happy affair with him. According to her, he could be passionately romantic, even poetical , and he wrote the most beautiful love-letters. She still remembers him with tenderness. Unfortunately his attitude to Nancy was one of cynical and selfish exploitation, or so it seemed to her friends. In his case the jokes which Nancy so keenly enjoyed with others went too far. Probably he was a natural philanderer who could not endure the marriage tie. Though Nancy had longed for children she never com plained of ‘Prod’. But she had given up any pretence of enthusiasm for his eccentricities, which had left no warm after-glow.
On 22nd July, 1945 she wrote to Heywood Hill: ‘I have been given
£
5,000 to start a business with, would you like to have me as a partner. I can’t work full time any more… I want to concentrate on the import and export side which I shall know more about when I have been to Paris… I have a personal letter from Oliver Lyttelton imploring me to trade in books, and another from the F.O. recommending me for an exit permit…’
To me, still seconded to S.H.A.E.F. in Paris, she wrote breathlessly: ‘I am planning to put some money into the shop and be a partner and my dream is to be fixed up with some Paris shop and do delicious swops so that I can be the purveyor of high brow frog books here and vice versa. Anyhow I can find all that out when I arrive—meanwhile I am planning to enjoy myself and to become deliciously baked (it is snowing here, need I say)… There is a new man in the shop, a pro, taking my place as after this week I am only going part time. He thinks I am perfectly raving mad and keeps saying under his breath “This is a most extraordinary establishment ”. His favourite writer (because a best seller, I don’t think he reads) is Mazo de la Roche and he wants to order hundreds of his (her?) forthcoming book and fill the window with it. I have gone quietly, so to speak, into the Maquis and am using underground methods of sabotage with complete success.’
‘Tomorrow the Rothermere party for the election. We are asked from 12.30-3.30, fork luncheon. Evelyn [Waugh] says, “I intend to arrive at 12.80 and stay to 3.30 using my fork all the time.” It is rumoured there are to be 150 people and only
6
lobsters so one must hope for a miracle .’
‘I’ll tell you as soon as I know when I arrive—don’t know where I shall stay… Oh! I am excited like a child.’
On 4th August she wrote again: ‘Advised upon all sides I have settled now to go in September, it seems more sensible, and P. writes that he may be in America if I go in August which would be a pity as I shall need all the support I can have. I do hope you won’t have gone for good by then it would be disappointing… Our new young man is a menace… I struggle away, you can imagine! but dread to think what the shop will be like in my absence. The thing is he is awfully NICE and one doesn’t want to wound him in any way.’
‘I’ve been correcting my proofs, always enjoyable I think it reads better than I had expected really.’
Those were the proofs of
The Pursuit of Love
, which was to enjoy a success surpassing Nancy’s wildest expectations.
The slim blue volume of 195 closely printed pages on poor paper ‘in conformity with the authorized economy standards’ was published later in the year at what might correctly be called the psychological moment. The general climate was one of war weariness and disillusion after the elation of victory. Churchill’s government had fallen to a Socialist majority under Mr. Attlee. The verdict of the General Election had forced our colossus to tender his resignation, and the verdict was shocking for its base ingratitude. Amid the ensuing gloom, with mediocrity vengeful and triumphant,
The Pursuit of Love
was like a gloom dispersing rocket. Evelyn Waugh’s
Brideshead Revisited
had paved the way for it and Nancy submitted the manuscript to his scrutiny before sending it to
On 22nd July, 1945 she wrote to Heywood Hill: ‘I have been given
£
5,000 to start a business with, would you like to have me as a partner. I can’t work full time any more… I want to concentrate on the import and export side which I shall know more about when I have been to Paris… I have a personal letter from Oliver Lyttelton imploring me to trade in books, and another from the F.O. recommending me for an exit permit…’
To me, still seconded to S.H.A.E.F. in Paris, she wrote breathlessly: ‘I am planning to put some money into the shop and be a partner and my dream is to be fixed up with some Paris shop and do delicious swops so that I can be the purveyor of high brow frog books here and vice versa. Anyhow I can find all that out when I arrive—meanwhile I am planning to enjoy myself and to become deliciously baked (it is snowing here, need I say)… There is a new man in the shop, a pro, taking my place as after this week I am only going part time. He thinks I am perfectly raving mad and keeps saying under his breath “This is a most extraordinary establishment ”. His favourite writer (because a best seller, I don’t think he reads) is Mazo de la Roche and he wants to order hundreds of his (her?) forthcoming book and fill the window with it. I have gone quietly, so to speak, into the Maquis and am using underground methods of sabotage with complete success.’
‘Tomorrow the Rothermere party for the election. We are asked from 12.30-3.30, fork luncheon. Evelyn [Waugh] says, “I intend to arrive at 12.80 and stay to 3.30 using my fork all the time.” It is rumoured there are to be 150 people and only
6
lobsters so one must hope for a miracle .’
‘I’ll tell you as soon as I know when I arrive—don’t know where I shall stay… Oh! I am excited like a child.’
On 4th August she wrote again: ‘Advised upon all sides I have settled now to go in September, it seems more sensible, and P. writes that he may be in America if I go in August which would be a pity as I shall need all the support I can have. I do hope you won’t have gone for good by then it would be disappointing… Our new young man is a menace… I struggle away, you can imagine! but dread to think what the shop will be like in my absence. The thing is he is awfully NICE and one doesn’t want to wound him in any way.’
‘I’ve been correcting my proofs, always enjoyable I think it reads better than I had expected really.’
Those were the proofs of
The Pursuit of Love
, which was to enjoy a success surpassing Nancy’s wildest expectations.
The slim blue volume of 195 closely printed pages on poor paper ‘in conformity with the authorized economy standards’ was published later in the year at what might correctly be called the psychological moment. The general climate was one of war weariness and disillusion after the elation of victory. Churchill’s government had fallen to a Socialist majority under Mr. Attlee. The verdict of the General Election had forced our colossus to tender his resignation, and the verdict was shocking for its base ingratitude. Amid the ensuing gloom, with mediocrity vengeful and triumphant,
The Pursuit of Love
was like a gloom dispersing rocket. Evelyn Waugh’s
Brideshead Revisited
had paved the way for it and Nancy submitted the manuscript to his scrutiny before sending it to
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