41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Thanks Bessie for her letters and postcard, and answers her questions: her book is "Wilfrid Scawen Blunt", and was published in 1939 when she was still Edith Finch; is sorry she does not have a copy to lend her. Agrees that the weather is very cold, though the Russells have not had to retire to bed to keep warm like Bessie; hopes she is not ill. They have not yet seen V[eronica] Wedgwood's book ["The King's Peace, 1637–1641", vol. 1 of "The Great Rebellion"]; liked her "William the Silent" very much, but they have been so busy to read much besides what must be read. They both have been very busy since Bertie's Christmas broadcast ["Man’s Peril from the Hydrogen Bomb.”]; she hopes his energy will hold out and that 'passionate sincerity' will bring about the proposal's success. Domestically, they are in chaos: the cook-general's husband is ill so she has been away since before Christmas, they have a little help from a char and from the grandchildren's governess. Their grandchildren [Felicity, Anne, and Lucy] are now in their sole care, 'since their parents first left them and then left each other'. John has been ill; he spends some of his time with his mother, and some with them; it has been 'really fierce and harrowing' for Bertie. They 'love the little girls dearly' however. Sorry the roads are so treacherous; would be lovely to see her when she can get to London again.
