My dearest one,

Alex and his aide-de-camp, who is the son of Lord Templemore, have left us after staying two nights. I hope Alex will come back again next weekend. He certainly enjoyed himself painting, and produced a very good picture considering it is the first time that he has handled a brush for six years. I have now four pictures, three of them large, in an advanced state, and I honestly think they are better than any I have painted so far. I gave Alex your message and he was very pleased.

The painting has been a great pleasure to me, and I have really forgotten all my vexations. It is a wonderful cure, because you really cannot think of anything else. This is Saturday, and it is a week since we started. We have had newspapers up till Wednesday. I have skimmed through them, and it certainly seems we are going to have a pretty hard time. I cannot feel the Government is doing enough about demobilization, still less about getting our trade on the move again. I do not know how we are ever to pay our debts, and it is even difficult to see how we shall pay our way. Even if we were all united in a Coalition, gathering all the strength of the nation, our task might well is beyond our powers. However, all this seems already quite remote from me on this lovely lake, where nearly all the days are full of sunshine and the weather bright and cool.

Much better than the newspapers was your letter, with its amusing but rather macabre account of the journey to Wood Ford. I am longing to hear how our affairs are progressing. I do hope you are not overtaxing yourself with all the business that there is to do. We shall certainly not forget about Mary's birthday, but let me know what you have done about a present.

Considering how pleasant and delightful the days have been, I cannot say they have passed quickly. It seems quite a long time since I arrived, although every day has been full of interest and occupation. I have converted my enormous bathroom into a studio with makeshift easels, and there all this morning Alex and I tried to put the finishing touches on our pictures of yesterday. He has set his heart on buying a villa here on a promontory. I have not seen it inside, but from the outside it looks the most beautiful abode one can possibly imagine, and I understand that inside it is even more romantic, going back to the fifteenth century. He was a little startled when I pointed out to him that no one will be allowed to buy a foreign property across the exchange perhaps for many years.

You maybe amused to see the elaborate form in which your telegram, which I rejoiced to receive today, was sent.

He begged me to stay on here as long as I like, but I think I shall come back the 18th or 19th. I am doubtful whether I shall stop in Paris. I expect in another ten or eleven days I shall be very keen to get home again. Sarah has been a great joy, and gets on with everybody. She and I both drive the speed-boats. They are a wonderful way of getting about this lake, and far safer than the awful winding roads around which the Italians career with motorcars and Lorries at all sorts of speeds and angles.

His dictation over, Churchill continued in his own handwriting:

My Darling I think a great deal of you and last night when I was driving the speed-boat back there came into my mind your singing to me "In the Gloaming" years ago. What a sweet song and tune and how beautifully you sang it in all its pathos. My heart thrills and I love to feel you near me in thought. I feel so tenderly towards you my darling and the more pleasant and agreeable the scenes and days, the more I wish you were here to share them and give me a kiss.

Charles plays golf most days. There is a very pretty link here, and he has fierce contests with himself or against Ogier. His devoted care of me is deeply touching.

You see I have nearly forgotten how to write with a pen. Isn't awful my scribble?

Miss Layton has heard from her 'boy-friend' in S. Africa that she is to go out there (not Canada) immediately if possible to marry him. So she is very happy. Yesterday the South African officers came from their hotel and took her out to 'water-plane' behind their speed boat. She looked very handsome whirling along in the water and made three large circles in front of the villa before she tumbled in. Sarah is writing you now. The DB is starting.

Always your loving husband