Numbered 102. Postmarked Kilconquhar Fife 16 AUG 39
addressed to R Helme Esq, 34 Albert Road, Colne
The Manse, Kilconquhar, Nr Elie
16th Aug
My darling Ronnie,
A long pause… How shall I begin to tell you how much I am missing you? You can miss a friend a lot, you can miss home terribly – but how can you find words to express how much you are missing your sweetheart!? Well, I guess it just can’t be done.
Yesterday was a miserable day for me in my heart and my feet were heavy. In fact, I could say that I and my feet were flat! And all we seemed to do was wander from station to station – sitting in the gardens between times, and looking at a few shops. I wrote you a pc from the gardens, but didn’t find a single post office or box in Princes Street, so I regret to say, it wasn’t posted. Anyway, I couldn’t say what I was feeling on a post card.
Last night I slept in your wee bed in the attic, and felt very very sorry for myself. Mum had taken your sheets away and had not even left me your pillowcase. At least she left me the lower one, but it didn’t smell of hair cream, and I’m sure your head had never been on it. Anyway I took your blue jersey to bed with me and cuddled it all night. I shall do the same tonight as I derived great comfort from it.
You should be able to play excellent golf in it next time you put it on…. But wait till I have knitted you a nice new blue waistcoat – I mean cardigan, and you have purchased a lovely white shirt. Then you’ll play some astounding golf!
How I wish you were still here. I have just done some very necessary washing. Marj and Adile have gone down into Elie, Pam and Moué are going or have gone for a cycle ride, and Dad and Uncle Stan are mowing the lawn with an ancient and blunt lawn mower…. Mum unfortunately fell down the attic steps when she’d been to waken me, and has banged herself about a bit, so so far she is in bed.
She was surprised and pleased that you had managed to write so soon, and said “What a nice writer!” and I thought, “Oh Sure, and a whole lot more. He’s quite the nicest kisser…” Kathleen Eadie N.P. did not ask to read the letter, but her Mum read that bit out to her. N.P. was quite taken up with her own letter from you, which brought a lump to her throat. The thought of poor wee you coming home after a long journey to find an empty house -. Darling, you’ll never find that when you’re married to me. I shall always be there with open arms, to welcome you home.
In winter time when it’s very cold, and your breath hangs frozen in the air, and you come home from a hard days work, your slippers’ll be waiting by the roaring fire; and there’ll be hot toasted bread for tea. There will be you and me – and some day there’ll be Donald and Michael, and a little girl whose name I don’t know. And so it will go on till your hair has grown so far back that it can’t go any further; and my chin is so big that you can only kiss me with great difficulty. But you won’t mind the difficulty. And your teeth will stand in a glass at one side of the bed, and mine at the other. And so we shall sleep in toothless bliss, saying goodnight with a toothless kiss.
Do I revolt you, darling? Well, we’ve heaps of nice things to look forward to before that.
The day is dull, and like me it sorrows for you. Kilconquhar just isn’t the same. I want you to see the sea with me, you to see the loch with me, you to see the corn with me. And I’ve just got to go on wanting, because you’re sitting in Kneeshaw and Moffit’s office telling your fellow workers about the wetting you got in the lifeboat, and the height and structure of the Forth Bridge and scrappiness and length of the Bay Bridge. I just know you are.
But never mind sweetheart, you’ve been here, and I’ve loved having you everyday; and you’re even sweeter at the breakfast table than you are at supper and you look so lovely when you’re fast asleep – though I only managed to catch you sleeping once. As for the afternoon on the golf links – I did so enjoy it, as I loved to see you so interested in your game, and you made me so interested too.
I shall have to go and have a word with Tom Rasbie(*) soon, though I doubt whether I shall manage it today, as we are going over to Dollar to see the Walkers. Marj., Adile, Dad, Mr Foulds and I are going definitely and Mum if she’s well enough.
Well, Angel, I think I’ll take Prince out for a walk over the links. I shall have to go and buy some stamps first. Plenty of stamps so as I can write to you often. I shall also post this letter, can you see me walking along the wee road to the post office, past the local – which reminds me you never had any Scottish ale, and I really had intended you to have a pint. Next time, and meanwhile you might have one maybe two gills of Yorkshire or Lancashire beer.
Please write again very soon darling, and don’t forget I am positively and definitely in love with you – for always, Kathleen (NP)
P.S. You might ask the Editor to send on a special edition of his paper someday within the next fortnight.