Deudraeth Castle Hotel, Portmeirion Peninsula, Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales. - Dora is claiming all custody of John and Kate in her divorce petition and presenting herself 'as a conventionally innocent wife'. Russell is very anxious to be able to marry Peter [Spence], but they would both sacrifice this in order not to lose the children. Encloses a typed statement explaining the situation: Dora has concealed the existence of her two children by Griffin Barry in her divorce petition, and does not ask the discretion of the court for her adulteries, which she also conceals; a Chancery suit is being brought to determine the question of custody, and it is important that the Judge should have evidence of Russell's fitness as a parent and of the mutual affection of the children and Peter Spence; the Russells have so far 'had equal rights in the children', who spend term time with their mother and holidays with their father; he wishes this arrangement to continue. Asks if she and Bob could make a statement that Russell 'is not an exceptionally bad father' and Peter 'not an abandoned hussy, but good with the children and loved by them'; this should be sent to Crompton Ll[ewelyn] Davies. A postscript: 'I have also written to [John Edensor?] Littlewood' has been crossed through and replaced with instructions to use Russell's title in the statement. Over the page there is a request that the Trevelyans should visit any time in June, signed P.S. [Peter Spence].
Deudraeth Castle Hotel, Portmeirion Peninsula, Penrhyndeudraeth, North Wales. - Thanks Elizabeth for her letter, but thinks she does not quite know the facts: that he and Dora have an agreement which give them equal rights in the children, and he has only asked that this continue, but Dora wants 'sole rights & complete custody'; she is petitioning for divorce and representing herself as a 'completely blameless wife', concealing the existence of Harriet and Roderick [her children with Griffin Barry]. Does not see why Elizabeth talks of both his and Dora's suffering: 'Does the tiger suffer when it kills the deer'?; Dora knows that if she deprives him of John and Kate, 'the whole of the rest of [his] life will be one of unbearable misery', and that to stop her doing so he will probably have to give up hope of divorce. This is very hard on Peter [Spence], 'who wants children, but not bastards', as he himself does. Asks if Elizabeth could let him know 'what version of the facts' she has heard.