BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, [31 JULY 1920]
BRACERS 19675. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

<letterhead>
70, Overstrand Mansions,
Prince of Wales Road,
Battersea, S.W.1^,2

Darling

Here are your letters3 and the green shawl. Please bring the bag (empty) tomorrow4 to

Hotel Rubens
Buckingham Palace Road

Charing X5 Hotel as 90 others6 turned out to be full up. If you would like me to, I will call for you at the Attic7 with a taxi — if not, I will meet you when and where you like — Please phone as to what you like —

Goodnight Beloved — my Treasure — my heart’s Joy — Bless you mya Cherub —

B

• 1

  [document] Document 200679.

• 2

  [date] The date is based on their plans to stay at a hotel the next day. They were at the Hotel Rubens on 1 August (BR’s pocket diary entry).

• 3

  Here are your letters She was to use both sides of their personal correspondence to fashion a book of “literary” letters. BR had first suggested this project on 22 November 1919 (BRACERS 19585, n.6). They had already written a series of Russian letters.

• 4

  bring the bag (empty) tomorrow According to Colette, he had “asked here to stay with him in order to provide his wife’s lawyers with the evidence for divorce proceedings, which were about to commence” (“Letters to Bertrand Russell from Constance Malleson, 1916–1969”, p. 382).

• 5

  Charing X Charing Cross.

• 6

  90 others It was Bank Holiday weekend and people had flooded into London, causing a shortage of hotel rooms.

• 7

  the Attic The flat at no. 6 Mecklenburgh Square, rented by Colette.

Textual Notes

• a

  my written over R