had forgotten your bad time was coming.

Let’s keep Wed. free if you don’t have work — You won’t want a country walk, but dob come and spend the day in the Studio, reading and talking. I find I don’t talk in the Attic half as much — you may say that gives you all the better innings! Of course we won’t stay the night Wed. if you are feeling ill. Tonight: unless you phone to the contrary: I will call for you at seven.

Have forgotten the detectives — quite unimportant.9

• 1

  [document] Document 200273.

• 2

  [date] Colette wrote “3 Feb - 1918” on the letter.

• 3

  the cottage Presumably Nimmy Not at Bellingdon, near Chesham, Bucks. although there is no mention in her correspondence of having been there at this time.

• 4

  the Studio The place BR and Colette rented on the ground floor at 5 Fitzroy Street, Soho, London W1. For further information on it, see BRACERS 19247, n.4.

• 5

  the Attic The flat at 6 Mecklenburgh Square, London WC1, rented by Colette and her husband, Miles.

• 6

  Littlewood John Edensor Littlewood (1885–1977), mathematician. He and BR were to share a farmhouse near Lulworth during the summer of 1919. Littlewood had two children, Philip and Ann Streatfeild, with the wife of Dr. Raymond Streatfeild.

• 7

  Merrow Down For information on their walk there, see BRACERS 19148, n.4.

• 8

  your dear letter Her letter of 2 February 1918 (BRACERS 113123).

• 9

  forgotten the detectives — quite unimportant In making this assessment BR was quite wrong. BR had been interviewed by detectives at Gordon Square on 1 February 1918 regarding the writing of “The German Peace Offer” (B&R C18.01; 92 in Papers 14). Later that year he would be sent to prison for what he predicted in that article — that American troops in Britain would be used as strike-breakers. Colette had written to him that she had just heard the news about the detectives’ visit and hoped that he was not too worried.

Textual Notes

• a

  We must go there. after deleted but one has to start rather early.

• b

  do Underlined three times in a continuous stroke.