Dear Pearl,

You must come at once, Pearl!  Melba has invited her new beau to use the north bedroom as a makeshift studio while he prepares for a show at the Tower of London.  Despite its sad history, the Tower is a favorite of the ladies who lunch - the tea room there is particularly known for its sardine sandwiches.  Melba says its because sardines are always being beheaded too - just like the unfortunate prisoners who once drew their last breath within the stony walls of the Tower.  

But I digress.  Melba's beau is named Chesterton and he always wears green socks and a very rumpled artist's smock.  He forgets to eat when he is working but Melba says that is just the artistic temperament and Louise should just scoot the hottest of toddys up the dumbwaiter whenever she thinks of it.  Toddy or not, I believe Chesterton plans to complete a series of a dozen or so landscapes that will hang in the dining room at the Tower and be for sale through the holiday season.  If I see one that has a goat in it I will buy it for you!  

I Remain As Always, Your Devoted Miss Blue

Dear Miss Blue,

Somehow the antics of Linguini really don't surprise me.  I remember his passion for a little drink once in a while as  he swept the floors and polished the expensive sterling there in Melba's lovely home. But it is true, Miss Blue, the nature of cousins when they get together can often be confusing to the likes of Linguini and his relatives; drinking while dusting and polishing always needed to make the time enjoyable. lazy folks need the appetizers, a little wine here and there and toasting to one another and always the singing and telling the same old jokes. A pantry with wine bottles of every expensive kind has its appeal and so, with hardly a backward look, the playful trio helped themselves to the delights of sipping while they vacuumed and polished.  As for the Queen's second cousins? I, for one, Miss Blue, prefer to let the company just drop by and surely they will understand the charming clutter of unwashed dishes in the kitchen and books strewn across the table and even rugs needing to be swept.
Give my regards to Melba and Fanny and you, Miss Blue, and any cousins you see hanging around the neighborhood.

Love, Pearl.

 

Dearest Pearl,

Lucretia and Mrs Fezziwig left on Sunday, Pearl.  They will travel to the Everglades to have Thanksgiving among the palms and keep an eye out for Cheddar.  Melba is appalled at the rigamarole she has set in motion.  But I have assured her that there is no better place in the world for a quixotic quest than Florida.  Of course I'm thinking of Ponce de Leon and his mission to discover the Fountain of Youth.  I don't believe he found it.  But Donald Duck assuredly did I'm told by Fanny.  She saw it in a cartoon with her own eyes. 

In the meantime, Linguini has persuaded two of his cousins to come and help the household through the long holiday weekend.  I'm ever so grateful to have the extra service, of course, but the three of them seem to spend a lot of time carousing in the pantry.  I shall be simply mortified if they do not work out! Mrs Highbottom and a few of the Queen's second cousins will be here!  Pray for decorum, please!

I Remain As Always, Your Devoted Miss Blue

Dear Miss Blue,

Poor Mrs. Fezziwig, still unable to recover from losing her dear husband, the Colonel, during the long ago WWI. To grieve day in and day out is so hard on her supply of tears I would think.  And of course, wearying for Lucretia. As you tell the story, even wearying for me, Miss Blue.  My eyes are misting up even as I write.  Life is cruel when filled with misunderstandings about how this happened or didn't happen. Melba's story about the Colonel, Cheddar - an endearing name - he must have been a brave soldier, anyway, fighting in such dangerous places as the American Everglades where the savages and the alligators abound (maybe even the crocodiles?). All of this exciting report did make Mrs. Fezziwig proud and finally happy. How astute is Melba and playful.  Melba, always unpredictable as I remember from days past.
As for harmonizing, I have a new song for us to harmonize,Miss Blue.  It is called: Let the Rest of the World Go By, a favorite in the 1920's. Easy to sing in two-part harmony.

Sending you love, Miss Blue, Pearl xoxox

PS  The weather report is for snow right here in the neighborhood so remember to bring your galoshes so you can walk in the snow.

 
Dear Pearl,

Lucretia and Mrs Fezziwig have arrived, Pearl.  Mrs Fezziwig never recovered from losing the Colonel in WWI.  She keeps his shaving soap in its little dish on the sink as if he still lived and breathed.  Lucretia is supposed to be reminding her that things are different now but I think she gets weary of being the bearer of bad news all the time.  So we set a place at the table every night for the Colonel and when he doesn't come, we take turns making the most elaborate excuses.  Last night Melba - bless her ever-so-theatrical-soul - suggested that Cheddar (that's the Colonel's name) had been called away suddenly to another conflict - this one in the American Everglades.  Mrs Fezziwig was so proud to think that her dear Cheddar might be fighting for the Empire amongst the savages and the alligators who populate that part of the globe.  She ate her dinner with gusto and seemed more relaxed than we'd seen her for days!   

We miss your lovely voice around here, Pearl.  I hope you are keeping up on your scales so you will be ready to harmonize when we're together again!

I Remain, As Always, Your Devoted Miss Blue                                      

                              

Dear Miss Blue,

Well, what a relief it must be to finally settle the score between Louise and Mr. McSweeney!  And now the joyful days with Fanny's friends from her Cricket Team, Lucinda and Leandro. I have never played the game of Cricket.  Soccer was the game we played when I was in grade school - kicking the soccer ball from one end of the court to the other with no use of our hands, we were always graceful as we moved hopefully to make it to the goal and the winning score. I am delighted to see Lucinda and Leandro taking their love of Cricket onto dancing in the street, a perfect playing field.  We loved our Marlborough Street, Miss Blue, even though we found the name terribly hard to spell when we first moved there. Everyone felt the same frustration since most streets had much simpler -maybe two syllable - names (like Philip, the street our school was on).

I hope you forgive me for taking so long in writing back to you, dear Miss Blue.

As always, Your Pearl

Dear Pearl,

Thank you for your forgiving point of view about guests smoking in other people's homes, Pearl.  I'm afraid you did not persuade Louise - she is furious about the burn holes Mr McSweeney's ashes left in the sheets.  They were the Turkish cotton kind that Louise is so militant about ironing with  lavender water.  Mr McSweeney will not be welcome back while she is in my employ.  I fear an insurrection should my loyalties waver. . .

Happily we are now hosting the most delightful children from Fanny's cricket team.  Lucinda and Leandro are inspiring us all to dance in the street more often.  Oh how I miss the dancing we used to do on Marlborough, Pearl.  You too?

I Remain, As Always, Your Devoted Miss Blue