LA VAGNOLA

53040 CETONA (SIENA)

23028

29 wii 72

Dearest Perdita,

All thanks for yours of the 18th which
swam the Atlantic slowly; a great joy, as
always, to hear from you though I wish we
could coincide so I could see you. I plan
to visit Mummy in early September; any chance
you might be in England then? Or better,
any hope of an autumnal visit here?

London in June solved my plumbing
problems quickly: an irritated gut syndrome
for which the worst treatment was antibiotics
on which I was being fed locally. A gentle
antispasmodic cure and all seems to be very
well.

Meanwhile a steady pleasant flow of guests
through this thundery Italian summer; enough
sun for the pool in the mornings but supper
outdoors is less reliable. Evie here with me
now, sends you much love. Peter, her husband
was here for a week and she stays on another.
Alex is mending porcelain and her Nicky is
half way to the Cape in a mini-bus with two
chums, somewhere in equatorial Africa. During
the long vacation from the Army University,
they had the choice of showing they could do
something or be sent to N. Ireland. So he's
doing.

K's Will: why didn't Wormser & Co
inform Bryher long ago that she was Kenneth's
sole beneficiary? Instead of being so cagey?
It does seem extraordinary. The half Trust
was Kenneth's only estate. Neither he nor
I have ever owned this house or its contents

but rent the lot from a company. He disposed
of everything else long ago, as I thought you
knew, and with Bryher's full knowledge.

So glad you are tucked up cosily in
Netherfield. Sorry about Dick Holt; I haven't
seen Letizia this year, but she wrote saying
she thought the hip would have to be done again.

The parcel, you will have discovered,
contained those bits of Indian camp which you
once remarked would look very well on Nicholas
and since he doesn't appear to be coming to
Italy this summer and I wasn't able to be here
with him last year, I thought it best to send
them.

With lots of love,

Islay.

VILLA KENWIN
1814 BURIER-LA-TOUR

VAUD

Téléphone: 021 - 54 37 97

Please note telegraphic address:
Kenwin, Vevey

18th June 1971

Pup darling,

I know that you will feel the death of kenneth very much but it was merciful. It was not cancer as I had suspected but something that apparently only males get, an artery or vein in the throat burst and it happened almost at once. There can be many reasons, usually that the people are temporarily run down or something of the kind and it is not easily predictable. I remember kenneth having trouble with his throat on several occasions. I could not get down by train, the train left at 7.a.m. and I only got the news late the previous night, I could not connect by plane in time to arrive for the funeral so at a lot of expense but it worked out best in the end, I hired our local taxi and got down as far as Florence where I spent the night and then we drove on the next day, getting there in time for lunch. Fortunately Mary and Michael through with Leo, their boy, were there and were very helpful and Islay and Michael get on well together. That was the Tuesday. The funeral was Wednesday at five o'clock, Letizia came from Rome and stayed in the house with us, about nine friends of kenneth came from Rome just for the funeral. First they had a service in the village church with the village priest, kenneth's mother was Catholic. Then the entire village marched with wild flowers or flowers from their garden to the cemetary, about a quarter of a mile away, Mary, Letizia and I and Leo went up by car and there was one hther car with people. At the grave the Anglican chaplain who had known kenneth and came from Rome read and said prayers in English. It was a tribute to kenneth that the whole village turned out.

Ilay was terribly upset, I begged him to try to get away. Cetona has been left to him and he will keep it. My job was then to get back here as a lot of arrangements are tied up here about the estate. And by starting at dawn we got back last night. We had the young driver that took you out I think with me a couple of times. It was about 850 kilometres. But the drive both ways was magnificent, through the tunnel one way over the other, and it was not tiring as we were on the autostrade and going, I fear, a terrific pace all the way. I brought letters from everyone to post here because post in Italy takes days and days now.

I know you will feel it very much but it was really for the best, if you remember, kenneth often had difficulty in swallowing and there was some constriction in the throat. He was very happy at Cetona until almost the end. Ilay said you and I must go down and see him when he is there. And then you can see kenneth's grave.

I had Kittie and her friend here so it was all rather difficult. I had promised to take them to Zurich but I afraid now that they will have to go alone. I have a pile of matters to discuss here with regard to K's affairs.

I have got to dash to Montreux in a moment so this is just to give you the details. He would not want you to grieve but only to remember him.

All my love,

I advised my doctor that should anything happen no special measure is to be taken. If one was going to be ill the VILLA KENWIN rest of life, better die at once.

19th April 1977

19, chemin du Vallon

1814 BURIER-LA-TOUR

VAUD
Switzerland

Pup darling,

You seem to be worried as to what happens when I expire. No need to worry. I made my will some time ago and it is in the hands of Fides. They will make all arrangements.

A certain portion comes to you, a portion goes to several of my best friends and Ines, I ask for the payments to be made to my pensioners, if possible, in general during their life time. I will try to get a copy made with their names, addresses and pensions.

I have an excellent doctor here, Dr du Perrot, and when I had my flu prick he said he thought I was several years younger than my actual age. After the last payments to pensioners have been made in most cases the funds would then revert to you. If you apply to Dr de Perrot for news of me I should leave and go to another doctor. If it is necessary for you to be informed of anything, I shall ask Dr du Perrot myself to inform you.

I do not like even relatives or best friends to go round getting news from people like doctors, lawyers and so on. I know you mean it well but I don't like fuss and having been for years with Dr du Perrot, I think he is most reliable and would call in assistance at once if he thought it necessary. The same with legal aid and Fides. Should I feel that I could not cope any longer I can then call on you and another representative to confer with Fides. All but a trifle of my funds are with them.

I should not have been able to live quietly here in peace and pleasant days if it had not been for Ines, Marie Anne Coigny and Monsieur Puegg of Fides who looks after most of my financial affairs.

The main person is really Ines who cooks the meals I like, sees everything is very clean and goes with me if I feel like going with a companion into town. Mostly I go alone but if one is getting a lot of bundles then sometimes one cannot cart it all back alone.

Now do stop worrying. I like Switzerland, it was a favorite country with my Father and my Mother liked it as well. All is arranged. Ines can take over here should I not wish to continue but the doctor told me when I had a last check up that doing lots of errands was good for the body if not for the temper. The doctor says the more I work either with books or going out for walks and to shops the better. The doctor has your name and address but should you or anyone else write to him without a real reason, then I should transfer to somebody else.

Now I repeat. I have a doctor who has looked after me for years. He can inform you if anything serious happened. He will not inform you if I sneezed three times in one afternoon. Dr de Perrot, 7 Avenue du Casino, Montreux but if you get in touch with him, I shall transfer to somebody else, unless he notified you that I was not well.

All financial matters and my Will are with Fides.

I know you mean well but I value freedom above all other matters and I do not like the idea of others interfering.

1. In case of serious illness or difficulty, you will be notified by Fides.

2. I want to die where I have spent most of my life.

3. After you, yourself, my faithful Ines is the most important to me.

VAUD

Téléphone: 021 - 54 37 97

19th June 1971

Pup darling,

I think you will be feeling the loss of Kenneth very much because he had been so much a part of your European life but Islay tells me that he had suffered a great deal all the last year. It was strange but it often happens but he had seemed to us both, I think, so much better than for a long time when we were at Cetona. Meantime Islay asked me to tell you that you would always be welcome at Cetona as long as he is there. And he hopes and intends to stay.

It is pouring with rain here and so cold, the sunshine in Italy was marvellous. I have Kittie and Esme for today, to-morrow they go to Zurich and I had hoped to show them my " Zuri " but I have to send them off alone because I have to spend the day on Monday at Lausanne, discussing matters connected with Kenneth's affairs.

It has been nice having Kittie here. She had much the same experience as I had at Queenwood, she had been brought up in South America and apart from her sister, Martita, who was much younger and her brother, she had had no contact with others of her own age. She loved Queenwood whereas I fought it.

I am much enjoying a new novel by my friend, Lettice Cooper, it is all about Italy and I think she gets the atmosphere beautifully. She sent me an advance copy but I shall order one to be sent to you from Goulden and Curry.

I admire her work so much.

I hope you are not feeling the loss of Kenneth too much. I had feared for some time we might have bad news but I had not realised that the trouble was a blocked vein. It was in a part of the neck where they cannot operate.

Islay rang me up to know if I had got home all right and to tell me he had to go to Home for 4 or 5 days to settle business there.

All my love and best wishes,