BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [6 JUNE 1917]
BRACERS 19172. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

Wed.1^, 2^, 3

My Darling

Thank you for your little letter4 this morning — I quite understand that everything must depend on Miles5 these next days — If you will not be free tomorrow,6 I won’t let myself mind too much.

I enclose a sad letter which has moved me a good deal. I don’t know the writer, and I didn’t know Graeme West; he was the officer who wrote me two very striking letters,7 and was killed not long ago. War is so dreadful.

Let me know about tomorrow when you can. Goodnight my dear dear Love — all my heart yearns for you.

B.

• 1

  [document] Document 200148.

• 2

  [envelope] The Lady Constance Malleson | 43 Bernard Street | Russell Square | W.C.1. Pmk: LONDON W.C | 8.15 PM | 6 JUN 17?

• 3

  [date] The date is taken from the postmark on the envelope.

• 4

  little letter Her letter of ca. 6 June 1917 (BRACERS 113029).

• 5

  Miles Miles Malleson, Colette’s husband. For further information on him, see BRACERS 19046, n.4.

• 6

  not be free tomorrow Miles was  before a Military Tribunal and Colette need to support him.

• 7

  don’t know the writer, ... two very striking letters The writer was Dorothy Mackenzie, the financée of Graeme West (1891–1917), a second lieutenant in the Oxford and Bucks. Light Infantry who was killed on 3 April 1917. BR published Mackenzie’s letter (of 5 June 1917, BRACERS 3449) in his Autobiography, as well as West’s two letters (Auto. 2: 71, 76–7). The posthumous collection of his papers was titled The Diary of a Dead Officer (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1918). She became Dorothy Cousens after marrying Hilderic Cousens.